Whither Gaza?

The above photo shows Gaza City skyline in the distance from Karni Crossing overflow parking lot. It was easy to take this photo because there are no trucks in the overflow parking lot. There are no trucks anywhere since Israel has closed this crossing as well as the other two.

We don't know what is going to happen but it could be grim.

The poor people of Gaza: first there was the economic assault - restricting imports and exports, stopping the inflow of money. Then there was the diabolically named 'summer rains' campaign where Israel bombarded the tiny enclave last Summer/Fall, destroying its one power plant killing many people and generally sowing terror. When that failed to topple the Hamas government the Israeli armed Fateh assaults began last winter.

Over the Spring 2007 there were repeated attempts to forge a unity government. US and Israeli governments plus a small fraction of quisling Fateh leadership never wanted this to succeed. Even prominent Fateh allied members of the community here - like the head of Al Quds University - say that Fateh never reconciled to losing the election.

Finally there was the latest attempt at a military defeat of Hamas ... with the opposite results.
Now we see the money getting ready to gush into the Fateh/Abbas government in Ramallah. Now we see the looming danger of ever greater attacks on the people and elected government in Gaza.

Where will it go and where will it end? Money talks and it can probably buy quite a lot of adherence. But will it not eventually undermine the credibility of Abbas and his new 'government' to be seen so clearly as agents of the US and Israel?

The pundits have been quick to say West Bank is Fateh and Gaza is Hamas. But in the free and fair election, Hamas won a majority in much of the West Bank also. If Israel invades Gaza or completely closes down the water and food shipments, putting the population under ever greater assault, how long will the West Bank tolerate this before it erupts in outrage?
Will popular pressure force the new government to make accommodations and somehow overcome the rift between the different factions and thereby prevent the complete strangulation of Gaza? Lets hope so.

Meanwhile, the Gaza coast is patrolled by Israeli Navy. The air is controlled by Israeli Air Force. The land borders are patrolled by Israeli Army. Gaza is entirely walled in except for a few
crossing/checkpoints. It is something like a closet in your house. You get to live in the closet but someone outside the door decides whether you can leave or someone else can enter, when to allow fresh air in, etc..

Following are some interesting and good analyses .....

From Yuri Avnery and Gush Shalom:
PRESS RELEASE FROM GUSH SHALOM
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/he/channels/press_releases/1181945
929/

GOOD OVERVIEW FROM PROGRESSIVE ISRAELIS
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/he/channels/avnery/1181993439/

From Naomi Klein, sharp Canadian writer
"Gaza - Not just a prison, a laboratory"
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/15/1901/

Websites to keep up
News Source based in Bethlehem:http://www.imemc.org/
Analysis:http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml