Editorial: Out of Gaza Jail

[bemildred]

AN Israeli government official’s statement summed up so well the callousness of Israeli policy toward the besieged people in Gaza. Responding to the flood of people across the broken border wall into Egypt, he said, “We expect the Egyptians to solve the problem.” Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza a week ago in response to continued rocket attacks from Hamas radicals. The partial lifting on Tuesday of the collective punishment falling on all Palestinian did nothing to allay fears among a trapped and desperate population. When the security wall was breached Tuesday night, first thousands, then tens of thousands and finally possibly as many as 350,000 frightened people out of a total Gazan population of 1.5 million, made the trip into the Egyptian-controlled part Rafah, to buy up whatever essential food and fuel that they could.

It was absolutely right that, on orders from President Mubarak, the Egyptian authorities did not try to stop this desperate tidal wave of humanity. The Israeli action has triggered an humanitarian disaster and no decent neighbor could stand by and let it worsen. Had the Palestinians not taken action themselves, it seems highly likely that the Egyptian authorities, backed overwhelmingly by their own and world public opinion, would have had to intervene to head off catastrophe. There are, no doubt, many Israelis who feel ashamed of the barbarity of their government’s policy.

The question is what happens now. The Mubarak administration will want the border securely restored very soon — if for no other reason than that it is concerned that Hamas radicals will take advantage of the breach to obtain arms, ammunition and explosives and also perhaps seek to recruit radicals from among Egyptians. There is also the question of how many Palestinians who got through into Egypt were less intent on shopping and more on escaping the horrors of Gaza. How many of the hundreds of thousands who crossed over are now seeking to make their way past the controls the authorities have set up around Al-Arish and reach the safety and comfort of Cairo? And who could blame those who wish to take their families away from the living hell of the Gaza ghetto?

It is also surely clear that if the Israelis do not cease their collective punishment of 1.5 million people, further stampedes are inevitable. Shopkeepers in Egyptian Rafah quickly ran out of stock to sell. It is obvious that whatever little the Palestinians managed to buy and take back to their families is hardly likely to last more than a few days. Having done it once, Gazans will be all for breaking through again if the physical barrier is restored or even if the Egyptian border police block their crossing. This could produce a most dangerous crisis for Cairo. Will the order be given to use force, maybe lethal force, in order to stop a further crossing? Is this perhaps what the Israelis want to achieve with their cynical and inhuman starvation of the Palestinians of Gaza — to have Arab firing on Arab?

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=106034&d=24&m=1&y=2008

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. It's a shame this post can't be recommended.

:(

[Vegasaurus]

2. The Palestinians are NOT Israel's problem

If force is used by Cairo, it is Egypt's problem, not Israel.

Egypt already once said that it did not want Gaza. Now they will do it again. But just because the Egyptians don't want responsibility for Gaza doesn't mean that israel is responsible for the welfare of their 1.4 million people.

On edit: this article is unbelievable. It places no blame for the situation on the Gazans themselves (or their terrorists), or on the other arab nations who have done nothing to solve the crisis.

As usual, all blame on Israel, despite the fact that there is a border with another country. That country is somehow absolved of responsibility.

[pelsar]

3. it more than that...they're preparing to blame israel for future violence...

if the egyptians use force on the Palestinians....the article is saying that its israels fault......and i will give odds that, we will see that thought echoed around the world.....

seems neither the Palestenians, now, nor the Egytians have any ability to make their own decisions...seems israel is always making it for them.....