The nearly two million citizens of Gaza are facing a growing electricity crisis, with most Gazans now having only four hours of power a day. This is the result of the tensions between Hamas, who rule Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority/Fatah, who rule the West Bank.
Even though Gaza is ruled by Hamas, they are dependent on the PA to help provide electricity – Hamas get the fuel for Gaza’s power plant from the PA, and the PA, not Hamas, pays the bill to Israel for the electricity Israel provides to Gaza. The current crisis is because the Palestinian Authority added extra taxes on fuel, so Hamas cannot afford to buy the fuel to run Gaza’s power plant, and the Palestinian Authority also is refusing to pay Israel for the 50% of Gaza’s power that Israel supplies.
This incident demonstrates the tragedy of the Palestinian cause, and how the Palestinians are suffering, not because of Israel, but because of Palestnian leaders and their radicalism.
The PA is denying Gaza its electricity as a way of pressuring Hamas to give control of Gaza back to the PA. The Palestinian people are suffering as part of the power politics between the PA (Fatah) and Hamas.
But even worse is that there is a simple solution to the crisis. The PA says it will no longer pay the electricity bill for Gaza, but Hamas could pay most of it themselves very easily.
The bill for Gaza’s electricity, provided by Israel, is $130 million dollars a year. Hamas spends $100 million a year on weapons to attack Israel with, including $40 million on digging tunnels into Israel. Imagine for a minute that you are the ruler of Gaza. Your people’s lives are drawing to a standstill as they cannot switch on lights, plug in refrigerators, charge their phones, or watch television. You have the option to provide them electricity again, or alternatively, to dig tunnels into a neighboring country, and build up your supply of rockets to attack their civilians. Which do you choose?
The situation in Gaza is tragic – as their own people go without electricity, Hamas pours all its money into trying to destroy Israel. Hamas is sacrificing their own future for the sake of trying to harm Israel’s. The world endlessly criticizes Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians – but there is no way that the Palestinian situation can improve if their own leaders continue to prioritize attacking Israel above helping their own. As Netanyahu recently said – Israel cares more for the Palestinian people than the Palestinian leaders care for them. Palestinian leadership is not looking out for the best interests of their own, and this is the great tragedy of the Palestinian people.
Contributed by Aron White, CAMERA intern
