At a time when Sharon is being lionized as a man of peace, it is important to inject a healthy dose of realism and history to dispel this myth. As early as 1953, Sharon began his ruthless crusade against the Palestinians in the village of Qibya in 1953 by directing his men to destroy homes, with their occupants trapped inside – men, women and children. In 1982 Sharon’s army invaded Lebanon, and laid siege to Beirut, cutting off water, electricity and food supplies and subjecting the city's residents to weeks of indiscriminate bombardment by land, sea and air. His army then facilitated the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila.
It is ludicrous to portray Sharon as a man of peace because of his unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. This was merely a political ploy to divert attention from Israel’s increased land theft in the West Bank.
Palestinians continue to be driven from their homes and their land repossessed. The fragmented, disconnected territory is all that is left for the Palestinians whose movements are strictly controlled by Israeli checkpoints. The land theft is a blatant violation of the US peace process and international law. In a staggering public statement, the highly respected apolitical human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, urged the US government to reduce aid to Israel because much of the funds are being used to construct the separation wall, illegal settlements and gross human rights violations. Such is the legacy of Ariel Sharon.
No comments:
Post a Comment