Santa Claus Didn"t Make It to Palestine This Year
If I were a cartoonist I'd depict Santa trying to get his sleigh over the wall that cuts off the West Bank from Israel, or perhaps I'd do one of Santa trying to break the siege on Gaza by attempting to deliver a sleigh-full of inadmissible toys to Gaza's children.
Either way, one can only imagine a bloody end to big elf's Yuletide venture to the Holy Land.
It can't be pure coincidence that the Israeli government unleashes some of its worst violence on the captive populations of Gaza and the West Bank during the Christmas season.
Operation Cast Lead began on December 27.
This Christmas there have been a series of bloody incidents:
Even so, there's an additional incentive in 2013 for stirring up more trouble at this point in time - the so-called'peace talks'.
Reports are coming in that, contrary to all expectations, there may be real signs of hope emerging from John Kerry's latest rounds of talks.
Netanyahu has no intention, of course, of allowing a sovereign Palestinian state to come into existence, but maintaining the illusion that he does support Palestinian independence is a vital element in the great charade.
If a peace deal should start to look inevitable, as it has on more than one occasion already, a spanner will need to be thrown into the works from somewhere - a lead negotiator will have to be disposed of (eg.
Arafat) or an incident will take place that will 'force' the Israelis to abandon all friendly discussion.
Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, the Latin Patriarch, Fouad Twal, prays for peace: "Oh Holy Child, who experienced the flight into Egypt after the threat from Herod, who two thousand years ago killed the children of Bethlehem, have mercy on our children, and all the world's children.
Have mercy on prisoners, on the poor, the marginalized, and the most vulnerable among us.
"
Either way, one can only imagine a bloody end to big elf's Yuletide venture to the Holy Land.
It can't be pure coincidence that the Israeli government unleashes some of its worst violence on the captive populations of Gaza and the West Bank during the Christmas season.
Operation Cast Lead began on December 27.
This Christmas there have been a series of bloody incidents:
- Scores of Bedouin refugees, including 32 children, were made homeless after a series of housing demolitions in the West Bank that the UNRWA says is a "violation of international law".
- IDF warplanes and tanks unleashed hell on Gaza, killing a number of civilians including a 3 year-old girl.
They claim that they were targeting "terror sites" after an Israeli workman had been shot by a sniper while repairing the fence that keeps the Gazan people captive. - On Christmas Eve IDF soldiers raided the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem - intimidating and harassing the beleaguered camp population.
Even so, there's an additional incentive in 2013 for stirring up more trouble at this point in time - the so-called'peace talks'.
Reports are coming in that, contrary to all expectations, there may be real signs of hope emerging from John Kerry's latest rounds of talks.
Netanyahu has no intention, of course, of allowing a sovereign Palestinian state to come into existence, but maintaining the illusion that he does support Palestinian independence is a vital element in the great charade.
If a peace deal should start to look inevitable, as it has on more than one occasion already, a spanner will need to be thrown into the works from somewhere - a lead negotiator will have to be disposed of (eg.
Arafat) or an incident will take place that will 'force' the Israelis to abandon all friendly discussion.
Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, the Latin Patriarch, Fouad Twal, prays for peace: "Oh Holy Child, who experienced the flight into Egypt after the threat from Herod, who two thousand years ago killed the children of Bethlehem, have mercy on our children, and all the world's children.
Have mercy on prisoners, on the poor, the marginalized, and the most vulnerable among us.
"
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