05-14-2018, 10:42 PM
*** 15-May-18 World View -- Gaza violence surges in Palestinian 'Great March for Return' into Israel
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Gaza violence surges in Palestinian 'Great March for Return' into Israel
****
![[Image: g180514b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180514b.jpg)
A child is carried by Palestinians away from the front lines after he was shot. The smoke is created by burning tires that the Palestinians use to hide from the Israel troops (Ma'an News)
Dozens of residents of Gaza were killed, and over 2000 injured, in a
clash with Israeli troops in what Palestinians are calling "The Great
March for Return," resulting in the greatest surge of violence in Gaza
since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel said some 40,000 Palestinians had taken part in "violent riots"
at 13 locations along the Gaza Strip security fence. Monday's march
is the culmination of six weeks of similar marches that began late in
March. The pattern is always the same. Thousands of Gazans march to
the border with Israel, threatening to break through the fence into
Israel. Israel's army tries to stop them, first using tear gas, then
rubber bullets, and eventually using live fire, resulting in
casualties.
Hamas, the government authority of Gaza, has been calling these
demonstrations the "Great March for Return," meaning that it's
accompanied by demands for "Right of Return," the demand that
Palestinians be permitted to return to the land that they lost in the
Arab-Jewish war in 1948. For that reason, the attempt by thousands of
Gazans to breach the fence and cross over into Israel is considered an
existential threat to Israel by the Israelis.
According to reports by both media and Israeli officials, Hamas
directed women and children to sit near the border fence, and then the
men used the women and children as shields while throwing rocks and
Molotov cocktails over the fence at soldiers. I cannot think of any
explanation for this except Palestinian politics -- to incite as many
killings of women and children as possible, in order to international
condemnation of Israel. Times of Israel and Ma'an News (Palestine) and BBC
****
**** Opening of US embassy in Jerusalem stirs strong reactions
****
On Monday, the US embassy in Israel officially moved from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem. US Ambassador David Friedman and Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin unveiled a plaque officially denoting the building as the US
embassy. The building is already in use as an American
visa-and-passport facility, and the new embassy will occupy a portion
of the building with a small staff. David Friedman will be traveling
back and forth between the new Jerusalem embassy, and his main offices
in Tel Aviv.
So very little of substance occurred on Monday with the move of the US
embassy in Jerusalem. But the reactions to the move indicate that it
has a very high symbolic significance. It was the occasion of
gleeful, euphoric bragging by Israeli officials at the dedication
ceremony, as contrasted to angry, somber, furious expressions by
Palestinian leaders.
While most international comments were restrained, some strongly
condemned Israel for either the embassy move or the Gaza violence or
both.
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
condemned the "shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by
Israeli live fire."
Turkey called the Gaza violence a "vile massacre," and recalled its
ambassadors from both US and Israel. South Africa also recalled its
ambassador to Israel, condemning "the indiscriminate and grave manner
of the latest Israeli attack."
Numerous countries, including France, Germany and Saudi Arabia,
referred to the embassy move to Jerusalem as "dangerous,",
"catastrophic," "irresponsible," and "against international law."
I hear journalists, politicians and analysts say all the time that
"Nobody wants a war." That isn't true. Lots of people want wars. As
I described in an article last year,
the public becomes heavily invested in starting a war, and
extremely euphoric when the war actually begins, as most of the public
are under the delusion that they'll win quickly.
That euphoria lasts until there's a major setback. According to
General Carl von Clausewitz, the effects on the people and the
government "is a sudden collapse of the wildest expectations, and
total destruction of self-confidence. The destruction of these
feelings creates a vacuum, and that vacuum gets filled by a fear that
grows corrosively, leading to total paralysis."
Gaza's population clearly has an overwhelming desire for another war
with Israel. They presumably have been told by Hamas leaders that
this time Hamas will win. I have heard Marwan Bishara, the lead analyst on al-Jazeera,
imply that
Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are traitors to
Palestinians because they sought peace rather than war with Israel.
The dreams of an easy victory over Israel are completely delusional.
In a generational Crisis era, Israel will never surrender or
compromise. If the war starts going badly for Israel, nuclear
weapons will be used.
As I've written many times, Generational Dynamics predicts that the
Mideast is headed for a major regional war refighting the 1948 war
between Jews and Arabs that followed the partitioning of Palestine and
the creation of the state of Israel. The war will also pit Sunnis
versus Shias, and various ethnic groups against each other.
Generational Dynamics predicts that in the approaching Clash of
Civilizations world war, the "axis" of China, Pakistan and the Sunni
Muslim countries will be pitted against the "allies," the US, India,
Russia and Iran.
Monday was supposed to be the culmination of the "Great March for
Return" marches. In view of all the violence, it's possible that the
marches will now fizzle out for a while, or it's possible that they'll
escalate into a regional conflict. Times of Israel and Al Jazeera and BBC and
Washington Post
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem,
Hamas, Great March for Return, David Friedman,
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, Marwan Bishara, Steven Mnuchin
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Gaza violence surges in Palestinian 'Great March for Return' into Israel
- Opening of US embassy in Jerusalem stirs strong reactions
****
**** Gaza violence surges in Palestinian 'Great March for Return' into Israel
****
A child is carried by Palestinians away from the front lines after he was shot. The smoke is created by burning tires that the Palestinians use to hide from the Israel troops (Ma'an News)
Dozens of residents of Gaza were killed, and over 2000 injured, in a
clash with Israeli troops in what Palestinians are calling "The Great
March for Return," resulting in the greatest surge of violence in Gaza
since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel said some 40,000 Palestinians had taken part in "violent riots"
at 13 locations along the Gaza Strip security fence. Monday's march
is the culmination of six weeks of similar marches that began late in
March. The pattern is always the same. Thousands of Gazans march to
the border with Israel, threatening to break through the fence into
Israel. Israel's army tries to stop them, first using tear gas, then
rubber bullets, and eventually using live fire, resulting in
casualties.
