The Surreal ‘Reconstruction’ of Gaza

recMuch of what goes on in the world these days has a surreal quality.  But here’s a case that is emblematic of a host of situations:

On Monday, the United Nations pulled back hundreds of putative peacekeepers from the buffer zone that runs across the Golan Heights, separating Israel from Syria. They withdrew into the Israeli Golan, driven by Al-Nusra, Syrian rebels linked to Al-Qaeda, who have set up a “safe zone” from which to wage attacks.

The UN forces are from UNDOF – the UN Disengagement Observer Force – charged with monitoring that buffer zone. Its 1,200-strong force is comprised of troops from Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, the Netherlands, and the Philippines.

Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari told reporters that:

“The terrorists are now using United Nations cars, which hold the emblem of the United Nations forces in the Golan. They are using the uniform of the UNDOF, the weapons of UNDOF, the positions of UNDOF to shell on the Syrian army as well as on the civilians in the villages.”

Jaafari accused Israel, Qatar and Jordan of being behind a “very big plot” to destabilize Syria by letting the Syrian rebels take control of the buffer zone.

Israel cooperating with Hamas-funding Qatar in a “very big plot”??  Well, the story would not be complete if Israel were not blamed somehow.

From here we can segue to another task that the UN is assuming:

The UN is brokering an agreement for the reconstruction of Gaza.  According to a report just released by Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:

“Reconstruction, recovery, governance and security in the Gaza Strip must take place in the context of the return of one legitimate Palestinian Authority to the Strip.

“The formation of the GNC [Government of National Consensus] under President Abbas and in accordance with the PLO principles was welcomed by the international community. The UN has long underscored the need for progress towards Palestinian unity in line with existing resolutions, within the framework of the PLO commitments and the positions of the Quartet and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

If I were able to make genuine sense of this diplomatic double-talk, I would gladly explain it.  Apparently the UN is endorsing the Palestinian Unity government – which is on the verge of falling apart and which Hamas does not truly acknowledge in Gaza in any event – as the legitimate authority in Gaza.  That is, if the Unity Government works within the framework of the Quartet positions, which Hamas refuses to accept.

Got it?

The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the body coordinating development assistance to the Palestinians, will come together in New York in a meeting hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

But there’s more:

Reconstruction will also involve the private sector, and the UN will do “monitoring to ensure that construction materials will not be diverted from civilian to military uses.”

The UN?  I’m sure they will function according to their well-recognized standards.

Apparently Israel has agreed to this.  Was there a choice?  Did Israel seek alternatives?  ARE there alternatives?

The decision was made by the Netanyahu government not to re-take Gaza.  Are we stuck with this, which will lead to no good? That is, if it happens.

Serry said the UN considers the “temporary mechanism [the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee]” to rebuild Gaza “a signal of hope to the people of Gaza.” According to the Washington Post, he considers this “an important step toward lifting all remaining closures of crossings into the Strip.”

Excuse me? Please note, there is not a word about demilitarization of Hamas.  He talks about lifting all remaining closures without addressing the dangers to Israel.

Monitoring the reconstruction project to make sure reconstruction materials (primarily concrete) will not be diverted to military purposes (construction of tunnels) in no way addresses the wholesale smuggling of rockets into Gaza (in pieces that can be easily hidden in merchandise) that would ensue, were all closures to be fully opened.

Where is the Israeli prime minister in all of this?  The fact that Serry – no friend to Israel – imagines that the crossings should soon be opened fully in no way indicates that Netanyahu has signed off on this.  He perhaps finds it wiser – more politic, in his style – to let Serry et al make pronouncements to which Israel has not agreed without bothering to contradict. There surely must be intention, as well, to do monitoring on Israel’s side – although Serry, of course, mentions no role for Israel.

It is Serry’s opinion that the reconstruction project “must get up and running without delay.”

But a key Israeli source with Palestinian Arab connections is quite confident that it is not going to happen.  We see here some of the reasons why not:

Mohammed Mustafa, Deputy Prime Minister of the Palestinian government, said last week that international donors are hesitant to fund Gaza’s reconstruction while Hamas is still in control and the possibility of future fighting remains very real. Mustafa said international bodies are eager for President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah forces to take on a leading role in Gaza.

Hamas already took out Fatah forces in Gaza once.  Are we due for a re-run?

Serry is under the illusion that if the Security Council supports the project, it will reassure donors that the project they invest in will be implemented “expeditiously, and solely for their intended civilian purpose.”

