# 88 – Sderot & UN Balance

December 15, 2007

It’s at least a vicious circle, if not a hopeless situation.

Today, Thursday, Dec. 13th, the int’l Red Cross came out with a damning criticism of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, both in Gaza and the West Bank. Yes, the said, Israel has a right to secure borders etc., but the situation of the Palestinians cannot be seen to balance the scales.

And today, the front page of the Jerusalem Post shows this picture of residents in Sderot, near Gaza, sheltering (as usual) from around 20 Kassam rockets fired during the 24 hours yesterday.

Today, more attacks. 1 house in Sderot destroyed, some injured.

We got out of Gaza, the first very public step on the way to ‘letting them take care of themselves’. A chance for them to prove that they deserve a state. Since then?   I would not normally have to argue the point. Then along comes the ICRC and says we’re to blame.

We’d surely be the first country to reward someone for trying to kill us.

And how about that other wonderful institution, the U.N.? Do I sound cynical? Well, perhaps so. There is no question that I have great belief in both the ICRC and the UN. They are necessary organisations. But boy! do they have problems staying neutral.

Each year, at the end of November, the UN arranges some events to ‘celebrate’ the 1947 vote for the 2-state solution. In 2005, Kofi Annan hosted events which included a map of the Middle East with a Palestine….and no Israel.

And there was a minute’s silence “honouring the self-sacrifice of suicide bombers” (according to UN expert, Anne Bayefsky, in a recent article in National Review Online –  Don’t worry, I’m not spending night and day peering through articles and shmarticles. I read a couple of newspapers and watch the news sometimes. I just have an eye for something that stands out like a sore thumb).

In 2006, having listened to the criticism, the map disappeared and the minute’s silence was canceled. In their place was a pictorial exhibition lauding the Palestinian’s fight for a homeland, including praise for the intifadas. This was supposed to be celebrating the etablishment of 2 countries by non-partisan organisation.

And this year, just 2 weeks ago, they ‘kept it clean’ according to one UN official. By that, they meant perhaps the flying of just 2 flags: the UN one and the Palestinian one.

And where was the UN Sec-General 2 weeks ago? Why he was attending the Annapolis Conference on revamping the talks between the 2 protagonists – or should I be referring to ‘just the one protagonist’. For suicide bombers and Kassam-rocket launchers are surely what every neutral will call peacemakers.

There appears to be a new meaning to the word ‘balance’. Perhaps also a new spelling: balulantzn. (The ‘u’ and second ‘n’ are silent).

More important…………

This was the scene this morning, went I went for my walk. The sea is rough today; it’s windy. But the sun shines. The beach is deserted. At ‘our’ beach, they construct every year a restaurant/snack place. It’s beautiful, with, tables and chairs for perhaps 100 persons, plus, as you see in the foreground, lovely swing-sofas for real lounging.

This winter, they’ve decided not to close for the Winter. It’s a sure loss-maker, but there it is. Today, if you look closely in the centre background, there was 1 group of about 8 middle-aged cyclists who had stopped there for a hot drink. Otherwise, completely empty.

Tomorrow, Shabbath, it’ll be full, and hopefully they’ll earn a little money to help keep the place open during the Winter weeks, when people like me can come along, read my book, watch the waves, and sip on a great cappucino.

Stephen