by Dr. Reuven Berko
Recently, there has
been a construction boom in the Gaza Strip, including in the
construction of bomb shelters. This has been accompanied by intense
Hamas propaganda. Osama Kahil, the head of the Palestinian Contractors'
Union, will attest to that.
Reports from the field
state that the construction is being subsidized by the "government," and
Gaza City spokesman Hatem Al Shaikh Khalil promises that buildings that
add bomb shelters will receive financial benefits.
According to
Palestinian propaganda, the shelters are being built in response to
previous Israel Defense Forces attacks, during which Palestinians were
forced to seek shelter at UNRWA schools, the diabolical U.N. mechanism
that perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem like a for-profit
business.
Israel's efforts to
protect its citizens stands in stark contrast to Hamas' cynical use of
theirs as human shields. Gazans interviewed on Al-Jazeera have bravely
called for military activity to be kept away from civilian
neighborhoods. Gaza is showing strong signs of attrition, breaking
through the bonds of the "heroes' silence" straightjacket that Hamas has
imposed on Gaza's residents. Their suffering is now being used as part
of the propaganda machine.
The decision to build
shelters is a new development for the Palestinians. The personal safety
of the average Palestinian civilian had never been a consideration for
their leadership. They have always been cynically seen as "biodegradable
ammunition," human shields, bodies required for propaganda photography
and oil to grease the wheels of the Muqawama (resistance).
The Islamic terrorist
leaders' strategy of firing at Israeli population centers came out of
their knowledge of Israel's moral code, through which it would not
retaliate by deliberately firing at Palestinian civilians. But during
the latest operation, November’s eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense,
as happens in every war, Palestinian civilians living near spots from
where rockets were launched unfortunately were also hit by IDF
counterstrikes.
Could the building of
the shelters represent a change in policy for Khaled Mashaal and Ismail
Haniyeh? One based on a sense of responsibility, governance and an
understanding of the plight of their civilians? Or could this be a
propaganda move to make Hamas look like a savior protecting Gazan
victims from attacks by the "aggressor," Israel? Maybe Hamas is building
these shelters as a cover-up for creating fortifications for terrorist
leaders. Or perhaps Hamas understands that Israel will strike the source
of Hamas rocket fire even if it employs human shields.
The Hamas "government"
project to build bomb shelters looks like an attempt to emulate Israel's
own fortification efforts, in the rocket-stricken south. It is a
pathetic attempt to appease the angry Palestinian public, which must
resign itself to its fate while its leaders stay in hiding. Palestinian
media outlets showed children going through therapy for post-traumatic
stress as a result of the Israeli bombing. These are the same children
who appear in other "photo sessions” dressed up in fake suicide belts,
carrying AK-47s and calling for Israel's destruction.
Hamas has shown that if there is a
will, there is a way, and has now worked to keep the terrorist groups
under its command in check. The construction of shelters in Gaza could
be preparation for the next round of violence, but Hamas knows that
those who have the capability to destroy an Iranian nuclear bomb inside a
mountain and to get into shelters in Dahiyeh, Beirut, can penetrate the
new terror shelters.
Dr. Reuven Berko
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=3155
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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