Features
US SUPPORT OF ISRAEL “ROCK SOLID” – PRESIDENT BIDEN
HAMAS-ISRAELI CONFLICT EXPLODES WITH BRUTAL HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The vicious attacks against Israel last week by Hamas, the military group which virtually governs the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza strip, a sudden and well planned incursion, caught even the usually canny Israeli intelligence community completely by surprise. A terrorist attack, which on the first day alone, killed at least 700, including 11 Americans, wounded thousands and resulted in taking hostage of over 150 Israelis and Americans.
The fate and whereabouts of these hostages, including at least 25 Americans, are unknown at the time of writing. It is likely that Hamas is holding them underground, in terrible conditions.
The sophistication of these attacks, which enabled 2,000 Hamas terrorists to successfully breach the highly guarded borders of Israel has caused extreme consternation amongst the Israelis. Hamas has always had the support of the Russians and Iran, who have provided funding, training and weaponry, and who may have assisted Hamas in the planning of these attacks.
However, it has now been discovered that Hamas had been training their men for these attacks at camps near Israel’s most fortified border, one of them a mere 70 meters from the border. It seems inconceivable that the Israeli Defense Forces were unaware of the training conducted at these camps. The Israeli government is conducting an inquiry into the reasons for these unprecedented military and intelligence failures, describing them as a “complete collapse”.
Two thousand Hamas terrorists breached this highly fortified border between Israel and Gaza and committed unbelievably brutal acts on that first day of attack. They went from home to home in kibbutzes (communal settlements) near the border, executing innocent civilians. They killed children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children.
They opened fire on about 3,500 teenagers enjoying a night of celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (the fall harvest) in a field near the border, many shot in the back as they were fleeing. Paramedics recovered at least 260 bodies in that area. The Israeli government released sickening pictures of children, some burnt alive, others beheaded, of butchered elders, of pregnant women with their babies ripped out of their bodies. “Savagery not seen since the holocaust”, according to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Brutal acts which cannot and will not justify any cause, however urgent, however valid. No peace settlement can even be considered in the light of such barbarism.
In his first public statement since the Hamas attacks last Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the “explosion of violence” between Israel and Hamas, “is a vivid example of the failure of US policy in the Middle-East”. He added that Washington “had ignored the interests of Palestinians, including their needs for their own independent Palestinian state”. A statement which cannot be denied. Though Russia’s complicity in muddying an already convoluted crisis is also undeniable.
The Israelis retaliated the following day, last Sunday, with attacks which killed at least 650 Palestinians in Gaza. A state of war against Hamas and a “complete siege of Gaza” have now been declared by the Israelis. A complete blockade of food, water and power was imposed on Gaza.
President Biden has guaranteed “rock solid” American support of the Israeli people against the current Hamas attacks. Americans have always deemed Hamas a terrorist, even barbarous organization, with its stated ambition of destroying the State of Israel, a common goal of much of the Arab world since the end of World War II.
In turn, Hamas, along with the rest of the Arab world, consider Americans to be the embodiment of Satan, who have destroyed the geophysical and ethnic integrity of the Middle-East with the creation of the Jewish State of Israel and their insatiable thirst for the vast oil reserves in the Middle-East.
Both descriptions have their elements of truth, based on atrocities committed by Israelis and Arabs. Violent struggles for freedom based on barbarous atrocities and ethnic cleansing can never be the answer to the achievement of a durable peace in the region.
Europeans have been guilty of organized massacres (pogroms) of ethnic groups, especially the Jews, since time immemorial. The climax of the “Jewish Problem” came with Hitler’s “Final Solution”, the eradication of European Jews and others of “Impure blood”. The holocaust claimed six million Jews and five million other “sub-human beings”, baked and gassed in Hitler’s ovens and gas chambers.
In the aftermath of the holocaust and the end of World War II, the survivors of the holocaust, whose ancestors had suffered centuries of persecution in Europe and Russia, pursued the dream of a homeland where they would no longer be a vulnerable minority.
In 1947, the United Nations voted the British governed Mandate of Palestine be partitioned into two new states, one Jewish, the other Palestinian, a proposition accepted by the Jews but rejected by the Arabs. The resulting civil war ended with the formation of the new entity of “the Ancient Land of Israel”, the legitimacy of which was established by the title deeds as laid down in the Bible, based entirely on the unilateral interpretation of the Word of the Christian God.
