Israeli Artillery Murders 7 Palestinian Civilians Gaza Enjoying Day at Beach

““Hadil [Ghaliya] threw herself on the sand near her dead father and cried: ‘Dad, Dad.'”–note playing cards on sand which they’d been playing with only moments before (photo: Ramatan News Agency)

Those of us who are progressive Zionists believe that Israel can be a light unto the nations; and that at the very least creating a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict represents Israel’s self-interest. The goal of this blog is to suggest ways in which Israel can fulfill its highest values.

But what in heavens name can you do or say when a crime of such magnitude is committed in the name of the Israeli people? Let’s start from the beginning. According to the IDF, Palestinian militants had been planning to launch Qassam rockets from a site 400m from a Gaza beach which was full of beachgoers on a hot afternoon. Apparently, at least one errant shell hit the beach killing seven civilians including six members of the Ghalia family (this from the NY Times account):

The Ghaliya family, husband Ali, wife Raisa, and three children, ages 1, 3 and 10, were having a picnic on the northern Gazan beach on a hot afternoon and were all killed in the shelling.

We’re killing babies and mothers now. Is there no decency? At long last has Israel lost all sense of common decency??

Gazan girl wounded in IDF shelling of Gaza beach (photo: AP)

Haaretz reports the same family suffered an earlier tragedy at the hands of the IDF:

Less than two years ago, four members of the family were killed when IDF shell hit the family farm in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia. The military had been targeting the area in response to Palestinian mortar fire.

At times like this I wish I was Jonathan Swift so I could sublimate my fury in savage, artful political satire. But I am blazing with anger and cannot manage the sublimity of Swift’s extraordinary literary achievement. I can only rage at the injustice. Rage at the terrible toll Israeli civilians will have to pay for this blunder.

You must read the testimony of the victim, Wiham Ghaliya. She bears witness as no one else can. Can anyone be so heartless as not to weep at this outrage?

“There was a big boom and screams when the shells landed and I started running. I remember my father lying nearby, and now he is waiting for me. I saw everyone running away and I ran away too. I searched my family and I ran to find mum and dad. Then they took me to hospital. They told me I am a little ill. But I want to return to my family. My parents and my brothers are home waiting for me. I want to return to them,” she told Ynet.

Baby trams, tables, and ripped umbrellas stained with blood, were evidence of the horror that took place on the beach.

“All the people started running away as they looked in all directions for their relatives. It was an upsetting scene. Screams and bodies were everywhere. I wanted to reach my father, who was badly injured. I tried to get close to him to tell what we Muslims say in a moment of death. I tried to tell him, ‘There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his prophet,’ but he couldn’t breathe or open his mouth,” Wiham said.

“I saw my father dying in my arms and the bodies of my brother and sisters dispersed everywhere. They took me to hospital, thank God, I am lightly injured, but I lost everything. My family was around me but no one was alive. Four sisters and a brother, my father and a stepmother, but no one was alive. The Israelis ruined my life and my future. I have nothing to say and I have no energy to speak. They said they didn’t fire. I don’t know what to say. They kill and lie.”

Wiham sat in the family’s mourning tent in Beit Lahiya when he spoke to Ynet. “I hope Allah will have mercy on them and avenge their death. In a moment we became nothing, with no taste for life. We were by the beach and we tried to find a little happiness and rest and this doesn’t happen to us a lot, and until we had the chance to live in this atmosphere; everything was blown away because of the Israelis who don’t let us breathe and live. There is no point in living.”

In past public statements, the IDF has warned that it was “closing” the range between shelling target sites and civilian areas to as little as 100m. Critics of this escalation noted that shrapnel from Israeli shells can land as far away as 200m from the target. So it seemed only natural that the IDF was indeed announcing that they didn’t care if they killed innocent civilians who were in the margin or error. But now the IDF, by its own admission, sent a deadly shell 400m off course causing this disaster.

This tragedy is not just horrible on its face because of the innocent life snuffed out. But it will have much greater collateral damage as Hamas, which had been pursuing a studied and careful strategy of honoring a 16 month ceasefire against Israeli targets has felt compelled to break the hudna. Its representatives have declared Israeli targets fair game once more for terror attacks. This is nothing short of a disaster of the first magnitude.

