The colonial hangover

Why did Baroness Sayeeda Warsi resign?

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi’s letter of resignation to the prime minister stated. ‘My view has been that our policy in relation to the Middle East peace process generally but more recently our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain’s national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically.’

Is this possibly the colonial hangover?

In a horrifying expose on Gaza’s ghetto, the city built underground, carried by Haaretz, “Deep, deep beneath the living world there is an entire city, the Gaza ghetto, an underground city. It’s moldier, chillier and a lot bigger. Here, you can barely hear the huge bombs exploding, and the only hint of the tanks smashing the streets is a slight tremor in the ceiling. We dug down into the soil of Gaza, through the layers of time. Sometimes we found bones, remnants – a room containing the jawbone of a donkey, Samson’s long braid and Delilah’s thighbone, the bone that once supported the flesh of a splayed leg. And we found two broken pillars of an ancient temple. On one we saw a faint etching: “Remember me, please, that I may be avenged of my two eyes.” The loamy Gaza soil has always been the ally of despair and the despairing…” The article talks of ‘having despaired of the world, of the fear, of the blood, the only refuge left to us was the earth. We buried ourselves alive.’

Was Baroness Warsi aware of the Gaza Ghetto when she resigned?

The Guardian reports, ‘The prime minister said the government’s position on Israel and the Palestinians was clear: “Our policy has always been consistently clear: we support a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to resolve this conflict once and for all and to allow Israelis and Palestinians to live safely in peace. Of course, we believe that Israel has the right to defend itself. But we have consistently made clear our grave concerns about the heavy toll of civilian casualties and have called on Israel to exercise restraint, and to find ways to bring this fighting to an end. As part of that, we have consistently called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.” (August 5, 2014)

The resignation is undoubtedly a severe blow to the ruling party which fails to condemn adequately the civilian killings in Gaza by Israel, says the British opposition.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Warsi said: “Our position not to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN in November 2012 placed us on the wrong side of history and is something I deeply regret not speaking out against at the time.” (The Guardian)

What is Warsi talking about here? Let’s take a look a little more closely. At the end of November 2012 the United Nations voted by an overwhelming majority to grant Palestine a ‘limited recognition of statehood’. The number of votes in favor was an overwhelming 138 with 9 opposing. Those opposing included United States of A. Those of the countries that abstained included United Kingdom. In a report carried by Washington Post in 2012, “The decision at the UN today will change nothing on the ground,” said Netanyahu, insisting that only direct talks would confer true statehood on the Palestinians. “It will not advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, it will push it off.” Continuing, the report states, “Speaking in Washington minutes after the vote, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the UN action “unfortunate and counterproductive”.

“We have been clear that only through direct negotiations between the parties can the Palestinians and Israelis achieve the peace they both deserve. Two states for two peoples, with a sovereign, viable and independent Palestine living side by side in peace and security with a Jewish and democratic Israel,” she said.

The question is whether statements in themselves sans supporting action are enough to ensure implementation on ground. The answer is no, they are not.

United Kingdom is not the only country suffering from a colonial hangover. For United States of A acknowledgement of Palestinian status means opening gates of Middle East peace process while simultaneously isolating Israel.

The historical stance of United Kingdom over Palestinian status is something Warsi pointed towards in her interview with Huffington Post.

Many of those critical of her decision have pointed towards the timing of her decision. George Osborne says in The Telegraph, “This is a disappointing and frankly unnecessary decision. The British government is working with others in the world to bring peace to Gaza and we now have a tentative ceasefire which we all hope will hold.”

I found this comment painful to say the least.

Unnecessary?

Disappointing?

Really, Mr Osborne?

Would you have used the same words had it were little white children holding British passports been killed? Has Mr Osborne read the names of the 373 children killed in Gaza and published by United Kingdom newspapers? Save the Children charity has run full page ads in many a UK newspaper with names of the children killed.

Hamid Dabashi, writing for Al-Jazeera states roughly 1,000 Palestinian civilians have so far been murdered by the Israel Army.

“Trapped by Egypt from one side and Israeli army from the other, the mostly defenceless Palestinians are being slaughtered in more than two weeks of relentless bombing by what is considered to be the fifth most powerful military on earth, armed to its teeth by the United States and its European allies.”

Does Mr Osborne recall how many were killed on 9/11 to provoke USA to invade Afghanistan, a decision that drew the principled and practical support of United Kingdom? The total number was 2, 996. The total population of United States is 313.9 million. The total population of Gaza is estimated at 1.816 million. The Israeli army has so far killed 627. This is 0.055 percent of the total population. (Population stats by Hamid Dabashi)

A report by Seumas Milne says, “The idea that Israel is defending itself against unprovoked attacks from outside its borders is an absurdity. Despite Israel’s withdrawal of settlements and bases in 2005, Gaza remains occupied both in reality and international law, with its border, coastal waters, resources, airspace and power supply controlled by Israel.” (Published 17 July 2014)

In a tweet of 28^th July, 2014, Ambassador Rice said, “Bottom line on Gaza: essential for not only humanitarian but strategic purposes that there be immediate unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.”

What role has USA played in the proposed ceasefire if one may ask?

Did Warsi resign because of the slip between the cup and the lip?