How can people live, I wonder?

[Tom Joad]

Eight months ago, the Palestinians were celebrating the end of Israel's military occupation of Gaza. But the artillery shells keep falling, factions are fighting each other and the economy is on its knees as Israel blockades exports. Has anything changed for the better? Chris McGreal reports

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1782436,00.html
Mousa al-Sawarka lived in a small ramshackle house, watching over his camels and crops on the edge of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza strip, until the rain of Israeli artillery shells got too much. So the 68-year-old Bedouin farmer moved in with his son in town. Two days later a shell flattened Mousa's house. Three weeks after that, another shell killed him as he was trying to drive his camels away from artillery fire. "He was hit directly in the head," says his nephew, Fares al-Sawarka. "We couldn't rescue him because of the shelling. It was 10 minutes before we could get to him. It was so difficult to see his face. When we got the body back from the hospital, we tried not to let his wife see it."

The next day, the family set up the traditional mourning tent within sight of the old man's flattened house. A stream of friends and neighbours arrived to pay their condolences and take coffee. "Then the shells started falling again," says another nephew, Adel al-Sawarka. "We heard screaming and shouting and it was Hassan al-Shafei. The shrapnel hit him in the back and almost cut him in half. There were so many shells, we had to crawl on the ground to escape."

Hassan al-Shafei, a 55-year-old fruit and vegetable farmer, died in hospital. His cousin, Ahmed al-Shafei, carries to the mourning tent five large pieces of shrapnel he picked up in the field. Each is more than six inches long, heavy and jagged. "Imagine this thing, so hot and fast. Just one piece would tear a person's body. It's horrible," he says.

<snip>

Since the beginning of last month, Israel has fired more than 5,100 shells into the Gaza strip from artillery just the other side of the border and from ships off the coast. The military says the bombardment is aimed at deterring Palestinian rocket attacks into Israel from open fields, but the artillery fire has killed six Palestinian civilians, including two children, eight-year-old Hadeel Ghaen and 15-year-old Mamdouh Obaid, and wounded 60 others, including 21 children.
More....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1782436,00.html
_______________________________________
I am not sure what shocks me the most,the brutality of this occupation, or the silence of so many the so-called liberals in the United States.

[TomInTib]

1. On this point, I agree with Gerald Ford and James A Baker,III

But I won't post the quotes as I enjoy visiting this site and do not want to be banned.

[DELUSIONAL]

2. Obviously they want people to leave

oh I forgot -- the ones doing the killing probably don't believe those they kill are people.

As long as the cycle of violence continues -- more deaths will continue.

When will enough be enough -- when will the last revenge killing be enough?

[Phx_Dem]

4. your right--that's exactly what terrorists do..

There are psychological processes which can disengage morality from conduct. This can happen by:

* reconstruing conduct as serving moral purposes
* obscuring personal agency in bad activities
* disregarding consequences of actions
* blaming or dehumanizing victims

Bandura, A. Mechanisms of moral disengagement. In W. Reich, Origins of Terrorism: Psycholigies, ideologies, theologies, states of mind, 1990.
http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/soc_psych/bandura_moral.html


Reprehensible conduct can be masked by euphemistic language and, in some cases, it can allow the conduct to be seen as respectable (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). The individual can be relieved of a sense of personal agency by convoluted verbiage (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). Reprehensible conduct can also be masked by comparison to other more injurious behavior (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). The advantageous or palliative comparison is more effective when more flagrant activities are used in the comparison (e.g., comparing embezzling money from a large corporation to the poisoning of the environment by multinational corporations) (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996).
Another set of dissociative practices operates by distorting the relationship between the agent’s actions and the effects of the actions (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). With displacement of responsibility, individuals view their actions as arising from social pressures and are, therefore, not responsible for their actions (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996).
....
Dehumanization results in the victim being viewed as sub-human, and not as a person with feelings (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996).
Blaming the victim or circumstances is another effective method that decreases self-censure (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). In moral disengagement by attribution of blame, perpetrators view themselves as victims who were provoked. The perpetrator’s actions now become construed as defensive (Bandura, 1990; Bandura et al., 1996). The victim gets blamed and accused of bringing the actions upon themselves.
1999).
http://homes.cerias.purdue.edu/~mkr/moral.doc

[sabbat hunter]

3. why arent the egyptians

allowing food in and goods out of their border crossings with gaza? why are terrorists still launching rockets into israel even after they pulled out of gaza, forcing israel to retaliate and find the fiends that attempted to kill civilians.

