Stephen " Pontius Pilate" Harper

The safety of Canadians trapped in the Gaza, was dismissed by the supercilious Harper, as the responsibility of Hamas. Like Pontius Pilate ( fig-1b), he washes his hand and the fate of these several dozens are “the responsibility of Hamas”, according to his mouthpiece, Peter Kent, parroting the Israeli line ( the obsequious McKay and the obtuse Cannon follow suit ).. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees, on the other hand expresses “ profound shock and sadness”, at the rising civilian deaths and the continued blockade, that is keeping them in Gaza, and the U.N. refugee chief, Antonio Guterres, said that “this is the only conflict in the world in which people are not allowed to flee”. 

     The Gazans have been living like caged animals, in this overcrowded hell, with little or no access to such basic necessities as food, water, medicine, electricity or personal security and they are treated as terrorists, subjected to the killing machines of Israel. Israel, excuses itself for the killing of civilians, on the grounds that Hamas is using them as shields and the world accepts this without protests, but this is a lie. Why?, because in this most densely populated place in the world where more than 1.5 million live, there is no haven, no refuge to go, (except the U.N. run schools and these have been bombed and many women and children are among the many who have been killed), everything is intertwined and so the bombs and shells, which cannot distinguish civilians from militants, kill all, and yet Israel continue to tell the big lie, blaming the victims. 

 Hamas, which with the help of the Israeli Government (in order to offset Fatah), began as an organization doing social work among the Palestinians, became so popular that it became a political organization, fighting for Palestinian liberation. It became more militant and attracted many Islamists and took up arms. It gained control of Gaza in a power struggle with Fatah, and after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, began to launch rockets into Israel. A cease-fire lasting 6 months (40+ Palestinians were killed by Israel during this time. The border was closed, and a blockade was set up. Food, medicine and other necessities ran out. The living conditions became even more miserable, and people started to smuggle on a greater scale. No Israeli died in this time from rockets that were fired, but, Israelis were made to feel unsafe), came to an end in mid-December, and Israel launched its assault a week or so later, using the rocket attacks as their excuse.

     640+ Palestinians have been killed; most of them women and children, and 3,000 have been wounded. 6 Israelis have died, 4 were killed by Israeli “friendly fire”. The Israelis have killed more of their own, than the rockets of Hamas. Maybe the Israelis should launch an attack on themselves, to avenge these unnecessary deaths

     Who is a terrorist? Who is a freedom fighter? Jesus was deemed a terrorist. George Washington et al were terrorists. The Mahatma was a terrorist and so was Mandela. Menachem Begin and Yitzak Shamir were terrorists. What did they have in common?

They wanted freedom.  

They wanted to end repression and indignity.  

They wanted to live on their feet not on their knees.  

They wanted a world where their children can be safe and where they can grow and achieve their full potential.  

They wanted human dignity. 

This what the long-suffering Palestinians want too.