Yesterday a frustrated Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved a plan to cut electricity to Gaza after each Qassam rocket attack on Israel. Palestinian Spokeseman Saeb Erekat appealed for the international community to intervene. Today Prime Minister Olmert seemed to back away from the plan, promising that Israel would not create a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Isn't the constant barrage and the ensuing death and destruction in Sderot and other Israeli cities and towns in the Negev more of a humanitarian crisis than a 15 minute power cut? Why is the international community not concerned with what Hamas is doing in Gaza, both to Palestinian Fatah supporters and to Israelis with their constant rocket attacks?
I also thought that the Palestinians wanted independence from their Israeli "oppressors". Doesn't that include providing for their own energy needs at some point? Why should Israel supply a hostile enemy who is raining death and destruction down on innocent civilians? Yes, some Palestinian civilians may suffer with less electricity. Didn't these citizens elect Hamas, who in turn promised to destroy Israel, in the first place? Don't they bear some responsibility for the actions of the government they support?
I, personally, do not support 15 minute electricity cuts. I support announcing a cut off date, a true independence day for the Palestinians of Gaza. After that day there should be no more supplies of any kind from Israel unless they, like Egypt and Jordan before them, sign a peace treaty with Israel and live up to its terms.
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