They neither see nor remember - Haaretz

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Sun., November 22, 2009 Kislev 5, 5770

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Last update - 00:00 23/01/2008

They neither see nor remember

By Amira Hass

Tags: Gaza, Israel, Closure

The security establishment was quick on Monday to boast of the success of its tactic of escalation against Gaza: Look, the number of Qassams declined. By the time these lines are published, the security establishment may spin another logical axiom: Since we renewed the supply of diesel fuel on a one-time basis, the Palestinians have gone back to firing Qassams. The conclusion: Continue the escalation. The logic of escalation is the middle name of the current defense minister, Ehud Barak, and many Israelis are adopting it.

Barak was prime minister in September 2000, when the Israel Defense Forces responded with escalation to popular demonstrations against the Israeli occupier and to the throwing of stones: lethal fire against civilians, among them many children. Not surprisingly, the Palestinians did not understand the lesson and turned to escalation tactics of their own. That is how we reached the point where we are now - homemade rockets of all kinds, which become even developed, the more Israel escalates its punishment measures in response to them.

Books, articles and one or two films have have already discussed, albeit tardily, the foolishness of the tactic of escalation. But that does not matter to those who support the application of more and more pressure on the 1.5 million residents of the Strip. This shows that they - like their defense minister and the rest of the political leadership - are suffering from four failings: amnesia, shortsightedness, disorientation and learning disabilities.

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Amnesia allows exponents of this position to ponder the ostensibly welcome results of the escalation for a period of time ranging from days to months. Israelis forget the deadly Israeli attack that preceded the last Qassam barrage. And because they do not connect today's Qassams to those killed at the beginning of the intifada, that is, to the steps of escalation that the army took seven years ago, they cannot imagine what the result will be of the interruption to the water supply due to the power cuts; the collapse of the sewerage system; the insult inherent in dealing only with food and the cold. Because of amnesia, Israelis do not think about the future: about the Palestinian, all-Muslim, all-Arab attitudes and positions that are being formulated at this very moment, which will end up shattering any temporary calm.

The shortsightedness of those who support escalation allows them to watch television broadcasts from Gaza - of children crying and spokesmen pleading or raging - and feel these are signs that the current escalation is working. They do not see beyond the screen. They do not see the mutual help, the resourcefulness and the humor people are showing, the stubborness and the political and popular pressure on their Egyptian neighbor.

Disorientation causes supporters of escalation to believe that Gaza is really a separate geographic and demographic region, that it does not not belong, that the fate of its inhabitants means nothing to Palestinians in other areas. Disorientation causes Israelis to relate to the Green Line and treat it as sacred only when Palestinians cross it and strike at them. They forget that they - that is, we Israelis - are crossing the Green Line at any given moment: with settlements and gunfire and separate roads, shelling and bombardment and military orders. And this began long before any Palestinians learned how to manufacture Qassams.

It all connects to learning disabilities. The escalation, its proponents are convinced, will lead to popular pressure on the Hamas government. But the Palestinians do not forget that various forms of siege and closure, economic attrition, land expropriation and foot-dragging in negotiations, are testimony to the failure of the Palestinian Authority and its elected president, Mahmoud Abbas, much more than they are to the failure of Hamas.

Those who champion escalation ignore the fact that hermetic closure of all crossings into Gaza reminds the world what it loves to forget: Israel is the occupier. The aggressor. The learning disabled and the short-sighted do not see the moral - and not just security - bankruptcy of the escalation policy. Others will do that in their place.

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1.	DON`T STOP, THAT`S THE POINT HERE	09:38	\|	indrajaya	23/01/08

2.	Frantic, hungry people and the rise of world anti-semitism	09:47	\|	Clickfool	23/01/08

3.	Indraya (a.k.a. Lakshmi) Has a Cruel Message	10:05	\|	Craig	23/01/08

4.	Collective Punishment Is Not the Answer	10:08	\|	David Howard	23/01/08

5.	good analysis	10:19	\|	old palestinean	23/01/08

6.	Who`s being collectively punished?	10:27	\|	David	23/01/08

7.	# 3, CRAIG (a.k.a. PETER SM)	10:28	\|	indrajaya	23/01/08

8.	# 6 to david; your sderot is a decoy duck	10:38	\|	eric	23/01/08

9.	an explanation is required? where does the money come from	10:40	\|	v hardman	23/01/08

