In a sign that Israelis are becoming more charitable and just they are now allowing Gaza to import shoes. It came after pressure from the US. It almost seems like this could be some sort of alternate sick Comedy Central story or perhaps from the Onion. ************ Israel to Allow Shoes Into Gaza Strip After Three-Year Ban Pressure From US Seen as Key to Allowing Footwear Into Strip by Jason Ditz, March 29, 2010 Email This | Print This | Share This | Comment | Antiwar Forum According to Palestinian officials, the Israeli government has made one of its most significant revisions to the Gaza blockade in three years, allowing the importation of shoes and certain types of clothes into the tiny enclave. Israel has not allowed any shoes to be legally brought into the Gaza Strip since 2007, and officially cemented the ban in 2008 under the claim that shoes were a ‘dual use technology.’ This argument was based on claims that since militaries wear shoes as part of their uniforms, any shoes imported into the strip might be used as part of a military uniform. This same argument was made in the banning of many types of clothing. For those who could afford it, this meant having to import shoes by way of the tunnels into Egypt, which regularly come under Israeli bombardment because they allow the importation of banned goods, from shoes to iPods to cars. For Gaza’s poor however, importation is not an option and they must make do with what they have or go without. Officials say that the move is a concession by the Israeli government after pressure from the Obama Administration. The shoes will be allowed in later in the week, after the Passover holiday blockade is lifted. It is unclear if the move signals a semi-permanent end to the ban on shoes, or if the shipment will be a one-shot deal. http://news.antiwar.com/2010/03/29/israel-to-allow-shoes-into-gaza-strip-after-three-year-ban/
[rquoter]Israel has not allowed any shoes to be legally brought into the Gaza Strip since 2007, and officially cemented the ban in 2008 under the claim that shoes were a ‘dual use technology.’ This argument was based on claims that since militaries wear shoes as part of their uniforms, any shoes imported into the strip might be used as part of a military uniform. This same argument was made in the banning of many types of clothing.[/rquoter]
Ya, definitely sounds like an Onion piece. Very sad that things have gotten to this point. Not sure how Israel, as our ally, is allowed to get away with these kinds of things. Isn't this the kind of thing that we would expect from...I dunno....Iran?
Yeah, we are so much more lenient to israel then any other country because of A)politicans don't want to lost the jewish votes and b)Israel will occasionally play the Holocaust card and say that because we let 6,000,000 jews die that we should support israel
They didn't allow shoes to be imported Wow just Wow. I knew it was bad, but this is just being petty.
You people are just plain dumb. Do you even know anyone in, from or who frequently travels to Israel?
I'm sorry that 6M of my brothers and sisters had to die so we could "play a card." Do you even realize how insulting and moronic this is?
If this report is true and accurate (and it's a big if, given the source), it's hard to argue that Israel is truly committed to a peace process. There's no benefit here to this policy, and it harms the people who you ultimately would want to be a stable neighbor. If you're doing this, it's entirely punitive and serves no positive purpose.
Can you blame them for their shoe concerns after this incident? <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OM3Z_Kskl_U&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OM3Z_Kskl_U&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> (I'm still not convinced this isn't an onion article)
I know I will get flamed for this given most of you know I'm Muslim, but it's been circulating and I found it interesting. I won't hide anything - I agree with most of what he says, and I do have the sincerest compassion for the lives lost during the holocaust. I'm not in the business of questioning whether it happened or how many people were part of it. As far as I'm concerned, the lives were lost and that's a huge tragedy. What I am interested in is the political usage of the tragedy to further agendas, if that is being done. I hold the same sentiment towards Muslims who beat themselves year after year for a thousand years now for the Prophet's grandson and still expect to take revenge on anyone and everyone who does not agree with them. I'm just posting this as its related to the general topic of the thread and thought some people may be interested: <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A5drXEXkf9s&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A5drXEXkf9s&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
Perhaps I phrased that wrong. Israel will bring up how America didn't intervene during the holocaust until the last couple of years of the genocide. Because of this, it makes American policy makers feel guilty and makes them more sympathetic to Israel. I'm sorry if I offended you.
I quit trying to figure out Israel. It's a hardline government. Netanyahu is no partner for peace. He's only a partner for implementing hardline policies. The people elected their government...so I assume hardline is the approach the Israeli people want. I don't expect them to get anywhere with it...until they show a willingness to change and stop this suppression course they are on. The resistance to Israel is justified imo. I don't think it is in Israel's best interests to have peace. I have doubts they would live up to their side of any deal. The same might be said for the other side as well. There is still just too much mistrust for anything to get done. It doesn't help that Isreal does negative things any time the words "peace talks" come up. The whole VP Biden visit with the announcement of indirect peace talks and more building at the same time basically says all I need to know. Israel is not a serious partner for peace. And, the other side may not be as well...but Israel does a good job of not getting the two sides to the table all on their own. When you constantly do things you know are going to sabotage peace talks, then how can you be taken seriously as a peace partner? You can't. Even if a peace deal was signed, I would like to see it implemented successfully. There is just no way. And, as much as both sides like to put the US in the middle of it all like we hold the answer to peace, I put it on both of them. No matter how serious we get about it...the lack of seriousness on peace talks is all on them. They don't take it seriously...so why should we? Yet, somehow, it's on us to get it done. I think it is on them to get it done.
