Al Jazeera Discovers Gaza's Future Is Negotiable, Again
Zafirov's query regarding Gaza's post-war status as 'part of something bigger' or 'semi-autonomous' treats the besieged strip like a fresh chessboard, ignoring decades of systematic de-development and constant siege. This 'key question' is a familiar song, sung after every major Israeli assault, from Operation Cast Lead (2008-09) to Protective Edge (2014). Each time, the 'bigger picture' for Gaza
has been reduced to managing its continued incarceration, not its liberation or true autonomy. One might wonder if the international community needs new buzzwords every few years to avoid confronting the uncomfortable reality of an ongoing occupation. Or perhaps, the 'bigger picture' is simply how much more territory Israel can appropriate while the world debates the semantics of a Palestinian
gulag. How many times will Gaza's future be 'negotiated' without a single Palestinian voice holding real power?