10.	Where do you live Amira Hass?	10:46	\|	De	23/01/08

11.	What I don`t get...	11:04	\|	SP	23/01/08

12.	Escalation	11:29	\|	Brenda	23/01/08

13.	Amira at it again !	11:33	\|	Benzaken	23/01/08

14.	#6 to David	11:39	\|	Yair	23/01/08

15.	TO AMIRA	11:44	\|	ROBERT	23/01/08

16.	Telling it like it is.	11:52	\|	Phillies Wright	23/01/08

17.	#to Yair	11:56	\|	Aby	23/01/08

18.	brilliant article!	11:59	\|	peter	23/01/08

19.	Amira move to Sderot please	12:10	\|	arthur	23/01/08

20.	evil and the zionists	12:15	\|	John and the truth	23/01/08

21.	True but irrelevant	12:17	\|	Joab	23/01/08

22.	sderot	12:18	\|	kas	23/01/08

23.	Oh Wise Amira! Tell us how to deal with Kassams	12:20	\|	Allon Dabah	23/01/08

24.	They neither see nor remember	12:25	\|	Ralph	23/01/08

25.	#7 Indraya to Craig	12:32	\|	King	23/01/08

26.	Selective Amnesia	12:36	\|	Michael	23/01/08

27.	Wow Yair, great response.	12:36	\|	David	23/01/08

28.	Amira : a brave lady	12:46	\|	Al Hussein Barghouti	23/01/08

29.	Yes, Yair, the evil `responsibility` of living	12:54	\|	David Teich	23/01/08

30.	Sincere thanks Amira	13:04	\|	Ursula	23/01/08

31.	No Kassams - No Attack of Gaza - Kassams..	13:21	\|	Rafi	23/01/08

32.	More ranting from the Ramalla-based Drekess	13:22	\|	`Hass` means `Hate`	23/01/08

33.	Did Amira Support Kadima in the Last Election?	13:22	\|	Ovadiah ben Avraham	23/01/08

34.	Stand up, Nik Miller - we can`t quite hear you # 29	13:29	\|	Clickfool	23/01/08

35.	Amira, you certainly have made a statement.!	13:46	\|	Stephen.	23/01/08

36.	# 3 Craig, Excellent post	13:49	\|	Petra	23/01/08

37.	Prespectives....	13:57	\|	Buzaglow	23/01/08

38.	Yeah, they blasted down the wall	13:58	\|	Marilyn	23/01/08

39.	# 37, PETRA	14:01	\|	indrajaya	23/01/08

40.	You forgot one Amira - Rabid Hatred	14:19	\|	Fred the Magnet Man	23/01/08

41.	Amira Hass	14:19	\|	Edithann	23/01/08

42.	Now listen VERY closely Motek	14:27	\|	Gideon Reader	23/01/08

43.	Bold Announcement	14:29	\|	bob p	23/01/08

44.	The Palestinians are saying `NEVER AGAIN, does anyone remember th	14:35	\|	Ferd	23/01/08

45.	ONLY to the Jaundiced	14:41	\|	B	23/01/08

46.	Not So Hermetic Any More	14:46	\|	Jane	23/01/08

47.	Hammas failed to create Hizbullah like front in Gaza	14:48	\|	DDD	23/01/08

48.	It Connects To An Act Of Will	14:49	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	23/01/08

49.	Israel the aggressor..??	14:49	\|	Elie	23/01/08

50.	INDRAJAY A.K.A paid Arab mouthpiece.Worry about Indonesia failing	14:55	\|	PETER SM	23/01/08

51.	INDRAJAY A.K.A paid Arab mouthpiece.Worry about Indonesia failing	14:55	\|	PETER SM	23/01/08

52.	Amira Hass` World View	15:14	\|	Norman F Birnberg	23/01/08

53.	Keep this way	15:42	\|	Moaied	23/01/08

54.	war crimes accountability	15:49	\|	margaret	23/01/08

55.	they neither see nor respond	16:12	\|	jorge luis	23/01/08

56.	Gaza siege reminds people that Gaza is Egypt	16:35	\|	Herbert Kaine	23/01/08

57.	Hass vs Levy	16:42	\|	Yaacov	23/01/08

58.	Amira Hass neither sees nor remembers	16:52	\|	Barry Newman	23/01/08

59.	Gaza "seige" reminds the world who voted terrorists into power	17:49	\|	smarter then amira	23/01/08

60.	#53 Norman F. Birnberg` world view	18:27	\|	Dutch	23/01/08

61.	GAZA	18:31	\|	JW	23/01/08

62.	So What is the answer	18:35	\|	Preston	23/01/08

63.	clickfool israelis are not savages they just want to get to	18:37	\|	Real Palestinian	23/01/08

