Our Secretary-General, William Morris LL.D., continues to discuss new political developments in his ongoing podcast series, “This Week in the Middle East”. In this week’s episode, William discusses the urgent situation in Gaza. The recent killings of three Israeli boys by the Israel Defense Forces are deeply disturbing. William proposes the need to reform the corrupt Palestinian Authority and establish a new administration. We believe that Marwan Barghouti, with Palestinian support, is a suitable candidate. Securing his release would require cooperation from Israel and Hamas. The lack of clean water and destroyed infrastructure in Gaza create a dire humanitarian crisis. We call for immediate action to establish a new Palestinian administration, initiate a peace process, and recognize Palestine as a sovereign state to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza. Listen to the full episode through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict and Buzzsprout.
Transcript
Gaza: A Stunning and Saddening Situation
[0:01] What to say about Gaza? This is, it’s now late December, and again I’m putting together a podcast on Gaza. This is a stunning situation and a saddening situation, and something must be done, and the whole world knows it.
Stunned by the Killing of Israeli Boys by Israel
[0:19] Everybody was stunned by the killing of three Israeli boys by Israel.
[0:25] One was even crying for help in Hebrew before being shot by the Israel Defense Forces and they were waving a white flag and they were gunned down in cold blood and these were Israelis who were hostages. This is sort of symptomatic of the way things are. This is not honorable, this is not right, this war is being conducted by standards that are are subhuman.
[0:55] There’s only one way forward now, and that does not mean the forced depopulation of Gaza. I know some Israelis may be tempted to bomb the Rafa Crossing and let a flood of human misery go out of Gaza into Sinai.
The Way Forward: Reforming the Palestinian Authority
[1:11] That would be a grave shame on the face of Israel and an unforgivable crime. There has to be a way forward and there is a way forward and it is the reform of the corrupt and decadent Palestinian Authority in order to provide a new administration for Palestine; that combined with a peace process. There’s massive backing for a Palestinian strongman to replace the corrupt and aging chain-smoking Abu Mazen and there are only two credible candidates. One is Mohammed Dahlan, who currently resides in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
[1:56] And the other is Marwan Barghouti, who currently resides in jail in Israel.
Two Credible Candidates: Dahlan and Barghouti
[2:02] The international community may prefer the less charismatic Dahlan. Dahlan is a man with whom I once negotiated the release of Jawid al-Ghussain, the ex-PLO fund chairman.
I remember the time. It was years ago. Dahlan pointed his finger at me and said, “William, if I had him, I’d kill him”. It was a melodramatic touch, but it gives the flavor of the man who is very ruthless, but very effective.
[2:33] I think we need Dahlan to run Palestine, because we need somebody who can stand up to Israel and also control Hamas. The alternative is a charismatic leader like Marwan Barghouti, and Marwan Barghouti is charismatic. And he would have the actual support of the Palestinians. Is that a better choice? Yes, of course it is.
Cooperation Needed to Release Barghouti from Jail
[3:00] It requires the cooperation of Israel to get him out of jail, and it requires the cooperation of Hamas to ask for him in a prisoner exchange.
[3:09] Hamas probably would not want to be the Turkey that voted for Christmas. They wouldn’t want Marwan Barghouti. They would be sidelined by him. Whereas, Dahlan still gives them a future. Well, a kind of better future for Palestine, I suppose.
The Need for Recognition of Palestine
[3:28] We certainly need, subsequently, a peace process that brings about a Palestinian state. I think the day has gone for a negotiated peace, we need an imposed peace, any kind of peace that brings about a peace settlement in which Israel recognizes the state of Palestine as a state. Then we can move on. If Israel fails to recognize the state of Palestine as a state, then we are condemned to a whole other generation facing the misery of this very unnecessary war that really has been a war that’s been ongoing since 1948. There’s been no peace.
Gaza’s Prospects: Disease and Misery
[4:09] The prospects of Israel widening this war and moving into southern Lebanon with a new buffer zone are slim really to be honest. Israel would be extremely foolish to broaden this conflict but what is very real is the prospect of Gaza falling with disease, cholera, whatever, typhoid, I don’t know, the misery of the open sewers was there before, before Israel bombarded Gaza. Now with the lack of adequate drinking water, I mean it’s incomprehensible what Israel has done to the infrastructure of Gaza. And those two and a half million or so people crammed into that small space, half their homes gone, I mean disease is the next killer.
A New Palestinian Administration and Peace Process
[5:03] I suspect the real death toll in Gaza, they’re talking about 30,000 dead, listed names thus far but the real death toll is probably double if not triple that, so many are buried under the rubble; but the death toll from disease could be colossal too. So we have a poor situation, poor prospects for the future unless Israel wakes up and the world wakes up and now is the time Christmas is approaching, the season of goodwill to all. This festering wound has to be healed; it’s enough. It’s enough. It’s enough. We need to end the war. We need a new Palestinian administration and we need a peace process.
And we need it now, not tomorrow. Now.
