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How does one explain the glee of the Israeli leaders in murdering over 1200 Gazans and the reported 87% popular support for the slaughter of innocents and children?
The necessary and underlying reason for popular support is the virulent racism with which Israelis are injected from the cradle. Arabs are portrayed as inherently violent and anti-Semitic, with no higher goal than to annihilate Jews. Anti-Jewish racism is seen to be different from all other forms of racism, one that cannot be eradicated, and that can only be responded to by killing as many non-Jews as possible. Although 7-800.000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes in 1948 and 5.5 million have been imprisoned in the occupied territories for 47 years, any resistance is seen by Israelis and their allies as terrorist and unwarranted.
From the rulers’ perspective, the reasoning is much more sinister. Israel has been supported by Western Imperialists from the outset, first Britain and then the US. Since the Middle East became the major source of oil, the West has needed Israel as its bully to keep neighboring states in line. The US gives Israel $3.15 billion in aid a year, more than to any other country. Now, however, a new alliance has formed. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Israel are secretly meeting to plan and finance the current attack on Gaza, with a goal of the total annihilation of Hamas at whatever cost. Then they will cooperate with the Palestinian Authority to set up a new government in Gaza. (See www.middleeastmonitor.com, 7/25/14) As in the West Bank, this new government will cooperate with Israel, making deals to share the huge gas reserves under Gaza and keep the population in line. After the destruction of Hamas, Israel and its new allies may well move on to an attack on Iran and ISIS.
Gazans are screwed no matter what the outcome of this conflict. Hamas is widely disliked, with the support of only 15% of Palestinians in the strip before the attack began. Hamas leaders suppress any dissent, dispense unequal justice and employment, and live well while ordinary people suffer terrible deprivation. Although conditions are not quite so bad, the same inequality exists in the West Bank under Fatah. In Israel, workers suffer high unemployment and poor services as monies are diverted to the huge military machine.
Calling for a Hamas victory or a Palestinian state is only a call for local opportunist bosses to continue the policies of capitalist exploitation, in league with Israeli bosses. The vast majority of Palestinian workers and farmers will continue to be impoverished and subject to discrimination. Palestinian and Jewish workers must unite for an egalitarian, anti-racist state, a communist state.
From the Middle East to Eastern Europe and South Asia, wars will continue to expand as capitalists fight over control of oil, gas and other resources. Only the international struggle for workers’ power, communism, can end wars and oppression. There will be no borders and all bosses will be sent packing or killed so that the worlds’ resources can be shared among us all.
