Israel will allow fuel, medicine into Gaza - official

[webfusion]

Israeli Defense Minister Barak has rescinded his earlier order to completely close-off shipments, and is now going to permit a limited flow of urgently-needed supplies, to prevent a total breakdown in the UN aid distribution within the gaza strip.

FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/946709.html
(updates happening on an ongoing basis)

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert says "Gazans can walk" ---

 

[ddt]

Israeli Defense Minister Barak has rescinded his earlier order to completely close-off shipments, and is now going to permit a limited flow of urgently-needed supplies, to prevent a total breakdown in the UN aid distribution within the gaza strip.

So now Israel is the "good guy" ? Don't make me laugh. The closing of shipments was an obvious breach of the Geneva convention.

The decision was reached on Monday evening after the United Nations said it would need to suspend international food aid to Gaza residents if Israel's closure continued.

 

[ddt]

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert says "Gazans can walk"

Somehow, this reminds me of Marie-Antoinette: "they can eat cake".

 

[ddt]

Prize winning journalist Gideon Levy had a nice quote of Barak in his latest column
:

Defense Minister Ehud Barak should understand this better than anyone. He has certainly read a book or two about history, and he knows that it is impossible to forcefully extinguish a determined and protracted struggle for freedom, like that of the Palestinians. He is also the person who once said in a television interview, courageously and frankly: "If I were a Palestinian, I would join a terror organization." He is the one who is now orchestrating the sowing of death in Gaza.

 

[WildCat]

Prize winning journalist Gideon Levy had a nice quote of Barak in his latest column
:

"a determined and protracted struggle for freedom, like that of the Palestinians"

Does "freedom" mean something different to you and Gordon Levy? Because I see nothing resembling a fight for freedom from the Palestinians, and certainly not from Hamas and the various other factions fighting not for freedom, but for a totalitarian Islamic state.

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

"a determined and protracted struggle for freedom, like that of the Palestinians"

Does "freedom" mean something different to you and Gordon Levy? Because I see nothing resembling a fight for freedom from the Palestinians, and certainly not from Hamas and the various other factions fighting not for freedom, but for a totalitarian Islamic state.

You just cannot make this stuff up.

It is quite clear that the Palestinians are engaged in a struggle for freedom in a large number of ways including but not limited to: -

1/ Freedom from having their land stolen in contravention of international law
2/ freedom for their students to be able to study
3/ freedom from assassination attempts on untried people in ways that guarantee that innocent women and children are killed
4/ freedom to control of their own borders
5/ freedom not to die in childbirth at Israeli checkpoints
6/ freedom from the houses of innocent people being bulldozed
7/ freedom from collective punishment
8/ freedom from apartheid activities
9/ freedom to be treated like human beings

In other words freedoms that the entire world regards as important.

 

[ddt]

In the meantime, in another Haaretz article:

Israel must increase pressure on the Gaza Strip to stop rocket attacks, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday, hours after he approved a one-time easing of a blockade that led to a blackout in Gaza City.

Addressing the annual Herzliya Conference on security, Barak gave a hardline speech, saying Israel would continue to hit Gaza in order to bring calm to battered southern Israel towns that have been targeted by rockets fired by militants.

Dutch TV had another snippet from the Herzliya conference: Dutch FA minister Maxime Verhagen held a speech in which he said Israel had to withdraw to the 1967 borders, and to dismantle the great majority of the settlements.

 

[WildCat]

It is quite clear that the Palestinians are engaged in a struggle for freedom in a large number of ways including but not limited to: -

1/ Freedom from having their land stolen in contravention of international law

Not if that land is being used to wage war.

2/ freedom for their students to be able to study

Which Palestinian group(s) is fighting for this freedom? Please provide evidence of your claims.

3/ freedom from assassination attempts on untried people in ways that guarantee that innocent women and children are killed

Which Palestinian group(s) is fighting for this freedom? Please provide evidence of your claims.

4/ freedom to control of their own borders

They'll get "their own borders" when they want to behave like a responsible state.

5/ freedom not to die in childbirth at Israeli checkpoints

Why are there checkpoints again?

6/ freedom from the houses of innocent people being bulldozed

Sure, if they'll agree to recognize Israel's right to exist and to stop terrorist attacks aimed solely at civilians.

7/ freedom from collective punishment

Which Palestinian group(s) is fighting for this freedom? Please provide evidence of your claims.

