By Wang Min

王敏

The temporary pier built by the US at a cost of USD 320 million in Gaza has been a topic of controversy recently because of its damage and repair, limited receiving capability, expanded scope of use, and many other factors. This mirrors the US' hypocrisy and turpitude on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

近期以来，美国在加沙耗资3.2亿美元修建的临时码头，因受损修理，以及接收能力、使用范围等原因，引发诸多争议。这充分折射出美国在巴以问题上的虚伪与不堪。

In his State of the Union address this March, US President Joe Biden announced that they will build a temporary floating pier in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid. However, soon after the pier was put into use on May 17, part of it broke away from the main body due to wind and waves and drifted ashore on the coast of Ashdod, and a US landing ship also ran aground there when trying to retrieve the missing part. In the past few days, the pier's limited ability to receive supplies and the much criticized use of it for unintended purposes have drawn renewed attention.

今年3月，美国总统拜登在发表国情咨文时宣布，将在加沙建设一处临时浮动码头用于人道主义援助。然而，5月17日投入使用后不久，该码头一部分便因风浪脱离主体，漂流至阿什杜德海岸搁浅。美军一艘登陆艇在实施救援时也发生搁浅。近些天，该码头有限的物资接收能力，以及一些受到外界质疑的超范围使用，又引发持续关注。

The pier is just the tip of the iceberg of the US' irresponsible policies. Ever since this round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out, the US has been playing favorites without even bothering to disguise it. It has abused its vetoing power to obstruct the UN Security Council from passing a ceasefire resolution; it has vetoed the draft resolution that recognizes Palestine as an official UN member; and it has been feeding Israel with huge amounts of weapons and ammunition, being a downright accomplice in the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. The temporary pier was built just to gloss over its inhuman actions. However, the USD 320-million pier, which couldn't even stand the attack of wind and waves, has posed an ironic contrast to the over USD 10-billion military assistance to Israel passed in April this year, and laid bare the hollowness and hypocrisy of the White House's statement about reducing civilian casualties in Palestine and performing its humanitarian responsibilities.

加沙临时码头本就是美国不负责任政策的缩影。本轮巴以冲突爆发以来，美国毫不掩饰地“拉偏架”，不但屡屡滥用否决权，阻挠安理会通过停火决议，否决接受巴勒斯坦国成为联合国正式会员国的决议草案，而且大量向以色列输送武器弹药，成为加沙人道主义灾难实质上的“帮凶”。为了自我粉饰，美国上演了一出修建临时码头的戏码。只是，3.2亿美元修建的经不起风浪的临时码头，与今年4月通过的超过百亿美元的对以军援，形成极为刺眼的反差。这也让美国政府关于减少巴方平民伤亡、履行人道主义责任的说法，显得格外苍白无力。

In fact, the temporary pier in Gaza exactly revealed the immense sufferings that the local people are going through. Since the conflict broke out, Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians and wounded at least 84,000. Now the pouring of masses of local civilians into Rafah and the grave shortage of food and medicines are causing an extreme humanitarian disaster. Turning a blind eye to all these, the Israeli military forces bombed the designated "humanitarian zone" lately, causing the death of many, including women and children.

加沙临时码头的背后，反映的是该地区民众深重的苦难。自本轮冲突爆发以来，以色列在加沙地带的军事行动已造成超过3.7万巴勒斯坦人死亡、8.4万人受伤。如今，大量当地民众涌入拉法，粮食和药品严重短缺，人道主义形势极为严峻。近日，以军又悍然对其所指定的“人道主义区”发动轰炸，造成包括妇女和儿童在内的众多人员死亡。

Analysts have pointed out that the temporary pier that Washington has bragged about is actually a green light to Israel's continued military actions. During the first week of its operation, the assistance supplies arriving at various places in Gaza from the pier amounted to only 71 truckloads, about 15% of the minimal living necessities required to feed the people living in the region. In fact, land transport is a more efficient way of providing humanitarian aid. Therefore, the so-called humanitarian effort of building the pier is just a cover-up of Israel's actual blockade of land transport to Gaza. As Israel marched into Rafah, objections have grown stronger and the US' Gaza policy is about to collapse further.

不少分析人士指出，被美国政府浓墨重彩渲染的临时码头，实际上是在为持续上演的军事行动“开绿灯”。开通第一周，通过该码头运抵加沙各地分发点的援助物资，只相当于71卡车的载重量，仅能满足加沙地区人口每日最低生活需求的15%。事实上，陆路运输才是更为高效的人道主义救援方式。美国表面上作出的“人道主义努力”，掩盖了以色列对加沙地带陆上通道封锁的事实。随着以色列进军拉法，各种反对声浪变得越来越强，美国在该地区的政策也将进一步破产。

Apart from its temporary pier in Gaza, what needs repair even more is the US' international credibility and morality as its influence on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is being increasingly eroded by its favoritism. Four European countries, Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia, have announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, and the International Court of Justice has issued the provisional measures order demanding Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive" in Rafah.

事实上，需要“修理”的不只是美国在加沙的临时码头，还有美国在国际上的信誉与道义。美国的偏袒之举正不断侵蚀其对巴以和平进程的“影响力”。挪威、爱尔兰、西班牙、斯洛文尼亚等欧洲四国目前也已宣布承认巴勒斯坦国，联合国国际法院还发布“临时措施”，要求以色列立即停止在拉法的军事行动。

It is foreseeable that if the US continues its current approach to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, it will meet even stronger waves of objection.

可以预见，如果美国在巴以问题上继续一意孤行，必然会遭遇更大的反对“风浪”。