Gaza is winning a greater victory than ever imagined possible

There is little doubt that information is a powerful tool in any war and the Gaza war is no exception. Propaganda, the word itself conjures up definite images and thoughts that mould opinions. Each side in a conflict accuses the other side's media of being propagandists and twisting facts to suit their military aims. In our own struggle for liberation from an occupier, an occupier of both lands and minds, we have been lashed by an incessant barrage of pro Israel propaganda, some barefaced and unabashed, others masquerading as sympathetic to the Palestinian struggle, shedding crocodile tears but still blaming Hamas, the universal punching bag of choice for the pro Western propagandists.

After all, Hamas is perfect for that role, it was hated by many Gazans when it ruled there, its strict Islamist stance means it is anti liberal and anti personal freedoms, so it's little wonder then that all the young and hip Arabs would line up to hate Hamas. The only problem is, right now, Hamas is not leading the fight in Gaza, the people and their resistance are, Hamas' Mishaal  only speaks for them at various fora because they are prisoners in their own lands, concentrated behind military barriers and prevented from leaving. Gaza is a prison, our own Bastille awaiting liberation if you will. But the prisoners, tired of waiting for their liberators, started their own push to break the siege of Gaza and a good thing they did.

Like the characters of 'Hogan's Heroes', tunnelling to escape imprisonment by an enemy or to carry out a military operation is a vocation, a life long dedication and a sacred mission, and the tunnels built by the resistance have and will continue to confound the Israeli enemy's efforts to discover and destroy them.

Today I am proud to see my people stand as one in the face of aggression. Their political leadership, even the most ardent believers in the now defunct two-State solution, are now changing course to follow the somber determined and uncompromising mood of the masses of their people. No, the blood of every Gazan child murdered by Israel in this conflict should not have been spilled in vain! This time it cannot end with a ceasefire and temporary truce, the war has to end with tangible results and clear benefits for those who have paid the heaviest price: my people of Palestine.

The pro Israel propagandists in our midst, whether they know the role they play or not, will continue to play their part, to make the argument that the people in Gaza are hapless human shields, rather than budding resistence fighters eager to take up the rifle of the man in front of them once he falls, knowing that those behind them are just as eager. Israel's policy has turned Gaza into a bastion of resistance and forbearance, its people are all but numb to great loss and pain. When you lash a man long enough, the nerve ending in his back die, the pain begins to dissipate as he sinks into unconsciousness. God's mercy is great, so is His retribution.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Orosdi-Back: A lost Beyrouth department store from an elegant age

A Reluctant Resistance: Will They, Won't They Strike, Who Knows

Palestine's 100 Years War: How Our Militant Past Predicts Our Future