By Abdu Rafiu
The world is yet to see the light at the end of the dark and long tunnel over the turmoil engendered by the Ukraine-Russian War which has, as of the last count in August, left 300,000 dead. It is believed that the chilling figure has climbed to about half a million. The storm in Sudan has not abated. Now the Israeli-Palestinian violent conflict has compounded the incipient Armageddon creeping in on mankind. I am employing here what grammarians would call emphatic tautology to demonstrate how serious the world situation is, looked at by those who can see from whatever direction—disaster gnawing at the economy, confusion in politics and social arena that is upside down. The wars have been characterized by unconscionable killings and mindless destruction of properties. Indeed, with the advent of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Ukraine-Russian and Sudanese wars have been overshadowed and are paling into insignificance. The world’s attention is now shifted to the latest madness.
On 7 October, Palestinian safeguarding militant organization, Hamas, launched what observers and analysts have described as unprecedented attack on Israel, throwing rockets and dispatching hundreds of gunmen to infiltrate Jewish communities near Gaza Strip. No fewer than 1,400 Israelis were killed, 199 soldiers and civilians were taken as hostages in the surprise attacks. Israel saw it as provocation and, as is wont do, launched retaliatory air attacks which claimed 2,700 Palestinian lives. It moved swiftly to erect blockades to fend off help for the Palestinians. It blocked food supplies, water, fuel and disrupted electricity supplies to Gaza. It vowed not to lift the siege until the Israelis held hostages by Hamas are released.
A BBC correspondent reports that the situation is such that the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency has expressed “concerns over dehydration and waterborne diseases” and warned that “people will start dying without water.”
To beat the blockade, aid officials told BBC that hundreds of lorries loaded with supplies of essentials have been diverted to head for the border from Egypt side, even though it was a gamble as it was not yet certain if they would be able to cross to Gaza Strip. Israel has dropped bombs on Gaza targeting Hamas commanders as well as Hamas’s underground tunnels which Israel believes are where the hostages are being held. The tunnels that stretch up to 500kilometres have entrances and exit points within homes and worship centres.
Israel is not done yet as it is in high-gear preparation for ground invasion. It started instantaneously to line its borders with Gaza Strip massively with troops, drawing from its colony of 300,000 reservists. It has also ordered a population of about 1.1million to move southwards, all of which reinforcing the belief that it is in preparation for the ground operation. Naturally it should go without saying that the attack would come with heavy human costs. About 600,000 people are already fleeing; even then BBC says some of them, women and children, have been hit by Israeli air strikes in their columns. Reports say majority of hospitals are not functioning to admit the victims.
Hamas, despite the death toll of 100 on Monday, asked the civilians fleeing to ignore the Israeli warning and stay put. Those fleeing have dramatically increased the population of a town called Khan Younis from 400, 000 to more than a million. Hamas control the Gaza Strip. They are supported by Iran, Russia and China while the Western world led by the United States is backing Israel, fueling speculation of the conflict as a potential catalyst for World War 111. Both parties are sworn enemies, pushing for mutual destruction. The Hamas are determined to clear out State of Israel and replace it with an Islamic State and the latter’s stated goal, too, is to destroy Hamas and free its people being held as hostages.
Mr. Biden, the United States President arrived yesterday in Tel Aviv on a mission to prevent the war from becoming a conflagration. But his departure from the US coincided with a mystery explosion that killed, according to AP news agency, very many in a Gaza hospital. The news agency put the figure at hundreds. As a result of the explosion, the meetings Mr. Biden had scheduled to have with the Arab leaders were cancelled as renewed outrage swept through the Middle East yesterday. At the meeting with Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Biden was expected “to push for allowing critical humanitarian aid to be developed to Palestinians in Gaza Strip.”
Gaza is home to more than 2.2 million people, more than 75 per cent of whom—about 1.7 million–registered as refugees. Estimated 500, 000 live in eight crowded camps set up across the Strip. Israel controls the air space over Gaza and its shoreline, according to informed reports, and also controls movement of people and goods. The Palestinians feel humiliated and bitter as a result of these and they have taken on battle with Israel. Hamas fought wars with Israel, joined by some other militant groups to attack it with rockets. Many deadly attacks were launched against Israel. But Israel has always responded with superior air fire power; it sent in troops as well. In joint collaborative efforts with Egypt, it has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007 for what it refers to as security concerns.
For students of the Bible, the hate between Palestine and Israel cannot but be confounding. The West Bank and Gaza which are Palestinian territories, as well as East Jerusalem and Israel all formed part of the land known as Palestine from Roman times and rulership until the mid-20th century. These were, according to commentators, the lands of Jewish kingdoms in the Bible, seen by the Jews as their ancient homeland.
