Foreign Affairs Minister Martin Stropnicky of the Czech Republic is blaming Hamas for the deaths of Gazans under its rule.
Stropnicky issued a statement Thursday clearly blaming Gaza’s ruling terrorist organization for the deaths of dozens of Gazans at the border with Israel during violent clashes with Israeli soldiers over the past two months.
The Czech minister posted the unusual public statement, entitled “Gaza – Naming Things By Their Real Names,” on Thursday on the website of the country’s foreign ministry.
Following is the full text of the minister’s article.
“The latest dramatic development on the border between Israel and Gaza has gained a tragic dimension with dozens of dead and hundreds injured.
A stormy and often very determined debate about the tensions in this area is taking place not only in the Middle East but literally across the world. It is clear, therefore, that the Czech Republic can not avoid it either.
However, there is also a specific aspect associated with our extraordinary relationship with Israel, as well as our attitude towards the transfer of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
First of all, I do not think that there is a causal link between the transfer of the U.S. Embassy, or at this very moment just its embryo, to Jerusalem and the events in Gaza. The Middle East conflict has been at varying levels for many years. The relocation of the U.S. Embassy was thus only used by the terrorist organization Hamas, which has full control the Gaza Strip, to exacerbate even more intense events that had been organized long before.
At the same time, it is by no means possible to deny the tragic dimension of development at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. We have unequivocally expressed our concern and regret over the loss of human lives. In this context, however, it must be stressed that this concern is not only about the victims of ongoing violence, but also about its causes, including who initiates it.
The fact is that Hamas, which is also recognized by the European Union as a terrorist organization and which still does not recognize Israel, is the only real ruler of the Gaza Strip, and as such is fully responsible for the form and objectives of the violent actions that have taken place on the border between Israel and Gaza for weeks.
It is believed that a large number of demonstrators are protesting against the conditions in which Gaza residents live and which, among other things, are to a large extent caused by the government of Hamas. In addition, the organizers are coming up with a number of other provocative actions that no state in the world could accept, including those so vehemently opposed by Israelis.
This is, in particular, the persistent effort of the attackers to break through the border fence and to enter Israel as much as possible, which in itself can be considered an act of terrorism. Indeed, Hamas itself admitted that most of those killed were its own members. Similarly, other activities such as tire burning and ignition of fields around Gaza can not be ignored.
The extent to which Hamas is at the heart of the life of the population of the area is testified by the fact that its activists torched the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing through which most of the necessary goods, including humanitarian aid are delivered to Gaza. Just a “smaller detail” is that Hamas often sends young people to the events, those under age eighteen years, so that Israel can be accused by the world of killing children.
All these actions show that Hamas is not concerned about its own population and the improvement of its territory, but rather about attracting as much attention as possible from the world community and strengthening its position. Such behavior in the Gaza Strip does not improve its position and will certainly not contribute to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Things should be named with real names.”