Israel eases blockade, approves more Gaza exports

[JEDIYoda]

Things seem to happen in tiny steps, yet things are happenning.
The huge issue is not to make things appear as if the terrorist organization Hamas had any hand in any of this porogress!!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101208/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade

JERUSALEM – Israel decided Wednesday to allow increased exports from the Gaza Strip, further easing its blockade of the territory run by the militant Palestinian Hamas group.

Israel's Security Cabinet said its decision would expand economic activity for Gazans. Critics of the blockade welcomed the decision as a first step but said more was needed to fully resuscitate Gaza businesses.

Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser said Israel wishes to "ease the pressure on the population in Gaza that is under Hamas' oppressive and terrorist rule."Israel and Egypt blockaded Gaza after Hamas seized power there in June 2007. Israel says the blockade keeps the Islamic militants from rearming, while critics say it hurts ordinary people in the seaside territory.

Under the new regulations, Palestinians will be able to export furniture, textiles and agricultural products, said Israeli military spokesman Maj. Guy Inbar. He said the new exports to the West Bank and abroad would be allowed gradually, and he expected shipments to begin soon.

Textiles, agriculture and furniture represent Gaza's main industries, and they would greatly benefit from the new export rules, Gaza-based economist Omar Shaban said.

Up to now, Israel allowed only shipments of strawberries and flowers to be exported from Gaza.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who represents the "Quartet" of international Mideast peacemakers, welcomed the decision, saying exports are "key for the revitalization of Gaza's economy and job creation" and can help strengthen local businessmen.

Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the Israeli general who controls access to Gaza, told The Associated Press in October that he was looking for a way to permit exports while preventing Hamas from getting credit for any progress.

There is more -- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101208/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade

 

[Lemon law]

While any small lip added lip stick on a pig maybe a slight improvement, I doubt its going to mollify very many Israeli critics. Simply because it so misses the point and does nothing to advance the elephant in the room, namely the viable Palestinian state that is the greater goal.

But just my opinion, what matters is how the rest of the world looks at it. As for Tony Blair, IMHO, he has very little world cred, as one of the salesmen of stupidity.

 

[EagleKeeper]

As if the rest of the world really cares

 

[Zebo]

Retarded especially after Hamas just wished us Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah

Hamas: kill Christians and Jews "to the last one"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjxm3OSy4EE&feature=player_embedded


*but deep down they really want peace just ask lemon law he'll tell ya.


I say strangle Gaza till they all die or get peaceful.

 

[PokerGuy]

Oppression = oppression * .99998.

Great!

 

[Freshgeardude]

Retarded especially after Hamas just wished us Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah

Hamas: kill Christians and Jews "to the last one"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjxm3OSy4EE&feature=player_embedded


*but deep down they really want peace just ask lemon law he'll tell ya.


I say strangle Gaza till they all die or get peaceful.

+1 :thumbsup:


but wait for LL to come in and critize the translation. its not "wipe israel off the map", its "wipe israel's government off the map"

 

[Nebor]

As if the rest of the world really cares

+1

 

[Lemon law]

FGD waits for, "but wait for LL to come in and critize the translation. its not "wipe israel off the map", its "wipe israel's government off the map"

OK I will bite, to some extent what Achmadinejad meant in what amounts to a poor Iranian to English translation, is wipe the post 1967&73 wars gains off the map which a Palestinian
State would accomplish.

As for the Arab world, they are now willing to accept the existence of Israel inside of its post 1948 borders. Or put exactly the same way, back to their 1967 borders. Which means their pre 1967 war borders.

So the question is, what does wipe Israel off the map mean and what parts of the map?
It may not be as clear cut as it seems by we do know Israeli propagandists are the ones
pushing only their own version for their own advantage.

Meanwhile, Achmadinejad is hardly very powerful in Iran itself, the real power is in the Mullahs, nor does Achmadinejad have much cred in the larger mid-east.

So why, FGD, why do you place all your inordinate paranoia in a motor mouth like Achmadinejad? Who cares what Achmadinejad says and why should anyone on this forum care? Shouldn't we care more about the dire predictions of the Iraqi information minister? Or alternately about all that WMD GWB said Iraq had?

 

[Zebo]

Ridiculous those 67 borders can't be defended, zigzagging and stretching thousands of miles which is what caused Israel to almost be wiped out a couple times.. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me. Aint gonna happen.

 

[Lemon law]

Ridiculous those 67 borders can't be defended, zigzagging and stretching thousands of miles which is what caused Israel to almost be wiped out a couple times.. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me. Aint gonna happen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What a poor argument. The 1948 Israeli borders were what the UN gave them, and as a result Israel is a very small country with no buffer zone. Even after the illegitimate gains of the 1967&73 wars are added in, Israel is a very small country with no buffer zone.

Yet many countries all over the world that are smaller than Israel have prospered for thousands of years. Their secret of success is to not try being armed camp aholes taunting their much larger neighbors by glorying in being the neighbor from hell.

Of course there have been some small countries in world history that tried the Israeli strategy
also, but that is exactly the point, they don't last long and are now, as they say, history.

 

[EagleKeeper]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What a poor argument. The 1948 Israeli borders were what the UN gave them, and as a result Israel is a very small country with no buffer zone. Even after the illegitimate gains of the 1967&73 wars are added in, Israel is a very small country with no buffer zone.

Yet many countries all over the world that are smaller than Israel have prospered for thousands of years. Their secret of success is to not try being armed camp aholes taunting their much larger neighbors by glorying in being the neighbor from hell.

Of course there have been some small countries in world history that tried the Israeli strategy
also, but that is exactly the point, they don't last long and are now, as they say, history.

What country has a narrow 20 miles choke point that is/was surrounded by hostile neighbors? The boundaries were initially based on Israeli settlement activity on land purchased from the local population.

It was not expected by the UN that there would be major armies trying to destroy a nation at birth. The Arabs played a great game of poker with the UN.

Had those armies NOT tried to destroy her; Israel would be still at the '48 boundaries, there would be no mass of Palestinian refugees and no rich Palestinian leaders. There probably would also still not be a Palestinian state.

Every peace treaty that Israel has signed with the Arabs and Palestinians has been broken at least once by either an Arab nation or a Palestinian group.

They have not allowed Israel to live without a threat of attack. Remove the threat and there could be peace.
but there are Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians that do not want peace.