US Embassy opens in Jerusalem: Trump blames Hamas for the deaths of Palestinians by Israel
Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem infuriated many Palestinians. Hence, having been whipped up into a frenzy by Hamas and other forces within the Palestinian political structure, then it was obvious that death would occur in high numbers. Therefore, with Israel taking various actions against the Palestinians who threatened to broach the border, the sight of dead Palestinians became all too clear.
Irrespective of the deeds implemented by Hamas and other forces within the political circles of the Palestinians, restraint by Israel should have been the order of the day. After all, if Hamas is setting up ordinary Palestinians to be killed like lambs, then surely it is in the interest of Israel not to fall into such a trap. However, with 58 known Palestinian deaths at the hands of a powerful army, then the moral ground is already lost.
Reuters reports, “The White House declined to join in urging Israel to exercise caution and pinned the blame squarely on Gaza’s ruling Hamas group, backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who described the Israeli military’s actions as self-defence of his country’s borders.”
Raj Shah, the White House deputy press secretary, said, “We believe that Hamas is responsible for what’s going on.”
He continued with the Trump administration line by further stating, “The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas. Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response. And as the Secretary of State said, Israel has the right to defend itself.”
It could well be that Hamas and other forces set up poorer Palestinians to die for propaganda and political purposes. Yet, even if this is factual, it is clear that the armed forces of Israel had little to fear from the mass Palestinian demonstrations. Of course, the loss of some life is always a concern for any national army but the resulting deaths of at least 58 Palestinians are excessive in the extreme.
The opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem and the Palestinians marking the seventieth year of the Nakba meant that events were bound to spiral out of control. In other words, Israel should have been prepared for any Hamas provocations – irrespective of the rights or wrongs of history belonging to the tragedy that befell the Palestinians, or the right for Jews to return to a land that is paved in Jewish history.
The BBC reports, “Monday’s protests – and more planned for Tuesday – are the culmination, as they mark the anniversary of Israel’s creation in 1948 and what Palestinians term the Nakba or Catastrophe, referring to the hundreds of thousands of their people who subsequently fled their homes or were displaced in the war that followed.”
Overall, the rejoicing of the leaders of America and Israel over the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem is now sullied by yet more deaths of Palestinians. Equally, Hamas and wealthy Palestinian elites are too eager to shed the blood of poorer Palestinians who feel alienated and abandoned by history. Therefore, the response by Israel was inappropriate to the degree of the numbers of Palestinians killed and injured – similarly, the blood of poorer Palestinians to the elites of Hamas means little apart from propaganda and more indoctrination.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44116340
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