Features
Israeli War: Temporary truce on hostage exchange ends, fighting resumes
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The ongoing release of 220+ Israeli hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during the brutal massacre of an unknown number of Israelis on October 7, 2023 has had wall-to-wall coverage in US and western news media over the past few weeks.
I use the word unknown because details of the gruesome killings of Israelis by the terrorists keep changing, according to information provided by the Israeli authorities themselves. Included are changes in the numbers of those killed and the savage manner of the killings – beheading and burning children, raping and murdering women, execution of unarmed civilians.
The numbers of those killed were revised by the Israelis from 1,400 to 1,200 in the days following October 7, when it was found that 200 of them were Palestinian terrorists killed by the Israeli army. According to Scott Ritter, author and former US Marine Corps Intelligence Officer, recently released videos show that some civilians fleeing from the attacks at the open-air music festival celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot were killed by random fire from Israeli helicopters, whose pilots were unable to distinguish Israeli civilians from Hamas terrorists.
As for the beheading and burning of children and the mass rape of women, “the Israeli government has had to walk back (on) its claims that Hamas beheaded 40 children and has provided no credible evidence that Hamas was involved in the sexual assault of a single Israeli female”.
The above differences compared to the Israeli and American versions of the attacks of October 7 do not in any way mitigate the brutality of the attacks by Hamas terrorists. Nor do they diminish the crime of taking hostages of over 220 civilians of various nationalities, predominantly Israelis, by Hamas. These innocents, including women, children and toddlers, have been held prisoner in inhumane conditions in tunnels, bunkers and other locations of desperate privation in Northern Gaza for nearly two months. The intense suffering of the loved ones of these hostages, not knowing their fate, condition and whereabouts has to be heartbreaking.
The Israelis and Hamas, in close consultation with the Americans and the Qataris have been negotiating conditions for the release of the hostages over the past week. How many Israelis and hostages of other nationalities to be released in exchange for how many Hamas prisoners held in Israel? How many days of “humanitarian pauses” will the Israelis agree to for how many hostages? Where are the hostages held and are they treated under humanitarian conditions? Are they even alive? An already convoluted situation is further muddied by the fact that terrorist groups like the Palestine Islamic Jihad are also known to be holding hostages in North Gaza, location and condition unknown.
However, the suffering of Palestinians in Northern Gaza for over six weeks after October 7, resulting in deaths of more than 15,000 innocent civilians, including over 6,000 children has received scant media attention. The sporadic raids after October 7 by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), wreaking havoc and killing civilians in Palestinian settlements on the West Bank; the plight of an estimated 1.7 million Palestinians in South Gaza, internally displaced, their homes destroyed, approximately one million living mainly in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) shelters; the sometimes violent refusal by the IDF for some of these displaced North Gazans to return to their homes; these have been a pretty well-kept secrets by the western media.
Netanyahu and the Israeli government are facing questions on their failure to prevent these attacks. According to the New York Times, Israel had chosen to dismiss specific, point-by-point intelligence warnings of these Hamas attacks more than a year ago, as being “aspirational”. Israeli officials had received information from American and their own intelligence sources that Hamas had been training for such an attack for months. A remarkable intelligence failure. Or worse? Any rat that smells seems possible if Netanyahu is involved.
President Biden has been compelled to temper the unqualified support he promised Netanyahu days after his visit to Tel Aviv a few days after the October 7 attack. The subsequent Israeli offensive on Northern Gaza, the relentless bombings by the IDF, killing thousands of civilians, ravaging the infrastructure of Gaza City and its environs, destroying over 40 private and public hospitals, schools and refugee camps, have been causing untold misery to tens of thousands of innocents, men, women and children. Their complete disregard for civilian casualties has opened American eyes as to the perfidy of Netanyahu’s real motivation in the conflict.
Biden has redeemed his reputation to a certain extent by, together with the Qataris, negotiating temporary “humanitarian pauses” designed to achieve the ultimate release of the 220+ hostages taken by Hamas and other groups; the resumption of hardly sufficient humanitarian aid in the form of food, water, medications and fuel for the beleaguered hospitals and civilians in North Gaza; and probably most importantly, the temporary suspension of the carnage being caused by the IDF on a daily and relentless basis.
The continuing US financial and military support for the Israelis in their continuing attacks on Gaza is generating intense criticism amongst some Americans. The outrage is costing President Biden valuable votes, especially among younger and progressive voters, in his quest for a second presidential term. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, especially in university campuses, have spiked, with an estimated 70% increase in related violence.
