Collective punishment of innocent kids

Editorial
The Daily Star (Lebanon)

The Israeli blockade of Gaza is “one of the most shameful examples of inhumanity” of this century, said the Beirut Daily Star in an editorial. For almost a year, Israel has imposed a blockade on the Palestinian territory in order, it says, to isolate Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the region. The isolation has certainly been effective: Gaza is a humanitarian disaster zone. “Food prices have risen dramatically, garbage is overflowing into residential streets, children are becoming increasingly malnourished, and basic health services are being denied for lack of fuel.” Israel says the suffering is the fault of Hamas; Hamas blames Israel. At this point, of course, it no longer matters who is to blame. The key fact is that the world is allowing the “collective punishment” of more than half a million children. Just as Western leaders ignored the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust, so they ignore the suffering of Palestinians today. Such myopia will only bring more strife. “Does anyone honestly expect that a generation of Palestinians who are forced to endure extreme hardship and depredation will one day want to live in harmony with their Israeli neighbors?”