As Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) sat in session on the evening of 4 March 2014 discussing motion S4M-08835 entitled ‘Thirsting for justice’ – yet another debate providing opportunity for lauding brave Gaza-Palestine and castigating nasty neighbouring Israel – the IDF (the Israel Defence Force) was operating in the Red Sea intercepting arms from Iran bound for Gaza-Palestine. A few days earlier, the Egyptian courts had declared Islamist Hamas in Gaza-Palestine to be a terrorist organisation, and had placed a banning order on it. We can only hope that after Scottish Independence, the Scottish Parliament operates a more astute foreign policy, and encourages debate with greater balance and in greater tune with international events in fast-changing environments, not least that of the Middle East.
The members’ business debate in the Scottish Parliament was called by Claudia Beamish (MSP, South Scotland) (Labour), on the motion ‘Thirsting for justice’. Also participating in the debate were: John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Independent), Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Labour), Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP), Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Labour), John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Conservative), Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green), Jim Hume (South Scotland) (Liberal Democrat), Cara Hilton (Dunfermline) (Labour), Jean Urquhart (Highlands and Islands) (Independent), and The Minister for External Affairs and International Development (Humza Yousaf) (SNP).
Meanwhile, as MSPs set about airing their views in support of Palestinian leaderships, in the Red Sea, following extensive preparations, and on the Israeli government’s authorisation, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benjamin (Benny) Gantz, ordered the Israel Navy to intercept the Panama-flagged cargo vessel ‘Klos C’, which was carrying illicit arms concealed among other commercial cargo. The interception occurred in the Red Sea and the arms in question were M302 rockets with a range of more than 100 miles – bound for the Gazan fascist groups via Iran and Iraq, and originating in Damascus.
Thirsting for justice? This should mean encouraging opposition groups in Gaza-Palestine to get themselves properly organised politically in order to throw out the fascist organisation that forms the government in the entity… but the Scottish debate was more about flag-waving for Palestine.
In Gaza-Palestine, Hamas’s effective dictatorship means it is the authority responsible for infrastructure. The aid Hamas receives from international donors goes primarily into funding terrorist activities and since Hamas took control of Gaza and turned the area into a launching pad for its attacks against Israel, ordinary Gazans have suffered – Gazan water and energy services have suffered. John Lamont MSP spoke up very well on the reasons for poor water and sewage services in Gaza-Palestine.
In Gaza-Palestine and in West-Bank-Palestine there are complex issues with water resources that are in part due to the challenging natural environment, but are also due to mismanagement of water resources by Palestinians themselves. Israel provides more fresh water to the Palestinians than was agreed under the Oslo accords, and that amount is set to rise by another 50% in the light of a deal that was struck in December between Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
The real issue that ought to be raised in any debate about access to water is Palestinian mismanagement. Even the Palestinian Water Authority estimates that at least 33% of its water is wasted due to leakage, mismanagement, defective maintenance and old infrastructure. According to the water agreement of 1995, the Palestinian Authority should be preventing and repairing leaks in domestic pipelines and recycling treated waste water for agricultural irrigation, but it repeatedly refuses international funding packages to do so. In the past too, militants have diverted pipes intended for sewage/services towards groups skilled in fashioning basic missiles.
Gaza-Palestine offers many complications. Since the Egyptian and Israeli blockade, the entity has not had sufficient fuel to sustain its electricity supply and to keep its water and sewage facilities running. The Hamas Government refuses to buy alternative fuels, because the taxes would go to the rival Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority. It also refuses to pay the Israel Electric Corporation, and owes Israel many millions of dollars. The end result is power shortage with water pumping stations ceasing operation… and Gazan streets that look like sewers. With the pumping stations out of action, fresh water no longer reaches taps. The infrastructure is there and the water is there; the issue is electricity, and the blame for that lies entirely on the shoulders of Hamas.
In the water agreement of 1995, both parties agreed to prevent any harm to, or pollution or deterioration of, the quality of all water resources, yet the Palestinians constantly breach the agreement by drilling ‘pirate wells’ in West-Bank-Palestine and Gaza-Palestine, by not treating their sewage, by contaminating the streams, and by not developing any new sewage treatment or desalination plants. The problem is not so much access to water but the willingness and ability to treat and distribute it effectively.
The anti-Israeli movement states that Israel’s refusal to grant the necessary permits or military security clearance is behind the lack of sanitation and waste-water treatment facilities. However, Israel has publicly supported the construction of desalination plants in Gaza-Palestine and is willing to provide its skills for the project, but Hamas rejects Israeli offers of assistance. The Palestinians have not made any effort to develop any new water resources. Only one sewage treatment plant has been built in West-Bank-Palestine in the past 15 years, despite there being $500 million-worth of international donor funding available for that sole purpose.
Israel has more water because it developed desalination technology and it recycles household waste water for agricultural use. Israel has stated clearly that it is happy to share expertise and is actually now providing training in both recycling and desalination to the Palestinians.
Instead Palestinian leaderships spurn Israeli assistance and spend much of their energy and money building armaments, ready for their next confrontation… as the IDF action against the vessel ‘Klos C’ has shown.
Scottish Parliament needs to think less about castigating Israel and Israeli policies and rather more start urging Palestinians towards plural-democracy, and accepting local and international obligations and responsibilities. Otherwise, however many Palestines the world eventually gets (Gaza-Palestine, West-Bank-Palestine, and Jordan-Palestine) they’ll each simply be failed states at birth.
סולידריות ISRAEL soliydariyut 