"If you have two brothers, put them in a cage and deprive them of basic and essential needs for life, they will fight, I don't think we should put the blame on the victim."
- Ziad Abu Amr, Palestinian Foreign Minster at news conference in Tokyo
Israel's strategy of Conquer ad Divide has reached another threshold. Israel’s right wing Maariv newspaper described Palestine as divided into Hamastan in the Gaza Strip and Fatah Land in the West Bank. What better way to turn the world’s attention away from its ongoing construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and expansion of its illegal separation barrier that is confiscating Palestinian land.
The Jerusalem Post for its part is advertising Israel’s attempt to wash its hands of the blood running in the streets in Gaza which perpetuates the myth that Israel is free of the responsibility she has of creating the Gaza Strip in 1948. Israel, not Egypt is the one who ought to take responsibility for the ongoing crisis.
A new Oxfam report points out precisely this role of Israel as midwife to the crisis in Gaza, citing the economic crisis looming in Gaza. Oxfam is calling for the EU to end the boycott of PA.
Watch this short film on the underground economy via the tunnels of Rafah's border town by journalist Laila Al-Haddad.
Alvaro de Soto, the UN's recently retired Middle East envoy has condemned the UN's policy in the region and calls for the UN's withdrawal from the Quartet which is carrying out an economic embargo on the Palestinian unity government.
5 comments:
Entirely of your own making. Islamist Hamas vs. corrupt Fattah. Both are representatives of your people....why not blame them for you peoples' misery instead of always looking elswhere?
Interesting point about the boycott, aid to the PA increased in 2006 surpassing that which was given in 2005. Where did it go?
1. I am not Palestinian, if you don't believe me come and see for yourself.
2. Aid increased to Palestinians, not to the PA. It went as relief directly to the people largely in form of food hand outs. Check your facts.
I never said that the government received it, but that the aid went to the Palestinian Authority, the area which is called by that name.
I am very well aware that the government is being boycotted, and with good reason.
You are one of my favourite bloggers in Gaza, hoping and praying that everyone in your neighborhood that you have introduced us to over the past few months have stayed safe, you included. I hope this madness will end soon.
I think you'll find that the Palestinian Authority refers to the ministries set up to manage civil affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. There is no area called the Palestinian Authority, only an area managed by it.
The amount of aid given to Palestinians in general in the Occupied Palestinian Territories increased because the lot and lifechances of the ordinary Palestinian is gradually reducing - for some more than others.
The quartet boycott only applies to the PA, which is seen to be contaminated due to the election of Hamas officials. The effect has mainly been to make things worse by stopping wages to public officials including judges, teachers, doctors etc.
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