Armed Conflict in Gaza: Achieve Cease-fire, US Must Not Disrupt Unity

Published in Shinano Mainichi Shimbun
(Japan) on 18 May 2021
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by T Kagata. Edited by Jamye Sharp.
The armed conflict between Israel and Palestine will not end. Israel has launched large-scale airstrikes on Gaza and the number of civilian casualties continues to rise. The international community must do everything in its power to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible.

The U.N. Security Council has held a series of emergency meetings but hasn’t been able to issue a statement calling for a ceasefire. The U.S., a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power, has taken the position to defend Israel and has been opposing the proposed U.N. Security Council resolutions.

U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he strongly supports Israel’s right to defend itself in a telephone meeting. This can only be taken as an endorsement of its military action. Netanyahu, who declared the airstrikes would continue, expressed his gratitude in his speech.

I am worried that this will be a repeat of the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014 when the U.S. supported Israel and its military offensive expanded without being stopped. The fighting lasted for nearly two months, the city was destroyed by bombing and ground troop invasion, killing more than 2200 residents.

Israel is once again looking to invade with ground troops. The death toll on the Palestinian side has already reached 200. In order to prevent the situation from getting worse, it is essential for the U.S. to change its engagement with Israel.

The conflict escalated after the Israeli attempts to evict Palestinian residents from the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. The Netanyahu administration then began airstrikes in a so-called self-defense response to the rocket attacks from Gaza.

There have been causalities on the Israeli side as well, but the difference in military power is overwhelming. In Gaza, about 2 million people live in an area about half the size of Nagano City. The border has been closed, and Gaza residents, exposed to air and artillery strikes, have nowhere to run. The U.S. should unite with the international community to force Israel to stop its military offensive.

It has been more than 70 years since the Palestinian people were forced to leave their homeland by the establishment of the State of Israel. More than half a century has passed since the occupation of Gaza and the west bank of the River Jordan. In the West Bank, Israel continues to expand its settlements, which is considered illegal under international law, and Palestinian land is being taken away.

The Biden administration has revised the policy adopted by the Donald Trump administration, which was extremely pro-Israel, and has restored aid to Palestinians. However, there is no sign of active involvement to restore peace in the Middle East. The Biden administration has only expressed concern about the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

If the fundamental issues, the return of refugees and the end of the occupation, are not resolved, the Palestinian people’s dignity and right to live will continue to be compromised. The U.S. must use its influence over Israel to move forward with peace negotiations that have long since been deadlocked.


〈社説〉ガザの武力衝突 停戦へ米国は結束乱すな
2021/05/18 09:16 長野県 論説 社説

 イスラエルとパレスチナの武力衝突がやまない。イスラエルはガザ地区を大規模に空爆し、市民の犠牲者が増え続けている。一刻も早い停戦に国際社会は全力を挙げなくてはならない。

 国連の安全保障理事会は緊急会合を重ねているが、戦闘停止を求める声明さえ出せていない。拒否権を持つ常任理事国の米国がイスラエルを擁護する立場を取り、一致した対応を阻んでいる。

 バイデン米大統領はイスラエルのネタニヤフ首相との電話協議で自衛権を強く支持すると伝えたという。軍事行動にお墨付きを与えたとしか受け取れない。空爆の継続を宣言したネタニヤフ氏は、演説で謝意を表した。

 米国がイスラエルを支持し、軍事攻撃が歯止めなく拡大した2014年のガザの再来にならないか心配だ。戦闘が2カ月近くに及んだこのときは、爆撃と地上軍の侵攻で街が破壊し尽くされ、2200人を超す住民が死亡した。

 イスラエルは今回も地上軍の侵攻を視野に入れている。パレスチナ側の死者は既に200人に達する。事態の悪化を避けるには、米国がイスラエルへの関与の仕方を改めることが欠かせない。

 イスラエルが占領する東エルサレムでパレスチナ住民に立ち退きを命じたことを発端に、衝突が拡大した。ガザからのロケット弾による攻撃への自衛だとして、ネタニヤフ政権は空爆を始めた。

 イスラエル側でも死傷者が出ているが、軍事力の差は圧倒的だ。ガザは長野市の半分ほどの区域におよそ200万人が暮らす。境界は封鎖され、空爆や砲撃にさらされた住民に逃げ場はない。米国は国際社会と結束してイスラエルに軍事攻撃の中止を迫るべきだ。
 イスラエルの建国によってパレスチナの人々が故郷を追われてから70年余。ガザとヨルダン川西岸地区が占領されてからも半世紀以上が過ぎる。西岸では国際法に反する入植地の建設が進み、パレスチナ人の土地が奪われている。

 バイデン米政権は、極端にイスラエル寄りだったトランプ前政権の政策を改め、パレスチナへの支援も復活させた。けれども、中東和平に積極的に関与する姿勢は見えてこない。占領地での入植政策にも懸念を示しただけだ。

 難民の帰還と占領の終結という根幹の問題を解決しなければ、パレスチナの人々の尊厳と生きる権利は損なわれ続ける。頓挫して久しい和平交渉を前進させるためにこそ、米国はイスラエルへの影響力を行使しなければならない。
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