RAFAH is not a military base, nor does it have any geopolitical significance. It is, however, Netanyahu鈥檚 last chance for political survival and exoneration from criminal charges. Rafah鈥檚 only symbolic importance is being a potential gateway to forcibly exile Palestinians from Gaza. Thus, Netanyahu鈥檚 vision of 鈥榯otal victory鈥� entails the complete occupation and then the systemic ethnic cleansing of as many Palestinians as possible through the only international crossing connecting Gaza with an Arab country.
Over the past five months, the population in the city of Rafah has ballooned five folds. Like the Israeli-induced famine in Gaza, the increase of population was also by an Israeli design. At the onset of the Israeli genocidal campaign, Rafah, located at Gaza鈥檚 southernmost edge along the border with Egypt, was dubiously designated as a 鈥渟afe zone.鈥� Civilians were coercively instructed by Israel to relocate southward under the guise of cynical pretexts.
Arguably, Rafah stands today as one of the most densely populated 25-square-mile regions on earth. Its population hovers around 1.4 million, encompassing the original 275,000 inhabitants prior to Israel鈥檚 forced displacement of over 50 per cent of the northern Gaza population. To put this into perspective, Rafah鈥檚 current population is comparable to that of the city of San Diego, albeit, jammed in an area less than 7 per cent of San Diego鈥檚 expanse.
Early during Israel genocide campaign and during an interview with MSNBC last November, Mark Regev, 鈥榗hief disinformation鈥� adviser to Israeli prime minister, told his interviewer 鈥榃e鈥檙e asking people to relocate鈥� we don鈥檛 want to see civilians caught up in the crossfire.鈥� He further underscored his confidence stating that he was 鈥榩retty sure鈥� they 鈥榳on鈥檛 have to move again.鈥�
In his trademark disingenuous display of compassion, Regev explained that by relocating people to the border with Egypt, close to the Rafah border crossing, aid could reach them 鈥榓s quickly as possible.鈥� Just as in Israel鈥檚 false claim of a command center to justify a military raid on Gaza main hospital, Regev鈥檚 brazen remarks during the interview displayed shameless insolence, banking on the American mainstream media, particularly MSNBC, reluctance to challenge his blatant lies. Those who dared to, Mehdi Hasan for example, found his show on MSNBC cancelled.
It took the West four months following Regev鈥檚 false assurances, and more than 100,000 Palestinians killed or injured, and the imminent starvation of 2.4 million before they realized they were taken for a ride by the Israeli hasbara. It is this reality that could possibly explain the sudden apprehension among American and Western officials regarding Israel鈥檚 real intention in the city of Rafah.
On March 24, the French president Emmanuel Macron warned Netanyahu that any forceful displacement of people from Rafah would constitute 鈥榓 war crime.鈥� Almost simultaneously, and marking a significant departure from past positions, the United States refrained from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This was also followed by strong statements from defence secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, March 26, who conveyed to his Israeli counterpart, 鈥樷�� the number of civilian casualties is far too high and the amount of humanitarian aid is far too low鈥� Gaza is suffering a humanitarian catastrophe and the situation is getting even worse.鈥�
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ALTHOUGH there is a noticeable shift in tone among leaders who lined up to bless Netanyahu鈥檚 genocidal war in response to the October 7 revolt 鈥� much like Nat Turner鈥檚 rebellion against injustice in 1831 鈥� one cannot help but question the sincerity of their change of heart. Where was Macron three months earlier when 1.4 million civilians were forcibly displaced from their homes in northern Gaza, only to have their residences destroyed? Did he seriously believe Regev鈥檚 false-hearted grace to bring people closer to the (blocked) aid?
Regarding the Biden administration, which had previously vetoed every UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, it took no time to appease and placate Netanyahu鈥檚 expressed wrath. Immediately after the UN vote, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby stepped up to the podium backpedalling asserting that the UNSC resolution held no significance, deeming it 鈥榥on-binding鈥� with 鈥榥o change to what Israel can or can鈥檛 do.鈥�
Despite this, the ingrate Israeli leader scolded the White House by canceling a scheduled trip for Israeli officials to Washington to discuss Israeli plans in Rafah. Instead of retaliating by sending back Netanyahu鈥檚 war minister, Pentagon officials obediently listened to the Israeli minister鈥檚 long shopping list for additional US weapons to sustain the genocidal war. Meanwhile, the White House scrambled to assuage Netanyahu and reschedule the Israeli visit. 颅颅颅颅颅
Netanyahu rubbed Biden鈥檚 nose in a manner unprecedented among US allies, especially considering Israel鈥檚 status as the foremost beneficiary of US foreign aid and its access to cutting-edge weapon technology as soon as it enters the US military鈥檚 inventory. It鈥檚 mind boggling how Netanyahu can get away with insulting the US without facing any consequences.
Yet, Netanyahu鈥檚 arrogance didn鈥檛 happen in a vacuum. He once boasted in a video that 鈥楢merica Is a thing you can move very easily.鈥� While it鈥檚 a fact that Netanyahu has been manipulating and milking American taxpayers for decades, he wasn鈥檛 the first Israeli leader to do so. In 1967, Israeli defence minister Moshe Dayan told a visiting American Zionist leader 鈥極ur American friends offer us money, arms and advice 鈥� We take the money, we take the arms, and we decline the advice.鈥�
More than any other Israeli leader, Netanyahu has mastered the art of humiliating American officials to get his way and ultimately exert control over them by portraying them as inept and weak. Case in point, in 2010, then vice-president Biden was blindsided during his visit to Tel Aviv when Netanyahu challenged US opposition by announcing plans to construct hundreds of new homes in the 鈥楯ewish-only鈥� colony of Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. More recently, secretary of state Antony Blinken faced another humiliating moment when Israel welcomed him with the seizure of 2000 acres for a future 鈥淛ewish-only鈥� colony on occupied Palestinian land.
Even though Blinken traveled from Saudi Arabia as part of US diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between the Kingdom and the Zionist entity, Netanyahu sidelined American pains to reward Israeli genocide with the Saudi normalization when the Secretary of State expressed concerns regarding Israeli plans in Rafah. According to news reports, Netanyahu, with a sense of entitlement, cut Blinken short telling him: 鈥楿S support for Rafah op welcomed but not needed.鈥�
To that end, the US administration as well as Israeli military leaders such as ex military chief of staff, and current war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot, believe that Netanyahu鈥檚 assertion of 鈥榯otal victory鈥� by invading Rafah is a hogwash. But irrespective of the US position, Netanyahu treats American advice like a buffet, cherry-picking what suits him and leaving the fallout of his actions for the US to clean up. Regrettably, AIPAC castrated American politicians have an abject proclivity to clean after Israel no matter how reprehensible or morally repugnant.
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CounterPunch.org, April 2. Jamal Kanj is the author of Children of Catastrophe: Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America, and other books. He writes frequently on Arab world issues for various national and international commentaries.