It seems politically expedient to lay the blame on the sitting president for continuing the American policy of funding and military support for Israel since 1948. What other choice does President Biden have? The withdrawal of such aid to Israel would have provoked howls of indignation from the powerful US Jewish lobby.
“Humanitarian pauses” were completely at odds with the ambitions of Netanyahu and the IDF. They have only served to delay the final One-State Solution of the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel. This is the Holy Land promised by the Jewish Almighty, according to the Old Testament of the Bible more than 3,600 years ago. A gift of divine legitimacy of the exclusive ownership of Palestine to the Chosen People, which not only ignores the Palestinian Muslims, who owned the land, but also the minority Palestinian Christians, who also considered Palestine their home.
In 1948, the civil war between the Jews, supported by the western powers, and the Muslims resulted in the Nakba (catastrophe). This involved the murder, displacement and dispossession of over 750,000 Palestinians, Muslims and Christians. The destruction of their society, culture, identity, political rights and national aspirations, was tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
In May 1948, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founder and its first Prime Minister declared the creation of the State of Israel, recognized by the United Nations.
Strangely, Ben-Gurion himself recognized the rights of the Palestine Arabs, when he said in 1953, “Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader, I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country. Sure, God promised it to us, but what does that matter to them? Our God is not theirs. We come from Israel, but two thousand years ago, and what is that to them? There has been anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that?” Why, indeed?
Still, these sentiments did not stop Ben-Gurion from continuing with the Nakba, with forced evictions and near-daily killings of Palestinians, committed by an Apartheid State. It’s as if the Jews are seeking revenge from the Palestinians for the Holocaust they suffered at the hands of Hitler and the Nazis.
To assume that Netanyahu speaks for all Israelis is wrong. The indefinite continuation of the war is crucial to Netanyahu’s political future. The moment the war ends with even an uneasy truce, resulting in negotiations for a two-state resolution to the conflict, as favored by the USA and the UN, Netanyahu will face charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, effectively ending his political career and possible imprisonment.
And to assume that Hamas speaks for all Palestinians is also emphatically wrong. Hamas was elected by the Gazans in 2006, and there has been no election since. Since then, Hamas has never kept its promises of freedom and political pluralization. Just before the October attacks, 73% of the Gazans favored a peaceful settlement of the Israeli Gaza conflict.
At the time of writing, 104 hostages have been released, a further 130+ hostages are in the custody of Hamas and other terrorist groups. The truce ended hours after the deadline was extended on Thursday morning, when Israel accused Hamas of failing to fulfill their obligation of releasing 10 women and children by Thursday’s deadline.
Now that the truce has expired, the IDF has resumed the bombings of Gaza. They have promised that they will no longer confine their airstrikes and carnage to North Gaza, they will also attack South Gaza, where 1.7 million North Gazans have been forced to flee, seeking safety.
Quoting an anonymous Palestinian, “We are in a circle of blood for the last 75 years and this (October 7) is just another round. Nobody expected the viciousness and the cruelty of this round, but it should have been expected. You cannot put two million people in a box, close the cover and expect nothing to happen. It will not stop unless we talk. You cannot annihilate nine million Palestinian Jews. You cannot ignore over two million Palestinian Muslims, Christians and other races living in Palestine. You cannot expect nine million Palestinian Jews to go away. We also will not go away. We are doomed to live here together. We will either share this land or share the graveyard under it.”
The pipe dream of a Two State solution is just that, a prospect that goes completely against the trend of the history of post-World War II Palestine. In 1947, the population of Palestine was 1.8 million, with 60% Muslim, 31% Jews and 8% Christian. The Palestinians owned 97% of the land.
As of 2022, the total population of Israel was 8.9 million, with 73.8% Jews, 18% Muslim and 1.9% Christian, an indication of the rapidity of the process of “ethnic cleansing” of Muslims and Christians from the Holy Land.
Both President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken have recently been urging Netanyahu and the IDF to ensure that the killings of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of vital infrastructure like hospitals and power plants are kept to a minimum. These appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears. The carnage in Gaza has been indiscriminate and comprehensive, and there is every likelihood that the bombings will increase in intensity now that the truce is no longer in force.
In a few years, a blink in the eyes of history, Palestine will be just an asterisk in the map, like other extinct races like the Mayans and the various tribes that inhabited the Americas.
The Palestinian Arabs and other races, including Palestinian Christians, will soon be the occupants of the graveyard beneath the Holy Land. The Jewish State of Israel will be under the exclusive control of the Jews, the sole inhabitants of the Promised Land.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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