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News24 reader Bob Harmer writes that he takes issue with what he considers misdirection made by News24 columnist Dr Ebrahim Harvey over the creation of Israel.
Having read Dr Ebrahim Harvey's latest column on the firing of Ghaleb Cachlia from the DA shadow cabinet over his comments on the latest round of violence between Hamas and Israel, I can only agree with him that the DA has, for all intent and purposes shot themselves in the foot in their response which was both ill-considered and lacking in consideration for the deaths currently taking place in Gaza and Israel.
I do, however, take issue I do however take issue to, what I consider inflamatory comments and misdirection made by Dr Harvey with regard to the situation when one looks at what I would call the inconvenient facts.
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Regarding the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent conflict between the surrounding Arab states and Israel, Dr Harvey blames the state of Israel for that conflict, I would like to point out the following:
In 1947, the UN passed resolution 181, agreeing to the establishment of a Jewish state in the British-administered area of Palestine.
British-held mandate
What I believe is a less widely and conveniently ignored fact is that the UN resolution also stated that a separate Palestinian state alongside the new state of Israel was delineated and recognised as an independent state. The resolution called for and recognised two separate independent states, one Jewish and the other Palestinian. An inconvenient fact.
In 1948, at the completion of the British-held mandate, Israel declared itself an independent sovereign state, and the next day five independent Arab countries went to war with Israel.The purpose of that war, from the Arab point of view, was the destruction of the new state of Israel and the expulsion of all Jews from the region.
At the armistice talks in 1949, Egypt took control of Gaza and parts of southern Israel, and Jordan maintained control of west Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel later annexed.
At no time before that war or after the armistice did any of the Arab nations attempt to establish an independent Palestinian state as per the UN resolution 181. Another inconvenient fact.
It can be argued that that failure to use the opportunity given to them for the establishment of a Palestinian state in 1949, together with the Arab states' refusal to accept Israel as a sovereign state at that time, is one of the causes of the conflict ongoing for the last 75 years. By not doing so, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq have turned the Palestinian people into a nation of outcasts, refugees and beggars.
Atrocities were tragically committed by both sides, but at the end of the day the UN recognises Israel as an independent state and Resolution 181 stated that an independent Palestinian state be established. Who dropped the ball, and who should shoulder that blame for the Palestinian situation? The prevarication by the Arab states in the region over Israel's right to exist since 1948 has led to the current impasse.
What would the Middle East look like today if those Arab states had chosen the path of negotiation and peace rather than war?
Inflammatory language
Secondly, Dr Harvey uses the term 'genocidal' with gay abandon. The Oxford Dictionary definition of genocide is "the deliberate killing of large numbers of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the intention of destroying that nation or ethnic group."
Ten thousand dead in Gaza, while a terrible, tragic and unnecessary loss of life, the use of the word genocidal is hardly appropriate.
Over two million people are living in Gaza, a further three million in the West Bank, approximately three million are in Jordan, with several hundred thousand in Lebanon. The numbers simply do not fit with the definition, I am afraid.
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In addition, if ten thousand deaths in 10 million is a genocide, why is one thousand four hundred in six million Jewish Israelis not? If Israel wanted to eradicate the Palestinian people as per the accepted definition, what is Israel going to do with the more than two million Arab Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent that currently live in Israel?
Another little-known fact, Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic. If Israel wants to elliminate the Palestinian population, why is Arabic as an official language. The glib use of such language simply adds fuel to the fire.
Perhaps Dr Harvey should take notice of the call by a senior Hamas leader made on television shortly after the beginning of the conflict calling for all Muslims to commit a "Pogram" on all Jews throughout the world on Friday 13 October. Fact.
Oxford's definition of a pogram, is "an organised massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular, Jews". Is that not a genuine call for genocide Dr Harvey?
Indiscriminate killings?
Further Dr Harvey talks about the "brutal, barbaric and indiscriminate killings by Israel. As I have said earlier it pains me to see the terrible suffering of children and innocents in Gaza. Unfortunately they are bearing the brunt of a whirlwind not of their making.
Brutal, maybe, barbaric, that depends on your definition of the word, indiscriminate I cannot agree with.
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Israel called on all civilians to leave Gaza City and move to the south. They used television, radio, cell phone messages and pamphlets to issue this request. This was widely reported on TV and rejected by Hamas, who instructed the citizens of Gaza City to remain in their homes. If, for whatever reason the civilian population chose to ignore those warnings, knowing full well what was coming, perhaps the blame for the number of deaths should lie with Hamas for not providing adequate protection for the people they are responsible for?
Dr Harvey also talks about the cruellest bombing he has ever seen. All I can say is that he must have a very short memory. Try looking back to the destruction of Homs and Aleppo by the Syrian government forces together with help from Russia. The use of barrel bombs and Chlorine gas. How about the total destruction of Grozny by Russian forces during their Chechen wars or the obliteration of Bhakmut city in Ukraine, once again by Russian forces. In that case, they have not left a building standing.
There is only one fact that matters in this unfortunate conflict: there will never be peace in that region of the Middle East until the likes of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah recognise Israel's right to exist, lay down their arms and choose negotiation. The ANC did it in South Africa.
Dr Harvey is a respected columnist and commentator. Perhaps, in this case, he has let his emotions rule over sensible judgement.
- Bob Harmer is from Richmond KwaZulu-Natal.
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