PMO announces plan to ease Gaza siege, but no such decision made

[Jefferson23]

Prime Minister's office issues two statements, one in English announcing plan to ease blockade, and one in Hebrew devoid of binding decision.

By Barak Ravid

Benjamin Netanyahu The Prime Minister's Office announced on Thursday that the security cabinet had agreed to relax Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, but as it turns out, no binding decision was ever made during the cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a press release in English following the meeting, which was also sent to foreign diplomats, was substantially different than the Hebrew announcement – according to the English text, a decision was made to ease the blockade, but in the Hebrew text there was no mention of any such decision.

It is not clear whether this discrepancy was a deliberate attempt to buy time in the face of international pressure, or a clerical omission on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office.

The cabinet ministers held a long discussion on Wednesday and another one Thursday morning on the topic of altering Israel's policy following the three-year siege on the Hamas ruled territory. The siege was imposed after Hamas violently seized control over the Gaza Strip in 2007. The aim of the discussions was to approve a plan drafted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the envoy of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators Tony Blair. The discussions spanned a total of six hours, but no decision was ever made.

During both meetings, many ministers voiced their opinions regarding the blockade, and the defense establishment presented the plans for the "liberalization" of the blockade. However, upon concluding the discussions, the ministers did not vote on any binding practical draft of the decision. In fact, the policy by which the government is currently bound is the one decided by the security cabinet during the previous term of former prime minister Ehud Olmert, by which the blockade remains as it was.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/pmo-announces-plan-to-ease-gaza-siege-but-no-such-decision-made-1.296809