经济学人巴勒斯坦在加沙边界抗议以色_巴勒斯坦签证

Siegementality

DeadlyprotestsonGaza’sborderwithIsrael

WhiletheterritoryremainsisolatedanddesperatetheonlyrecourseforGazansisviolence

May17th

GAZACITYANDMALAKA

MAZENQASSASwassupposedtobeinbed,nothunchedoveramanmissingachunkofhisthigh.Thesurgeonhadjustfinisheda12-hourshiftatAl-Shifa,Gaza’smainhospital.Butafteranaphewasbacktreatingpeoplewhohadbeenhurtintheterritory’sbloodiestdayofviolenceinfouryears.ThehospitalwasoverflowingwithpatientssoDrQassaswasbrief.Heunwoundabandagetorevealagapingwound,theworkofasniper’sbullet,gaveinstructionstonursesandmovedon.Hehad50patientswaiting.“Yesterdaywasworsethanthelastwar,becausetherushcameallatonce,”henotedgloomily.

ThebloodshedonMay14thstartedaftertensofthousandsofpeopledescendedonthebarrierthatseparatesGazafromIsrael.Itwasthelatestofsixweeksofweeklyprotestsknownasthe“GreatReturnMarch”,nominallyanefforttoreclaimthelandstheirgrandparentsfledorwerepushedoutfromduringthecreationofIsrael.ItalsocoincidedwiththecontentiousrelocationofAmerica’sembassyinIsraelfromTelAvivtoJerusalem,whichPalestiniansregardasyetanotherinjustice.

Insomeplacesthebarrierisaconcretewalltoppedwithremote-controlledmachineguns.Inothersitismerelyachain-linkfence.Onlyafewprotesterstriedtocrossit.Mosthungwellbackinfieldsorondustypatchesofground,wheremusicplayedonloudspeakersandsandwichesandsoftdrinkswereonsale.“Peoplecametowatchotherpeople,”saidone.

AtMalaka,eastofGazaCity(seemap),protestersranuparaisedbanktoburntyresorcutthroughcoilsofbarbedwire.Manycamebackdownonstretchers.AstheIsraeliarmysenttear-gascanisterswhizzingoverheadintoGaza,kitessailedtheotherway,danglingcansofburningfuelmeanttoigniteIsraelifarms.Snipers’riflescrackedamidshoutingandtheblaringsirensofambulances.Bythenextmorningthedeathtollhadreached60,accordingtoGaza’shealthministry,withmorethan2,othersinjured.

Theedgeofreason

Theresponsetothemarchwasapublic-relationsdisasterforIsrael,whichwasdeemedbymanycountriestohaveoverreacted.NoIsraeliswerekilledandfewwereinjured.Mostoftheprotesterswereunarmed.ThosewithweaponstendedtohaveslingshotsandMolotovcocktails,neitherofwhichposedmuchthreattosoldiersmorethanmetresaway.Someofthewoundedwerenoteventryingtorushthefence.Oneyoungmanwasshotwalkingonadirtpathparalleltotheborderbutmmetresfromit.

Israel’sarmyarguedthatitsactionswereproportionate,ajustifiedattempttodefendaborder.Soldiersdidtrytodispersethecrowdswithtear-gas,butitwasineffectiveinanopen,windyarea.Mostoftheinjuredwereshotintheirlegs—meanttowound,notkill,thoughsomediedanywayfromlackofpropermedicalcare.Andinseveralinstancesmilitantstriedtoplantimprovisedexplosivedevicesnearthefence.Hamassaysthatmostofthemenshotdeadwereitsownpeople.

Individually,fewifanyoftheprotestersposedadanger.Thethreat,simplyput,isthatIsraeldoesnothaveenoughtroopstostop2mpeoplefromcrossingafence.Itcontrolsthemthroughfear—throughthebeliefthatthearmisticelineisaninviolablebarrier.Themarcheschippedawayatthatfear.Afewyoungprotestersmarvelledthattheyhadneverbeensoclosetothefencebefore.

Theshootingrestoredthetrepidation,butonlyintheshortrun.Asatacticalmeasure,firingthousandsofroundsatacrowdisasuccessfuldeterrent.Butitdoesnothingtoresolvethefesteringconflictthatsentpeopletothefenceinthefirstplace.IftheblockadeofGazapersists,theywillsurelytryagain.

OutburstsofviolencesuchastheeventsofMay14thhaveearnedGazaareputationasawarzone.Moreoftenitisaplaceofgrindingboredom.Fewofits2mresidentscanleavetheenclave.TheyhavebeenhemmedinbyIsraeliandEgyptianblockadessince,whenHamas,amilitantIslamistgroup,tookcontrolofGaza.

ThecrossingtoIsraelatErezisopenonlytosomebusinessmen,peopleneedingurgentmedicalcareandafewothers(seechart).FormostGazanstheonlywayoutisatRafah,ontheborderwithEgypt.Butsincethecrossinghasbeenopenondays,anaverageoffive-and-a-halfweeksayear.Only63,peoplehavebeenabletogotoEgypt.Smugglingtunnelshavebeenclosed.Almosteveryoneisstuck.