The creation of a Jewish State from land occupied by the Palestinian people for centuries has caused conflict between the Arab states and Israel from 1948 to the present day. From the first Arab-Israeli war, ending in 1949 to the present day, there have been a series of military conflicts between Israel and various Arab forces, all ending in Israeli triumph. An estimated 15,000 Palestinians have been killed and 750,000 dispossessed and rendered homeless during this period of conflict.
After the war of 1949, Israel captured 78% of the historical homeland of the Palestinian people. The remaining 22%, composed of the Gaza Strip (140 square miles), and part of the West Bank of the Jordan river (2,100 square miles), is now home to 1.8 million and 1.7 million Palestinians, respectively. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated territories in the world.
Of course, Trump made the attacks on Israel all about himself, when he posted on his social media, in all caps, “THIS HORRIBLE ATTACK ON ISRAEL, MUCH LIKE THE ATTACK ON UKRAINE, WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF I WERE PRESIDENT – ZERO CHANCE”.
In a recent interview with right-leaning news site The National Pulse, Trump said, “Nobody has ever seen anything like we are witnessing now. It (immigration) is a very sad thing for our country. It’s poisoning the blood of our country. It’s so bad, and people are coming with disease. People are coming with every possible thing you could have”.
Trump’s words were completely in harmony with Hitler’s racial ideology, which stemmed from what the Fuhrer called the “basic principle of the blood”, the infestation of the impure blood of Jews causing disease in Germany.
The Israeli – Hamas conflict continues. After nearly a week of fighting, at least 1,250 Israelis and 1,500 Palestinians have been killed, many thousands wounded. Over 3,000 Palestinians have already been rendered homeless, with nowhere to go. These numbers will keep increasing exponentially as the Israeli attacks continue. Ultimately, tens of thousands of Palestinians will have to seek refuge in Egypt and other Arab nations willing to accept them.
Israel has formed an Emergency Government and War Cabinet, and retaliated with airstrikes bombarding Gaza, blockading food, water and electricity, causing a deep humanitarian crisis. The blockage is causing severe suffering of the Palestinian civilians living in Gaza. The hospitals in Gaza are turning into morgues as their generators run out of fuel, qnd the power needed to keep patients alive fail.
The Israelis have amassed a massive military build-up of 350,000 reservists near the Gaza border. They have also advised the United Nations to order the evacuation of the northern section of Gaza, which likely means an imminent, boots on the ground invasion of the Gaza strip. An invasion which will put every Palestinian life in the Strip in peril, every Palestinian child in the crossfire, as Hamas uses innocent civilians as human shields against the Israelis seeking revenge for the butchery committed by Hamas against their men, women and children.
At least 20 Americans, among about 150 hostages held by Hamas, still remain unaccounted for. The Israeli government has vowed that the blockade of food, water and power would remain in force until every hostage has been returned.
Any kind of settlement of the “Middle-East problem” is far into the horizon, as long as the Israelis, backed by the Americans, will always refuse to entertain a just and equitable two-state solution in Israel, which will be acceptable to the Palestinians and its Arab neighbors, but devoid of complete advantage to the Israelis.
As Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel last Thursday: “The United States will stand firmly by Israel as the nation continues to strike back against the militants in the Gaza Strip following the attack on Israeli soil. The message I bring to Israel is this. You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself, but as long as America exists, you will never, ever, have to”.
And they have Americans at their side while they destroy Hamas and any other terrorist organizations seeking revenge for the suffering caused in the region by their ambitions of expansionist aggression.
This conflict, with depressingly regular atrocities, is likely to remain unsettled for generations to come.
Apart from the Israel – Palestine conflict, the “Middle East problem” will remain unfulfilled until the unquenchable thirst of the Superpowers for the control of the vast reservoirs of black gold in the region is finally slaked. And once these wells dry up, once the black gold becomes worthless, the European and American predators will disappear, having caused myriad economic, geopolitical and demographic crises in the region as a result of their colonial cruelty and capitalist greed.
As the Europeans bled other countries to poverty, stole their wealth and resources, leaving in their wake internal ethnic, cultural and religious strife and confusion; and disappeared, wealthy and unscathed, after centuries of brutal colonial plunder.
Today, these same colonial marauders of the past have almost magically transformed themselves to be the guardians of human rights in the world, making sanctimonious judgments on other admittedly evil, authoritarian nations which are now acting as barbarously and disgustingly as they themselves did, not so long ago.
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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