By Damien Grant on Stuff…
Phil Goff, fresh from his diplomatic duties in London, has provided Stuff readers with his opinion on the war in Gaza. Goff is a former foreign minister, opposition leader and mayor of our largest city. His words command our attention. And a response.
Goff begins by quoting former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmet, a strident critic of the Israeli war effort, who claimed that the conflict being waged by his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, includes war crimes and was being “continued without justification”.
Olmet is a complex figure. A respected political leader who fell from grace and found himself jailed for corruption. During his time in office he also led a military campaign into Gaza – Operation Cast Lead in 2008 – that ended in a cease fire with Hamas and no long-term resolution.
In the years since Hamas has committed itself to hurling rockets into Israel. According to pro-Israeli sources over 20,000 have been fired into civilian areas along with over 100 suicide bombings.
When considering the conflict in Gaza, it is important to recall the context of the decision to invade and the desire of the government in Jerusalem to remove Hamas from power.
Read the full article on Stuff HERE.
