Interesting that Hamas is here discussed extensively but never, in this telling, attacks Israel. Instead, it seems to be a business organization with some bad luck in the market.
This is a condensed account of one historical narrative: the history of the economic situation in Gaza over the last several decades, and how it has led to the balance of power in this current moment. Other articles discuss other narratives - in fact, there is no shortage of articles discussing the narrative you refer to. It would be fair to criticise Adam for focussing on a single narrative if this was a longer account of the conflict, or if the narrative being told was already well-understood, or if he framed the narrative as the one objective story to be told about this period. But none of those things apply, so this criticism is not well-founded.
The first attack was during Nakba (1948), when the Arabs from southern Palestine were killed (mostly men) and the rest hearded towards Gaza, as the Mr. Tooze mentions. Hamas, while deemed terrorist organization, is more like a rezistence movement against the Israeli occupation, which took much more land then initially agreed upon, and more than that, dispossessed tens of thousands and more of Arabs of their houses and land. SO if Hamas attacks, is to try to force a discussion on what was taken from them: statehood and ownership, with Gaza now the biggest open prison in the world.
Fence line that you keep moving, while beating his kids, whether they are on their side of the fence or yours. And while the whole neighbourhood not recognizing your line, but refreining to intervene, because you are a big criminally inclined bully, with proven records of murder, and suported by an even bigger bully and criminal. Yeah, we know that.
Do you think Americans should expend blood and treasure to only benefit Jews in Israel while our own people are ODing by the hundreds of thousands on Sackler dope?
Actually I was thinking of congratulating you and your interlocutor for your collective economy of words. But on reading further down I see you are quite excessively prolix. I take it all back.
No one cares what you think Douglas "Zio-Shill," (((Rose))). If you are in the United States, leave IMMEDIATELY, join the IDF and do not come back! Real Americans have no use for dual loyalty neo-con war mongers!
Unfortunately, the piece is riddled with inaccuracy with a plethora of key facts omitted. For example, there is no discussion of (1) Hamas's corrupt and overweening control over the Gazan economy, diverting enormous economic resources to terror infrastructure such as tunnels and rocket manufacture; (2) Hamas's inhumane use of children to build those tunnels; (3) Hamas's practice of limiting imports into Gaza to maintain better control over the populace; and (4) Israel's continuing liberalization of Arab entry into Israel for work purposes. One could go on and on. The fact is if the Gazan Arabs had devoted themselves to peaceful coexistence and free-market pursuits when Israel left in 2005, their economic condition would have blossomed. Instead, they chose to elect and install genocidal terrorists.
Do you honestly believe the evacuation order is for humanitarian purposes? Even if it was possible to displace 1M in a day out of Gaza, do you think those who took refuge would be allowed to return to Gaza?
Brilliant article providing the historical facts and bringing clarity. I have been waiting for you to write about Gaza, Mr. Tooze. The truth has been shrouded in ignorance and fear. The comments by readers express rabid polemics, and clearly, a microcosm of the hatred and deflection of the truth that has always galvanized the atrocities against the Palestinian people, not just against Hamas. This comment by Jason Eis is a perfect example of gaslighting that suppresses the plight of the Palestinians, "both the Jews and Palestinian are the victims of European anti-semitism, or perhaps the Arab colonialists of the 7th and 8th centuries, or is it all because of the Romans, etc. In fact, though the article feels decidedly pro-Palestinian, the true basis of its arguments (we respond only to our context) only means that no one is really responsible for anything." In a circular fashion this psychobabble that otherwise sentient beings mouth while Palestinians are murdered, their homes and cities destroyed is its own pandemic.
Thanks for all that! Everyone would know the history of Gaza, to understand why Palestinians there are so full of rage. A very useful corrective to all the propaganda from the heavily biased to the Israel side American corporate media. I wonder why that would be?
Israel is a fascist terror state backed by the US war machine and EU support. How can you trap 2.3 million people in Gaza, half of whom are unemployed, in one of the most densely populated spots on the planet for 16 years, reduce the lives of its residents, half of whom are children, to a subsistence level, deprive them of basic medical supplies, food, water and electricity, use attack aircraft, artillery, mechanized units, missiles, naval guns and infantry units to randomly slaughter unarmed civilians and not expect a violent response?
