Clare Short: No justice in the Holy Land

Dec 24 2009 By Clare Short

Do they know it’s Christmas? as the song said, decades ago. We certainly know in the centre of Birmingham with the German market creating such a festive atmosphere. And the children are getting excited, and this year they might even get a White Christmas.

But in Gaza, one year after the terrible Israeli onslaught, the borders are still closed, people are still living traumatised amongst the rubble. The Christian Palestinians will do their best to celebrate Christmas. Their Muslim neighbours will honour the birth of Jesus, who they see as a very great prophet, but not the son of God. But their suffering will continue. In Bethlehem, the Christian Palestinian town, the illegal wall divides their land and few tourists now come, so times are very tough.

All over the world, people will celebrate Jesus being born in Bethlehem because there was no room at the Inn. In Palestine, the descendents of those who lived alongside Jesus are not accepted as part of the human family.

This is the most terrible tragedy. The Palestinians have been living under Israeli military occupation since 1967. Things have got steadily worse for them. International law is absolutely clear that territory cannot be taken by war. Israel cannot permanently stay in the Occupied Territories. But Israel, probably shaped by the terrible events of the Holocaust, decides that “might is right!” It builds massive illegal new towns and a vast wall that takes in large chunks of Palestinian territory. This has been found illegal by the International Court of Justice.

The Palestinians are locked into enclaves and cannot travel, even to their own lands, without the permission of Israeli soldiers. And to rub salt in the wound, Israel has built a network of Israeli only roads across the Palestinian lands so that illegal settlers can travel to Israel without having to mix with Palestinians.

So, in the Holy Land, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, there is great suffering and great injustice. I am quite certain that Jesus and all who truly respect his teachings could help us find a just peace. But I do not feel hopeful. It would be good to think that the spirit of Christmas might change things.

* Clare Short, Independent Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood.