The rape of Rafah

Submitted by Anon on 17 June, 2004 - 6:04

By Uri Avnery

The official purpose is to "destroy the tunnels" under the "Philadelphi Axis". But tunnels have been there for years. The army boasts of destroying 98 such tunnels in the past, but only one single tunnel has been discovered in this operation. Even if the army destroys more and more Palestinian homes in order to widen the axis - the new tunnels will just be longer.

The tunnels are a pretext. So, what were the real reasons for this brutal invasion of a pitiful little town?

The first reason is the simplest: thirst for revenge. Dozens of Palestinians are killed for 13 of our soldiers, hundreds of homes demolished for two destroyed personnel carriers.

Add to this the argument of morale. Some senior officers were open about this: an impressive operation that underlines the superiority of the Israeli army in order to raise the morale of the soldiers who are still smarting after the failures.

From a purely military point of view, the "Philadelphi Axis" is madness. It cannot be defended without committing atrocities constituting or bordering on war crimes. It attracts guerilla fighters as a candle attracts moths.

There is another reason for this operation. The generals want to leave Gaza "with their heads held high". They cannot allow the Palestinian guerillas to claim to have driven them out by force, as Hizbullah did in Lebanon.

A childish argument, reflecting a particular military mentality. After Rafah, the very opposite will happen: the action will confirm to the Palestinians that their heroic stand has forced the army out. Who will be able to deny that?

Ariel Sharon also has a very good personal reason for ordering such a glorious military campaign in the alleys of Rafah: after his defeat in the Likud members' referendum, he was stuck in a dead end. Opponents in his party and his government blocked him in all directions.

The dramatic events in Rafah fill all the news bulletins and leave no room for Sharon's political failure. This restores his image as a resolute leader. Again he is a player on the global stage. And if the entire world condemns him, this only serves to raise his stature among his voters.

The invasion of Rafah will, of course, fail, as did the invasion of Jenin. A regular army, strong as it may be, cannot put down guerilla fighters who are supported by a desperate population. On the contrary, the mightier an army is, the smaller are its chances of succeeding. It can kill dozens and hundreds, destroy whole neighborhoods, drive masses of people from their homes and cause a small Nakba - nothing will help. A guerilla war can only be ended by compromise and a peaceful solution.

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