I must confess, there are things about the situation in Gaza, and the whole Israeli-Palestinian conflict, that I don’t understand. Mostly, I don’t understand how such a tiny region, with no great resources and fewer people than many of the world’s great cities, can so totally dominate world
When walls come down, it's a good thing
political discussion. If everybody would just ignore them…well, they wouldn’t go away, and they wouldn’t stop fighting, but at least we’d have the pleasure of not dealing with them.
Anyway, I am pleased with the news that the border between Egypt and Gaza is now open, and this touches on another point I don’t understand. If Gaza is supposed to be the Palestinian state, then how did Israel ever get to enforce a closed border between Gaza and Egypt? It reinforces the notion, which I had thought was a bit of an exaggeration, that Gaza is not a state, not a homeland, but a big prison.
I am confused about the how, but even more about the why.
With open borders, lots of Palestinians will move to Egypt, or further afield, in search of jobs and a better life. This removes them from the region and, by extension, from the conflict. Also, some of these people will send money back into Gaza, which will raise the standard of living. Higher standard of living, less reason to fight. Above all, that little bit of freedom, a window on the world, gives the Palestinians hope. People who have hope, hope for a better future, hope for a better life, do not want to become martyrs.
I understand that the Israeli position is that with an open border, arms will flood in. Paranoia. Israel gets billions of dollars a year in military aid from the U.S., has the most modern, high tech air force in the world, an army, a navy and nuclear weapons. Palestine has none of that.
So, if you are an Israeli who is worried about a randomly aimed, feeble, antiquated rocket hitting your front porch, don’t live near the border with Gaza (which, honestly, is not the most desirable area of Israel to live in, anyway).
In conclusion, the opening of this border is a good thing. It’s a ray of hope for the Palestinians, the lancing of a small pimple for the Egyptians, and a big reduction in pressure for the Israelis. The fact that the Israelis don’t know what’s good for them does not need to concern the rest of the world.
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