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Rolla Peace News June 1, 2025 |
Dear Friends:Editor's notes:In this newsletter is: 1. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Let's Talk Hamas b) Suppose Hamas, Like Israel, Had Nuclear Weapons c) Israel's War Against Gaza and Climate Change Let's Talk Hamas You'll rarely, if ever, hear what an amazing feat Hamas has accomplished. Without a single aircraft or tank, they have held on for over 600 days against the onslaught of one of the mightiest armies on the planet, supplied with essentially unlimited military aid from the nation with the world's most expensive military. How much longer can Hamas hold out? That's anyone's guess. By contrast, the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising lasted less than a month, with the entire Jewish population of the Ghetto wiped out. The Battle of Algiers (1956-57) lasted around a year (depending on how you count) and ended with the National Liberation Front driven out of Algiers, although it is often considered a strategic victory for the forces of liberation. So what is Hamas? Hamas is both the de facto government of Gaza and the primary paramilitary force opposing the Israeli occupation in Gaza. Hamas has forced Israel, however reluctantly and insincerely, to the negotiating table. Hamas has exposed Israeli brutality and cruelty for the entire world to see. Hamas has exposed the United States as the willing enabler of Israel's cruelty and brutality Historically, Hamas is the inheritor of other movements of national liberation: The National Liberation Front in Algeria, The National Liberation Front in Vietnam and the Taliban in Afghanistan, to name just a few successful movements of national liberation. Under international law, Hamas has the right to armed opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. While some say that Hamas has broken international law, such as by taking civilian hostages, whatever Hamas has done would seem minuscule compared to the 58 years of brutal Israeli occupation, the recent killing of well over 50,000, mostly children and women, since 7 October 2023 and the indiscriminate bombing of a civilian population, including infrastructure, such as hospitals, healthcare facilities and water purification facilities. I cannot stress too strongly the cowardice of a nation with a modern airforce bombing civilians and destroying necessary civilian infrastructure in a land with no effective anti-aircraft capabilities. The total blockade of the last few months has led to famine and starvation. The latest Israeli atrocity is allowing a small amount of food into Gaza and, rather than distributing it fairly, leaving starving people to fight over the few crumbs they've allowed in. Israel has even fired upon and killed starving Palestinians coming to an aid distribution site in the hopes of obtaining a little something to eat. If there is anything more despicable than such cruelty, its countries such as the United States which enable these atrocities. And if there is anything more despicable than enabling such atrocities, it's a world that sits on its thumbs and watches such atrocities unfold, and does nothing to prevent them. If history be a guide, this will not be the last atrocity in the Israeli War against Gaza. Sadly, this is a war supported by a large majority of Israeli Jews, with almost half favoring extermination of Palestinians in Gaza. Perhaps, it is a quality of all foreign occupations that the more successfully they are challenged, the more brutal and cruel they become. Suppose Hamas, Like Israel, Had Nuclear Weapons If Hamas, like Israel, had nuclear weapons, it would be extremely unlikely that Israel would be attempting to carry out its genocidal War Against Gaza. Keep this in mind whenever a nuclear weapon state attacks or threatens a state lacking nuclear weapons. And keep this in mind whenever a state without nuclear weapons considers going nuclear. Israel's War Against Gaza and Climate Change A new study finds that up through January 2025, Israel's War Against Gaza has caused CO2 equivalent emissions of 1.89 million metric tonnes, more than the emissions of 36 countries. Israel's War Against Gaza is not only bad for Gaza, it's bad for the entire planet, including Israel. Rolla Peace News is written occasionally (perhaps once a month) and distributed by email. It is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Rollaites for Peace: near the top of rightmost column).Wage peace, Tom yushasager (at) yahoo.com |