64.	who needs reminders.....?	18:46	\|	ravi	23/01/08

65.	margaret,international court judge for war crimes?	18:54	\|	JfromC	23/01/08

66.	The Escalation	18:56	\|	Ron	23/01/08

67.	Really having a field day	18:58	\|	Dangalil	23/01/08

68.	Amira, It`s like dumb and getting dumber	19:00	\|	Dutch	23/01/08

69.	#55 fake margaret	19:10	\|	margaret	23/01/08

70.	stones and suicide bombers originated escalation	19:30	\|	reizel	23/01/08

71.	#69 Dutch	19:30	\|	Amira	23/01/08

72.	What else?	19:39	\|	Laurent	23/01/08

73.	#3 Craig is right	19:44	\|	Tom	23/01/08

74.	#60 Israeli voted Terrorists in power too	19:48	\|	dutch	23/01/08

75.	# 63 The answer is tolerance	19:48	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	23/01/08

76.	The answer is American people must get awakened	20:57	\|	Moe	23/01/08

77.	Actually, it reminds world of the Pal double-speak	21:13	\|	William	23/01/08

78.	"Israel is empty of Jews" - Indrajaya #7	21:20	\|	William	23/01/08

79.	Thanks Amira Hass	21:49	\|	John	23/01/08

80.	Fight for FREEDOM! Defeat the Enemies of the FREE WORLD	21:52	\|	Linda Rivera	23/01/08

81.	Amira, Enjoy your BLOODY Peace Process. LIVE 24/7 in SDEROT	21:59	\|	Linda Rivera	23/01/08

82.	#72 Amira, Re: ineptitude	22:02	\|	Dutch	23/01/08

83.	Bravo Amira Hass	22:06	\|	Paul Fingerhut	23/01/08

84.	The WICKED LIE of Occupation. Return STOLEN Jewish Land!	22:06	\|	Linda Rivera	23/01/08

85.	Why would anyone want to do this?	22:22	\|	Dari Ben Akim	23/01/08

86.	Collective punishment perpetrated by each side	22:33	\|	Morris Valentine	23/01/08

87.	reminds world? it already is known	22:34	\|	me2	23/01/08

88.	#78 Linda Rivera How about you moving to Gaza for a few days	22:36	\|	Moe	23/01/08

89.	re above heading	22:36	\|	flatfoot	23/01/08

90.	#63 Preston. You have things upside down	22:47	\|	Dutch	23/01/08

91.	#85 here is the proof that you asked for	22:54	\|	Moe	23/01/08

92.	amira...who are the aggressors?	22:55	\|	nmf	23/01/08

93.	It shows the world,Amira is insane,together	22:55	\|	TOMY	23/01/08

94.	#76 Yaakov , The settlers must be rocketed out	23:01	\|	Dutch	23/01/08

95.	OLMERT TOLD THEM TO WALK	23:01	\|	Dangalil	23/01/08

96.	#19 Arthur: How about you moving into Gaza for a few days	23:03	\|	Moe	23/01/08

97.	Come on Amira...we all know the only solution	23:30	\|	Ariel	23/01/08

98.	Stop the flow	23:53	\|	Fair	23/01/08

99.	the peace of the graveyard	23:56	\|	rickibobbi	23/01/08

100.	Israel was and is a historical mistake.	00:11	\|	Dutch Dirk	24/01/08

101.	What Amira really wants	00:19	\|	Rajeev	24/01/08

102.	Stop US Aid to israel NOW!	00:39	\|	LanceThruster	24/01/08

103.	Any time I see "NOW" in capital letters, I know it`s a bad slogan	00:56	\|	Tom	24/01/08

104.	i`m not sure. i think i h.sent similar post befre	00:57	\|	bozhidar balkas	24/01/08

