Irish FM urges EU to pressure Israel to end Gaza blockade
Gaza blockade enriches Hamas and stifles voices of moderation, Martin says.
By Reuters Tags: Israel news GazaIreland's foreign minister on Friday called the Israeli blockade of Palestinian-ruled Gaza inhumane and unacceptable and he urged the European Union and other countries to increase pressure on Israel to end it.
Micheal Martin, who visited Gaza last week, was the first EU foreign minister to enter the Mediterranean coastal strip in over a year, an area that was severely damaged in an Israeli offensive in December 2008.
More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the three-week war in Gaza, which Israel launched following months of rocket fire from the territory into Israel.
"The tragedy of Gaza is that it is fast in danger of becoming a tolerated humanitarian crisis," Martin wrote in an opinion piece for the International Herald Tribune, describing conditions as medieval, inhumane and utterly unacceptable.
"(It is) a situation that is proving extremely difficult to remedy or ameliorate due to the blockade and the wider ramifications of efforts to try and achieve political progress in the Middle East."
He will raise the issue at a EU foreign ministers meeting in Cordoba, Spain, this weekend, he said. The EU Commission and EU member states are the largest aid donors to Gaza.
A United Nations report by a team headed by South African jurist Richard Goldstone last September said that both the Israeli army and Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, were guilty of war crimes in them conflict but focused more on Israel. Israel, which refused to cooperate with the Goldstone report, condemned it as distorted and biased and rejected the war crimes allegations. Hamas denied its fighters committed war crimes but has said it regrets Israeli civilian deaths.
The United States pressed Israel to ease the blockade last week and Martin said with 80 percent of the population of Gaza now living below the poverty line and over 50 percent out of work, the blockade was counterproductive.
"What I witnessed in Gaza, amidst all the rubble and devastation, was a population traumatized and reduced to poverty by an unjust and completely counterproductive blockade."
"All that is being achieved through the imposition of the blockade is to enrich Hamas and marginalize even further the voices of moderation."
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The comments of the Foreign Minister are repeating what is the common version of life in Gaza being delivered daily by newspapers and TV in the British Isles. To some People outside Israel conditions imposed on the people of Gaza ,by the most democratic state in the Middle East appear cruel and unjust. We can be smart by placing the blame at the door of who we believe is wrong. But like the peace process in Ireland ,its never that simple. Belief in a just solution rests almost entirly with the People of Israel. But that solution needs to be brought to the table soon. The reality of failure places the whole World in danger. Being a reader of the online edition of Haaretz for many years,I believe I understand the despair triggered by external critiscism of IsraeliPolicy. In this instance the FM I believe is consious of a bigger danger that inertia has brought to the table.
Er, im sure you'll correct me if im wrong. more people from Ireland fought nazi germany that from Sweden. Sweden did a roaring trade during WW2 with all sides and provided germany with most of its ball barings and almost all its iorn ore. Israel is entitled to defend its self from the islamofascists who attack them from gaza but the thousands of ordnary people who are caught in the middle have to be protected and be allowed some standard of living.
The reprehensible blockade, subjugation and imprisonment of 1.5 million people is a crime pure and simple. Mr Martin is right to raise it; it's an offence to any civilised community. Gazan's under such a cruel impositon will always pose a threat to those who they see as persecutors, namely Israel. It is in Israel's own interest ultimately to free the Gazans and deal with them fairly.The alternative is endless conflict. I see vhardman and sweden are trotting out the usual tired, meaningless and irrelevant "arguments" which add nothing to debate. Insults about "paddies" and WW2 might wash with the intellectually challenged; but they dont pass muster with anyone possessing more than 2 brain cells."Patriots" like these Israel could well do without; they do more harm than good.
rocketed? Ireland has a terrible government and I now understand why there has been so much bloodshed there. The Pals in Gaza brought it on themselves by electing Hamas and Israel did the right thing. I woner if this horrible man would allow his children to be rocketed. the EU should break up because stupid men like those in Ireland have to much say
Vhardman and Absolute Sweden the usual right-wing fantatics rush forward with their 'look at what happened in other countries 50 years ago', and 'it's all their own fault for voting in Hamas' claptrap. Mystery to me why they think people want to read such repetative drivel. And sorry, Louis Fried, you honestly think people shouldnt be allowed to re-build their houses because materials may, that's MAY be used for military purposes? I find it depressing any human-being could harbour such a selfish attitute. Perhaps if the shoe was on the other foot, you would see...
All the "punishing the Palestinians" is richly deserved. The "angels of Gaza" wreaked havoc on Israel for too long. Many think Israel treats Gaza with kid gloves. Wait till the water and electricity are shut off, too. It will be well deserved. Thank you, Hamas, for making the lives in Gaza unbearable.
"Leave the palestinians to their own devices, with their land. Then there will be no more need for resistance, then we can see what they do next." You are new around here, no? What you suggest is what happened precisely in 2005. Israel completely left Gaza to their own devices on their own land, and we all saw what they did next. Put down your talking point sheet for a day, and do a bit of research. Wiki Gush Katif for example.
whata about all that swedish iron ore abso?
The problem is that once Israel allows construction materials to enter Gaza they end up as weapons. The concrete will not be used for the construction of homes and other infrastructure but for military installations. If Hamas truly cares about the people in Gaza then it would repudiate its call for the destruction of the state of Israel. And what about Gilad Shalit?? Are we supposed to reward Hamas who entered sovereign Israeli territory and captured him way before cast Lead was commenced? You are ignoring the relevant facts!
Are you crazy? Gaza and WWII are in no way similar. Gaza doesn't threaten world peace or occupy and colonise, or imprison, demolish and humiliate. Israel has brought ash upon itself. Israel can do the right thing tomorrow or today: end the occupation, stop colonising, stop imprisoning, demolishing and humiliating. Leave the palestinians to their own devices, with their land. Then there will be no more need for resistance, then we can see what they do next. Set the people free.
israel is hard hearted, cold and uncaring. they know what is going on there, but they shut their ears , their eyes, so that their hearts cannot feel the guilt, and can freely go on punishing the palestinians in their imprisoned status even more day by day. then they will tell the world that they are behaving humanely, while hamas are terrorists.
You ignore years of Hamas rocket-launching against Israeli towns and villages. You ignore Hamas terror in Israel's cities before Gaza was fenced in.
amazing martin failed to visit at least 25 arab muslim countries wher the conditions are far worse than gaza ! or to consider the answer to any problem is to remove hamas from ruling the strip !!
Unjust and inhumane too,right ?