The Mail & Guardian's latest coverage of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza reflects the level of bias and slant that you should continue to expect from them.
Two full pages were devoted to the disengagement, with what the editorial staff would say was perfect balance - analysis by Daoud Kuttab, director of the Institute of Modern Media at Ramallah's Al Quds University; center spread by Chris McGreal (who has previously written that Israeli soldiers deliberately target Palestinian children) headed "Gaza: End of the dream"; and comment by far left-wing London-based Israeli journalist Daphna Baram; and the whole perfectly linked together by the editorial "Gaza: No guarantee" and Zapiro's cartoon again debasing PM Sharon in the most insulting way.
Kuttab's analysis compares Palestinian per capita income in Gaza ($700) with that of the Israelis ($16 000) and accuses the US and the Quartet of failing to dictate to Israel how she should work towards fulfilling the Road Map.
McGreal says while Sharon has acknowledged the death of his dream of a greater Israel, he has paid lip service to the Road Map and assured the people that "the big (West Bank) settlement blocs ... will remain in Israeli hands".
Baram's comments focus on demography and the desire to maintain a Jewish majority in Israel as a liberal rather than a racist aspiration. She mentions too the fact that "new laws make it practically impossible for non-Israeli spouses of Palestinians to become Israeli citizens". No mention however of the fact that the second intifada compelled Israel to enact this temporary law. She also accuses Israel of "ethnically cleansing the Arabs".
The editorial acknowledges Israel's move from Gaza as a bold one, but stresses that unless the West Bank and East Jerusalem are also given to the Palestinians, there will be no chance for durable peace or a two-state solution. The editor is incapable of seeing phased moves towards a peace process; rather Israel should just relinquish everything all at once. The editorial goes on "given enough time and resolve, Israel obduracy can be broken throughout the occupied territories ... Sooner or later Israelis will have to confront the reality that a minimum condition for peace is the whole-scale evacuation of the West Bank to create conditions for a viable Palestinian state. The fact is that Israel had no business settling on conquered lands, in defiance of the Geneva Convention."
Actually, the Geneva Convention only applies if there had been a sovereign power that was ousted. Prior to 1967 the West Bank and Gaza were occupied by Jordan and Egypt respectively. Only Great Britain and Pakistan recognized Jordan's annexation of the West Bank. There was no sovereign power ruling the land. Israel had every right then to occupy the territory and even settle it until its final disposition is determined by negotiations.
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