Highest security open-air prison on earth

[Scurrilous]

Last August, Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip. The world rejoiced, rushing to declare that Gaza was now 'free.' So why is it that Palestinians are not satisfied, we hear time and again?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3281289,00.html

<snip>

"My friend and neighbor in Gaza City, B., is a brilliant, ambitious young woman. After years of exile in Syria, B. was able to obtain a permit and eventually ID card that allowed her family to return to Gaza in the mid 1990s.

A 30-year-old civil engineer involved in some of Gaza's top projects, she was recently accepted to pursue her Masters degree at Bir Zeit University. Several paid semesters later she had to withdraw her standing because she was continuously denied a travel permit based on "security reasons" to the West Bank by the Israeli government.

Now, B. confesses, she feels as though she went from living in one prison on the outside, unable to live in her homeland, to another internal prison in her own home, unable to move, study or visit her sister in the West Bank.

B. is not alone, of course, nor does her story represent a particularly glaring example of the effects of Israeli border closures. Her 45-year-old neighbor became blind waiting for his permit to be approved-one that would have allowed him to be treated in a Jerusalem hospital.

What it does demonstrate is how far-reaching and invasive the consequences can be, affecting even seemingly banal aspects of Palestinian life, rendering routine matters utterly impossible."

[sabbat hunter]

1. rebuttal

1) israel has a right to control its borders. if they dotn want to let people/items in from a country that is their right as a sovereign nation.
2) jerusalem is israeli territory. it was supposed to be an international city, but they failed to enforce it in any way. being that it is israeli territory they once again have a right to decide who is allowed in and who isnt.
3) she should be allowed to go to the west bank, but if israel doenst want her to go thru israeli territory to do so, that is their right.


sovereign nations have rights over controlling their own borders.

[nealmhughes]

2. But the right to travel is considered a universal.

If the Palestinian lands are split in half, how can get from Gaza to Nazareth without going through Israel, through Egypt? Then on to Jordan and then the West Bank? A ferry to Lebanon, then overland to Syria to Jordan and then the West Bank? Direct flights from Gaza to Nazareth?

[sabbat hunter]

3. no such thing as

right to travel.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. No, East Jerusalem is NOT Israeli territory...

A very similar argument you used in point 2 could be used to argue that the West Bank is actually Israeli territory. East Jerusalem was never intended to be part of Israel and Israel's annexation of it was and still is illegal under international law...

[sabbat hunter]

6. status of jerusalem

if jerusalem truly became an international city, i for one would support it, however the UN long ago abbrogated their duty over it. since it has been under israeli control it pretty much has been an international city, with all religions allowed to go to the old city.

you cannot really divide up a city. we have seen that in action before with beruit and berlin. it doenst really work.

the status of jerusalem is something that the UN needs to negotiate with israel about, not the palestinian leadership.

the people to really blame for their not having been a palestine long ago are the arab leadership. the ones who took over the west bank and gaza in 1947 and annexed that territory.
lets face it if israel lost the war for independence, syria, jordan and egypt would have split up the mandate between themselves and there would have been no palestine formed.
i believe that support for a palestine by most of the arab countries was/is because it gives the people of those countries a cause to rally around and keep their minds off the repressive regimes that are in place.



one could even argue that under 242 israel control of jerusalem is part of "Safe and defendable" borders.

[4dsc]

5. Say what??

Since when has Israel recognized any of its borders to international standards??