[Tom Joad]

6. Israel is the occupying power.

[Englander]

7. Aye, Gaza = OPT. n/t

[sabbat hunter]

13. gaza not occupied

in case you missed it, israel pulled out of gaza months ago. they do NOT control the border between gaza and egypt.

[Englander]

19. Gaza = OPT.

'10 June 2006: Israeli Human Rights Organizations: End Killing of Civilians

Five Israeli human rights organizations demanded today in an urgent appeal to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense that they take immediate action to end the killing of Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories, and to eradicate the factors contributing to these killings.

The organizations (B’Tselem, ACRI, PCATI, HaMoked and PHR-Israel) state that the killing of a family at the Gaza seashore on Friday (a father, mother and four children), apparently by a shell fired by Israeli soldiers, is a terrible addition to an already horrifying statistic: according to B'Tselem data, since the onset of the second Intifada, 3,446 Palestinians in the Occupied Territories have been killed by Israeli security forces. Of those, 704 were minors under the age of 18 years. At lease 1,647 of those killed were in no way taking part in the fighting at the time they were killed (and an additional 246 people were the targets of targeted killings). These dismal figures result directly from a series of Israeli policies, including illegal expansion of Israel's open-fire regulations, deliberate vagueness and double messages regarding the use of force, violation of the principle of proportionality and the failure to conduct independent investigations into civilian deaths.

The organizations add that it is indeed Israel's obligation to take all legitimate steps at its disposal to defend the lives and security of its citizens from attacks by Palestinian organizations. These attacks by Palestinian groups, which deliberately target civilians, constitute a war crime for which there can be no justification. However, it is unconscionable that a sovereign state should use illegal means, some of which reach the level of war crimes. The organizations reiterate that one of Israel's central obligations under international humanitarian law is to minimize the impact of military action on the civilian population, and to ensure the life and security of Palestinian civilians, also during armed conflict.

http://www.btselem.org/english/press_releases/20060610.asp

[Tom Joad]

23. Gee, seems every legal entity in the world still seems to consider

Gaza occupied.

Seems Israel needs to work harder at "catapulting the propaganda".

[Englander]

24. Sure does.

We can add these Israeli ngos to that long list;

B’Tselem, ACRI, PCATI, HaMoked and PHR-Israel.

[pelsar]

25. list?

The organizations add that it is indeed Israel's obligation to take all legitimate steps at its disposal to defend the lives and security of its citizens from attacks by Palestinian organizations. These attacks by Palestinian groups, which deliberately target civilians, constitute a war crime for which there can be no justification.

perhaps instead of complaining about the "illegal means"....how about a short list of what are the 'legal" means to defend the lives of the israelis on the gaza border.


anybody?...or is the question to complex?..i admit i will be surprised if i even get a list from anyone here

[Englander]

8. Karni isn't on the Egyptian border. n/t

[pelsar]

9. the egyptians prefer their security....

When Israel ran the Rafah terminal, some 12,000 trucks crossed a year from Egypt. Some of them now enter Israel through Nitzana, 25 miles south of Kerem Shalom.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1169115.php/White_elephant_slumbers_at_Gaza%60s_border


other than that:

Kerem Shalom crossing on the Gaza-Israel-Egyptian border has been open for humanitarian assistance originating from Egypt since 22 March. Egypt has provided the Gazan people with 280 trucks of humanitarian assistance to compensate for the food shortages resulting from the closures at Karni crossing. As of 10 April, 210 trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom crossing.11 Up to 15 trucks a day are being processed through Kerem Shalom, less than 10% of Karni's current capacity flow.


http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.nsf/22f431edb91c6f548525678a0051be1d/9321873eb12052608525714f004d346b!OpenDocument


However when Egyptians donate, i guess the Egyptians have to open up the Rafah crossing
By 24 April, 298 trucks of flour, sugar and rice had been received in the Gaza Strip with the Rafah terminal authorities estimating that all assistance pledged from Egypt will have been received by the end of today.

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4671.shtml

[Englander]

10. Map of Gaza & report on the economy;

'An Interim Assessement of Passages and Trade Facilitation

Prepared by the World Bank Technical Team, February 28, 2006'

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/WESTBANKGAZAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20844212~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:294365,00.html#Assesement_Passage


'Israel/Occupied Territories: Immediate action needed to avert humanitarian crisis in Gaza

>snip

Background

The Israeli authorities contend that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip ended when Israeli troops were withdrawn from the Strip in September 2005 and, consequently, that Israel is no longer bound by its obligations as an occupying power under international law in the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel continues to control all of the Gaza Strip’s points of entry and exit, as well as its territorial waters and airspace. Israel does not allow the Gaza Strip to have a seaport and destroyed Gaza’s airport in 2001, and only allows goods to enter or leave Gaza via Israel. Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip are permitted to cross the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on foot via the Rafah crossing which is administered by the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EU BAM Rafah), but foreigners are only allowed to enter or leave the Gaza Strip via Israel.

