Bush gives Israel free reign in Gaza

[Spion]

So up to 750,000 are thought to have crossed the border to escape the siege.

They need to be careful it doesn't turn into another case of transfer, a la 1948

 

[invisibleplanet]

Journalistic Viewpoints from Wednesday's papers here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7204967.stm

From Israel - Best= Ha'aretz, Yedioth Aharanot, worst=Jerusalem Post (plays to a North American audience)

 

[ViolentPanda]

The rockets must be awful for the Israel's that live within range of them but I can't see how the Israeli government can stop them. Probably the only way is to completely seal off the Gaza Strip so that the materials needed can't get in. They have tried this and failed so I wander what they will try next.

In an ideal world, the Palestinians would have decent hospitals and communal central heating so that there wasn't quite such a need for gas bottles, for a start.
Mind you, that would mean the state of Israel would have to resist succumbing to the temptation to destroy any hint of infrastructure that appears in Gaza, so it's pretty much pie in the sky.

 

[ViolentPanda]

They need to be careful it doesn't turn into another case of transfer, a la 1948

Yep. Someone should remind them how fond the state of Israel is of "facts on the ground".

 

[rennie]

As if they don't fucking know.

 

[lenny101]

It looks like the Egyptian's just don't have the heart to stop the Palastinian's crossing the border. Link to the BBC story.

Edited to correct link.

 

[goldenecitrone]

In an ideal world, the Palestinians would have decent hospitals and communal central heating so that there wasn't quite such a need for gas bottles, for a start.
Mind you, that would mean the state of Israel would have to resist succumbing to the temptation to destroy any hint of infrastructure that appears in Gaza, so it's pretty much pie in the sky.

It seems the Israelis would like to relinquish their responsibilities for the Gaza strip. I can't understand why this border wasn't open previously. Surely Egypt could take up that responsibility.

 

[ViolentPanda]

It seems the Israelis would like to relinquish their responsibilities for the Gaza strip. I can't understand why this border wasn't open previously. Surely Egypt could take up that responsibility.

Simple explanation: The politics of nationalist-Zionism, the desire of the political establishment of the state of Israel to not cede a single hectare of their "sphere of influence". It does kind of miss the point that Egypt and the state of Israel share the same paymasters.

 

[invisibleplanet]

It seems the Israelis would like to relinquish their responsibilities for the Gaza strip. I can't understand why this border wasn't open previously. Surely Egypt could take up that responsibility.

I see nothing that would suggest that - transference of all non-Jews (Palestinians either Christian or Muslim) out of the entirity of land west of the Jordan is still the number one policy of the right-wing (religious or secular) - e.g. see Benny Elon's proposals.

 

[HarryinOz]

I think the OP is exaggerating the degree of control a US President has over an Israeli PM.

??? ..... The US gives Israel Billions of Dollars every year (which also included a Ten billion dollar "loan" a fer years ago.

Israel couldn't do what it's doing without the monetary assistance from the US.

And, we know that the US, (with it's addiction to Oil/Fossil Fuels and being the fuel hogs they are, and with the attitude that everything in the world belongs to them and that they will take whatever they want, whenever they want it......) are setting themselves up to secure the middle easts oil for themselves.
Israel plays a very important part in their plan to do this.

Yep, well done those lads with the explosive charges!

Fucken A !!!

 

[lenny101]

The Israeli government have performed a u turn and decided to resume partial fuel supplies to Gaza.

So either their blockade was a failure due to the border breach or they realised that collective punishment of over a million people was a bit mean.

Story on BBC

 

[invisibleplanet]

The Israeli government have performed a u turn and decided to resume partial fuel supplies to Gaza.

So either their blockade was a failure due to the border breach or they realised that collective punishment of over a million people was a bit mean*.
*my emphasis

Story on BBC

Their own press said that the prolonged siege had become a war-crime, so I think the latter.

A learned, leisurely discussion has been taking place in Israel in recent days: Starving the residents of Gaza - for and against... The real name of this intellectual discussion should of course have been "war crimes - for and against". For this is what we have here, and only this.

 

[lenny101]

Their own press said that the prolonged siege had become a war-crime, so I think the latter.

Lol, as if Israel are arsed about comitting war crimes. The human rights issue is a convenient excuse for them to reverse their original position and not come out of it looking too bad.

They have lost control of the situation and the only way to have the border closed is to resume deliveries of fuel. It seems Egypt doesn't have the political will to condemn Gaza to starvation. The border will be closed in the next few days now that Israel has backed down.

All imo of course.

 

[nino_savatte]

The Israeli government have performed a u turn and decided to resume partial fuel supplies to Gaza.

So either their blockade was a failure due to the border breach or they realised that collective punishment of over a million people was a bit mean.

Story on BBC

Tokenism.

 

[London_Calling]

??? ..... The US gives Israel Billions of Dollars every year (which also included a Ten billion dollar "loan" a fer years ago.

Israel couldn't do what it's doing without the monetary assistance from the US.

Naive and simplistic.

Have a read.

Or consult the original work