Thousands Break out of Gaza Prison

The Israelis have besieged the entire Gaza Strip since Hamas took over the place in June. Tel Aviv has prevented food, medicine and fuel from entering in retaliation for rockets being fired from the Strip into Israel. When masked men blew up and ripped down a section of the wall keeping Gazans from entering Egypt, several thousand broke out of the prison Israel created to buy cooking oil, flour and other staples while the Egyptian security guards watched. Sometimes, the lid blows off a pressure cooker.

While it is true that the militants in Hamas have been attacking Israeli towns at random with their rockets, the Israeli policy of communal punishment is counter-productive. Some 1.5 million people live in Gaza, most too young or old or infirm to represent a threat to the Israeli state. Punishing them for the actions of others only serves to increase hostility to the Israelis. And that makes it easier for the gunmen to carry on with their business.

So, what the recent siege of Gaza has done is provide fertilizer for the growth of future anti-Zionist gunmen. Moreover, because the poor conditions have been temporarily abated by an act by Hamas or Hamas-related warriors, the stock in the organization has risen among the Gazans. Again, this does not make Hamas easier to deal with.

Another factor that Israel’s government must address is the impact that this jailbreak has had on Arab opinion in general and Egyptian opinion in general. President Hosni Mubarak told his men to let the Gazans come into Egypt, buy what they need and not to interfere with them. When they go back, he has instructed his men to check for weapons, but that isn’t going to be 100% secure. Egyptian and Arab opinion on this is pro-Gazan, and by extension, pro-Hamas.

Next, the question arises of rebuilding the fence. One is prepared to wager that any action undertaken to put the fence back up will result in violent action to prevent its reconstruction. The entire Middle East knows that if it is rebuilt, the siege will be renewed. One can expect gun shots and grenade attacks against the builders. Israel’s policy just doesn’t work, and the Gazans are too desperate to think of another way. This violence is guaranteed to last another lifetime unless this breakout leads to new approaches. History suggests this is another chance being squandered.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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