(Article published in Socialist campaign Group News September 2004)
Once again, the American election season seems to equate to open season on the Palestinians. Ariel Sharon has been given a free rein to pursue his goals, primarily to consolidate a greater Israel. This means effective annexation of the West Bank. The Wall, described by Sharon as a 'security fence', has been built ever further into Palestinian areas, settlements expanded, and more land confiscated.
In recent months Israeli forces have further decimated Palestinian areas, not least in Gaza. Palestinian refugees' homes have been torn down, towns and refugee camps re-invaded, and Palestinians assassinated. The international community has watched meekly from the sidelines. Sharon deflected criticism by announcing that he will disengage from the Gaza Strip, whilst constructing more illegal settlements in the West Bank, in flagrant disregard of the Road Map.
The western media has portrayed every murderous act by the Israeli forces as a government response to a terrorist outrage. The dreadful suicide bombing in Beersheba on 31 August, which killed yet more innocent Israelis, did nothing to help the Palestinians. Indeed, Sharon has been further emboldened. But the media typically failed to give much, if any, background to the event.
Over 400 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces between the Ashdod suicide bomb in March and this Beersheba bombing. Israeli tanks have demolished scores of refugee homes in Rafah camp in Gaza , adding to the 4,500 Palestinian homes destroyed over the last four years. But the debate has once again refocused on security for Israelis, as if security for Palestinians was not an issue.
Israel's claim that the wall or fence is about keeping out suicide bombers lacks any serious analysis. The Israeli line is that the barrier has worked and that there was no bombing for six months following the bombing in Ashdod. Yet only a third of the barrier has been built, leaving enormous gaps that would-be bombers could have crossed. The media has lost sight of the reasons for criticism of the barrier at the International Court of Justice and the UN. This was not over whether the barrier could successfully keep out bombers. The objection was that Israel had built the wall almost entirely on Palestinian land, not Israeli territory, nor even on the internationally recognised Green Line boundary.. This criticism remains valid.
Even now, after the latest bombing, Sharon is demanding the route of the barrier goes even further into the West Bank. This land grab mentality has caused endless delays constructing of the barrier, showing again Sharon is more concerned with his own expansionist ideology than the welfare of Israelis, let alone Palestinians.
The question Israelis need to ask is how much safer would they be if there was no barrier, illegal settlements, occupation, imprisonment without trial or collective punishments of Palestinians? The vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace and security. Ariel Sharon's legacy, with either silence or support coming in equal measure from Bush and Kerry, looks like endless conflict and insecurity for both Israelis and Palestinians.