Now that I’ve stopped laughing, I will share a bit of relevant UN history:

After the Lebanon war in 2006, during which Israel seriously degraded Hezbollah capabilities, the Security Council passed Resolution 1701.  It set in place UNIFIL – UN forces that were intended to work with the Lebanese army to prevent Hezbollah from re-arming (smuggling rockets in from Syria).  Today Hezbollah has some 100,000 rockets.

At one point, some years ago, I learned that UNIFIL did no operations – no monitoring or patrolling – at night.  The smuggling, needless to say, was done at night.

Did I not say this was surreal?

We have not yet heard from Hamas – remember that there is still no final ceasefire agreement.

I note here as well that there is no mention of a role for the EU, which was supposed to be solidly on board with insuring that Hamas did not re-arm, etc. etc.

Arlene Kushner is an American-Israeli author, journalist, and blogger. Her work can be found at www.arlenefromisrael.info.

  • mezcukor

    let Gaza remain a pile of rubles.

    • Joel handelman

      So much hatred in you…

      • mezcukor

        not at all. I just have common sense.

      • s;vbkr0boc,klos;

        So much tapioca in you.

      • MukeNecca

        Evil should be hated. If evil is not hated good will die.

  • dartson

    Are we talking about the same UN that stores rockets in schools in Gaza and supplies Hamas with concrete for building tunnels? Yes, sure, they will monitor the reconstruction of Gaza, especially the underground part. And I have yet to mention the mighty EU observers, who let no terrorist sneak up on them (that is, unless he calls himself a freedom fighter).

  • El Cid

    What is “surreal” is that the UN has any reputation left with the press and with the Western world. Where on earth does this good will come from? It is inexplicable.

  • wileyvet

    I like the part about the Syrian Ambassador complaining about a plot to destabilize Syria. Would that be the same Syria that has attacked Israel 3 times in 66 years? That used the Golan Heights to rain artillery down on Jewish settlement in the Galillee and has never signed a peace treaty with Israel and is still in a de facto state of war with her. Or the same Syria that sent in 30,000 troops to Lebanon in 1975 to take control on the pretext of stopping the civil war? The same Syria that assassinated President Gamayel in September 1982? Or how about the Syria that allowed terrorists to cross into Iraq during and after the American led coalition forces ousted Saddam? Syria itself has been a destabilizing entity for over 70 years in the region. The Syrians have been and are the worst of the worst. Total D-bags all of them, now getting a little back of what they have instigated and perpetrated against Israel and Lebanon all these years.

  • Vinegar Hill

    “Please note, there is not a word about demilitarization of Hamas.” That was not part of the ceasefire agreement and Kushner is trying to shift the goal posts. No wonder these agreements break down.

    • 1Indioviejo1

      The sooner it breaks down the better. Hamas should never be given breathing space because it is ISIS in Gaza.

  • robert clark

    By know most people who has I mind of their own will realize that overthrowing Saddam was the worst thing that was ever done, it was done for humanitarian purposes right? The UN made sure of that the WMD was just a ruse a red herring to get the west to commit.
    Where I live in London 70% of the residents are from Iraq they own all the properties and pay no tax on rental income as all properties are registered offshore. So where did all this money come from ?
    Assad is the only person standing between the west and these ISIS animals and we go and arm the animals! It would be like arming Hitler because we feared the Russian communists. I am after all he may be a SOB but he is our SOB.

  • DorisRStolz

    My last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.

    This is wha­ I do,….. http://WWW.JOBSMICRO95.COM

  • 1Indioviejo1

    Israel needs a wartime Prime Minister, not Netanyahu. Then, it needs to destroy Hamas and remove the Arabs to Lebanon, or Syria, or Egypt, or anywhere they want to go except Judea and Samaria.

  • Joel handelman

    Which “Israeli Golan?” The occupied Syrian Golan is Syrian territory under international law.

    • Ken Kelso

      Joel for people who don’t know is a radical left wing fool who wants Israel to surrender to Muslim terrorists.
      He posts regularly on the Jerusalem Post.

    • MukeNecca

      No, it’s not. Syria lost it in a war it started. There is a price for aggression especially when followed by defeat and there hasn’t been exception to this rule in history. Why should Syria be exempt of the consequence of its war of aggression? Or why should the Jews not avail themselves of the spoils of their victory if the rest of the world does?

  • Legs2

    Earlier this summer the Syrian rebels were torturing, blinding, cutting off body parts and murdering Christian men, women and children. Why, on God’s green earth would we do anything to assist them let alone give them arms?!!!! Also, if Gaza residents have to rebuild on their own, perhaps they will not so recklessly go after the Israelis again. Actions should have consequences.