Gaza was an "open air prison." But when anyone suggests that Gazans take refuge in other countries, it becomes the cherished homeland of Palestine that they heroically and tenaciously cling to.
What about moving to other parts of British Mandate Palestine (known as "historic Palestine")? The Palestinian Authority rejected anyone moving even temporarily from Gaza to the West Bank. So even moving within "Palestine" is seen as beyond the pale.
Gazans cannot seek respite in Egypt or Jordan. They cannot shelter in the West Bank. They cannot even move within Gaza to avoid death without it being a huge violation of their human rights.
How can we resolve these contradictions and inconsistencies, where Gaza is alternatively a cherished homeland or a hellhole that they cannot escape? Where human rights are chosen and discarded in such an arbitrary way?
By looking at the one place that every "pro-Palestinian" agrees Gazans have the unlimited right to move to, permanently: Israel.
All of the contradictions disappear. The well being of Gazans and human rights and international law are all subservient to the real overarching principle that animates all the decisions by Hamas, by the Palestinian Authority, by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch: Israel must be destroyed as a Jewish state.
Once you understand this prime principle, there are no contradictions. All the other things insisted upon are just used to serve the ultimate aim of destroying Israel.
Everything, and I mean everything, that Palestinian Arab leaders have done since 1948 have been primarily to end the Jewish state. Their own methods differ - the PLO has since 1993 chosen diplomacy as their favored means, Hamas uses terrorism, the PFLP uses the pretense of human rights and international pressure.
Understanding that helps you understand why the PLO rejected a state time and time again, even as they complain about how they are stateless. Because accepting a state with permanent borders means accepting that Israel exists.
This explains why they simultaneously claim that they want a state of their own but also to allow millions of their own people to move not to their own state but to the state they claim abuses Palestinians. The "right of return" is their major long term weapon to destroy Israel.
That explains why Hamas chose to attack Israel when Gaza was in better shape - more imports and exports, more jobs less isolation - than any time since Hamas took over.
All of the things that seemingly make no sense come into focus when you just understand the real aims of the Palestinian leaders and their international supporters.
You can't. Because Hamas and Fatah (and the UN and the NGO community) and the others all agree with the goal. Everything they say is entirely consistent with this plan.
The contradictions of Gaza is just a microcosm of the inconsistent principles that Palestinians claim to adhere to, because they cannot yet say the real goal out loud.
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