Israel became a state in 1948, thanks to the United Nations. Relationship with Palestinians has become combustible since then. Many cigarette ends have been dropped to ignite conflagrations. About five wars have been fought since then. Those who do not recognise the State of Israel and its right to exist still refer to it as Palestine. BBC Security Correspondent said: “It was astounding that the attack by Hamas was not anticipated. It came at a time of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions. This year has been the deadliest on record for Palestinians who live in Israel-occupied West Bank, which could have motivated Hamas to strike Israel with a spectacular attack.” The capture of Israeli hostages is thought to be in pursuit of pressure on Israel to free some of the estimated 4,500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Fear arises in many people whenever tension that could lead to violent confrontation between Israel arises given Israel’s war readiness to protect the Jews. In the wake of hijack of Air France Airbus A300 with 248 passengers on 27 June, 1976 by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and two members of German Revolutionary Cells. The hijackers had demanded unconditionally the release of 40 Palestinian militants held in Israeli prisons and 13 held in four other countries. The flight was from Tel Aviv and the destination was Paris. It was hijacked and diverted to Entebbe in Uganda. The four hijackers were joined by three other terrorists awaiting the diverted flight at UgandanAirport. At Entebbe, the hijackers were separated, releasing non-Israelis numbering 148. They held on to 94 others made up mainly of Israelis together with the 12-member Air France crew.
The then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin vowed since then that every Jew no matter where he may be on the surface of the earth must be free. Mossad, the Israeli Intelligence Agency set to work, planning a rescue operation with the Prime Minister. The commando unit headed by Yonatan Netanyahu, the brother of the current Prime Minister, headed secretly for Entebbe in the night for a 90-minute operation calculated to the last second. The hostages numbering 102 were freed that night in the practised operation and flown to Israel via Nairobi.
Any force that wishes to take on Israel in war must reckon with its formidable forces. Where then lies the solution to the problem at hand? Conferences, UN resolutions fine! The peace move by Mr. Biden will represent a giant stride, the mission imbued with love and longing for peace, and cooperation by all parties with Arab leaders in the fore front. That will not go far and will not endure. The ultimate solution lies in knowledge of the consequences of evil and man will voluntarily shrink from it. With fervent longing for peace in that part of the world there certainly will be peace. The longing becomes an ardent volition. What a twist of fate that Jordan or Syria could be arch enemies of Jerusalem! It is in the interest of all parties, the Jews and the Arabs, that peace should be given a chance in the war-prone or war-torn region. Who knows, an Arab today may be a Jew tomorrow, deprived of a homeland and leading the battle against Israel. Such is the Law that an Israeli soldier today may be a Hamas commander tomorrow to experience what the shoe looks like on the other foot and vice versa, so that when either party tastes hate and evil. He may abhor it and save himself from perdition.
The problem of the Middle East requires a large heart to solve and knowledge of the higher correlations of life, the automatic mechanisms that govern life. The Palestinians need a homeland. The Jews need assurance of security. Both can be accommodated peacefully. A Palestinian, a Hamas, or Jew who kills in the name of the state to achieve the two objectives is deceiving himself. Whoever kills or destroys another man’s property for whatever reason burdens himself. He bears personal responsibility, not the state. The Laws of Creation do not know state; they know human spirits. It is these who account for their own conduct, acts of commission or omission. It is the same responsibility as those who harm or kill others in the name of revolution or religion bear–personal responsibility.
The general attitude of many a ruler is that it is the majority who count in a country or community, not the minority, and once the yearnings of the masses have been met, the minority may be ignored. It is good luck to them, they intone! Such is it that there is agitation to tax the minority in the upper socioeconomic bracket to keep the majority. Any injustice done to a single individual exerts bitter consequences on the person who took the decision and the person who carried it out. It is injustice as defined by the automatic, living Laws of Creation which do not heed public opinion of men or a nation.
The Jews and the Arabs, the Palestinians can co-exist peacefully if they want to. The rest of us can support them with our best wishes, that they may see the wisdom of a peaceful co-existence and each party respecting the other.
On Chris Ogunbanjo
By Professor Abhulimen Richard Anao
Your beautiful eulogy on Chris Ogunbanjo, apart from anything else, invoked in me memories of my two year-interaction with him between 1972 and 1973, when as a young Investment Banker in the employ of ICON Securities Ltd (a subsidiary of NIDB), I worked closely with him. He was the solicitor to the many public share issues that we sponsored to the stock market.
I vividly remember how he would painstakingly critique some of the prospectuses that I drafted and give them back to me with great politeness and deference.
Chris Ogunbanjo did not only deploy his inestimable depth of knowledge of corporate law and finance, he also displayed exemplary character in all his undertakings. He was indeed a rare role model in terms of uprightness, morality, integrity and gentlemanliness.
Regardless of how lowly we were, he treated us young professionals who worked with him as our legal adviser, with tremendous politeness, respect and deference.
I can attest to the fact that he was a beacon of light to all corporate solicitors of his time. He rose heads and shoulders above a great many of his peers. My period of tutelage under him etched in me a deep feeling of appreciation and respect, which can never be effaced.
We thank the Most High for granting him a long life of accomplishment and usefulness to the corporate world.
And now that he has concluded his tenure on earth and departed for the great beyond, we pray that the Almighty Father will grant him entry into His eternal Kingdom.
*Professor Anao was former Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin.
The Guardian
