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Mafia-style violence in Gaza and BBC reporter

Posted: Monday, April 09, 2007 9:34 AM
Filed Under:

By Martin Fletcher, NBC News Tel Aviv Bureau Chief

Alan Johnston, the BBC reporter kidnapped in Gaza, is in his fourth week of captivity without a sign of life. The word in the Gaza Street is that he could be released in a moment - for a substantial sum.  

Palestinians say money has changed hands before to achieve the release of other kidnapped foreigners. But the price is going up.

The BBC is pursuing diplomatic means to try to secure the release of Johnston – holding high level talks and appealing to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, who is also a member of the militant Hamas movement. 

But, Palestinian sources in Gaza, who do not work with NBC, also say it’s no mystery who is holding Johnston. At least seven of the 32 kidnappings of reporters and foreigners in the last three years in Gaza are said to have been carried out by one family, the Daghmash clan, who number an estimated 8,000 people, and reside in Gaza City. They are also said to be holding Johnston. The kidnapped foreigners have previously all been released unharmed. Sometimes kidnappers demand jobs in the police force; recently it's about money.  

Only one news organization that works in Gaza has named the family, a Palestinian news agency called Ma'an based in Bethlehem. Its Gaza reporters immediately closed up shop after their lives were threatened. And when we called a Gaza source for this blog, he said, "wait a minute, I must go inside. I cannot mention this family's name in the street." Threats work.

The truth is that the conflict here is portrayed as Israeli versus Arab. That's true, but it is only part of the equation of violence. Hamas versus Fatah is reported, but barely. The real violence that regular Palestinians in Gaza face daily, and is now overflowing to involve kidnapped foreigners, is between families.

Mafia-style violence
Yasser Arafat kept the families in check. When a large family in Ramallah turned to violent crime, he ordered Jibril Rajoub, his security chief, to arrest the ringleaders. Their homes were surrounded. When machine guns didn't quiet the family, Arafat ordered the use of rocket propelled grenades. A few dead men and the problem was solved. 

The problem today in Gaza is that Arafat has gone and nobody has taken his place. Neither Hamas nor Fatah dare take on the families, which control their own towns and villages, like mafia clans.

Everybody in Gaza, including the government, the police, Hamas and Fatah, knows about the activities of this particular family, and others, but none dare confront them. 

And here's a personal anecdote. When Israel was bombarding Gaza last summer after Palestinians abducted an Israeli soldier, my NBC team and I spent several days with a Palestinian family in their house in Beit Hanoun.

It was the closest to the Israeli front line. Shells fell all around. Shrapnel hit the corrugated iron roof as we sheltered beneath it. Later his house was flattened by a bulldozer.

When I asked Eyad, the farmer who lived inside with his family, why he didn't take shelter in Gaza town until the fighting was over, he answered, "I can't. We have a problem with a family in Gaza. If we go there, they'll kill me."

 "What, you'd rather face the Israelis?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "With the Israelis I have a chance. With the family, I don't."

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Comments

It is no surprise that mafia style clans wield great power in an area of the world without a cohesive goverment. In many (maybe all) countries "families" have great influence on local politics and hence have power. The US has the Italian/Irish "families" and Russia has thier mafia, Israel has organized crime and the Arab countries have long been ruled by clans. The only difference here is the war/civil war and the overall exceptance of violence as a means to settle scores. Sending money to a goverment that supports militants would surely result in some of that money being redirected to militant groups that mean harm to us and our so called allies. This I would find to be completely irresponsable as we do not have a way of ensuring the money is used for purposes such as keeping hospitals open. Any foreigners are likely to be killed or kidnapped. Other forms of aid should continue not because it is expected of us but because it is the humane thing to do. As for the Jewish state it's self, the whole of the middle east was divided by the powers that be during the first half of the last century. Palestinian's could have declared statehood along with Israel and started towards being a strong State but instead chose the path of war that has sapped them of their lives. The Jews have lived in the middleast for as long as the Muslims (lets not forget this is about religion) even longer and are as entitled to a State of their own as much as any other in the region. We (the USA) maynot be the policemen of the world but we do have interests around the world (read OIL in this case). If we do not take an active role not only do we run the likelyhood of regional conflict, disrupting supplies of oil, but also other adversaries and so called allies stepping in and gaining advantage to this natural resource that is vital to our national security. The history of "clan warfare" within the arab world I beleive is one of the main reasons that negotiation is shunned and war is celebrated within thier culture. The Palestinian goverment should except the terms of the international community and drop the insistence of "right of return" in exchange for the "67" borders and get on with living.

Mario, Methuen, Ma. (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 6:41 PM)

Palestinians have to live with buckets of water while a nearby Israeli Settlement enjoys swimming pools and garden hoses with green lawns. I think that the biggest problem that the palestinians have is that they are unhappy with giving their resources to israel and in return get bullcrap peace deals that totally undermine the needs of everyday palestinians(which include isreali only roads and bridges, frequent uncessary checkpoints, and economic barriers for a country that needs some sconomic breathing room. as for these clans, the violence they show to the reporters and terror they induce on civilians is unexcusable and should be condemned and forcefully ended. Suicide bombers are immoral, as are the people who glorify them. Israeli and American foreign policy is failing. I hope for world peace in the future. Free Palestine, God is Great!

Mohamed, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 6:49 PM)

there is no such thing as a Palestinian

Darren (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 7:14 PM)

To Nassir in NY - If you hate the Americans so much why are you in America????? The good Ol'American dollar right??? Shame on you - you come to this country and start saying you hate Americans? Then you should go back to wherever it is you came from and stay there.

