HUGE HUMAN COST OF ISRAEL BUT INTERIM PEACE IS POSSIBLE

Using UN Population Division data [1] it has been possible to calculate the avoidable mortality (technically, excess mortality) for every country in the World since 1950. Avoidable mortality (excess mortality) is the difference between the ACTUAL mortality in a country and the mortality EXPECTED for a decently-run country with the same demographics [2]. The post-1950 avoidable mortality has totalled 1.3 billion for the World, 1.2 billion for the non-European World and 0.6 billion for the Muslim World (a Muslim Holocaust indeed). These horrendous figures are corroborated by independent calculations of under-5 infant mortality for every country in the World since 1950 - thus the total comes to 0.9 billion of which all but 25 million deaths have occurred in the non-European World and about 90% have been avoidable.

The First World (notably the US, UK, France, Portugal and Russia) have had major complicity in the huge avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in the Third World in the post-war era, mainly through impositions such as colonialism, neo-colonialism, malignant interference, militarization, debt, corrupt indigenous client regimes, war, civil war, economic exclusion and economic constraint [2]. Analysis of avoidable mortality (excess mortality) can determine the actual human cost of specific militarist enterprises such as illegal Zionist expansion in the Holy Land and the illegal US invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

What has been the human cost of Israel and US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan?

The 1950-2005  avoidable mortality (and expressed as a percentage of the current population in parentheses) has been 0.1 million [1.4% of the 2005 population] (Israel), 0.7 million [17.7%] (Occupied Palestinian Territories), 19.8 million [26.5%] (Egypt), 0.6 million [11.0%] (Jordan), 0.5 million [14.2%] (Lebanon), and  2.2 million [11.8%] (Syria). Further, the 1950-2005 avoidable mortality in countries attacked but not occupied by Israel has been 5.3 million [19.9%] (Iraq), 0.8 million [13.6%] (Libya), 1.6 million [15.8%] (Tunisia), and 11.1 million [40.3%] (Uganda).

The 1950-2005  under-5 infant mortality (and expressed as a percentage of the current population in parentheses) has been 0.09 million [1.4%] (Israel), 0.3 million [7.7%] (Occupied Palestinian Territories), 14.1 million [18.9%] (Egypt), 0.3 million [5.8%] (Jordan), 0.2 million [6.3%] (Lebanon), and  1.7 million [9.2%] (Syria). Further, the 1950-2005 avoidable mortality in countries attacked but not occupied by Israel has been 3.4 million [13.0%] (Iraq),  0.6 million [10.9%](Libya), 1.6 million [15.8%] (Tunisia) and 6.3 million [22.8%] (Uganda).{mosgoogle right}

The 1950-2005 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in Israel's neighbours total 23.9 million and 16.7 million, respectively. The 1950-2005 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in all countries Israel has attacked militarily total 42.6 million and 28.7 million, respectively (these estimates excluding the USA by setting aside the 1967 Israeli attack on the defenceless USS Liberty that killed 34 Americans and wounded a further 172)
.

Threat, militarization, war and consequent economic distortion have clearly contributed to the horrendous avoidable mortality in countries with which Israel has been in conflict. While Israel is clearly complicit in the huge avoidable mortality in its neighbours, the actual extent of Israel's responsibility is difficult to assess. However the Ruler is responsible for the Ruled and accordingly Israel has an unequivocal responsibility for the avoidable mortality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the Israeli invasion in 1967. Using UN Population Division data  [1] it has been estimated that  the post-1967 avoidable mortality (excess mortality) and under-5 infant mortality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been 320,000 and 170,000, respectively.

Of course these appalling statistics simply provide one slice of a more complex reality. Thus millions of Palestinians have been living as refugees within the Occupied Palestinian Territories or abroad and millions of Palestinians have been living under abusive miltary occupation for 4 decades, many of them refugees in their own country. US support for Israel has now expanded into the dishonestly named "War on Terror" that is more realistically a "War on Muslims", a "War for Oil" or a "War for US Global Hegemony".

Thus the avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality have been 1.3 million and 0.9 million, respectively (for the Gulf War & Sanctions War against Iraq, 1991-2003),  6.5 million and 4.9 million (US-backed civil war and war against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan, 1979-2001), 1.5 million and 1.2 million (US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, 2001-2005) and 0.4 million and 0.3 million (US invasion and occupation of Iraq, 2003-2005). About 90% of under-5 infant deaths in war-ravaged Iraq and Afghanistan have been avoidable.

According to the latest United Nations Childrens' Fund (UNICEF) report (2005) [3], in 2003 the under-5 infant mortality was 110,000 in Iraq and 292,000 in Afghanistan as compared to 1,000 in the invading and occupying US Coalition country, Australia (noting that in 2003 these countries had populations of about 25, 24 and 20 million, respectively). Non-provision by the US Coalition of life-sustaining requisites in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories is killing about 400,000 infants annually, corresponding to over 1,000 avoidable infant deaths DAILY. This mass infanticide surely constitutes a "War on Muslim Women and Children" [4].

The Ruler is responsible for the Ruled. The horrendous infant mortality in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories is occurring because of the non-provision of life-preserving resources by the occupying US Coalition - indeed  it constitutes "passive genocide" and an egregious, continuing  war crime [5]. However the US is the dominant global superpower both economically and militarily - indeed in 2002 over 60 countries had US bases [6]. Accordingly, the US has a major involvement in the horrendous global avoidable mortality of about 20 million per year or about 55,000 DAILY.

The monetary cost of US aid to Israel (1949-1998) has been estimated to be $85 billion or $135 billion if interest is included [7] and about $200 billion (including interest) for the period 1949-2005 [8]. However the actual  total economic cost to the US of its support for Israel has been estimated to be more than $1,600 billion since 1973 [9] and $2,600 billion since 1956 [10, 11] (although see [12]). The huge cost of Israel to the US has presumably impacted on the relatively low level of aid to the Third World from the World's dominant superpower. Thus aid to Israel is a major component of US foreign aid and the US ranks last among the wealthy countries in terms of its foreign aid as a percentage of gross national product (0.1%) [13].