May 3rd – the protests against Israel's actions against Hamas – and hence Gaza, are spreading. Rallies across the country with media focus on universities have become the norm. Now, apparently, they've spread to some high schools.
Articles are plentiful: "U Penn Gets Anti-Israel Protesters"; "A Tale of Three Universities" (Northwestern, Florida, Columbia); "Yale Student Stabbed In Eye With Palestinian Flag", "If These Molly-Coddled Protesters are Indications of the Future, the West Is Doomed" "West-Hating Pro-Palestinian Protests Are a Harbinger of Much Worse to Come" are just a few. They all suggest students are being denied education for which a princely price is paid (by parents or the infamous student loans).
Videos dominate the television, showing the physical destruction, the encampments, the antisemitic chants, and the pro-Hamas rallying cries. Masked protesters, many wearing keffiyehs, demanding divestments, an end to hostilities, "from the river to the sea" elimination of Israel and Israelis and Jews "go back to Poland", intifada, the establishment of a caliphate, amnesty for the protesters including faculty participants, removal of police from campuses, the equivalent of "Hail, Hamas", to supplying water and catering.
These were followed by the responses of the various university presidents – the actions to control mayhem – which vary widely from Florida's definitive "no" to Columbia's suspension (and finally expulsion) of students to Northwestern's agreement to fund two visiting Palestinian faculty (2 years at least), scholarships for Palestinian undergrads, and "safe spaces for Middle Eastern and North African Muslim students".
The Administration is apparently suggesting conciliations that will give nightmares and increased taxes.
How much do we really understand about the situation in Gaza? How much do we know about the actions of Hamas, and before them, the PLO? Do we even know who is a Semite and who is not in the Middle East?
There appear to be four major players in the Israel-Palestine situation: the Israeli government, the Israeli citizens, the people who live in Gaza (Palestinians in particular), and Hamas, the Palestinians' elected government. It seems that the governments acted/reacted and the people suffered, with Palestinians being suckered since before 2007. (The US does play a role – but not #1.)
Knowing little but wanting more quickly led to research. That research focused on "follow the money" which in turn led to three articles that were seemingly responsive -"Gaza is plagued by poverty, but Hamas has no shortage of cash. Where did it comes from?"; "The Palestinian People Should Be Enraged by Both Israel and Hamas", and going back in time, "Where's Arafat's Money?"
Quick summary to the first: Gaza and its 2.1 million residents is in horrible shape. Unemployment rate is 47%; "more than 80% live in poverty". Hamas, on the other hand, has a military budget with estimates between "100 million to $350 million" (according to both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.) Hamas has collected "hundreds of million in international aid" (Qatar (at the request of Israel) ($1.49 billion for "projects for Palestinian civilians in Gaza") via the UN to avert "humanitarian crisis" (for the purpose of helping the citizens, perhaps?), "overt and covert injections…from Iran (cash in suitcases until Israel protested) now estimated at $100 million annually…", "cryptocurrencies, taxes, extortion and (kickbacks) and smuggling", as well as (article #2) human trafficking. (Drugs: tri-border area deal Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina).
Gazans are starving and being fed hatred while Hamas "has real estate and other investments around the globe" ($500 million, companies in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, UAE).
(The U.S. House and Senate held hearings on the money question in late October 2023.)
Article 2 focuses on Israeli "misconduct" and maintenance of an "open-air prison" since Hamas took over in 2007 (no election since then) as well as "the depth of Hamas's guilt". It traces the earlier history of Palestinians – under Yasser Arafat when the PLO was granted UN observer state status and had over 100 embassies around the world.
During that period, the arrangement with Iran (Shiite Islamic) with the religiously incompatible Hamas (Sunni Islamists) was weakening. From this came the suggestion that Hamas deliberately executed October 7th with the expectation that Israel would react as it has – Hamas "making no provision for the civilian population of Gaza or provide any warning [to them] of what they were going" to do. The suggested intent: "to use Palestinian, Arab and international outrage…to justify…whatever violence they might deploy".
That article concludes with "Palestinians and their supporters need to face the reality that Hamas has intentionally engineered a massive calamity ("not through miscalculation…but because of grotesquely self-serving political and strategic malpractice"). They should never forgive them."
The third article, the briefest and shortest of the three, addresses the money issue from Arafat's time. Interestingly, the source is Time Magazine. Long and short, of the billions collected, "most …went to finance 'military operations' and buy the support of cronies." The $4 billion raised during the Oslo peace process (from US, EU, Japan and sales tax passed from Israel to Arafat) was "wasted or skimmed by corrupt Arafat associates".
Before he died, he was down to his last billion, had almost lost control of that money, but still was able to transfer $11.5 million to his wife's bank account.
Both the Palestinian people and the Israelis need help at this point in history. The former should begin by getting rid of their leaders. The latter need their hostages back and a renewed round of negotiations that won't be rejected out of hand.
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