Egypt opens Gaza border crossing

[Phx_Dem]

Egypt has opened its border with the Gaza Strip to allow students and people needing medical attention to leave the besieged Palestinian territory.

Adel Zurob, a Palestinian official at the crossing, said on Tuesday that at least 4,600 people should be allowed to enter Egypt through the Rafah border crossing over a three- day period.

So far, at least six buses with 300 people aboard as well as 13 ambulances carrying patients crossed into Egypt, he said.

The crossing is the only one in Gaza that bypasses Israel and has been generally closed since June 2006 when Palestinian fighters captured an Israeli soldier.

More at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/11/2008114144826489325.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Good to hear that...

the Egyptians need to pull their weight occasionally.

[azurnoir]

2. Yes Gaza is really their problem

isn't it?

[LeftishBrit]

4. Only in part: one border, not Gaza itself

I dislike it when Israelis imply that Gaza is ONLY Egypt's problem (not while it's still under Israel's jurisdiction!). But Egypt is inclined to express a lot more support for Palestine in words than in actions.

[azurnoir]

3. Yes it is a good thing that Egypt has opened Gaza

and I suppose we will hear that it is PROOF positive that Israel has no influence or control, but note Rafah is open for 3 days not indefinitely. wonder what Israels reaction to the latter would be

[pelsar]

5. israel told egypt...

after 3 days we start bombing.....either that or we tell obama to stop sending money to egypt........got any other options...or are you just throwing out the hint, without committing (as per your style) that israel still somehow magically controls egyptian foreign policy.

[azurnoir]

6. Try again dear

Has Egypt announced that they are opening Rafah indefinitely? Do you know how your government would react? What I notice is that when Egypt opens Rafah it is for a short specified period of time hardly worth starting a major row diplomatic or otherwise over. As for Obama no one can tell him anything yet as he has not taken office and I can see him cutting funds to Egypt for entirely different reasons

[pelsar]

7. so your inferring that israel controls egyptian foreign policy..

why dont you just write it out in simple english.....

Do you know how your government would react?....i always love that line..its been used every time someone mentions the egyptian border....and when its opened for a day an hour or a few days...theres always another reason just around the corner why israel has "let them" open up the border...


so how about some plain English: what would Israel do if egypt opened the border?...

1)
2)
3)
4) do nothing except some diplomatic noise

can you even dare answer?..put it down in writing

[azurnoir]

8. OK

what I think Israel might do in the case of Egypt opening Rafah indefinitely would be to heavily step up operations in Gaza, why to create a situation in which Egypt would either have to accept possibly thousands of refugees or close the border.

Now keep in mind that is one possibility, would Israel directly attack Egypt, most likely not, it would be a risky deal at best

Keep in mind though that neither of us can say for sure, and IMO it depending on the outcome of the election although I do not think Netanyahu would attack Egypt either.

Now as far as Netanyahu goes I understand that both Olmert and Livni have congratulated Obama on his win, but haven't heard boo about Bibi doing so.

BTW thanks I love a dare.

edited to add Israel could complain to the UN, I adore irony too.

[pelsar]

9. Netanyahu...was quicker...

he congratulated Obama before Olmert and Livni....


so israel would start bombing gaza on a sustained basis to create a refugee problem...bear in mind it would have to be concentrated and continuous unlike anything they have done before in gaza and they would have to flatten gaza city to induce such a mass movement......and Egypt would then close their borders?

i find that idea not very realistic, not the bombing of gaza city nor egypt refusing the refugees..but you answered directly...nice to read.

[azurnoir]

10. Your right Netanyahu was the first

found it in jpost

An MK who supports Netanyahu suggests Obama's victory will help him, because the public realizes that since there could be US pressure to make concessions to the Palestinians, Israel needs a right-wing government to "balance out Obama."

But Netanyahu himself would never use that argument, because he wants to build a positive relationship with the new president. Several months ago, he personally instructed Likud MKs not to criticize Obama or praise McCain in the press, despite their natural inclinations to do so.

Netanyahu made a point of being the first Israeli politician to congratulate Obama, sending him a telegram saying he was "looking forward to working closely with him to take a fresh look at the problems of the region, and to find new ideas to help build a better and hopeful future for all of us."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225910056115&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Now as for Gaza I do not think it would take bombing on the scale you describe to create mass movement, look at what happened in last January when the fence was forced open,. I suppose in the long run such a situation could bring the EU observers back, but that too is problematic as the observers would have to also to a degree work with Hamas and that would be on some level "recognition" of Hamas if only informal.