Gaza, the world's largest and longest running concentration camp, is now being turned into an extermination camp before our eyes and the collective west - hypocritical liberal Europe and the US - a cheering on, while more and more openly displaying their latent fascism western governments are banning pro-Palestinian protests, falsely equating them with anti-Semitism and terrorism. ‘Israel’s 9/11’ Is a US issued slogan to rationalize open-ended killing of Palestinian civilians - each and every western liberal supporter of Israel is complicit in genocide.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden gave a speech completely associating his government with the barbarism of the Israeli state, giving the Netanyahu government a green light to carry out mass murder.
Israel is a nuclear state, armed to the teeth by the US. Its existence is not under threat. It’s the Palestinians, their lands, their lives, that are. Western civilization seems willing to stand by while they are exterminated.
75 years of ethnic cleansing. 15 years of blockade. Confiscation of Palestinian lands. Pogroms on Palestinian towns. Desecration of Palestinian sacred sites. Daily raids into Palestinian homes. Constant humiliation of a entire people. Nothing about today is “unprovoked.”
Just like in Ukraine - Again the lying hypocritical liberal western media spinning the narrative of ‚Unprovoked‘. Israel has spent the past 75 years committing apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people so no this was not an “unprovoked attack.” This was an act of resistance against a brutal occupying force. Here come days and days of western news media slyly reversing the aggressor-defender relationship and reporting as though the violence began with the Hamas offensive, spontaneously out of nowhere.
Israel‘s genocidal campaign to displace a whole people from its land is no different from what Nazi Germany did in the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII.
Anyone who does not take a stand against reactionary Israel is complicit.
Of course, the Hamas fighters are not going to stay up in the northern end. They'll move with the refugees. Israel has done this now five times, with the result each time that Hamas emerges more committed and stronger. What's that definition of insanity? Doing the same failed thing repeatedly in expectation of a different outcome.
Indeed, I am stunned at Israel over and over again doing exactly what Hamas is expecting, and prepared for. In the first fase showing that the West is more concerned about hundreds of Israeli hostages than hundreds of thousands of Palestinian hostages.
How disappointing. The only negative term is "militant settlers".
De-development is a matter of priorities. The priority of Hamas was not development but weapons. They had plenty resources and promises for much more but they made their choice.
It was not only the Hamas. After the Oslo accord which is not even mentioned Arafat entered Gaza smuggling in his car a murderer who was not allowed as per the agreement to enter this place. There was never ever a chance for any development or conciliation.
Wow. First thing I’ve read on this site in years that is truly mediocre (at best). Some interesting information but in the service of drivel. Love the site and will just chalk up this to an off day. Respectfully, you’re out of your depth here.
How does one know that the "native Americans" (actually from Asia if one goes back 12k years) didn't do that to the peoples there before (evidence of occupation from 40k years ago which predates "native Americans" by about 28k years).
Well I investigated my own genetics and my ancestors were corded ware people from north of Black Sea. They invaded Europe 4500 years ago eliminated the Neolithic men and “married” the Neolithic women. Genocide is part of human history
I don't think that they completely eliminated them but yes I found the same with my family (albeit south side - Anatolia*) most people of European ancestry would. We might be surprised at who was in Europe before that. Browner skin is my guess.
* but unlikely to have been called that at the time.
What’s interesting is my matriarch line is Neolithic European female. Paternal line corded ware. Apparently even the pottery became a fusion. Corded ware was the name of pottery. The Neolithic Europeans were black skin blue eyes short. Corded ware tall blond hair black eyes. The corded ware people had domesticated horses and cattle and had wagons and oxen so were technologically way more advanced than the Neolithic Europeans
There may have been a pandemic issue to that weakened the Neolithics but probably they were sparsely populated in any case
I feel it is bad too. But unfortunately we live in a world of might is right and bourgeois capitalist empires which destroy everything eventually. Two world wars and the oligarchs want a third world war. See Hannah Arendt for discussions on how race is used to justify empire and war and genocide. Basically human genetic variation is very small. There really is no race. It’s a construct created to benefit oligarchs to have a slave class
Good piece overall, but the evidence from the IDF themselves goes against your closing claim that "At this moment of crisis, the IDF would prefer not to have them in the way, when what it wants to concentrate on doing is killing Hamas fighters and destroying their military infrastructure" - 700 children murdered and mostly civilians massacred puts paid to that.
