Isn’t it funny how often we catch the Israeli government lying about what they’re doing?
JERUSALEM — As Israel ordered a slight easing of its blockade of the Gaza Strip Wednesday, McClatchy obtained an Israeli government document that describes the blockade not as a security measure but as “economic warfare” against the Islamist group Hamas , which rules the Palestinian territory.
Israel imposed severe restrictions on Gaza in June 2007 , after Hamas won elections and took control of the coastal enclave after winning elections there the previous year, and the government has long said that the aim of the blockade is to stem the flow of weapons to militants in Gaza .
Last week, after Israeli commandos killed nine volunteers on a Turkish-organized Gaza aid flotilla, Israel again said its aim was to stop the flow of terrorist arms into Gaza .
However, in response to a lawsuit by Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, the Israeli government explained the blockade as an exercise of the right of economic warfare.
“A country has the right to decide that it chooses not to engage in economic relations or to give economic assistance to the other party to the conflict, or that it wishes to operate using ‘economic warfare,'” the government said.
McClatchy obtained the government’s written statement from Gisha, the Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, which sued the government for information about the blockade. The Israeli high court upheld the suit, and the government delivered its statement earlier this year.
Sari Bashi, the director of Gisha, said the documents prove that Israel isn’t imposing its blockade for its stated reasons, but rather as collective punishment for the Palestinian population of Gaza. Gisha focuses on Palestinian rights.
(A State Department spokesman, who wasn’t authorized to speak for the record, said he hadn’t seen the documents in question.)
Honestly Suze, I have a really hard time finding anything the Israelis do or say as funny anymore. And I’m one who supported, taught, and helped fund their causes 30-40 years ago. It’s really time for them to come clean and do the right thing concerning the Palestinians: I think the world (and GOD) is about fed up with their approach to their fellow human beings. (And if God ain’t, then there’s no god, period. And who could possibly argue differently?)
It’s really time for them to come clean and do the right thing concerning the Palestinians:
What is the “right” thing, in your opinion?
Especially in light of the ongoing terrorism that Israel suffers every day at the hands of the representatives of the Palestinians.
Why is it so hard to understand that the terrorism against Israel is the problem here? Once the terrorism ends, peace WILL come to the region. But not before.
Michale32086
Dandy, I’m with you there all the way, and the non-resident troll not withstanding, just confirms my horror abt. what happened to a proposed reservation that provided a ‘solution’ to a humanitarian need, but we got MIC into the deal which nullified any ‘good’ intentions.
Do ANY of you know what “economic warfare” is???
Do you know that one of the options of “economic warfare” is….. Wait for it….
A BLOCKADE….
Economic warfare has absolutely nothing to do with “collective punishment” and everything to do with legitimate military operations against an enemy…
You people throw around terms like “terrorism” and “war crimes” and “internet troll” and “economic warfare” and most of ya’all don’t have clue 1 as to what those terms really mean..
Michale32086
Comment deleted for eliminationist speech. Consider yourself warned, you’ll be banned if you do it again. The same applies to everyone here. Rose, please take note.
Hi Susie,
I surely want to make sure I am within the rules here. Could you please drop me an email explaining exactly what you mean by “eliminationist speech”.. I am not familiar with the term and GOOGLE defs are pretty subjective and ambiguous.
Thanx…
Michale32086
Referring to people as animals or insects is out of bounds. Anything that designates people as less than fully human or as objects of hate is out of bounds. “Assholes,” “bastards,” etc. is acceptable.
Fair enough..
It’s how I do think of terrorists, however. Terrorists and child molesters.
But in the interests of forum amenity, I will refrain from doing so here..
Thank you for the heads up..
Michale32086