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Three governments and one closed crossing
By Amira Hass

There are three different governments in this land, and all three are absolutely sure that Western nations and Arab countries will continue to pay for food packages for the million and a half residents of the Gaza Strip for an unlimited period of time.

That is the only explanation for the continued closure of the Karni Crossing, the single transfer point for goods to and from Gaza for the last two and a half months. This is the only way to explain why the three governments - Israel, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and Hamas in Gaza - are not taking seriously the solutions proposed by the Palestinian private sector to operate Karni privately with outside help.

It is still possible to transfer food, medicine and a small amount of raw materials through the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings. But the vast majority of the raw materials needed to continue production in Gaza and all of the products intended for sale outside of Gaza can only pass through Karni. And when Karni is closed, almost all production shuts down completely.

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In the first two months of the closure, according to PalTrade, the Palestine Trade Center, the direct damage to local industry amounted to $8 million in the furniture sector, $15 million in textiles and $3 million in foodstuffs. The losses to agriculture reached $16 million.

The shortage of raw materials has halted 95 percent of all construction, which is valued at $160 million. About 85 percent of all industry is closed down temporarily and 70,000 workers have been laid off.

The three governments are disregarding common sense, reflected in the question asked by Salah Ayash of the Gaza textile industry: "Why should I ask for handouts when I am capable of supporting myself?"

Using economic power to maintain control is nothing new. Since the beginning of the 1990s, the Israeli policy of impoverishment has only become more sophisticated and widespread. It has always been based on the knowledge that the Western world will subsidize it and compensate for the damage the Israeli government causes.

Israeli officials claim that Mahmoud Abbas asked to keep Karni closed. His people, of course, deny this - as expected. Gaza businessmen think this Israeli claim is not true, but still believe that Abbas is not making any effort to open Karni.

In any case, Israel is not waiting for orders from Abbas to open or close crossings. Israel has its own considerations, which converge with those of the government in Ramallah: In Jerusalem and in Ramallah they are convinced that the policy of impoverishment will make the population of Gaza disown Hamas and bring about its fall.

The Israeli government also does not care about the immediate damage caused to numerous Israelis in the private sector from the closure of Karni. For example, textile manufacturers have been dependent on Gaza workshops for decades. They are too unimportant for anyone to listen to them, but they are causing a chain reaction of damage to sewing workshop owners, workers, drivers and small shop owners.

Every day Israeli industry loses $2.2 million from the closure of Karni, according to what Shraga Brosh, the president of the Manufacturers' Association, said two weeks ago.

There is also long-term damage, according to Brosh. The chances of successful economic cooperation with Gaza subcontractors or the sale of Israeli products in Gaza are also in danger. But all this, and the tens of thousands of Israelis hurt by these policies, are small change compared to the political goal of defeating Hamas.