American Lady (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 7:19 PM)

Wow, it is incredible the amount of ignorance that trickles thru false media and special interest groups. No one's religion preaches hate. How can you say such things as, "why dont Arab countries just absorb the Palestinians?" Simple answer, THEY ARE PALESTINIANS!!! Who prior to 1948 had a land called Palestine...this is before European Jewsish settlers arrived and the U.K at the time GAVE them Palestine, or part of it...(Because U.K was the occupying power at the time) And over time, it seems Palestine simply dissapeared. Four million Palestinians displaced. Why wont Isreal allow them back? Or even give them the same right as them. Treat a human like a human, and he'll be human. Treat him like an animal, and he will bite.

Gus, New York (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 7:49 PM)

It's always the poors that suffer the most. The ransomed money is used to take care of the clan only and not "outsider". Israel is not a weak and helpless country anymore. It has the capacity to arm its missles with nuclear and chemical if it chose to. No country in the Middle East has the military power to defeat or invade Israel. Suicide bombing and small scale terrorism still exist. Israel's aggressive policy against Palestine is similar to the US treatment of Mexico 150 years ago. We should not treat Israel as a victim or Palestine as a terrorist. Israel need to take care of the "poor" Palestines and empower them to make a different, or the violent and injustice will continue.

John, Los Angles, CA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 7:54 PM)

Arab versus Israeli, Palistinian versus Israeli. If I lived in an arid desert region I'd fight to protect my water source. It's all about survival of the fittest anywhere in the world. Humans need to drink, eat, and procreate. If there is no food, children die. Arabs and Israelis are fighting over the same thing, land. The Israelis possess what the Palistinians used to have, but the reality is those lands have changed hands so many times, people are forgetting Jews and Arabs used to live together peacefully. The reason things went from bad to worse is Arab greed. The sell oil to the west, earning huge profits while keeping the populations down with religous dogma and mafia style justice. People are still beheaded for crimes or revenge. The west cannot solve the problems, the Arabs need to take care of their own with all the big bucks the Saudis and others earn.

Tony, Sacramento, CA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 8:13 PM)

The Population at 4 billion will be 10 billion soon. What do you all think will be the result of that? It is better to get what is necessary over with now. I think we all know what is necessary but are afraid to think it. We don't fight wars anymore, we do police actions. We have since Korea. We need to totally and systematically eradicate any people that will do harm to us. It will be the only way to survive. These clans can be the first to go. I am sure we know exactly where they live and one MOAB would take them all out at once. Too bad about the BBC reporter. He knew the risks going in. If we can't do that, then we should all lay down and let our enemies destroy us today so we can get it over with. (If the radical Muslims get a Nuclear weapon, you will see it used on us because they all feel the same way towards America) A person can live with one poisonous snake in their yard. You learn to work around it. Live and let live. If there are a hundred, you can no longer live there unless you get rid of 99. This sounds nasty, but think about it. It is going to be us or them. Which do you prefer?

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, Wisconsin (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 8:26 PM)

All these people highly offended that anyone could portray any Palestinians as violent reminds me of the Muslim religous leader who ordered the death of the cartoonist who suggested Muslims were violent. Anyone else see the absudity of that?

Larry, Bealeton, Va. (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 11:46 PM)

The main problem Palestine have is the occupation anything else can take second place or third.

Adela Palenzuela Miami Fl (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:42 AM)

In America... We have the Bush Clan! Neko West Michigan (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 1:15 PM) Neko, you are an idiot. You are part of the problem.

Dan, California (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 3:40 PM)

As long as people are "governed" by religion, they will never know peace; they will never experience freedom or democracy. They will continue to massacre one another. So let us just protect ourself from them by any means necessary.

wilner jean-philippe (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 3:51 PM)

Lets make peace for a change. I would like to invite all the religious groups in the area to get together for a cookout in the center of Jerusalem, bring all the different bibles so that we could use them to light-up the fire for a holly meal!

marty (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 5:37 PM)

Maybe the best overall optimal solution would be for the Israelites to pack it up and resettle in Eastern Europe. How about the Ukraine? The Jews can have Kiev and the entire rest of the world can have peace and quiet. Let them complain about the Russian mafia for a while.

Gustavo, Venezuela (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:14 PM)

to ss fl: i have been to the middle east and to israel and it's obvious who is in power and who are the racists. the palestineans are just struggling to get by. many were forced out of their homes, onto streets, and forced into extremely hardships and became refugees in other countries. who has stolen what from whom? yes, america should wake up!

cmm, st. paul, mn (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:22 PM)

To Fred in New York City: Nobody, and I mean NOBODY takes more prisoners, unlawfully and inhumanely, than the Israelis! Don't try and start yet another war with Iran. Stop the war-mongering already!

Dave, NYC (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:31 PM)

There is a solution. The most intelligent solution is to: (1) let all of the Palestinian refugees move home; (2) allow the Palestinians to vote in the democratic way that we all seem to love; and this will (3) help the jewish israelites learn how to get along with other peoples of the world.

Cape Codder (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:36 PM)

RE: DELMAR FAICHILD: Dear Delmar, I respect your right to an opinion, however, there are 1.2 billion muslims in the world and your knowledge about the massive ordinance airblast bomb is apparently as vestigial as your knowledge of everything else. the MOAB was tested an hour's drive from pensacola, Fl so it is not anything like a nuclear device as you appear to imagine somewhere in the cobwebbed confines of your central nervous system. Secondly, without oil from muslim countries america would collapse within days. Thirdly, there would be repercussions to any military action as there have been (surprise surprise Delmar!)to the Iraq war. Being in the process of losing two wars at the same time, another conflict is just not on the cards dear boy. Lastly, stop watching Fox news and stop listening to Rush Limbaugh.

jason falls (Sent Wednesday, April 11, 2007 6:26 PM)



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