Fourth day of the truce in Gaza, 'meager' increases in the humanitarian aid that Israel will let in the Strip. I hope things will improve over time.
But some people are trying actively not to alleviate the suffering of the Gazans, purposefully keeping them in the near-starvation state they've been in for more than a year now. These include hardcore extremists and politicians attempting to embarrass Olmert - and the Shalit family.
Times Online reports that "Members of the Schalit family petitioned Israel's supreme court yesterday to block the truce deal, arguing that border crossings should stay closed as long as their son was held."
Wow.
I do understand that a bereaved family isn't expected to be magnanimous and I empathise with them, I really do.
In the same time, with 600 Palestinians killed in Gaza in the past year only, partly in retaliation for the soldier's kidnapping, one would think that their blood thirst would be quenched. Not quite, apparently.
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5 comments:
I think the Shalit's are wrong in so many ways. I agree with you - they have my sympathy, my empathy and my support, but not on this call. One thing though, I don't think its about vengeance or blood thirst. They just want their boy back, and they're not really thinking strait.
What Yishay said. No way in the world can you accuse the Shalits (whom I have met) of blood thirst. They are frustrated because the government and the security services keep lying to them, so they are fighting back the only way they know how.
I interviewed Noam last year - here. I don't think a man who suffers from "blood lust" would visit the families bereaved at Beit Hanoun, call Ghazi Hammad a "nice man" or appeal publicly for a break in the cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians.
Lisa
I won't argue or try to give justifications for what the Shalits said in the past because portraying them as the bad guys overall is far from my purpose.
However, calling for -- and as I just read, succeeding in -- mass-punishing the Gazans by severing their only connection to the outside world is vindictive.
Lisa - I know you interviewed Noam Shalit, and have a great deal of sympathy for the man. As a matter of fact, I looked up and re-read your interview this very morning, before posting this entry, trying to sound whether he would be the vindictive type. Obviously no, according your article.
Then I realised that the interview was 18 months ago. What one does when in the eye of the media storm is different from what one does after 2 years of missing their son - at which point the Palestinians would have morphed into this bland, rocket-toting inhumane mass they are to the rest of the world.
I think the Shalits' behaviour is comprehensible but indefensible.
You commented on errors in my post--allow me to return the favor.
Check out http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2008/06/gazans-suffering-from-severe-math.html
You say "Fourth day of the truce in Gaza, 'meager' increases in the humanitarian aid that Israel will let in the Strip. I hope things will improve over time."
Actually, according to Maan News (quoted at Elder of Ziyon), Israel is allowing in more than what they agreed to.
Are you actually saying that Hamas is giving Gazans all available resources and keeping nothing for themselves and for their armed forces?
Those 600 Gazans killed--are you including the 612 killed last year...by fellow Palestinians?
No, it's not all black and white--I just thought I'd help balance out the hue.
Daled Amos
Daled -- pleasure to have you here.
Regarding the 600 killed, I had this statistic in mind, from BBC News: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7462554.stm)
Since the last ceasefire collapsed in April 2007, about 600 Palestinians and 18 Israelis have been killed in fighting between the two sides."
So I'm guessing this does not include those killed by other Palestinians, no. (Sadly.)
I also looked up the reference you linked to on EoZ (from MaanNews) and it's incorrect. The number of trucks (regardless on their content; they're mainly humanitarian supplies) has increased from 60 per day (before the truce) to 80 per day now.
The article also cited that food supplies should be increasing by 30% as agreed but have only increased by 20%. These numbers are separate from the number of trucks entering the Strip, as EoZ seems to understand.
You are right - It's not all black and white. I couldn't agree more.
Thanks!
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