Letter: Ceasefire in Gaza? Israel Expands War to West Bank

Gaza is now millions of tons of rubble. Gazans are told it is safe to go back to their homes.  There are no homes to go back to.  There is no clean water; there are no hospitals; no water treatment, no farms, no medicine, but there is disease, trauma and fear.  Israel got what it wanted; there is no need for more bombing.  Netanyahu and Trump, now joined at the hip, (did anyone catch their press conference with Netanyahu grinning while Trump laid out plans to send US troops to Gaza to forcibly evict every Palestinian (sound familiar?  1948?) and help turn it into the Israeli riviera with its long Mediterranean coastline.

Meanwhile, Israel has turned its guns and bombs on the West Bank.  The attack, called “Iron Wall”,  is now in its third week.  This “operation”, like the 15 month destruction of Gaza, includes airstrikes, demolition of homes, curfews, evacuation of 2 refugee camps and of course death. The evacuations have left thousands of people without shelter and the operation has frozen the towns of Jenin and Tammoun, closing all commerce and leaving people afraid to go out or to stay.  How long before Trump and Netenyahu decide the US will occupy the Palestinian West Bank as well, with another forced eviction of all Palestinian residents?

Gerry Weiss

Gerry Weiss, a psychotherapist, was a member of the Amherst Select Board from 2004 to 2010 and a member of Town Meeting for 19 years.