Israel/Palestine: militarism is the problem not the solution

Hamas is a fundamentalist hyper-Islamic cult, with absolutist beliefs based on an extreme literal interpretation of the Hadith. Its charter calls for a final solution to Israel, and among other things, perpetuates the old myth of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Government of Israel contains similar religious ideologues whose beliefs are based on absolutist interpretations of ancient scriptures.

Caught between these two groups of fundamentalists, whose ideologies can only lead to murder, are millions of ordinary human beings who wish for nothing but to live in peace and win a sustainable living from a land that is desperately short of water. This is the reality that we as greens should be addressing. It is an achievable goal, and in realising it, the Middle East could create a model of development that could be a standard for the rest of the world to follow.

To attain that goal, it is first necessary to understand that we are dealing here with an irrational system of self-sustaining hatred and violence based on militarism. We have to come to the understanding that militarism is the problem, not the solution. The Israeli Defence Force is currently demonstrating the complete unacceptability of militarism.

Both sides blame the other for the violence. Israel absolves its soldiers of all blame for civilian deaths, blaming the rocket attacks for Israel's action. Hamas justifies its rocket attacks for the oppression, ethnic cleansing and collective punishment that Israel is carrying out on its people. "If your land had been occupied, would you not fight?" asks Hamas. "If you had someone firing rockets at you, would you not fight?" asks the Israel Government. This is nothing but a self-sustaining cycle of destruction.

The Israeli response is clearly disproportionate, and is rightly attracting worldwide condemnation, with the exception of the Bush administration. The Qassam rocket attacks are tragedies for the families affected, but are a strategic pinpricks. In response to these pinpricks, the Israeli government has responded with a knife attack.

It is utterly pointless for us or anyone to try to come to a conclusion about which side is right and which side is wrong. What is wrong is the belief that military violence is any kind of a solution. We are dealing with an irrational, dysfunctional system of self perpetuating, mutual hatred and violence that at the moment is in danger of leading to a war that could quite possibly go nuclear.

The alternative to ever-escalating violence is a ceasefire (which seems imminent), the lifting of Israel's blockade on Gaza, and systems put in place to stop imports of arms into the region. America's support for the Israeli military machine must stop, and imports of arms into Gaza for Hamas must likewise be stopped. This is an opportunity for us to put forward the policy we passed at our last Conference, using dogs to identify transfers and caches of ammunition. This is a practical and tested solution which is in routine use: it just needs an effort to train the dogs, and an agreement on who runs and protects the sniffer dog patrols.

Once the instruments of violence are out of the way, the next step is for a massive economic effort to transform water use in the whole region, focusing on water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and afforestation, beginning at the coast. Afforestation will modify the local climate, and bring rainwater inland. The money for this should come from the EU and other players, and as far as possible, people from both communities should be enabled to cooperate in these projects.

Explaining and reassuring the Australian public

On August 19th 2007, an oil tanker off the coast of Australia split in two, dumping 20,000 tons of crude oil.

Senator Collins, a member of the Australian Parliament, appeared on a TV news program to reassure the Australian public.

Politicians often think like Sen. Collins, but rarely do they articulate their thoughts with his directness and clarity.

Sure fire way to stop Qassam rockets

Israel's stated aim in its invasion of Gaza is to stop the rocket attacks. The practical way to achieve this is to have a ceasefire, and set up a for a third party trusted by both sides to patrol Gaza with units led by dogs trained to identify the odour of rocket fuel. They would be able to react to caches of Qassam rockets, which could then be confiscated and destroyed.

The Green Party has adopted the expanded use of dogs to pinpoint ammunition caches. This is proven tachnology (if dogs can be called technology) and is not expensive. Success with use of dogs in this application could bring forward the wider use of dogs in this role, and lead to a global reduction in the availability of ammunition in small arms and light weapons.

If the Israelis reject this option, it would provide evidence that their stated objective is just a cover for a wider agenda - namely, regime change. The Israeli Government says that it does not intend ot occupy Gaza, but their actions are calculated to destroy the democratically elected government of Gaza - so what is their plan? Another election? Is Fatah in a position to contest an election in Gaza? Or do the Israelis envisage a governmental vacuum, as in Somalia?

It seems that the action is no more thought through than the invasion of Iraq. It is simple to win a war, if you have military supremacy and you do not have any scruples about killing civilians, but to win the peace is a more complex matter.

Peace Demonstrations in Israel by Israelis

Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc

Brilliant article here. 10,000 demonstrators in Tel-Aviv. No mention of this on the BBC.

Pithy, powerful summary of the case for peace, accusing that the Israeli action is a vote-gathering game.

Israel/Palestine: what politicians needs, and what the people need

Given the current deep polarisation between the governments of Israel and Palestine, and the supporters of both parties, it might be useful to consider the difference between a people and their Government. They are not the same thing, even in an (ideal) perfect democracy.

