Israeli documents show a deliberate policy of keeping Gazans hungry

I think they could have legitimately claimed them, but it would not suit their purposes to do so, mostly because it would involve making the residents Israeli citizens which they do not want to do.

That's the one. While I agree that it was handled poorly, and ill conceived at the start (weakening King Hussein was not a good idea), it still illustrates that the settlements do not predate the terrorist attacks.

Most of the Palestinians I know are very nice (not that I know many). Unfortunately, there is a majority that support terrorism.

 

Thought I'd share this article that came out yesterday.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11868589


Israel's eased blockade 'still crippling' Gaza

There has been "little improvement" for people in Gaza since Israel announced it was easing its economic blockade of the territory six months ago.

That is the verdict of a new report by aid agencies and rights groups working inside the Palestinian territory.

A ban on most exports from Gaza is "crippling" the economy, they say.

The report, "Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza Blockade", was compiled by 21 different groups, including Oxfam, Amnesty and Save the Children.

"Only a fraction of the aid needed has made it to the civilians trapped in Gaza by the blockade," said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International.

"Israel's failure to live up to its commitments and the lack of international action to lift the blockade are depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean water, electricity, jobs and a peaceful future," Mr Hobbs added.

The report says there has been an increase in imports such as food and consumer goods but that import levels are still only just over one-third of what they were before 2007 when the blockade was originally tightened.

It also says only a tiny fraction of the construction materials needed to rebuild Gaza are being allowed in.

'Dignity'

In June, Israel said it would allow in construction material for projects carried out by organisations such as the United Nations. But the report says Israel has so far approved only 7% of the UN's reconstruction projects in Gaza.

Mr Ging accused Israel of ignoring the demands of the international community to fully lift the blockade.

The report stresses that virtually all exports remain banned, having a devastating effect on Gaza's economy.

Janet Symes, Christian Aid's Head of Middle East Region, said that "with the continued ban on exports, Gaza is crippled economically".

"How can it stand on its own two feet? People want jobs to make a living in a dignified manner and not exist on handouts."

The only exports currently allowed out of Gaza are a limited number of flowers and strawberries.

Responding to the report Major Guy Inbar - a spokesman for the Israeli office which controls crossings into Gaza (Cogat) - said in a statement: "The claims of the organisations, as they appear in the report, are biased and distorted and therefore mislead the public."

He said the number of trucks entering Gaza from Israel every day had increased by 92% this June.

The United Nations says this is still only a fraction of what was being allowed into Gaza before 2007.

Israel originally tightened its blockade of Gaza in 2007 after the Islamist movement Hamas came to power. Israel, the US and the EU regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Over the past decade Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, although that number has declined dramatically since Operation Cast Lead, Israel's major offensive in Gaza almost two years ago.

Policies revealed

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, said the report's findings needed an urgent practical response: "The report needs an immediate translation into action to take an active and strong international decision to obligate the occupation government to end immediately the Gaza Strip's suffering and lift the siege,"

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel is easing the blockade but must check everything entering Gaza.

"Israel does not see the people of Gaza as our enemy. On the contrary, the people of Gaza suffer - like Israel suffers - from a terrible, authoritarian Hamas regime, and we are committed to making sure that civilian goods reach the civilian population of the Gaza Strip," he said.

Last month, the Israeli government was forced to reveal that the blockade was not only imposed for security reasons.

After a freedom of information request by the Israeli human rights organisation Gisha, the Israeli government released documents saying the blockade was originally tightened as part of a policy of "deliberately reducing" basic goods for people in Gaza in order to put pressure on Hamas.

These documents referred to Israeli policy up to the point when the government announced it was easing the blockade in June.

At the time, the director of Gisha, Sari Bashi, said: "Instead of considering security concerns, on the one hand, and the rights and needs of civilians living in Gaza, on the other, Israel banned glucose for biscuits and the fuel needed for regular supply of electricity - paralysing normal life in Gaza and impairing the moral character of the State of Israel."

"I am sorry to say that major elements of this policy are still in place."

 

1) So they DO NOT belong to Israel then?

2) Not worth it. You miss the point. The point is that it is ludicrous to think that Israeli settlements can be justified. Anyone who tries to build a settlement in disputed land anywhere in the world gets attacked, and Israel is no exception.

3) Yes well, they are just like Israelis - they speak a similar language, practice similar religions, believe in similar things, from the same place, and their cultures have exchanged much knowledge. They grew up in the same place, and are now forced to be in a different place. Much like many Israelis or their parents were forced in the past when the Arabs of the time pushed them out with superior military power and the friendship of some of the most powerful countries. Considering many Israelis are still bitter about those events, it's only natural that a 20-yr old Palestinian would be bitter about these events. Considering many members of the Israeli government are known to have engaged in similar activities with similar groups before Israel existed, I would say the similarities are boundless.

Anyways, the important things is that no one is getting deported out of the region. I don't think Israel wants to spend the rest of its existence worrying about the 200 million people around them who absolutely hate them. It's becoming increasingly evident that Israel's peaceful existence and development depends on their relationship with the region and vice versa. One day, oil will run out and the Iranian regime will be replaced. Israel and the Arabs will be left wondering "does anyone need me anymore?" and that's a dangerous position to be in.

 

The entire West Bank and Gaza Strip? No. They have given internal control over large portions of one and the entirety of the other to the Palestinian Authority. They have subsequently re-annexed portions of the West Bank. I would imagine the borders will remain in a state of flux until a final peace deal is negotiated at the very least.

I think they know that, and they are willing to take the attacks along with the settlements. They can respond better to the attacks than to not having the land. They can also mitigate the effectiveness of the attacks by taking strategically valuable land.

Well, kumbiya.

It happened before so it is okay if it happens now. For some reason that is okay for the Palestinians to say but not the Israelis.

Israel will LOVE the day when there is no more use for oil. You think the one country in the region whose economy and international importance is not based on oil is dreading the day when that well runs dry? They are already in a good military and economic position in the region, once the oil bonus goes away Israel's relative power and prosperity will skyrocket.

Israel has a high tech economy. They are producers of computer chips, cut diamonds, chemicals, and weapons. They are also the only nuclear state in the region and have the most effective military. You think that they fear the day when the one thing propping up all of their enemies dries up? At worst they would be facing another Yom Kippur War as the desperate Arab nations attempt to wipe out Israel while seeing the last of their power slipping away.

 

I don't think oil is going to run out for another 100 years. Will the world even exist then?