Friday, August 01, 2014

I have been traveling since 6 PM yesterday.

I arrived at my destination today, took a nap, dressed and went to a party. Had a nice time. It was good to be among people of like minds and appreciation.

I've been following the ceasefire and heard the count down yesterday and then the failure today. 

The Diplomatic efforts aren't finding resolve. Did anyone expect the ceasefire to hold? If one has to have a countdown to begin the ceasefire why would anyone expect for it to sustain? 

I haven't looked, but, I am assuming the body counts are escalating again for the Palestinians in multiples over what may be occurring for Israel. The Palestinians are like shooting fish in a barrel. They can't escape the bombs and bullets. 

The diplomatic dynamics are noble, but skewed. If I may?

Let's take this back to Clinton. 

What is different about this picture? 

There is an Israeli authority and there is a Palestinian authority and there is a USA authority. Now, Secretary Kerry is every bit as competent as those during the Clinton years, but, what is different today? 

Did Chairman Arafat speak for all Palestinians? Did he enforce the peace regardless of the extremists? He sure did. Now, he had detractors, such as The Sheik, but he was the leader of the Palestinian people. There was absolutely no other power that superseded his authority. He had lead the PLO for decades and no one dare questioned him. So, when he agreed to conditions with Israel it was as good as gold. Yassar Arafat was the man that stood up to the world, shook his fist and stated, "Israel will not cast my people from their land."

Arafat was a very scarey character. He and his people were strong and determined. They moved mountains. 

Today, the diplomats are trying to carry out agreements with a Palestinian authority, an Israeli authority, a member of Hamas that really has no authority but acts as the organization's spokesperson, an Egyptian authority and a USA authority.

Does anyone think this is going to work? It never will. Hamas isn't Abbas. They aren't Israel. They aren't the USA. They try to be a part of the larger picture, but, the leadership is far more diffuse than centralized and why? Because so many die and the battle continues with more and more novices all the time. 

Since the death of Yassar Arafat there has been much speculation and concern about his death. There is one report stating he died of radiation poisoning. Hamas doesn't trust anyone else. They have reasons, it isn't as though they lack their facts, position and agendas. They do. But, the world doesn't recognize that and Hamas does. 

Hamas wanted this cease fire, no one will tell me otherwise, but, while the spokesperson stated they would honor the cease fire the larger number of members of the group believed they were being tricked again. They WANTED ISRAEL TO LEAVE AND THE EMBARGO LIFTED. No one gave those demands brevity and bowed to Israel. Well the rest is history.  

In order to have Hamas begin to believe their agreements mean ANYTHING, they actually have to mean something other than 'go bury your dead, fix your buildings if you can and be sure to pick up some groceries for what is left of the family from humanitarian groups." I mean, for real?  

Hamas continues it STRUGGLE while they die and their children die because they seen no end to the struggle or to the deaths. 

When the world gets real. Hamas will get real. They want something they can believe in as a sustainable CHANGE in their circumstances, not just a brief reprieve to bury their dead. They have nothing to lose. I have said this before. Every time Israel carries out these atrocities against these people there are deaths and losses of land and privileges. The Gazans know NO GAINS from agreements. When is that going to change?

Israel is wrong in every sense of the word. I believe it more today than I ever have before. It continues to be more powerful and receives concessions when Hamas receives none. This is going to continue until all the fish in the barrel are dead and Israel can once again build settlements in Gaza.