Comments on issues raised by BBC WHYS

In some countries, there are no endangered species to protect because those worthy of protection are already extinct. Endangered species have to make way for the species consumed daily like cows. Forests are cleaned to make them grazing lands. The power of the market will make Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) powerless as governments consider the economic benefits for the population and not the welfare of endangered species like tigers and birds whose habitat can be the home and the workplace of thousands of people.

Saving endangered species needs funds, especially in areas that aren’t tourist attraction. Many of the areas are in poor countries. There is the dilemma, which to save first, poor people in danger of poverty and disease living near the endangered species or these species?
Saving endangered species is a matter of political will. There are economic and cultural pressure against enforcing their protection. Japan is a good example because of its whaling policies despite conservationists outcry.

Trade ban can be effective for species that are traded abroad as pets. There is the cultural issue that makes trade ban ineffective. It can’t work for species that are killed for local use as medicine like tigers in China despite the risk of heavy punishment. Whales caught by Japan are essentially consumed in Japan. Some species like gorillas are endangered because of wars as in DR Congo. Saving endangered species is, first of all, a local and national responsibility.

Militants from the Palestinian faction Hamas are pushing back rivals Fatah in the Gaza Strip after several days of heavy fighting in which 60 people died.

The Palestinians leaders are just mocking themselves by calling themselves brothers and Israel their common enemy. Israel has existed for about sixty years. There has been no record of Israeli politicians mounting killing against one another despite their deep divergence in running the country. Ironically, the Palestinians are catching up with Israel in the number of killed Palestinians. Since the start of the internal armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas, there have been tens of dead if not hundreds. This can turn into thousands if both lose all restraints.

The Palestinians through their self-inflicted wounds can’t be taken seriously, especially by Israel from which they want an independent state. They failed to honour their agreement in Saudi Arabia to never return to “fratricide”. So how can they be trusted by international diplomats that they can be reasonable people and resolve their problems through dialogue?

The Palestinian leadership on both sides seems to be losing control over its armed members. A state with an independent army is very dangerous. So to convince the world that they are worthy of independence, the Palestinian should show their competence in running the territories they are “governing” before they ask for more.

The Palestinian leaders are just rubbing more salts in the wounds of the ordinary Palestinians whose dream must be to leave the land they were brought up to fight for.

There is no power in the world to bring the Palestinian leadership to its senses. There were calls for it from different parts of the world like the Arab governments. All calls falls on deaf ears in an area used just to the sounds of bullets and artillery and all other sorts of gunfire.