What a strange analysis, failing to mention Hamas’ illegal attack on civilians, including children. It presents Hamas as an economic entity, not a terrorist organization with the stated objective of killing all Jews.
Israel is reaping what it sowed for 75 years of keeping millions of people caged in a tiny area and repeatedly toying with them by withholding food, water and fuel and bombing hospitals, apartments, and Mosques. Do you think people held in those conditions for 75 years are going to greet you with a morning kiss?
Tell that to the IDF when they bomb entire apartment complexes full of children you vile gaslighting hypocrite. I am starting to understand why pogroms against your people are a pattern that repeats endlessly throughout history. You small hats abuse and humiliate people and then you laugh in their faces and mock and gaslight your victims until people can’t stand you anymore and rise up against you with rage and vengeance. If you genocide the people of Gaza it’s going to be 1932 Germany everywhere for you assholes, are you ready for the dance? If you are lucky you might just get a gold star...
As per Neal Manne’s comment, given the overall excellence of this Substack, I am very surprised and quite disappointed by the sub standard quality of this piece.
Thank you for covering a piece of this story that nobody else seems to.
Interesting that Hamas is here discussed extensively but never, in this telling, attacks Israel. Instead, it seems to be a business organization with some bad luck in the market.
This is a condensed account of one historical narrative: the history of the economic situation in Gaza over the last several decades, and how it has led to the balance of power in this current moment. Other articles discuss other narratives - in fact, there is no shortage of articles discussing the narrative you refer to. It would be fair to criticise Adam for focussing on a single narrative if this was a longer account of the conflict, or if the narrative being told was already well-understood, or if he framed the narrative as the one objective story to be told about this period. But none of those things apply, so this criticism is not well-founded.
The first attack was during Nakba (1948), when the Arabs from southern Palestine were killed (mostly men) and the rest hearded towards Gaza, as the Mr. Tooze mentions. Hamas, while deemed terrorist organization, is more like a rezistence movement against the Israeli occupation, which took much more land then initially agreed upon, and more than that, dispossessed tens of thousands and more of Arabs of their houses and land. SO if Hamas attacks, is to try to force a discussion on what was taken from them: statehood and ownership, with Gaza now the biggest open prison in the world.
That's like your neighbor shooting into your windows to try and force a discussion about his squabble with your fence line.
Fence line that you keep moving, while beating his kids, whether they are on their side of the fence or yours. And while the whole neighbourhood not recognizing your line, but refreining to intervene, because you are a big criminally inclined bully, with proven records of murder, and suported by an even bigger bully and criminal. Yeah, we know that.
It's a bizarrely myopic piece.
Oh noes, (the nose knows) Zio-Shill propaganda vanquished!
You two really deserve one another.
Do you think Americans should expend blood and treasure to only benefit Jews in Israel while our own people are ODing by the hundreds of thousands on Sackler dope?
If so why?
Actually I was thinking of congratulating you and your interlocutor for your collective economy of words. But on reading further down I see you are quite excessively prolix. I take it all back.
Answer the question Martin!
No one cares what you think Douglas "Zio-Shill," (((Rose))). If you are in the United States, leave IMMEDIATELY, join the IDF and do not come back! Real Americans have no use for dual loyalty neo-con war mongers!
My Great Grandpa was a Rose (actually a de Rose). Does that make me a "Zio-Shill" as well?
Are you? Do you supported the coming genocide in Gaza? Then you are a Zio shill and vacate America IMMEDIATELY!
Of course I don't. But you seemed to be basing opinions on names. Rose by the way can be Dutch or Italian as well as Jewish.
Adios to you boomercon.
Ah so an ageist as well.
Who is the con?
Unfortunately, the piece is riddled with inaccuracy with a plethora of key facts omitted. For example, there is no discussion of (1) Hamas's corrupt and overweening control over the Gazan economy, diverting enormous economic resources to terror infrastructure such as tunnels and rocket manufacture; (2) Hamas's inhumane use of children to build those tunnels; (3) Hamas's practice of limiting imports into Gaza to maintain better control over the populace; and (4) Israel's continuing liberalization of Arab entry into Israel for work purposes. One could go on and on. The fact is if the Gazan Arabs had devoted themselves to peaceful coexistence and free-market pursuits when Israel left in 2005, their economic condition would have blossomed. Instead, they chose to elect and install genocidal terrorists.