8/ freedom from apartheid activities

Which Palestinian group(s) is fighting for this freedom? Please provide evidence of your claims.

9/ freedom to be treated like human beings

Which Palestinian group(s) is fighting for this freedom? Please provide evidence of your claims.

In other words freedoms that the entire world regards as important.

The Palestinians value none of those things, that's why they elected a terrorist group as their leaders who openly advocate the destruction of a sovereign nation and the installation of a totalitarian Islamic regime more typical of the 7th Century than the 21st.

 

[WildCat]

Dutch TV had another snippet from the Herzliya conference: Dutch FA minister Maxime Verhagen held a speech in which he said Israel had to withdraw to the 1967 borders, and to dismantle the great majority of the settlements.

And even if Israel did all that the Palestinians would continue their jihad against Israel. It's enshrined in the Palestinian Charter and the Hamas Covenant.

Why should Israel listen to some obscure Dutch know-it-all instead of the Palestinians themselves?

I wonder how the Netherlands would respond if rockets from Belgium were fired into their cities every day and the government of Belgium refused to do a thing about it.

 

[ddt]

And even if Israel did all that the Palestinians would continue their jihad against Israel. It's enshrined in the Palestinian Charter and the Hamas Covenant.

The PLO already accepted long ago the 1967 borders, and gave up claims to the 78% of the former mandate Palestine that Israel has.

Why should Israel listen to some obscure Dutch know-it-all instead of the Palestinians themselves?

Israel has, for all its transgressions of international law and humanitarian principles, thus far been backed up by the US and, more reluctantly, the EU. What would Israel do without that support?

You seem, furthermore, to forget that within Europe, the Netherlands has always been the staunchest ally of Israel. In 1973, apart from the US, Holland was specifically targeted by the Arab oil embargo because of its political support for Israel in the Yom Kippur war, and because of weapon deliveries (which, btw, the Defense minister authorized behind the back of the PM). Add to that, that Verhagen is the most pro-Israel FM we had in years.

I wonder how the Netherlands would respond if rockets from Belgium were fired into their cities every day and the government of Belgium refused to do a thing about it.

If the Dutch had come from overseas, had driven the indigenous Belgians off to the south and then we had penned them in in, say, Antwerp, you'd have a case.

Last time the Belgians wanted to be independent, we obliged to international opinion and let them have their freedom. Incidentally, there was also a case of a suicide mission, but then on the Dutch side.

 

[Puppycow]

"a determined and protracted struggle for freedom, like that of the Palestinians"

Does "freedom" mean something different to you and Gordon Levy? Because I see nothing resembling a fight for freedom from the Palestinians, and certainly not from Hamas and the various other factions fighting not for freedom, but for a totalitarian Islamic state.

I think "freedom" does mean different things for different people. For Nationalists, it means national self-determination, and for Islamists, it means living under Sharia. Of course, that's not how I would define it, but some people actually want this because they are brainwashed by religion.

 

[Kestrel]

The PLO already accepted long ago the 1967 borders, and gave up claims to the 78% of the former mandate Palestine that Israel has.

Has the Hamas faction currently in control of Gaza done the same?

 

[The Fool]

And even if Israel did all that the Palestinians would continue their jihad against Israel. It's enshrined in the Palestinian Charter and the Hamas Covenant.

And Even if all Palestinians capitulated and accepted whatever Israel deems is thier fate thier is still zero chance of a Palestinian Nation....zero....Its enshrined in the Likud Charter.


Ok, its now time for "they don't want a nation, they just want to kill Jews"


Sometimes the suspension of Brain function that is required to Automatically rationalise and defend any stinking lousy acts on Palestinians amazes me...

Come on lads, hands up all those that support cutting all Humanitarian aid to Gaza? come on, don't let cowardice hold you back...How many here think its a good Idea. How many here support cutting all humanitarian Aid to this civilian population? How many want it to continue?

 

[JoeEllison]

Last time I checked, upholding or violating international law did NOT depend on whether or not you think that one side or the other is better or worse than the other. Israel shouldn't be given a pass, the way some people seem to do, because Palestinians "aren't interested in peace", or "Palestinians don't recognize Israel", or whatever other BS people put out there. Israel shouldn't be allowed to violate the human rights of others, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Nothing you can say about Palestinian terrorists changes that fact.

