A Word From Afar: Who Benefits from the Gaza Conflict?

[struggle4progress]

By Paul G. Buchanan

... Hamas is facing elections this year. As a ruling party it has fallen short of its achievements as an armed resistance movement. Some of that may be attributed to Israeli blockades, but most of it can be attributed to partisan factionalisation and corruption in the wake of its electoral victory and subsequent purge of Fattah elements in Gaza. Although less corrupt than Fattah (the previously dominant faction within the PLO displaced in the 2006 elections), Hamas is rendered by divisions between its militant (mostly theocratic and armed) and moderate (primarily secular and political) wings. One way for Hamas to consolidate its support in the build up to the elections is to reaffirm its militant, armed resistance origins rather than its failures as the de facto government of Gaza. Allowing militants to violate the 2008 ceasefire and then abandoning it entirely in December demonstrated to the Palestinian electorate that Hamas remained true to its origins. In reaffirming its ideological purity it believes it will find electoral strength ...

In Israel, the offensive provided the Olmert government an opportunity to increase electoral support for the Kadima Party in the run up to February elections, After the corruption scandals that have beset it and the failures of the 2006 Lebanon conflict, Kadima was hard pressed to make a case to continue in power. Confronted by a resurgent Likud Party led by ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (and which contains conservative hardliners in its first twenty parliamentary list positions), Olmert needed to outflank Likud to the right if his successor, Tzipi Livni is to have any chance of running a competitive race. By raising the existential question of national survival weeks out from the election, the Olmert government not only rallies public support for the offensive of national security grounds. It better positions Kadima against its rivals in the upcoming political contest ...

... ongoing conflict in Gaza raises crude oil prices on the futures market at a time when those prices have fallen nearly to pre-Iraq invasion levels and demand has softened due to the economic crisis in advanced capitalist states. Thus war is good for the oil business, and while there is no oil in Gaza, OPEC has plenty ...

This is just a short list of beneficiaries of the Gaza conflict. There are undoubtedly many others as well, both public and private in nature. The bottom line is this: while common people suffer the ravages of wars both big and small, there are political and economic elites who will always benefit from them.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0901/S00115.htm

[Idealism]

1. The general point is spot on

Fudged some facts here and there, B- overall.

[JDPriestly]

2. And the children and poor are, as usual, the losers.

And by that, I mean the children and poor on both sides. Hamas needs to accept a two-state solution and give up the right to return in favor of a process toward more freedom for everyone in the area.

The unspoken goal should to make the area in Israel/Palestine a place in which all people who live there enjoy peace and tolerate each others' differences. It needs to be a safe place for all who live there. Two states living in peace is an excellent immediate goal.

[gungadin]

3. $4 Billion bucks worth of natural gas off Gaza's coast...

A large gas field was discovered in 2000 by a BG a British firm. Hamas demanded to have the development plans made by Israel with BG to be renegotiated. when they were elected. The negotiations have dragged on so long that BG withdrew its bid.

I doubt this attack is all about Olmert's political problems...old fashioned greed and perhaps Israel's antipathy for a Gaza with a healthy economy. Most Gazans live on 2 bucks a day.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20090108&articleId=11680

[BrklynLiberal]

4. As usual...follow the money/power