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<a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/khalidi01052009.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.counterpunch.org/khalidi01052009.html<br><br>
</a></font><font face="Verdana" size=2 color="#990000">January 5,
2009<br><br>
</font><h1><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Hello, This is
the IDF... <br><br>
<br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5 color="#990000">
Gaza Phone Tag
</b></font></h1><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4>By MUHAMMAD
ALI KHALIDI <br><br>
</font>
<dl>
<dd><font face="Verdana" size=2>“…hundreds of thousands of Gazans have
received warnings in the form of telephone messages or fliers that their
buildings are Israeli targets…” <br><br>
<dd>-- New York Times, 1 January 2009<br><br>
</font>
</dl><font face="Verdana" size=6 color="#990000">I</font>
<font face="Verdana" size=2>sraeli soldier: Hello, Abdul, this is the
Israel Defense Forces speaking…<br><br>
Palestinian civilian: My name isn’t Abdul, I think you have the wrong
number.<br><br>
I: As I said this is the IDF, we never have wrong information.<br><br>
P: So how can I help you?<br><br>
I: I’m just calling to warn you to evacuate your place because of an
imminent airstrike on a Hamas target in your building.<br><br>
P: But there’s no Hamas in my building.<br><br>
I: Not even on your street?<br><br>
P: No, there was a Hamas member of parliament on the next street but you
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/29/content_10572514.htm">
put him in jail</a>.<br><br>
I: Must be old information, anyway, there’s going to be an airstrike so
you better go.<br><br>
P: Can you tell me where you’d like me to go to?<br><br>
I: It’s not my business, check into a hotel, stay with relatives on the
beach, take a vacation in Cyprus, just go.<br><br>
P: I’ve been
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/30/gaza.profile/">
unemployed</a> for a year because of your siege so I can’t afford a hotel
right now. My relatives just got bombed on the beach, in the
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/29/content_10572514.htm">
Shati’ refugee camp</a>. And I
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/04/world/AP-ML-Palestinians-Civilians-Exposed.html?scp=1&sq=gaza+blockade&st=nyt">
can’t get out of Gaza</a> because no one can leave.<br><br>
I: Don’t blame me, I’m just warning you.<br><br>
P: So, if there were a Hamas guy in my building, what would prevent me
from going to warn him so he could escape the airstrike?<br><br>
I: Hmm… we hadn’t thought of that. I’ll make a note of it for my
commanding officer.<br><br>
P: Are you going to call everyone else in the building, or should I
spread the word myself?<br><br>
I: Do us a favor and tell the women and children. We’re mostly
concerned not to harm children.<br><br>
P: You mean, like
<a href="http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/Casualties.asp">the
634 Palestinian minors killed by Israeli security personnel</a> in Gaza
since September 2000?<br><br>
I: Maybe they weren’t civilians--we’re only concerned with civilian
children.<br><br>
P: As opposed to the terroristic children who attack you?<br><br>
I: Hey, don’t make fun of the IDF, we’re a very sensitive army, we don’t
take criticism well.<br><br>
P: Sorry, it’s just that you haven’t been too concerned with children’s
lives throughout this last ceasefireyou
<a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E3DF1F39F930A35751C1A96E9C8B63&scp=10&sq=gaza+medical&st=nyt">
killed two teenagers on December 2</a>. I guess they were just
“collateral damage” from a targeted assassination.<br><br>
I: Hey, it’s tough to be surgical, but we do our best. We don’t do
what we call “Arab work”. No offense.<br><br>
P: While you’re being so helpful, can you tell me when you might
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gW5lBHkM5wezBw9wHrzxwoFL9OaA">
turn the power back on</a> in Gaza?<br><br>
I: I have no information on that.<br><br>
P: Any idea when we can get fuel for our cars? Or
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gW5lBHkM5wezBw9wHrzxwoFL9OaA">
medical supplies</a>? Or
<a href="http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/3e3505fd18cfb035852575220052c893%21OpenDocument">
food and water</a>?<br><br>
I: Listen,
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/01/20091115532645312.html">
there’s no humanitarian crisis in Gaza</a>, don’t believe the Hamas
propaganda. Anyway, I’m only obeying orders, if it weren’t for me
you would have been dead soon.<br><br>
P: I still might be.<br><br>
I: Yeah, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.<br><br>
P: I have to go now, I hear an F-16 overhead.<br><br>
I: Right on schedule! And remember to stay away from mosques,
they’re usually stuffed full of
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/200913163438386439.html">
explosives</a>.<br><br>
P: (Hangs up)<br><br>
Muhammad Ali Khalidi</b> is Associate Professor of Philosophy at York
University in Toronto. He can be reached at:
<a href="mailto:khalidi@yorku.ca">khalidi@yorku.ca</a><br><br>
<br><br>
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