Occupation outrage opposed

Sunshine and clouds again today, pleasantly warm. Up at eight phoning the GP surgery for an appointment to examine a couple of small growths, one on each cheek, possibly a legacy from past mosquito bites, also to find out the result of the PSA test I had a couple of months ago. I was twelfth in the queue, and luckily landed the last bookable appointment for the day. Then I made breakfast listening to news missed earlier, having switched the radio on at seven and dozing until it was time to call for an appointment.

Reaction to Netanyahu's decision to drive out the remaining residents from Gaza city and occupy the city  militarily is provoking outrage in Israel and internationally. Germany is suspending arms shipments of equipment supplies to the IDF that would support the occupation. Conscious of its history, Germany has remained a steadfast ally of Israel, refraining from open criticism on Israeli policy hitherto. Trump is not expressing an opinion at the moment. In the early days of his presidency he declared himself in favour of re-locating the population of Gaza, in favour of redeveloping the Strip as a holiday venue, showing his interest in the land as real estate, not its occupants.

As an occupation timescale is envisaged over the coming months, some commentators reckon the proposal is intended mainly to put pressure on Hamas to return to the negotiating table, but having lost most of its control of the Gaza Strip, resistance to comply with Israel's demands is one power that remains to Hamas, It continues to drain Israel of resources and exhaust the patience of Israelis wanting the war to end and hostages to return. It could cost the lives of the remaining hostages. The use of force without diplomacy, without any clear vision let alone a plan of the eventual outcome, is doomed to fail. The American fiasco in facing Vietnamese insurgency back in the 1970s is already being remembered as an example. Israeli military leaders may well have this in mind in opposing Netanyahu's plan. It's impossible to see how things will develop from day to day. The only constant is the continuing slaughter of starving Palestinian adults and children. 

Anyway, the doctor said the PSA test was pretty normal for a healthy man of my age. She took a video of my blemished cheeks to send to a maxilio facial consultant to inspect. In the light of this I may get a reassuring opinion or an appointment for an expert hands on examination. 

Clare cooked a salmon and veg soup for lunch while I was out. I slept in the chair for an hour before going to Thompson's Park, and then to Cowbridge Road to meet Ashley for a chat. I took with me a set of still working powerline adaptors, no longer useful to me, but worth giving away rather than throwing away. He'd just bought a case for his new tablet, but forgotten to buy headphones to go with it. He returned home with me for another cup of tea plus an unused spare headphone set gathering dust for years in an office drawer. In times past new phones were issued with headphones. I had an unused set. I rarely used or broke a set so the spares have lasted the life of a succession of phones. Nowadays most people buy fancy wireless noise cancelling sets, which is why they're no longer provided with new phones.

After supper we watched the BBC Proms performance of the Sibelius 'New World' symphony, and I read in Spanish for an hour until bed time