The Warped Mirror: Gaza Ghetto gibberish

The activists at Goldsmiths college, University of London, are mistaken if they believe they are breaking any new ground by planning an event entitled "From the Warsaw Ghetto to the Gaza Ghetto".  The idea of calling Gaza a "ghetto" - supposedly in order to rally political support for the Palestinians - is anything but new: There is a 1984 movie entitled "Gaza Ghetto", and there are all sorts of writings floating in cyberspace that put the comparison to the desired political use. But it is worthwhile asking what exactly the desired political purpose is, because reading through the screeds that compare Gaza to a ghetto, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that this comparison is popular primarily among those who feel that the best way to support the Palestinian cause is to de-legitimize Israel.

When it comes to de-legitimizing Israel, it's clear that the most passionate practitioners of this political ploy believe that nothing beats comparing Israel to the Nazis. Unsurprisingly, this comparison can be found in the Hamas charter (e.g. Article 20), but anyone who would hope that such comparisons are limited to extremist groups hasn't kept up with the growing acceptance of antisemitic themes in mainstream political discourse. Years before some student activists in London decided now that it would serve their political purposes to compare the situation in Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto, two British Members of Parliament (MPs) did exactly the same back in 2003. 

If Gaza is compared to a ghetto in 1984, 2003, and 2008, it is obvious that the situation in Gaza itself is irrelevant for those who like this comparison: in the 1984 movie on the "Gaza ghetto", some of the protagonists from Gaza earned their livelihood working in Tel Aviv; and nowadays, Gaza is ruled by Hamas, which many pro-Palestinian activists regard as the most legitimate Palestinian political group.

The fact that Hamas-ruled Gaza is compared to the Warsaw Ghetto is particularly revealing, because there can be little doubt that those who delight in drawing this comparison know full well that the Hamas charter includes passages that repeat anti-Semitic myths taken from the so-called "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" - in other words, Gaza's rulers view the Jews in the same terms as those who established the Warsaw Ghetto and "liquidated" it at the end.

The fact that the Hamas charter espouses some of the same antisemitic views propagated by the Nazis and, at the same time, also compares Israel to the Nazis, is apparently of no concern to the activists who join in and compare Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto. Moreover, there is no reason to assume that those activists are oblivious to the "unalterable principles" of Hamas that, according to one of the group's ardent advocates, were reaffirmed at the Palestinian National Conference in Damascus in January 2008:

The meeting turned into an opportunity to express solidarity with Gaza and reaffirm what Hamas and its allies describe as the fixed or unalterable principles: Palestine is from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, Israel is an illegitimate colonial entity and resistance is the only means of regaining Palestinian rights."

It is noteworthy that not long after Hamas reaffirmed these "unalterable principles", the group issued a glossy magazine that boasted about its achievements in building up a "real army" with more than 10,000 well-armed and well-trained fighters. The magazine was even distributed to news agencies; as one report aptly noted:

Most Gaza residents live on less than $2 ... a day, poverty that has intensified since Israel and Egypt sealed their borders with the territory after Hamas came to power, and militants continued to rain rockets on Israeli towns. ... Hamas has used the closure to whip up anger in the Arab world, painting a picture of poverty and hunger in Gaza. But that hasn’t prevented the Islamists from building up a costly media machine. Last year it launched a daily newspaper, which frequently publishes exclusive interviews with Hamas leaders. The group also runs several Internet Web sites, a radio station and a satellite television station that broadcasts news and children's shows. Plans for a Hollywood-style media center are in place, too."

The PR efforts of Hamas are obviously greatly helped by groups that compare Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto or organize boat trips that resemble festive cruises to "break the siege of Gaza" - it's worthwhile to check out the "Free Gaza" website to have a look at the remarkable picture of the intrepid cruisers who arrived in Gaza this weekend. The photo's headline "'Dignity' Arriving in Gaza" gives a good clue as to how great those who take the boat trips feel about themselves...

But the "Dignity" was not just meant to bring some apparently lacking dignity to Gaza; according to a press release of the "Free Gaza" organization, the yacht also brought a boatload of European dignitaries to Gaza for a "three-day fact finding tour" - among them such luminaries as Baroness Dr. Jenny Tonge, who sees herself as an innocent victim of the all-powerful "Israel lobby",  and MP Clare Short, who believes "that US backing for Israeli policies of expansion ... and oppression of the Palestinian people is the major cause of bitter division and violence in the world." (http://www.engageonline.org.uk/journal/index.php?journal_id=5&article_id=15)

Given that such views are apparently not uncommon among Gaza's newly arrived dignitaries, it's a safe bet to predict that the planned three-day fact finding tour will avoid finding some important facts, such as the fact that, with the help of Iran and Syria, Hamas has organized some 20,000 armed forces and accumulated a formidable arsenal including long-range rockets, advanced anti-tank weapons, and some 80 tons of explosives.

The rather impressive success of Hamas in building up its military power and a well-oiled PR machine illustrate that the group is quite capable of accomplishing the objectives it regards as important. Clearly enough, improving the lives of Gaza residents is not among Hamas's priorities - and why should it be a priority when there are so many activists who demonstrate the propagandistic value of the plight of ordinary Gazans. This weekend, the "blockade breakers" of the dignity reportedly delivered a ton of "very basic medical supplies like paracetamol and painkillers" that had been requested by the Health Ministry in Gaza, and everybody was duly "shocked" that such basic medications had been requested.

It's indeed shocking that there should be a shortage of basic medications when there is such an ample supply of arms and explosives.