 

[webfusion]

Humanitarian aid? You mean like the SUGAR which was destined for gaza but at the IDF checkpoint, it was discovered that the shipment contained 6.5 tons of smuggled Potassium Nitrate, which is a precursor to rocket propellant?

Here's the deal --- If the world wants more aid to flow into gaza, they need to FIRST demand that Hamas halt the rocket fire. Where is the UN demand for a cease-fire of rocketing against Israeli towns?
What? Did I hear someone at the UN give yet another expression of their ""deep concern" about those rockets?

Screw that.

All of gaza is under blockade. It is enemy territory. Yes, let them walk.

 

[JoeEllison]

Why do you hate human rights and the rule of law?

 

[The Fool]

Humanitarian aid? You mean like the SUGAR which was destined for gaza but at the IDF checkpoint, it was discovered that the shipment contained 6.5 tons of smuggled Potassium Nitrate, which is a precursor to rocket propellant?

Here's the deal --- If the world wants more aid to flow into gaza, they need to FIRST demand that Hamas halt the rocket fire. Where is the UN demand for a cease-fire of rocketing against Israeli towns?
What? Did I hear someone at the UN give yet another expression of their ""deep concern" about those rockets?

Screw that.

All of gaza is under blockade. It is enemy territory. Yes, let them walk.

I have deep concern for those rocket attacks and have deep concern that you can't think of a any better response than to remove all humanitarian aid to the entire civilian population.

so as for the rocket attacks....get used to it. Or get rid of the people running your Nation that are constantly formulating and enforcing policies almost guaranteed to see them continue indefinitely.


yeeeeeeha....lets starve em out.......
Brilliant stuff.....

 

[webfusion]

Why do you hate human rights and the rule of law?

Stop the rockets. They are illegal and are a violation of Israel's rights to be free from terrorism.

What part of "stop the rockets" don't you understand?


TF chimes in ---

so as for the rocket attacks....get used to it.

dude, we ARE used to them. Been going on for years now.
The rockets have nothing to do with Israel's policies.
The rockets are just another expression of arab ruthlessness, which has been expressed for over fifty years now -- Going back to the 1950's when you will see the same exact type of attacks being perpetrated against Israelis. This is nothing new, and it's certainly not related to any "policies" of Israel, one way or the other.

• During the period between 1948 and 1967, the tortuous and elongated border between Israel and its neighbours was annually the scene of hundreds of Arab raids across the line. Israeli men, women and children were killed indiscriminately, villages were attacked, houses blown up and civilians kidnapped in unending Arab guerrilla warfare. Let's refer to 1955 as a typical year in which there were ongoing series of attacks along the so-called Rhodes cease fire lines, including 75 dead jews, and 179 wounded.

How is today (2008) a different situation? Please explain....

 

[JoeEllison]

I have deep concern for those rocket attacks and have deep concern that you can't think of a any better response than to remove all humanitarian aid to the entire civilian population.

so as for the rocket attacks....get used to it. Or get rid of the people running your Nation that are constantly formulating and enforcing policies almost guaranteed to see them continue indefinitely.


yeeeeeeha....lets starve em out.......
Brilliant stuff.....

Last time I checked, rocket attacks from Palestinian terrorists didn't make human rights for all Palestinians null and void. I cannot imagine any defense for that sort of attitude that wouldn't boil down to racism and sociopathic evil. I'm willing to hear an alternate explanation, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

[yairhol]

Many people here seem to have the answer for the Israeli-Palestinian situation since they comment so much on Israel's acts for a peacefull life.
Here's the MDC for you guys: You are the prime ministers of Israel. Your people are bombed everyday with an average of about 10 rockets. Sometimes 30 a day and sometimes 5 or 6. Hundreds of casualties, all of them civilians. This followed years of suicide bombings in Israeli cities around the country killing hundreds and wounding thousands.
On the Palestinian side you have president Abu Alla. He is a very nice person. really. He wants peace and has very good intentions for his people. On the other hand, the majority of the palestinian people voted Hamas to be their leader party and head of the government. The Hamas is mostly responsible for what's been said in paragraph one. They are known world-wide as a terrorist organization. Abu Alla is making peace nagotiations with you but in the meanwhile Hamas is bombing Israel. Everyday.

Cut....

Now you guys are the prime ministers of Israel. Take it from here.

Regards,
Yair