The Gaza Conflict - Day 16

I woke up this morning and turned on the TV to CNN and BBC, to watch yet another day of genocide in the Gaza Strip. How privileged am I to wake up in a comfortable apartment in Beirut, after a long night's peaceful rest with the prospect of a nutritious breakfast. I also swiched on my computer to read more of the many emails I receive from Palestinian friends and colleagues, following the events closely.

Last week, when the UN Security Council finally came to an agreement on a resolution, the US abstained and both warring parties "brushed it off". A stir of emotions flooded me, perhaps due to my naive belief in International Law and binding UN resolutions. I started to think that perhaps, in this region, the UN has no effective role to play. I then began existentially questioning my own function in the UN here. Is the UN relevent anymore?

I read today that last week, the Democratic-led U.S. Senate enacted - via a cowardly voice vote - a completely one-sided, non-binding resolution that expresses unequivocal support for the Israeli war, and heaps all the blame for the conflict on Hamas. Senator Harry Reid proudly proclaimed: "When we pass this resolution, the United States Senate will strengthen our historic bond with the state of Israel." On its website, AIPAC (the pro-Israel lobby in Washington) is already patting the U.S. Senate on its back "for conveying America's unequivocal and steadfast support for Israel's right to self-defense." Here is the resolution referred to as "revolting" by most pro-Palestinian intellectuals: Click here.

Hezbollah also warned Israel once again that it is well prepared to defend Lebanon against any attack on that front.

There is enough reporting and analysis on Gaza for me not to write more on it here. So I thought of suggesting two books which are very relevent today and which I read a few months ago:

1) Zaki Chehab's "Inside Hamas: The Untold Story of Militants, Martyrs and Spies" publised by I.B. Tauris in 2007. Brilliant account of the birth and life of Hamas. Chehab was born in Tyre in South Lebanon as a Palestinian refugee, his family having fled Northern Israel in 1948, living in Rashidieh Refugee Camp. His is now a brilliant international journalist. He gave a passionate interview a few days ago on the BBC when interviewed on the Gaza crisis. This book should be read by all trying to follow and understand current events in Gaza.

2) Augustus Norton's "Hezbollah: A short history", published in 2007 by Princeton University Press. Professor Norton's blog is linked on the right of this blog as recommended reading on this region. Norton was a military observer for the UN's mission in South Lebanon in the 1980's. His knowledge and description of Hezbollah and its history is very impressive. I found this book very well written and full of interesting information and anecdotes. This book also helps one to understand Hezbollah in relation to Israel and therefore very relevent in today's hightened tensions.