Do you honestly believe the evacuation order is for humanitarian purposes? Even if it was possible to displace 1M in a day out of Gaza, do you think those who took refuge would be allowed to return to Gaza?
1) It's not a day. Whether the initial story was correct (I've read conflicting reports), over 24hr have already passed.
2) It's not 'out of Gaza'. They're going southward but still in the Strip.
Brilliant article providing the historical facts and bringing clarity. I have been waiting for you to write about Gaza, Mr. Tooze. The truth has been shrouded in ignorance and fear. The comments by readers express rabid polemics, and clearly, a microcosm of the hatred and deflection of the truth that has always galvanized the atrocities against the Palestinian people, not just against Hamas. This comment by Jason Eis is a perfect example of gaslighting that suppresses the plight of the Palestinians, "both the Jews and Palestinian are the victims of European anti-semitism, or perhaps the Arab colonialists of the 7th and 8th centuries, or is it all because of the Romans, etc. In fact, though the article feels decidedly pro-Palestinian, the true basis of its arguments (we respond only to our context) only means that no one is really responsible for anything." In a circular fashion this psychobabble that otherwise sentient beings mouth while Palestinians are murdered, their homes and cities destroyed is its own pandemic.
Thank you for this detailed account, tragic...
Thanks for all that! Everyone would know the history of Gaza, to understand why Palestinians there are so full of rage. A very useful corrective to all the propaganda from the heavily biased to the Israel side American corporate media. I wonder why that would be?
Snicker...
Israel is a fascist terror state backed by the US war machine and EU support. How can you trap 2.3 million people in Gaza, half of whom are unemployed, in one of the most densely populated spots on the planet for 16 years, reduce the lives of its residents, half of whom are children, to a subsistence level, deprive them of basic medical supplies, food, water and electricity, use attack aircraft, artillery, mechanized units, missiles, naval guns and infantry units to randomly slaughter unarmed civilians and not expect a violent response?
Gaza, the world's largest and longest running concentration camp, is now being turned into an extermination camp before our eyes and the collective west - hypocritical liberal Europe and the US - a cheering on, while more and more openly displaying their latent fascism western governments are banning pro-Palestinian protests, falsely equating them with anti-Semitism and terrorism. ‘Israel’s 9/11’ Is a US issued slogan to rationalize open-ended killing of Palestinian civilians - each and every western liberal supporter of Israel is complicit in genocide.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden gave a speech completely associating his government with the barbarism of the Israeli state, giving the Netanyahu government a green light to carry out mass murder.
Israel is a nuclear state, armed to the teeth by the US. Its existence is not under threat. It’s the Palestinians, their lands, their lives, that are. Western civilization seems willing to stand by while they are exterminated.
75 years of ethnic cleansing. 15 years of blockade. Confiscation of Palestinian lands. Pogroms on Palestinian towns. Desecration of Palestinian sacred sites. Daily raids into Palestinian homes. Constant humiliation of a entire people. Nothing about today is “unprovoked.”
Just like in Ukraine - Again the lying hypocritical liberal western media spinning the narrative of ‚Unprovoked‘. Israel has spent the past 75 years committing apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people so no this was not an “unprovoked attack.” This was an act of resistance against a brutal occupying force. Here come days and days of western news media slyly reversing the aggressor-defender relationship and reporting as though the violence began with the Hamas offensive, spontaneously out of nowhere.
Israel‘s genocidal campaign to displace a whole people from its land is no different from what Nazi Germany did in the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII.
Anyone who does not take a stand against reactionary Israel is complicit.
Of course, the Hamas fighters are not going to stay up in the northern end. They'll move with the refugees. Israel has done this now five times, with the result each time that Hamas emerges more committed and stronger. What's that definition of insanity? Doing the same failed thing repeatedly in expectation of a different outcome.
Indeed, I am stunned at Israel over and over again doing exactly what Hamas is expecting, and prepared for. In the first fase showing that the West is more concerned about hundreds of Israeli hostages than hundreds of thousands of Palestinian hostages.