Democracy aims to make Government to some degree responsive to the wishes of the people, but there are many layers of influence that separate the aggregate wishes of the people and the policies of their government. Israel is a democracy, albeit with a system that always seems to make the theocratic tendencies part of Government; and Hamas was successful in a democratic election; but these two Governments are not co-extensive with their people.

Opinion in the West is polarised between pro-Palestinian factions and pro-Israeli factions, more or less along predictable left-right lines; America supports Israel, therefore the Left has an inclination to dislike them (over and above Israel's unacceptable actions in ethnic cleansing and warmongering); the Left therefore finds itself on the side of Hamas, but Hamas is an Islamic theocratic movement, which would among other things, be into stoning "adulterers" and executing people who belong to the LGBT section.

I was criticised for giving a cautious welcome the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia for exactly this reason. The ICU brought peace to Mogadishu through imposition of Sharia Law. Secular democrats in Somalia who were critical of Sharia nevertheless preferred a pax Islamica to the terror of warlord anarchy. America disagreed, however, and gave the nod to warlords to go in and fight the ICU, thereby probably deferring the return of peace and democracy to Somalia.

Political alignments are therefore mightily complicated, and there is no simple solution to be had by simply making judgments on the basis of "our enemies' enemy is our friend". We have to think things out from the reality on the ground, from the viewpoint of the people themselves.

What do all the people in the Middle East need most of all?
They need peace and security. This means less warfare and less armaments, not more warfare and armaments.
They need adequate water supplies. This means a huge programme of water conservation, solar desalination and water harvesting.
They need access to land where they can grow their food. This means a massive programme of sustainable agriculture development, on the back of the new water infrastructure, and a huge programme of afforestation, beginning at the coastal areas.

These are the real needs. Instead of working at these needs, the Israeli and Palestinian governments are engaged in a mutual, stupid vicious circle of violence and destruction based on ancent religious ideology and a political argument about who has a right to live where.

This is not to minimise the importance of discussing and resolving these political problems, but in the end, what is more important, who has the title deeds to a piece of land, or whether that land is under sustainable cultivation?

Looked at from the point of view of governmental politics, the argument is infinitely complex, but looked at from the ecological point of view, there is a simple truth: basically, humans are designed to eat food, not bullets. Food needs labour, land, sun and water. IsraelPalestine has plenty of the first three, but is going to need some assistance to provide enough water - but it can be done - if politicians empower the people to become constructive, instead of indulging in their love of military technology.

Bush says Hamas to blame for the Violence being unleashed on Gaza

Bush says Hamas to blame for Gaza.
Hamas says Israel and Bush are to blame for the attacks.
Israel says Hamas is to blame.
Hamas says Israel started it.
Israel says Hamas provoke them to do it.

And so on and so on, an infinite regress, a regress ad absurdum, or more likely, a regress ad nihilo.

And all over the world commentators are pitching in on one side or other of this insane infinite regress.

Buddhism on the other hand wisely teaches that things arise mutually in a web of interacting causality.

There is no military solution to this mess. Israel is trying to destroy the apparatus of a hostile state, seeking a final solution to the problem of ideologies that deny the right of the Israeli state to exist, but in destroying buildings and institutions (such as they are) of Hamas, they are simply building more hatred that creates more attacks on the Israeli people.

The solution does not lie in explosives, it lies in people like the Shmimistim , Jewish Teenagers who refuse to join the Israeli Defence (occupation) Force, and OneVoice, which unites peace-seeking people from both sides of the divide. And Friends of the Earth Middle East who seek to unite communities in defending their environment.

It is said that when the Jordan closed over the heads of Pharaoh's pursuing army, the people of israel gave a great cheer. Hearing it, the angels in heaven aslo raised a cheer, but God rebuked them. "It is understandable and forgivable that the Children of Israel should cheer, because they are in the thick of it; but you are angels, and should be able to see that even Pharaoh's soldiers are also my loved ones".

Wisdom is the facility to take a wider view.

The Hedge Fund Implode-O-Meter - tracking the hedge fund implosion - leverage, speculation, SIVs, CDOs, arbitrage, interest rates, credit bubble

The Hedge Fund Implode-O-Meter - tracking the hedge fund implosion - leverage, speculation, SIVs, CDOs, arbitrage, interest rates, credit bubble

Useful link.

The New Year is the time when hedge funds present their accounts. Should be interesting.

Sea Shepherd Drives Japanese Whalers Out of Australia’s Waters

Sea Shepherd Drives Japanese Whalers Out of Australia’s Waters - Sea Shepherd

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship Steve Irwin has driven the Japanese whaling fleet out of the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.

"We have chased the whalers for over 800 miles since last Saturday through bad weather and heavy ice conditions," said Captain Paul Watson. "They have fled eastward and they are continuing eastward and we are on their tail and we will keep on their tail."

Sea Shepherd are pretty much on a permanent D-notice because in the past they have been a bit rough in their direct action. I support non-violence, and Sea Shep now operate within non-violent parameters afaik, and I like them because they went out of their way to help with the campaign against (nuclear waste) sea dumping in the 70s.