Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abed Rahim Khatib
Gaza (Agenzia Fides) – The dramatic living conditions of the people in Gaza penalized in the last few days with a further cut in power supply, cannot be explained only on the basis of the dynamics of regional politics. The main root is the total irrationality of western policies which have had devastating effects on the whole region, “from Iraq to Syria”. Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch emeritus of Jerusalem this in an interview with Fides
Since the Israeli government decided to shorten the daily power supply to Gaza by 45 minutes, the population of two million concentrated in that Palestinian territory by the Hamas Islamist movement, has power only three hours a day. Israeli security minister Gilad Erdan recalled that it was the Palestinian national Authorities, rival of Hamas, which initially decided to "reduce considerably payments" for electricity supplied by Israel to that territory. “This situation” Fides was told by emeritus Patriarch Sabbah “is certainly a sign of the irrationality of all political leaders in the region. Irrationality of Israel and the Palestinians themselves, the Egyptian authorities and other leaderships in the region. But prior to all this lies the initial responsibility of world politics put in act in this region especially by the USA, and the other western nations. They have sown death and want to go ahead with their intentions which remain obscure, and which may even now aim for war with Iran”.
Since 2006 the population of Gaza has been confined in the 360 sq km Gaza Strip. In Gaza, according to the latest figures supplied by the UN, 80 per cent of the families live below the poverty line and 46 per cent of the population is unemployed. Nevertheless in this dramatic situation almost five thousand babies are still born here every month, representing, according to Fr Raed Abusahliah, Caritas Jerusalem Director, 'a sort of demographic resistance'. “The people of Gaza, in these obscure processes” says emeritus Patriarch Sabbah “are part of the sacrificial victims, like those in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. Everyone in the region, including the Palestinians are caught up in a vortex of irrationality. But the Churches and the peoples must realize that everything that happens here is only the effect of basic political decisions taken for this part of the world by the global powers”. (GV (Agenzia Fides 14/6/2017).
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