The Truth about Gaza… and its wider significance
June 16, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
The tragic events of May 31 – when 9 Turkish blockade runners were killed in a clash with Israeli troops at sea – has focused attention on the current situation in Gaza. Unfortunately, much that is being said about the history and current reality of that unhappy territory is poorly informed. Crowded, resource-poor Gaza has never been a particularly pleasant place to live. Slated to be part of a Palestinian state under the 1947 UN partition plan, when the Arab states followed up their rejection of the plan with a military attack, Gaza ended up under neglectful Egyptian military rule. When Israel captured it in the 1967 war, the area was dirt poor, with unemployment topping 40%, and average GDP per capita around US$150 per year.
Of Blockades and Blockheads
June 15, 2010 | Allon Lee
Why are supposed human rights activists so quick to attack Israel but never make a squeak against the anti-peace Hamas regime that persecutes women, Christians and homosexuals? Why does the Gaza flotilla bloodshed automatically cancel out the moral and legal imperative of maintaining Israel and Egypt’s blockade of the Hamas-ruled Strip? These are the two questions that must be answered by those seeking to rollback the internationally sanctioned blockade of the Gaza Strip of materiel that can be used for military purposes. Fuel, medicines, gas, electricity and food have never stopped flowing into Gaza.
Blockade will end when Hamas wants peace
June 8, 2010 | Bren Carlill
If Israel is forced to lift the blockade, the unintended result will be the death of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. If Hamas “beats” Israel and successfully arms like Hezbollah, ordinary Palestinians will believe violence (the Hamas path) is better than negotiations (the Fatah path). Fatah will either collapse or return to wholesale violence, putting peace efforts back 30 years.
Israeli videocams show the naked truth of what happened
June 7, 2010 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
There are lessons to learn from the flotilla incident beyond the geopolitical fallout and legality of blockades. This incident vividly demonstrates the next step in 21st century warfare.
Violent stunts prolong Gaza’s suffering
June 4, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
A blockade [of Gaza] to prevent the re-arming of an enemy is an absolutely legitimate and recognized method of armed conflict – and Israel has provided all the required notifications to comply with international law.
Flotilla sailed for confrontation, not for aid
June 2, 2010 | Bren Carlill
Israel told flotilla organisers the aid could be transferred across the Gaza-Israel land border. (It still will be.) The flotilla could also have co-operated with Egypt or the UN in order to help Palestinians, but refused to do so. Helping Palestinians wasn’t its goal, confronting Israel was.
Tales of violence on the high seas lack context
June 2, 2010 | Lauren Jones
That five of the six boats were taken peaceably indicates that Israel never intended to harm any civilians. Israel was wise enough to film the incident, thereby providing irrefutable evidence that its soldiers were attacked first, and acted in self defence. Fortunately, the violence was confined to one boat and the aid on board the flotilla will reach Gaza in one piece.
Palestinians architects of their own misery
May 14, 2010 | Bren Carlill
If the Palestinians are ever going to have a successful state, it will only come after they stop focusing on what they think other people have done to them, and start focusing on what they can do for themselves.
