Corruption Revealed: Smugglers foiled.

This story caught my eye and really showed me that the level of corruption in Gaza is extraordinarily high. According to Reuters, after the wall in Rafah was knocked down, smugglers who were once cashing in on exploiting the people of Gaza, were now out of a job.

Apparently for years, smugglers have been digging an enormous and elaborate system of tunnels which span from Gaza to Rafah Egypt. These tunnels are used to import goods, where smugglers can then charge the people of Gaza fixed prices due to their monopoly. Some of the statements of the smugglers are shocking. One smuggler even seemed disappointed as the breached hole in the Rafah wall would be bad for business.

Since the enforcement of a blockade by Israel against Gaza, the people of Gaza have been unable to gain access to certain products. The blockade has been enforced mainly because the Hamas- controlled government has engaged in violent military attacks on Israel. I would like to believe that the blockade is an effort to strangle the ability of Hamas militants to access weapons and ammunition, but the innocent people of Gaza are being heavily impacted. The blockade has actually punished the innocent people of Gaza by depleting the resources they desperately need. Despite the apparent suffering of their people, Hamas officials remain unwilling to compromise.

What is Hamas?

One may ask, what is Hamas? Or what does the organization really represent? I will try to give a brief explanation of the modern Hamas. This explanation is not to be confused with the sentiments of all Arabs. Instead I will be looking at the organization since the late 20th century.

Hamas is a fairly new organization. The name is an acronym derived from the words, "Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia" and typically understood to mean "zeal". The organization is ultimately an Islamic Resistance Movement. They are a fundamentalist and militant group that became active during the early stages of the Intifada. The group originally operated in the Gaza District along with Judea and Samaria.

Hamas was originally formed in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood during the First Infitada. The group led by Yassin was a horribly violent group who targeted Israeli civilians, military and security forces with terrorist attacks. The purpose Yassin's group was stated in a charter (created 1988 which is still in effect) that calls for the destruction of Israel and to replace it with a Islamic Palestinian state.

The modern face of Hamas is seen as antisemitic and would like to take over the Gaza strip, the West banks, and all of Israel. Just recently, after the death of longtime PLO leader Yassir Arafat, Hamas has won more popularity and been elected into many political positions in Gaza. The elected Hamas officials have now resorted to being stubborn and insist that the only answer is jihad and the removal of Israel. The area known as the West Bank was under Hamas control but has recently changed to Fatah control. The West Bank is still working on trying to coerce the Gazan wing of Hamas to join them in a cease fire agreement. Hamas is now in control of Gaza. But does it represent a majority of Gaza, or even Arabs living in the region? By the looks of it, the fall of the Rafah wall showed that people were in dire need of essentials. The government of Gaza is not providing for its citizens. It is also under tremendous scrutiny from the global community.

As of now Mahmoud Abbas, who was initially elected to replace Arafat, and is a part of the opposing Fatah party, does not agree with the ideologies of Hamas. He is working diligently to have Hamas and the people in the Gaza district come together to create peace. But some can agree that Abbas' actions did not coincide with his words. Though Abbas had called for violence to end in 2005, he did not help disarm the militants involved. Since 2005 Abbas has tried to actively negotiate for Hamas to lay down their weapons and come to an agreement. Hamas is still unwilling.

Both groups, Fatah and Hamas are fighting over the same land. It kind of reminds me of when the south wanted to break away from the north. Both sides had demands and there was no wiggle room for compromise. Many people died because the leading officials at the time did not want to back down from their demands. With this in mind many people could have been spared if only they could have compromised peacefully. Israelis and Palestinians just need to compromise.

In the words of my favorite philosopher of the 20th century...

All we are saying is give peace a chance. -- John Lennon (1940-1980)

The wall came tumbling down.

Just recently, the wall between Egypt and Gaza was knocked down. Hamas militants claim that they were trying to "foil" an Israeli imposed blockade by blowing up the wall in Rafah in order to get essential products. When the wall fell there was a huge surge of people into Egypt searching for food water...and from my point of view, safety. Palestinians poured into Egypt and no one was willing to stop them. The police and border patrol agents stood by and watched. The excuse given by Hamas seems like they are simple blaming Israel as usual. But could their unwillingness to negotiate be a factor. I mean, why are the sanctions against Hamas put in place in the first place? Is Hamas really an organization fighting for the liberation of its people, the Palestinians. Or is Hamas a radical organization trying to spread their dangerous ideologies?

I have not heard any personal stories from people fleeing the Hamas controlled region of Gaza but I'm sure it is not a luxurious place to live. Hamas has in fact been recognized as a ruthless terrorist organization by many countries of the global community. Hamas does not recognize Israel as a country and it engages in violent acts against innocent people, the two actions together show their unwillingness to negotiate. Gaza seems to be the hot spot in the region. If only people were open to compromise, I think this would help ease the conflict. Yes, Hamas is fighting for the land they believe is their own, but can they stop the killing. Israel and the U. S. seem to be approaching Hamas with somewhat open eyes and ears but Hamas proves over and over to be hard headed and unwilling to compromise.

This maybe a naive perspective but someone has to give, in order for peace to prosper. The killing, threatening and outright violent acts just need to stop, on both sides of the conflict.