(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
On Wednesday, June 28, Israeli fighters bombed the transformers of the Gaza Power Generation Company (GPGC). The power plant, which supplied almost half of the power to the Gaza Strip's one and a half million inhabitants, has been put off for a long time. Now the Palestinians have to buy all their energy needs from Israel.
"Repairing the damaged transformers completely will take a minimum of eight months, but it can take up to two years," Jamal AbuGosh of the Palestinian Energy Authority told Ny Tid.
The humanitarian consequences of the power bombing have been great for an already tried-and-tested population. Hospitals have been darkened, food rots and the pumps that provide clean water stand. Internationally, the attack has met condemnation as a collective punishment, and the World Health Organization said that Gaza is now on the brink of a health disaster.
However, Miryam Shomrat, Israel's ambassador to Norway and Iceland, believes that the bombing was necessary for the military operations.
The point was to make life harder for the kidnappers [by Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit. Editor's note]. Among other things, we wanted to make it more difficult for them to communicate, without electricity they could, for example, have problems charging their mobile phones.
The Palestinians on the Gaza Strip are usually dependent on electricity from the Israel Electric Company (IEC). Now they have had to ask for increased delivery. The devastation is so extensive that Israel can look forward to additional sales to Gaza for a good while to come.
Another way to increase capacity is to build a new transmission line from IEC to Gaza, which was agreed in 1999. However, the autonomous authorities have not been able to raise the five million US dollars needed to build the power line.
"In any case, we also need to repair another transformer in northern Gaza, which was bombed earlier," says AbuGosh.
Ambassador Shomrat believes Israel has been very helpful in introducing different types of fuel and aggregates to remedy the problems that have come with the power shortage, as well as chlorine to disinfect water. She thinks the Palestinians have no one else to blame but themselves.
- Their behavior reminds me of the story of him who killed his mother and father, and then asked the judge for a milder punishment because he was orphaned.
The next time Israel wants to prevent Gaza residents from using electricity, for mobile charging or otherwise, they do not need to use bombers. They can only switch off the switch.
Swedish gift bombed
[sweden] Two of the six transformers bombed at the Gaza power plant were a gift from the Swedish government.- Sweden views the bombing as a collective punishment, which is contrary to international law, says Nina Blomberg, political adviser to the Swedish Minister for Development Aid.
According to Blomberg, the Swedish authorities have no plans to ask for financial compensation from Israel, but demand that they help to improve the supply of electricity and other necessities to Gaza, as well as facilitate a simple and rapid reconstruction of the plant.
Israeli Ambassador Miryam Shomrat does not want to comment on the Swedish requirement, but on the reconstruction plan she says:
- Israel is at war, and we do not consider such things as long as we are in a war situation.
The Swedish authorities are now looking at the possibility of contributing to the reconstruction. Norway has also provided support for electricity infrastructure in Gaza.
Bullets and art
[oslo] Gaza is characterized by an exceptional state. Nevertheless, some of the inhabitants manage to switch their minds to art.The leaders of the Palestinian organization for contemporary art (Paca) have just been in Oslo. They are working to realize Palestine's first art academy to be located in Ramallah.
The initiative was taken by the Norwegian visual artist Henrik Placht. After three years of planning, workshops and networking, the project is now secured. They have received NOK XNUMX million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and academic support from the Oslo Academy of the Arts.
- Art must not give way in a war situation. Journalists continue to write, and art plays an equally important role. Because while the media dehumanizes the war, the artists give the suffering a human face, says curator and director of Paca Reem Fadda.
- Contemporary art can be adapted to any culture, and is suitable as a platform for political and social criticism, Fadda believes.
He emphasizes that the academy should be established on the premises of Arab culture, and not be a blueprint of Western art institutions.
POWER IN GAZA
- The Gaza Power Generation Company (GPGC) transformers, bombed by Israeli fighter jets on June 28, usually supply 43 percent (90 megawatts) of power to the Gaza Strip.
- The rest of the electrical energy is purchased from the only available supplier, Israel Electric Company (IEC).
- After the bombing, the Palestinian Authority had to ask the IEC to deliver more power. According to the Israeli embassy, imports went up from 115 to 124 megawatts, which is the maximum of what the company can deliver.
- The Palestinian energy authorities say the supply increased from 110 to 128 megawatts.
