Op-Ed: Build a movement for a lasting peace in the Middle East

Once again, the headlines have been dominated by the cycle of violence in the Middle East. The same day as a gunman attacked the Merkaz Harav seminary, a coalition of international groups released a report into the worsening conditions in the Gaza Strip.

If nothing else this report should provide the clues necessary as to why some Palestinians were prepared to celebrate the brutal attack on the seminary. “Man-made and completely avoidable” The report opens with frank language saying that the situation in Gaza is “man-made, completely avoidable and with the necessary political will can be reversed”. Naturally, it stops short of directly attributing blame (although in response to the report, Israel was not so candid) although it does say that the situation has worsened “exponentially” since Israel's blockade against Gaza began. Critics of the report will focus on the reports condemnation of the actions of the Israeli state but, in the interests of balance, it is only fair to note that the report acknowledges the blockade began in response to “indiscriminate” rocket attacks on Israel. It should go without saying that Israel's current strategy has not stopped these attacks nor has it significantly improved it's security status; one need only switch on any newscast on any given day to see that much. However, it's main focus is the desperate plight of Gazans. Among it's main findings are; - Economic collapse; 95% of Gaza's industrial operations are suspended due to the blockade. Private enterprise has pretty much ceased to exist or function; “entire sectors including construction and agriculture have ground to a halt”. Starkly, the report says that it is no longer a question of Gaza's economy “collapsing” but having already “collapsed”. -Crippling poverty; the report cites rising prices of essential goods like wheat and flour coupled with an unemployment rate of 40% which is expected to rise to 50%. Household incomes are projected to fall by 22% so, even if a Gazan is employed, they are squeezed in a vice of rising prices and a rising inability to pay those prices. -Collapse of basic service infrastructure; not only does the Israeli blockade restrict the flow and fuel and electricity into Gaza but it also prevents the “repair and maintenance of the electricity and water service infrastructure by prohibiting the import of spare parts”. The net result is hospitals which can't function and “40-50 million tonnes of sewage” which “continues to pour into the sea daily”. -Dependency; “In 2008, there are over 1.1 million people – some three-quarters of the population of Gaza – who are dependent on food aid”. This statistic speaks for itself, and coupled with the data above it is one that is unlikely to change in the near future. New Strategy It should be blindingly obvious that a population so ground under the heel is embittered as well as impoverished. Life would be hard enough without Israel's regular military incursions into the Strip which add on top of the daily hardships the bitterness of seeing friends and loved ones caught in the crossfire as Hamas and Israel slug it out. Gazans have been deprived of that most crucial element of living, hope, and in that atmosphere it is unsurprising that Hamas's bile-drenched message finds willing listeners. We all rightly deplore the terror Hamas inflicts on Israeli civilians but we seem to spare little thought or consideration for what produces conditions where groups like it flourish and find succor and support. Put plainly; how would you feel about a country that deprived your family of food and occasionally sent it's troops across the border to wreak havoc? The report calls for a new strategy of engagement by Israel and the international community and also calls for an end to the blockade which it correctly describes as 'collective punishment' which is, of course, illegal under international law. However, the ability of both communities to engage in constructive and meaningful moves to peace is severely hampered by the entrenched bitterness engendered by the suffering of both communities at the hands of agencies (either Hamas or the Israeli state) acting in their name. Neither of these parties is likely to abandon their entrenched position willingly unless there is a sea change in the feelings of Israeli's and Palestinians and in the current tit-for-tat environment such a change is unlikely to say the least. So, the onus in moving the Middle East towards a lasting peace falls upon the shoulders of the international community. Leaving aside the obvious gains in terms of bringing stability to a troubled region (and thus undercutting one of the key ideological appeals of the likes of Al Quaeda ) the international community also has much to gain in the terms of being eventually able to reduce aid to the embattled region. Specifically the report calls for both the European Union and the UK to begin to exert pressure on Israel to end it's blockade of Gaza. It also calls on both the Israeli government and Palestinian groups to end attacks against civilians. However, this is unlikely to occur for the reasons mentioned above so the only obvious alternative would be for the international community to establish a significant military presence in the disputed regions alongside its brokerage of a diplomatic solution. At this point in time the international community is however hamstrung by the lack of serious will on the part of some of it's key players to impose international law, especially on Israel which the United States and the United Kingdom see as it's natural friend and ally in a hostile region. The lack of even-handedness in the approach to this process is well-documented as is it's severely detrimental effect on the credibility of the international community as being honest brokers. Peace processes are invariably long and painful ones; sacrifices have to be made on both sides which leave neither side happy but have to be acceptable. Debate on Israel-Palestine is often bedeviled by a frankly useless one-sidedness which paradories the bitter divide in the region itself; extremists on both sides are the only ones that benefit with no voice being left for the voiceless, the moderates who want to see real progress being made towards peace. Appeals to governments across the globe are likely to fall on deaf ears, appeals must be made directly to people across the Western political sphere for whether they realise it or not we all have a stake in this conflict and an awful lot to lose. An international movement, calling for an end to the Israeli blockade would send a serious message to the Palestinian people that there are other agencies beside Hamas willing to defend their interests. This movement would have as it's central concern, after the ending of the blockade, the pressuring of the international community to apply international law justly and even-handedly to both sides. It would no doubt inspire people on both sides of the divide to pressure their own governments to establish once and for all a lasting peace. (All quotes from The Gaza Strip; A Humanitarain Implosion)