Hamas knows how to lead prayers in the mosques but does not know what economics is, explained one textile workshop owner. But it is probably more accurate to say that the Hamas government is convinced that the policy of impoverishment will actually strengthen its position among most of the Palestinian public, and draw it closer to uncompromising ideological positions and pan-Islamic power centers: Not just because of the many charitable organizations that Hamas established, but also because experience teaches us that people will accuse two other governments: Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is increasingly considered to be a lackey of the U.S.
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  1.   I don`t think either theory is `accurate` 10:11  |  Rowan Berkeley 29/08/07
  2.   AFRAID TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM 10:17  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  3.   "Huge losses" in Gaza which was supposed to be "the poorest place 10:25  |  Absolute Sweden 29/08/07
  4.   LIST of PAL attacks through Gaza crossing points.Wikipedia 10:26  |  PETER SM 29/08/07
  5.   FIGHTING TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM 10:42  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  6.   Three Governments and Three Different Goals 10:46  |  Natallie Durson 29/08/07
  7.   #4 You`re maybe missing the point of the article 10:51  |  Outsider 29/08/07
  8.   LIST of Pal. attacks ON Gaza Strip crossing points.Wikipedia 10:56  |  PETER.SM 29/08/07
  9.   Rowan Berkeley makes sense 11:05  |  S 29/08/07
  10.   Historical Precedent. 11:09  |  Giles Martin 29/08/07
  11.   Embargos, just have a look at Iraq 11:10  |  Laurent Dan 29/08/07
  12.   THE THEORY IS USELESS AS REAL POVERTY IS NOT THERE 11:43  |  PAUL HARRIS 29/08/07
  13.   Amira Hass is biased as usual 12:02  |  Edmond Danijean 29/08/07
  14.   PAL. attacks ON the Gaza crossings (as per Wikipedia) 12:12  |  PETER SM 29/08/07
  15.   Margie in Tel Aviv 12:15  |  Walid 29/08/07
  16.   The Guys in Ramallah get paid for doing that 12:31  |  El-Birawi 29/08/07
  17.   Karni and my wedding 12:42  |  Fares 29/08/07
  18.   PETER SM, Thank you! 12:45  |  Akiva Patysh 29/08/07
  19.   "ha-terror" 12:54  |  Rowan Berkeley 29/08/07
  20.   AKIVA P.They will not publish the attacks made ON the crossings. 12:55  |  PETER SM 29/08/07
  21.   Just one small question...... 12:56  |  Esther 29/08/07
  22.   FARES The Israelis killed at the crossings will have NO weddings 12:58  |  PETER.SM 29/08/07
  23.   R BERKLEY.you can always rely on the apologists for "ha -terror" 13:14  |  PETER SM 29/08/07
  24.   Amira shoots herself in the foot again 13:19  |  peter 29/08/07
  25.   gaza was impoverished under egyptian rule 13:23  |  victor hardman 29/08/07
  26.   Walid, do you know where Gaza is on a map 13:42  |  peter 29/08/07
  27.   Impoverished Ghetto will topple 14:00  |  Mark Lincoln 29/08/07
  28.   Fatah and Israels Agenda slightly different 14:04  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/08/07
  29.   Surprising post from Amira& correct evaluation from1Rowan Berkely 14:09  |  lakshmi 29/08/07
  30.   stupidity ... 14:25  |  ravi 29/08/07
  31.   Didn`t work against Hezobllah why will it work against Hamas 14:27  |  Tupac 29/08/07
  32.   9El Birawi,saw your blogs,quite interesting,I laughed at the use 14:32  |  lakshmi 29/08/07
  33.   #21 Lakshmi, the boring 14:34  |  boring 29/08/07
  34.   I Agree: Practicality Over Emotion 14:40  |  Tony Anthony 29/08/07
  35.   Intellectual Impoverishment of Haas Will Topple Haaretz 14:50  |  dyinglikeflies 29/08/07
  36.   This proves PA is predatory. 15:09  |  Jimm 29/08/07
  37.   For Natallie #6 15:22  |  Esther 29/08/07
  38.   Akiva Patysh 15:30  |  Ibrahim 29/08/07
  39.   The starvation of Gaza will not work... 15:34  |  Ibrahim 29/08/07
  40.   3Absolute Sweden,you may have the right point for the wrong 15:43  |  lakshmi 29/08/07
  41.   If Hamas smuggled food instead of weapons. 15:50  |  Realist 29/08/07
  42.   OK Haas,We`ve Heard It All Before 16:11  |  Jane 29/08/07
  43.   # 28 Lakshmi on Hamas doing well 16:19  |  Lynn 29/08/07
  44.   # 25 Lakshmi 16:24  |  Lynn 29/08/07
  45.   If Israel were smart 16:25  |  Ron 29/08/07
  46.   # 12 El-Birawi 16:27  |  Lynn 29/08/07
  47.   Peter 16:58  |  Walid 29/08/07
  48.   Fares, do not be naive, aluminium is needed for Qassams! 17:46  |  Jesus 29/08/07
  49.   Reading Hass you`d almost think 18:46  |  Victor 29/08/07
  50.   #5 Indrajaya 18:50  |  Murray of Montreal 29/08/07
  51.   Outsider #7 19:05  |  Insider 29/08/07
  52.   #6 Natallie Durson 19:06  |  Murray of Montreal 29/08/07
  53.   Tired of paying for Palestininan and Israeli follies 19:20  |  Denis Franchon 29/08/07
  54.   #37: Silly games or Ignorance? 19:33  |  Victor 29/08/07
  55.   Peter 19:39  |  Walid 29/08/07
  56.   Iakshmi # 25 What Violation? 20:00  |  Jeff Northridge 29/08/07
  57.   poor Walid 20:07  |  peter 29/08/07
  58.   #34 Time for censorship 20:27  |  Cord Henrik Kaldrack 29/08/07
  59.   Ibrahim 20:32  |  Danite 29/08/07
  60.   Lynn on journalistic talent 20:41  |  peter 29/08/07
  61.   lakshmi 20:43  |  Gina 29/08/07
  62.   Mark Lincoln - Hamas and torture 20:49  |  Gina 29/08/07
  63.   I am terrified 20:50  |  Cord Henrik Kaldrack 29/08/07
  64.   So what? 20:51  |  Victor 29/08/07
  65.   The game plan 20:52  |  Rachel C. 29/08/07
  66.   When palestinians chose Hamas, they chose to suffer 21:32  |  Voice of Reason 29/08/07
  67.   Peter SM - many posts 21:53  |  Janice 29/08/07
  68.   #53 denis doesnt know his rrs from the eiffel tower 22:13  |  victor hardman 29/08/07
  69.   Cord Henrik Kaldrack # 67 Understanding Hass 22:21  |  Jeff Northridge 29/08/07
  70.   what a stupid policy 22:25  |  Pssd Off American 29/08/07
  71.   re: Denis Franchon 22:26  |  Efox 29/08/07
  72.   @53, dennis franchon, EU finances israel? 22:31  |  vladimir 29/08/07
  73.   Jeff Northridge: Re: Fourth Geneva Convention 22:34  |  Victor 29/08/07
  74.   JANICE@67 attacking their own lifeline helps how? 22:35  |  PETER.SM 29/08/07
  75.   #4-8-14 PeterSM on resistance by the Palestinians 22:50  |  maoriboy 29/08/07
  76.   Unintended consequences of a foolish policy 23:17  |  Tosefta 29/08/07
  77.   #75MAORIBOY WRONG AS USUAL 23:19  |  PAUL HARRIS 29/08/07
  78.   Punishing Gaza just makes Israel`s future worse 23:20  |  spyguy 29/08/07
  79.   BLAME EVERYBODY BUT HAMAS 23:22  |  zionist forever 29/08/07
  80.   peter 23:37  |  truth 29/08/07
  81.   61Gina,the Camp David accord was,something no self respecting 23:39  |  lakshmi 29/08/07