Israel faces growing world pressure to lift Gaza blockade
British PM: Siege has only strengthened Hamas; Netanyahu: World pressure won't stop Israeli blockade.
Tags: Gaza flotilla Israel newsUnited Nations envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair on Wednesday joined growing international calls on Israel to end its embargo on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying it was "counter-productive".
The call comes amid widespread international condemnation over nine deaths aboard a Turkish ship which tried to run the blockade of the Palestinian enclave on Monday.
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A Palestinian woman and her daughter arrive at the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip hoping to cross into Egypt on June 1, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
"The policy of Gaza is counter-productive and what [Israel] should be doing is allow material in to rebuild homes and sanitation and power and water systems and allow business to flourish," Blair told Reuters in an interview in Bethlehem.
The embargo was not helping Israel recover a soldier held captive by Hamas since 2006, he said. "Nor do we in fact do damage to the position of Hamas by harming people in Gaza."
"People are harmed when the quality of service is poor and people cannot work," said Blair, envoy to the Palestinians for the Quartet of international powers seeking Middle East peace.
Of Egypt reopening its border, he said: "They recognize the human case for making greater use of Rafah crossing."
British Prime Minister David Cameron made a similar call on Wednesday, and called Israel's raid of the Gaza flotilla "completely unacceptable." Cameron told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the years-long blockade has only strengthened Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday included the same demand as they passed a resolution to send an international committee to investigate the circumstances of the raid which left nine foreign activists dead.
The United Nations says the blockade has led to a humanitarian crisis for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Wednesday the embargo was necessary to keep Hamas from getting weapons.
Israel denies there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying it lets through food and medical supplies, while barring goods it fears Hamas may use for war -- including concrete and steel.
The former British prime minister called on the Hamas Islamist group to end "terrorism coming out of Gaza".
Blair was attending an investment conference in Bethlehem, where Hamas's secular rivals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank hold sway. The organizers hope to attract foreign investment in small- and medium-sized business projects.
"It sends a message of confidence and belief and allows outside investors to realise that it is possible to come and invest in Palestine and do well," Blair said, while cautioning against an approach espoused by Netanyahu that gives priority to fostering economic growth over reaching a final peace deal.
It should not be a "substitute to the politics", he said, but was "an important part to make the politics work".
Among deals announced at the conference, the Palestinian Authority said local and Middle Eastern investors had agreed to build a power station in the northern West Bank with capital of about $300 million. At present, the West Bank depends entirely on imports from Israel and from Jordan for electricity.
U.S. aid agency USAID pledged $75 million to support public infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and a further $25 million to improve private sector competitiveness.
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The neccessities that it currently receives from Israel a result of Israel's blockade which requires it to let in certain things and maintain a certain standard of living. The moment the blockade is lifted Gazans are on their own. There will be no legal obligation on Israel to provide services. For example, sick Gazans rather than being able to go to Israel for FREE TOP QUALITY medical treatment, might not be able to and might have to go to to Egypt or other places in the world. Furthermore, once the seige is lifted, if Gazans are impoverished by Hamas policy it will no longer be Israel's issue. Lastly, israel will have increased military abilities should Rockets start coming out of Gaza as it will no longer be the "occupied" power by any stretch of the word. So as a proud Israel supporter, born there but now live abroad, so long as the security of Israeli's is guaranteed then sure lift the blockade but make sure the world understands the conditions by which it is lifted. notably, complete and utter apathy to Gaza and Gazans existence, unless rockets should come a flying then we will have bigger issues.
But I'll just bet a European boycott of Israeli goods would do the job.
The Americans leadership said it is not sustainable. This didn't mean that the Americans thought that Israel could not keep it up. This meant that America would take steps to end it at some point. The message to Israel is FIX IT and FIX IT SOON. Israel says that Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. It says so right in their charter. Hamas leaders, two years ago, said that they would be willing to accept the Saudi plan, or a peace plan based on the 1967 borders. Israel made sure not to pursue this offer, since any peace plan would end settlement expansion and erase all that settlement expansion over the past years and decades. Israel does not want peace. It is political suicide for the Israeli that makes the deal. Hamas does not pursue peace when there is no chance of it since it would make them appear weak to Israel as well as being a waste of time. Hamas should not be discounted from the peace process. After all, it was Israel that give rise to Hamas (as well as Hizbollah) in the 1980's due to the oppressive Israeli policies.
"The [Goldstone] Report states that Israeli acts that deprive Palestinians in the Gaza Strip of their means of subsistence, employment, housing and water, that deny their freedom of movement and their right to leave and enter their own country, that limit their rights to access a court of law and an effective remedy, could lead a competent court to find that the crime of persecution, a crime against humanity, has been committed"- unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/0/9B63490FFCBE44E5C1257632004EA67B?opendocument
that little stunt at sea will focus the world's eyes on the Gaza blockade which is unjustified and inhumane. there is nothing Israel can do now except to lift it or risk being in par with nations such as Iran and N.Korea.
Are there no smart politicians left in Israel? Why can't Israel stand critism? Listen to the advice of your last friends if you don't want to rot in isolation.
Just look how tiny Israel is compared to the nations around it. For the past sixty plus years this small but brave nation has been attacked from all sides day in day out and despite this they continue to grow economically and geographically. We all know or should know the history of the Palestinian people, they have been push out of many Arab countries and became refugees many times over and over again this makes me feel very sad for theses people since they may have never had a day of peace in there lives but whos to blame. I have spoken and saw first hand Muslims that live with in Israel getting good and equal treatment (jobs health care and all other benefits) The point I'm trying to make is that Israel is a real democratic state treats all it citizens equity despite all the hardships it has from their neighbors. Why does the whole world only see Israels blockade on Gaza and not the Fact that Egypt has one too. That's just one small example to this big mess. But you knew this already. So were left with only the truth, the Arab nations want Israels destruction at any cost and Obama is to busy trying to make the Arabs happy and show them that hes with them. But Mr Obama its time to realize that they're laughing at you not with you Because the USA is on that same list!!!
GB is an opportunist ,cringing to strong and trampling on the weak.