On donor complicity

This blog had earlier noted how the attitudes of the international community towards 'reconstruction' aid to Palestine in fact cements the occupation. Now a group of Palestinian and Israeli NGOs have come out with a report, calling on international donors not to bail out Israel. The report states that donors "by repeatedly covering the cost of the occupation, without demanding accountability from Israel," are "implicitly encouraging violations of international law".

The report asks international donors to "demand specific, concrete assurances from the State of Israel." It also stated that reconstruction aid must be accompanied by "strict conditions and assurances from the State of Israel. Otherwise, the taxpayers of the international community will continue to support an endless cycle of aid-destruction-aid-reconstruction."

It is an encouraging sign that the United Nations has now demanded that Israel pay for the damage done to UN facilities during the Gaza massacre.

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'Donors' complicit in the Gaza massacre

Perhaps not directly, but indirectly it is the willingness of the international community to finance 'reconstruction' of Gaza which allows Israel to continue its killings and massacres with impunity. In some cases, European taxpayer-funded project have been rebuilt three times in the past ten years, every time Israel destroys, EU opens its pockets to pay for the destruction. There is a clear division of labour established, Israel bombs, EU/USA rebuilds. For the Palestinians 'reconstruction' becomes a Sisyphean task. For Israel, 'reconstruction' becomes an indirect subsidy in case building materials are bought on the Israeli market.

I'm not by any means opposed to sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, but when it comes to rebuilding infrastructure and institutions it should be clear who should pay. Israel destroyed schools, factories, roads, police stations etc., in clear violation of international law. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has testified that industries in the Gaza strip were consciously destroyed, and not by aerial bombardments. Israel, and noone else, should bear the financial burden of reconstruction. Only then will there be an incentive for Israel to stop its murderous assaults on the Palestinian people.



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