How disappointing. The only negative term is "militant settlers".
De-development is a matter of priorities. The priority of Hamas was not development but weapons. They had plenty resources and promises for much more but they made their choice.
It was not only the Hamas. After the Oslo accord which is not even mentioned Arafat entered Gaza smuggling in his car a murderer who was not allowed as per the agreement to enter this place. There was never ever a chance for any development or conciliation.
Clarifying, thank you.
Wow. First thing I’ve read on this site in years that is truly mediocre (at best). Some interesting information but in the service of drivel. Love the site and will just chalk up this to an off day. Respectfully, you’re out of your depth here.
What specifically are you taking issue with? What "drivel" do you believe this in service of?
Have been reading Hannah Arendt. It sounds like the Boers in South Africa. Israel is “Boer” very interesting. Or is it bourgeois capitalist empire?
Or is it just settler colonialism like the USA did against native Americans
How does one know that the "native Americans" (actually from Asia if one goes back 12k years) didn't do that to the peoples there before (evidence of occupation from 40k years ago which predates "native Americans" by about 28k years).
We're all from the Rift Valley.
Well I investigated my own genetics and my ancestors were corded ware people from north of Black Sea. They invaded Europe 4500 years ago eliminated the Neolithic men and “married” the Neolithic women. Genocide is part of human history
I don't think that they completely eliminated them but yes I found the same with my family (albeit south side - Anatolia*) most people of European ancestry would. We might be surprised at who was in Europe before that. Browner skin is my guess.
* but unlikely to have been called that at the time.
What’s interesting is my matriarch line is Neolithic European female. Paternal line corded ware. Apparently even the pottery became a fusion. Corded ware was the name of pottery. The Neolithic Europeans were black skin blue eyes short. Corded ware tall blond hair black eyes. The corded ware people had domesticated horses and cattle and had wagons and oxen so were technologically way more advanced than the Neolithic Europeans
There may have been a pandemic issue to that weakened the Neolithics but probably they were sparsely populated in any case
Probably still a lot to learn of these 'events'. Wern't these neolithic "immigrants" agriculturalists as opposed to those in Europe?
This of course may not be the case. May just be the currrent interpretation of the evidence.
Sir, are you advocating genocide in the 21st century?
Yes, but need we carry on regardless?
Genocide is bad, actually
I feel it is bad too. But unfortunately we live in a world of might is right and bourgeois capitalist empires which destroy everything eventually. Two world wars and the oligarchs want a third world war. See Hannah Arendt for discussions on how race is used to justify empire and war and genocide. Basically human genetic variation is very small. There really is no race. It’s a construct created to benefit oligarchs to have a slave class
Brilliant piece... Blame the victims.
Good piece overall, but the evidence from the IDF themselves goes against your closing claim that "At this moment of crisis, the IDF would prefer not to have them in the way, when what it wants to concentrate on doing is killing Hamas fighters and destroying their military infrastructure" - 700 children murdered and mostly civilians massacred puts paid to that.
What a strange analysis, failing to mention Hamas’ illegal attack on civilians, including children. It presents Hamas as an economic entity, not a terrorist organization with the stated objective of killing all Jews.
Israel is reaping what it sowed for 75 years of keeping millions of people caged in a tiny area and repeatedly toying with them by withholding food, water and fuel and bombing hospitals, apartments, and Mosques. Do you think people held in those conditions for 75 years are going to greet you with a morning kiss?
Murder of innocents is never a legitimate form of resistance or protest.
Tell that to the IDF when they bomb entire apartment complexes full of children you vile gaslighting hypocrite. I am starting to understand why pogroms against your people are a pattern that repeats endlessly throughout history. You small hats abuse and humiliate people and then you laugh in their faces and mock and gaslight your victims until people can’t stand you anymore and rise up against you with rage and vengeance. If you genocide the people of Gaza it’s going to be 1932 Germany everywhere for you assholes, are you ready for the dance? If you are lucky you might just get a gold star...
As per Neal Manne’s comment, given the overall excellence of this Substack, I am very surprised and quite disappointed by the sub standard quality of this piece.
Oh noes did it make the genocidal men in small hats look bad? So sad, sob!