As it remains in effective control of the Gaza Strip, Israel remains bound by its duties as the Occupying Power, as enumerated in the Fourth Geneva Convention. This Convention (Article 33) prohibits the collective punishment of protected persons: "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited."

According to Article 55 of Geneva IV “To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.” And Article 59 specifies: “If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal.”

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engMDE150252006?open&of=eng-ISR

[pelsar]

12. you "forgot this"....(and i wonder why?)

The Palestinian controlled Rafah terminal could offer an alternative to Karni for some direct exports to third countries (i.e. without the need to go through Israel) and the Agreement on Movement and Access allows exports to leave Rafah. A number of Palestinian exporters have sought to move goods through the Rafah terminal. In practice, however, this has not been possible. Anecdotal evidence suggests that efforts have been made to prohibit empty Egyptian trucks from entering the Rafah terminal in order to take products out, while GoI would prohibit any Palestinian truck leaving Rafah in order to take products across into Egypt (even if traveling only to the Egyptian side of the border to transfer goods to an Egyptian truck) from reentering Gaza. As Rafah is currently the only border terminal controlled by the PA, however, it is worth exploring the development of new supply chains that would take Palestinian goods to third country markets by transiting through Egyptian ports.


gosh..imagine that......a whole new option exists that is ignored....damn facts....(most wont notice anyway....it ruins the evil israeli syndrom)

and Egypt long ago does what it wants in terms of israel, whatevers in its best interest..and keeping rafah closed to imports/exports is obviously what egypt prefers.....


http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/WESTBANKGAZAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20844212~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:294365,00.html#Assesement_Passage

[pelsar]

11. the egyptians restrict access:

From the ISM
I became incensed. Why is access to Gaza limited entry so carefully? This is the international community’s hard-won agreement. Disengagement is supposed to mean freedom for Palestinians, and they cannot even have visitors. We have invitations from at least ten Palestinians: come whenever you want; happy to see you; “from Rafah with love,” said one email, sent by a woman I had never met. Why isn’t that good enough? Why is friendship not a good enough reason to visit someone?

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/02/14/gaza-who-really-controls-the-rafah-crossing/

THE OPTION EXISTS
The Palestinian controlled Rafah terminal could offer an alternative to Karni for some direct exports to third countries (i.e. without the need to go through Israel) and the Agreement on Movement and Access allows exports to leave Rafah

http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/1ce874ab1832a53e852570bb006dfaf6/993e6c53da9b6b4c8525712a00763ae6!OpenDocument

[Tom Joad]

5. Israel has fired more than 5,100 shells into the Gaza strip

[sabbat hunter]

14. how many shells

have been fired from gaza into israel at civilian targets? doenst israel have a right to defend itself against such attacks?

[pelsar]

15. 5,000 kassams* for the Palestinians....

*source: israeli TV channel 1 news june 6

[Waya]

16. Sure they do.....

..once they get back behind the assigned borders....then, if they get attacked, absolutely should they defend themselves. As long as they occupy territory that isnt theirs and then get upset becaused the people who are under occupation fight against it - sorry, not good enough.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. you do realize Gaza is not under Israeli control?

[Poll_Blind]

18. Just under the Israeli gun, then?

PB

[sabbat hunter]

20. they are to

the "assigned borders" with gaza. not sure exactly what "assigned borders" means, but israel is fully out of gaza. and you think its ok for hamas to launch rockets at civilians? is that a correct way to fight occupation?

[Waya]

21. I didn't say it was ok.....

.....just not surprising. Israel occupied Palestinian territory, killed thousands, destroyed their homes and generally terrorized the people - not surprising Palestinians fought back, is it?
By 'assigned borders' I mean the borders of '67. Gaza might not be officially occupied anymore - but that doesn't stop Israel from shelling either, does it?

[pelsar]

22. 5,000 kassams not enough?

Gaza might not be officially occupied anymore - but that doesn't stop Israel from shelling either, does it?


given that the day israel left gaza israel received over 30 kassams and has almost every day/night continues to receive them..perhaps you might explain how israel is at fault?

or is your preference that israel do nothing and let its citizens be terrorized and killed?