105.	Gaza situation reminds the world that Pals attack civilians	01:00	\|	Tom	24/01/08

106.	You make a diffrence!	01:10	\|	RJ	24/01/08

107.	Morris and Dave Valentine # 87 fair and balanced approach	01:14	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

108.	Gaza Ghetto/Warsaw Ghetto	01:23	\|	fred schumacher	24/01/08

109.	Jane - this whole episode	01:29	\|	Mark Lincoln	24/01/08

110.	#89 PA Call for the MURDER OF ALL JEWS & MURDER of Americans	01:29	\|	Linda Rivera	24/01/08

111.	"THEY" see Israeli civillians bombed hourly"they"remember suicide	01:40	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

112.	"THEY" see Israeli civillians bombed hourly"they"remember suicide	01:40	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

113.	"THEY" see Israeli civillians bombed hourly"they"remember suicide	01:40	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

114.	#94 Dutch calls for geoncide	01:44	\|	Tom	24/01/08

115.	#89 I can`t live in Gaza. 10,000 Gaza Jews Ethnically CLEANSED	01:51	\|	Linda Rivera	24/01/08

116.	What`s would be a logical response?	02:03	\|	Logical Tomer	24/01/08

117.	Amira is a hero. She was already brave enough to live among Pals!	02:11	\|	Jeremy Martin	24/01/08

118.	Olmert` Aushwitz Borders Plan Equal Peace of the Grave	02:13	\|	Joseph E .	24/01/08

119.	MOE AMERICANS were awakened by 9/11.USS Cole,Farrakhan calling	02:19	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

120.	American in NY/Morris Valentine	02:29	\|	Dorothy	24/01/08

121.	Amira Hass: I`d bet that you don`t live in Sdarot	02:30	\|	GPS	24/01/08

122.	Hass blind on the subject again	02:32	\|	Joe Sittizen	24/01/08

123.	This shuld explain every thing	02:32	\|	Moe	24/01/08

124.	INDRAJAYA again I`am not Craig,he tells the truth.	02:33	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

125.	As Ben Gurion said...	02:33	\|	Moe	24/01/08

126.	The gigs up Israel............	02:43	\|	Deborah	24/01/08

127.	What Amira really wants	02:55	\|	**	24/01/08

128.	Now the World has seen starving Palestinians	03:23	\|	Scharker Yid	24/01/08

129.	To AiNY (#98) aka Axel	03:54	\|	Morris Valentine	24/01/08

130.	#102	03:58	\|	Tom	24/01/08

131.	# 99, PETER SM (a.k.a, CRAIG)	04:00	\|	indrajaya	24/01/08

132.	Amira Hass obviously isn`t living in Sderot	04:13	\|	Tacky	24/01/08

133.	Amira fromRamallah.Forget it.Bombing Israeli civillians is a nono	04:16	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

134.	palestinian break out	04:16	\|	llloyd	24/01/08

135.	Clickfool and indrajada aka lakshimi	04:34	\|	Giora	24/01/08

136.	INDRAJAYA "STARVING GAZA" Please send some photos!	04:51	\|	PETER SM-no aliases!	24/01/08

137.	MOE.IT would explain more if it was not 2nd hand & in context	04:58	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

138.	#111 (should have referred to #108, not #102)	05:00	\|	Tom	24/01/08

139.	1# indrajaya. That what Hitler does he never stop.	05:20	\|	Akram Zekaria	24/01/08

140.	AMIRA HASS	05:23	\|	MOHAMMAD	24/01/08

141.	Gaza sieze reminds Israel a n aggressor	05:59	\|	Dr. Somasundar	24/01/08

142.	Haaretz - Why did you not publish my two responses to #88 ?	06:09	\|	Linda Rivera	24/01/08

143.	Haaretz.Please print "The poison that nobody needs or want"	06:14	\|	Akram Zekaria.	24/01/08

144.	#123 PETER: The quote is accurate and correct	07:09	\|	Moe	24/01/08

145.	#125, AKRAM ZEKARIA	07:11	\|	indrajaya	24/01/08

146.	Gaza and Amira	07:24	\|	howiej	24/01/08

147.	Ha`aretz is a freedom of expression	07:27	\|	Faris	24/01/08

148.	#PeterSM. Something for you to read. "Israel`s Sacred Terrorism."	07:48	\|	Maureen Ann	24/01/08

