Tutu makes a call to the hard of hearing

Desmond Tutu, the former archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa has seen and survived the many horrors of his home country before black majority rule was achieved. Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate, even chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which did so much to heal the wounds caused through white majority rule and apartheid. Tutu has also, at various times, been called upon to serve as a mediator and conciliator to bring opposing parties together. So there cannot be much that Tutu has not experienced, either first hand or through testimony. It is therefore not surprising that he should be called upon by the UN to act as an envoy in a fact-finding mission to Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Although Tutu is not required to report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in September this year, he could not refrain from commenting upon the conditions he saw in Gaza prior to his departure. Needless to say that his visit was possibly made more difficult because of the non-cooperation of the Israeli government, which had accused the Council of being biased against it, even before Tutu's arrival in Gaza. This presumption by Israel not only does a disservice to the Council, but also shows enormous disrespect to the archbishop, whose whole life has been one of moderation and compassion.

While in Gaza, Tutu learnt at first hand the atrocities the Palestinians have suffered by continual Israeli shelling, with special emphasis on the November 2006 Beit Hanoun massacre. Tutu called upon Israel to end the blockade of Gaza and accused the international community of complicity with Israel by its silent acquiescence. Unfortunately, though, with both the US and the UK condoning Israel's behaviour in a futile attempt to bring Hamas down, it is obvious that even the archbishop will not get opinions to change.