"Occupation is the Monster"

I came across this interesting debate in Ynet News (the website of Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot). Few days after Israel started the massacre in Gaza, Israeli singer Noa published an open letter to the Gazans, calling for the "eradication of a common enemy: fanaticism".

Noa lectured the Gazans about the evils of Hamas, which she labelled as the "demon" and "beast". She explained to her "Palestinian brothers" that Hamas is the reason behind their suffering and is robbing them of their chances for peace and freedom. She spoke of hope that springs from the opportunity to topple Hamas in Gaza and concluded her letter with the following:

"I can only wish for you that Israel will do the job we all know needs to be done, and finally rid you of this cancer, this virus, this monster called fanaticism, today, called Hamas. And that these killers will find what little compassion may still exist in their hearts and stop using you and your children as human shields for their cowardice and crimes."

Next day, Israeli filmmaker Udi Aloni wrote this great piece in response to Noa's letter:

"... You roll your eyes, use your loving words in the service of your conquering people and call upon the Palestinians to surrender in a tender voice. You bestow upon Israel the role of liberator. To Israel – that for over 60 years have been occupying and humiliating them...

"... We have covered their skies with fighter jets, soaring like the angels of death and spreading random death. What hope are you talking about? We destroyed any chance for moderation and mutual life the moment we plundered their land while sitting with them at the negotiation table. We may have spoken of peace, but we were robbing them blind. They wanted the land given to them by international law and we went on about the word of God.

"... Who are the secular people of Gaza supposed to turn to, when we trample on international law and when the rest of the enlightened world ignores their cry? When enlightenment fails and moderation is seen as a weakness, religious fanaticism gives a sense of empowerment...

"... The seculars in Gaza find it hard to speak against Hamas when their ghetto is being bombarded all day and all night. You would probably say that 'we would not have to shell them if they held their fire,' but they fire because they are fighting for more that the right to live in the Gaza prison. They are fighting for the right to live as free citizens in an independent country – just like we are.

"... The Israeli occupation is the monster. It and only it is responsible for the poverty and sickness and horror. We were so frightened of their secular leadership, which undermined our fantasy of the Land of Israel, that we chose to fund and support Hamas, hoping that by a policy of divide and conquer were could go on with the occupation forever; but when the tables turned you choose to blame the result instead of the reason.

"...So maybe, instead of ordering around a people whose every glimmer of hope we have surgically eliminated, you could help your brothers and sisters in Palestine rid themselves of the occupation, oppression and the arrogant colonialism inflicted by your country. Only then can you urge them to fight democratically and return Palestine to the mental state it was in before we pushed it into the corner of the wall we built.

"And if your brethren in Palestine choose Hamas, you have to respect their choice, just as the world's nations respected Israel when it chose the murderous Sharon. Hamas is theirs to fight, just like you fought him. That is what democracy is about. Only then can you and your brethren in Palestine and Israel can share – as equals – the joy of the land, the sky and the music; and fight for equality together, for every man and woman living on our holy land. Amen."

Read the full test of Aloni's article here.