149.	And this is an Israeli Newspaper?	08:07	\|	Proud Israeli	24/01/08

150.	Amira`s mind	08:08	\|	standish	24/01/08

151.	dr. somasundar....don`t blame israel...get your facts straight.	08:13	\|	from far away land	24/01/08

152.	American in NY #97	08:34	\|	S	24/01/08

153.	stop the flow	08:36	\|	USA Deborah	24/01/08

154.	amira and gideon are legitimate reasons for closing down haaretz	08:38	\|	v hardman	24/01/08

155.	indrajaya	08:38	\|	USA Deborah	24/01/08

156.	proud Israeli	08:42	\|	USA Deborah	24/01/08

157.	MOE I have seen the QUOTE not the ORIGINAL	08:53	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

158.	....AND HITLER & STALIN werent aggressors either	09:07	\|	rich	24/01/08

159.	amira hass, you`re beautiful! (another try!)	09:08	\|	eric	24/01/08

160.	MAUREEN"The Zionist military forces that invaded Palestine in1948	09:10	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

161.	Bush set you up	09:10	\|	flimflam	24/01/08

162.	To AMira Hass	09:21	\|	Gabe	24/01/08

163.	Indrajaya (a.k.a. Lakshmi) Supports the HAMAS Death Merchants	09:29	\|	Craig	24/01/08

164.	To: Indrajaya	09:31	\|	Ruth	24/01/08

165.	MAUREEN.Livia Rokach Italian journalist of Pal origin, published	09:41	\|	PETER SM	24/01/08

166.	# 161 to gabe...why should she be ashamed?	09:58	\|	eric	24/01/08

167.	# 162 Be ashamed of yourself Amira	10:14	\|	Alain	24/01/08

168.	Lay off the ad hominem attacks on Amira!!	12:18	\|	Daniel	24/01/08

169.	Minda	15:35	\|	HEDGES	24/01/08

170.	161: Eric`s fantasies continue	15:43	\|	David Teich	24/01/08

171.	145: Indrajaya, you just proved Akram`s point	15:45	\|	David Teich	24/01/08

172.	Dorothy # 120 re morris valentine	15:50	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

173.	S # 152 You are right	16:05	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

174.	To S (#152)	17:40	\|	Morris Valentine	24/01/08

175.	170 David, You are in a fantasy world yourself	18:12	\|	Dutch	24/01/08

176.	#157 Peter: You just made the point	18:40	\|	Moe	24/01/08

177.	154 Victor, Haaretz` has a responsibility to the truth	19:06	\|	Dutch	24/01/08

178.	Peter SM: here is the document you asked for on Ben Gurion	19:20	\|	Moe	24/01/08

179.	Disregard of law	21:13	\|	Eva SK	24/01/08

180.	Morris Valentine # 86	21:50	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

181.	Morris valentine # 174	22:34	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

182.	Morris valentine # 174 typo correction	23:52	\|	American in NY	24/01/08

183.	145# indraja. "I believe` what you `believe` is wrong.	00:19	\|	Akram Zekaria.	25/01/08

184.	To AiNY (#181)	02:41	\|	Morris Valentine	25/01/08

185.	# 170 you seem a bit confused, david teich	07:40	\|	eric	25/01/08

186.	Morris valentine # 184	15:01	\|	American in NY	25/01/08

187.	re: #22 sderot kas london	18:22	\|	ridiculous	25/01/08

188.	185: Yes, I am confused, eric	13:06	\|	David Teich	26/01/08

189.	News media half truths makes Israel the bad guys	19:48	\|	sam	26/01/08

190.	# 188 teich? nowhere on your list of half-truths...(2nd try)	08:09	\|	eric	27/01/08

191.	To AiNY (#186)	18:42	\|	Morris Valentine	27/01/08

192.	190: Again, eric, your avoidance proves my point	10:57	\|	David Teich	28/01/08

193.	# 192 tiech...you still haven`t! (last try)	06:06	\|	eric	29/01/08

194.	193: Denial is not an argument, eric	12:57	\|	David Teich	31/01/08

195.	# 193 to david teich	08:08	\|	eric	01/02/08

196.	195: Poor eric, selective perception at its worst (3rd try)	22:43	\|	David Teich	03/02/08

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