Gazan outside hospital mourns death of seven civilians (photo: Reuters)

To read in Haaretz that the IDF has “apologized” for, and called a halt to the shelling is nothing short of gruesome irony. Once the golem is let loose how do you call it back? You remember the story of Rabbi Yehuda Loew of Prague who called a Golem into existence to save the Jews of Prague who were under attack. The Golem had the word emet inscribed on his forehead. After the Golem ran amok, Rabbi Loew was forced to destroy the monster which he did by erasing the aleph in emet leaving letters which spelled meyt or “death.” The IDF has let loose shells from hell all inscribed with the word meyt. And now, there is no way or erasing the word or the deed.

Of course, along with the so-called IDF “apology” comes a heinous veiled suggestion that Palestinians themselves might’ve been responsible:

In addition to the more likely scenario that a shell strayed from its path, the army was also exploring whether the explosion might have been caused by a “work accident.” [an IDF euphemism for Palestinian bombmakers who accidentally blow themselves up while assembling bombs].

Wounded boy victim of IDF beach shelling rushed to hospital (photo: Reuters)

Didn’t Malcolm X once say about American racism, “the chickens are coming home to roost?” Well, with this grisly news we can equally say that the fruits of a brutal Israeli policy of retaliation for Qassam rocket launches has also come home to roost. Now, not only Israeli civilians but all of Israel and Palestine will have to pay the price in blood.

It gives me no joy or pleasure in writing these words. I want only what is good and just for Israel (and the Palestinians). But how can you have sympathy for Occupation policies like these which bring such death and devastation to innocents (and I include Palestinian terror attacks in this denunciation)? Today’s news only reinforces the need for Israel to end the Occupation NOW. Undertake final status negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas NOW. Don’t wait a minute longer. How many more innocent lives must be taken from us before both Israelis and Palestinians will get this message through their goddamn thick skulls???

I usually try to write a more tempered style about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in times like these when reality takes leave of its senses (if reality can be said to have any sense), caution and temerpateness are thrown to the winds just as body parts were scattered on the beach in Gaza. For the love of God and humanity, end this carnage now before it is too late.

George Bush and Condoleeza Rice–get off your asses and get things moving between these two parties. Work with the EU and the Quartet to put pressure on them to sit down and talk–Now. How can you do anything less?? The following, I’m sorry to say, is more like the “leadership” of which the U.S. is capable regarding this conflict:

The State Department on Friday night called for Israelis and Palestinians to show mutual restraint and avoid actions that could increase tensions following the IDF shelling of Gaza beach that killed seven Palestinian civilians.

The United States expressed regret for the killing and wounding of the Palestinians in Gaza and noted that the Israeli government had also issued a statement of regret and had launched an investigation, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

“We call on the Palestinian Authority to prevent all acts of terrorism, including the firing of missiles and rockets from Gaza,” McCormack said.

The United States has been in contact with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the government of Israel and will continue to monitor the situation closely, McCormack said.

Surely, they jest! They call on the PA to prevent terrorism when the IDF sends Palestinian body parts flying on a beautiful summer day on a Gaza beach?? What planet are they on?? And if they think Qassams are bad, just wait to see what else is in store.

This will also be a test for Amir Peretz, Israel’s defense minister. His hometown of Sederot is one of the areas targeted in Qassam attacks. But this disaster must deeply offend his sense of justice. Will he intercede and change IDF policy regarding the rocket firings? Can he do anything at all to make this sorry situation a little less horrible? I wish I was sure the answer might be ‘yes.” But this statement from him doesn’t bode well:

“We don’t seek to fight against the Palestinian people, only against terror,” Peretz said.

After you’ve just blown seven Palestinian civilians all to hell is NOT the time you say we don’t seek to fight against the Palestinian people. That is the time you call a permanent end to the shelling of densely populated Gaza urban areas. Peretz considered doing this a month ago and backed down. I hope he’s regretting his mistake. I hope he’s tossing and turning in his bed tonight. I hope he’ll get off his ass and do something.