Hamas, the government authority of Gaza, has been calling these
demonstrations the "Great March for Return," meaning that it's
accompanied by demands for "Right of Return," the demand that
Palestinians be permitted to return to the land that they lost in the
Arab-Jewish war in 1948. For that reason, the attempt by thousands of
Gazans to breach the fence and cross over into Israel is considered an
existential threat to Israel by the Israelis.
According to reports by both media and Israeli officials, Hamas
directed women and children to sit near the border fence, and then the
men used the women and children as shields while throwing rocks and
Molotov cocktails over the fence at soldiers. I cannot think of any
explanation for this except Palestinian politics -- to incite as many
killings of women and children as possible, in order to international
condemnation of Israel. Times of Israel and Ma'an News (Palestine) and BBC
****
**** Opening of US embassy in Jerusalem stirs strong reactions
****
On Monday, the US embassy in Israel officially moved from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem. US Ambassador David Friedman and Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin unveiled a plaque officially denoting the building as the US
embassy. The building is already in use as an American
visa-and-passport facility, and the new embassy will occupy a portion
of the building with a small staff. David Friedman will be traveling
back and forth between the new Jerusalem embassy, and his main offices
in Tel Aviv.
So very little of substance occurred on Monday with the move of the US
embassy in Jerusalem. But the reactions to the move indicate that it
has a very high symbolic significance. It was the occasion of
gleeful, euphoric bragging by Israeli officials at the dedication
ceremony, as contrasted to angry, somber, furious expressions by
Palestinian leaders.
While most international comments were restrained, some strongly
condemned Israel for either the embassy move or the Gaza violence or
both.
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
condemned the "shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by
Israeli live fire."
Turkey called the Gaza violence a "vile massacre," and recalled its
ambassadors from both US and Israel. South Africa also recalled its
ambassador to Israel, condemning "the indiscriminate and grave manner
of the latest Israeli attack."
Numerous countries, including France, Germany and Saudi Arabia,
referred to the embassy move to Jerusalem as "dangerous,",
"catastrophic," "irresponsible," and "against international law."
I hear journalists, politicians and analysts say all the time that
"Nobody wants a war." That isn't true. Lots of people want wars. As
I described in an article last year,
the public becomes heavily invested in starting a war, and
extremely euphoric when the war actually begins, as most of the public
are under the delusion that they'll win quickly.
That euphoria lasts until there's a major setback. According to
General Carl von Clausewitz, the effects on the people and the
government "is a sudden collapse of the wildest expectations, and
total destruction of self-confidence. The destruction of these
feelings creates a vacuum, and that vacuum gets filled by a fear that
grows corrosively, leading to total paralysis."
Gaza's population clearly has an overwhelming desire for another war
with Israel. They presumably have been told by Hamas leaders that
this time Hamas will win. I have heard Marwan Bishara, the lead analyst on al-Jazeera,
imply that
Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are traitors to
Palestinians because they sought peace rather than war with Israel.
The dreams of an easy victory over Israel are completely delusional.
In a generational Crisis era, Israel will never surrender or
compromise. If the war starts going badly for Israel, nuclear
weapons will be used.
As I've written many times, Generational Dynamics predicts that the
Mideast is headed for a major regional war refighting the 1948 war
between Jews and Arabs that followed the partitioning of Palestine and
the creation of the state of Israel. The war will also pit Sunnis
versus Shias, and various ethnic groups against each other.
Generational Dynamics predicts that in the approaching Clash of
Civilizations world war, the "axis" of China, Pakistan and the Sunni
Muslim countries will be pitted against the "allies," the US, India,
Russia and Iran.
Monday was supposed to be the culmination of the "Great March for
Return" marches. In view of all the violence, it's possible that the
marches will now fizzle out for a while, or it's possible that they'll
escalate into a regional conflict. Times of Israel and Al Jazeera and BBC and
Washington Post
Related Articles:
- Mideast Roadmap - Will it bring peace? (01-May-2003)
- Gaza Palestinians burn tires to hide protests from Israel's army (07-Apr-2018)
- Gaza Palestinian 'Land Day' demonstrations lead to violence with Israel's army (01-Apr-2018)
- Israel announces that it will ban al-Jazeera in Israel (07-Aug-2017)
- US embassy to Jerusalem will commemorate Israel's founding -- Palestinian 'Naqba Day' (24-Feb-2018)
- Palestinian reconciliation talks ignore Hamas commitment to destroy Israel (12-Oct-2017)
- Channeling Sisyphus, Trump and Abbas say Mideast peace not as hard as it looks (04-May-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem,
Hamas, Great March for Return, David Friedman,
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, Marwan Bishara, Steven Mnuchin
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
