June 14, 2010 issue
MCC urges nations to end Gaza blockade
Restrictions have devastating effect
By Gladys Terichow Mennonite Central CommitteeWINNIPEG, Man. — Mennonite Central Committee is urging the U.S. and Canadian governments to support restoring the normal flow of goods and people across the Gaza-Israel border.
Restrictions on the entry of building materials into the Gaza Strip make it impossible for Gazans to reconstruct buildings and infrastructure damaged during the December 2008-January 2009 war. — Photo by Doug Hostetter/MCC
MCC also called for an impartial and independent investigation into Israel’s deadly response to the Free Gaza flotilla.
The convoy, carrying 10,000 tons of much-needed aid, was attempting to enter the Gaza Strip by sea and break the Israeli blockade, which has a devastating effect on the livelihoods and lives of Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinians. The convoy was intercepted by the Israeli military before reaching Gaza, and clashes May 31 led to the deaths of nine people.
MCC sent its requests in letters to the U.S. president and Canada’s foreign affairs minister.
Daryl Byler, MCC’s representative in the region, said hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza live in dire conditions without employment and basic supplies because of the Israeli blockade.
Israel has long restricted the entry of goods into Gaza but tightened its blockade in June 2007 when Hamas became the ruling power after winning elections in 2006.
Many consider the restrictions that prevent the movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza a collective punishment for electing Hamas, said Byler, who lives in Amman, Jordan.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 10 per cent of Gazan children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and two-thirds of the Gazan population faces hunger on a daily basis.
Before Hamas came to power in June 2007, about 850 truckloads of food, fuel and other essential supplies were transported into Gaza every day. That number has been reduced to 128 loads.
“They are getting only 15 percent of the goods they got three years ago,” Byler said. The restrictions have created an alternative system of smuggling goods from Egypt through a network of underground tunnels.
“These goods are sold at inflated prices that most people cannot afford,” he said. “It would be much better to have an above-ground system.”
Gaza’s agriculture and fishing industries have been decimated by restrictions on imports.
Restrictions on exports also contribute to the crisis. Farmers have the opportunity to grow crops, but the blockade prevents them from exporting their products.
Comments
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It should be well known that the Israel blockade of Gaza exists to prevent arms from reaching the Hamas terrorists located in Gaza. After arms are removed from the ships, humanatarium aid moves on to Gaza. These arms and weapons are for the purpose of raining violence on Israel citizens, therefore the Israeli government should be commended for safeguarding their citizens.
On a related issue, the new Arizona law is designed to deal with the dangerous and armed illegal immigrants who are a threat to Arizona legal and taxpaying citizens and are responsible for the high crime rate there.
I have concluded the social justice religious left is really pro-violence because they are very critical of the Israel and Arizona governments who initiated action to protect their citizens from those who would do harm.
I, as well as a marority of US citizens, support both Israel and Arizona for their respective action
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Dale, you waste your time and our time by expressing opinion--yours or someone else's rather than telling the truth and facts.
Click on Arizona crime rate--it is really easy!
You will find that the Bureau of Justice Statistics lists crime in AZ lower in 2006, 2007, 2008--the last year available--than any time since 1983.
The crime rate has dropped in all states bordering Mexico, including CA, AZ, TX, and NM from 1998-2008.
The property crime rate in AZ was lower in 2008 than any time in 4 decades--since 1968.
Violent crime dropped from 577.9 per 100,000 in 1999 to 447 per 100,000 in 2008.I did not hear of any arms found on the flotilla that was violently attacked. No guns used from the original people on the boat. They had no guns.
You need to understand human nature to understand why those in the Gaza strip are so frustrated. You need to know the truth of what Israel is dong to them. I do not justify any violence, Israel not excluded.
Is it only Israel that has a right to defend itself? What about the Palestinians? Israel has the 4th or 6th (I have read both) largest military in the world. Palestine has no military. They are occupied by Israel, their water is controlled, their taxes are paid to Israel, etc. Israel holds thousands of Palestinians prisoners and they raised a real complaint when one Israeli was captured. Thousands of houses in Palestine have been demolished by the Israelis with bulldozers made in the USA. Not one Israeli house has been demolished with bulldozers by the Palestinians. It is known as "the occupied territories" because that is what it is. My point is to look at both sides. Then check what Jesus said. His teachings are still right, not so-called right-wing Christians.
While I was in Bethlehem for a week in May one of our group talked to an "Evangelical Christin" tour guide. He said he did not take tour groups into Bethlehem because it was too dangerous. There is no danger--except from the Israelis. One person who talked to Israeli soldiers was told, "We don't want to do what we have to do."
We found the Palestinians a very peaceful non-revengeful people. There are violent individuals, just like in the USA.
Pray for peace instead of spreading false information. It is more becoming of a Christlike life.
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The following from www.nationalterroralert.com dated February 13, 2009 or Google Kidnapping capital of the world. “Brian Ross and ABC News report what officials caution is now a dangerous and even deadly crime wave. Phoenix, Arizona has become the kidnapping capital of America, with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico City and over 370 cases last year alone. But local authorities say Washington, DC is too obsessed with al Qaeda terrorists to care about what is happening in their own backyard right now”
Further, I have a great deal of confidence in the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer that their action was to protect their respective citizens. They both displayed unusual courage to do the right thing knowing there would be strong opposition from the political and religious left. Their action was not the result of their being bored and hoping this would generate some needed self serving attention
Please note the following headlines:
In June, 2010,Agents feared Mexican drug cartel attack on Texas border dam. June, 2010, Texas congressmen call for EMP guns on the border June, 2010, Smuggling of Terrorists across border significant threat. June, 2010, Israeli Navy foils suspected seaborne terror attack
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My confidence is in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
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My confidence is in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
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Dale gives one city, one crime, one year, one threat. That noway compares to the crime rate (all crimes) and four decades.
That is like the people who do not understand the difference between weather and climate change. Weather is changeable and is what happens day to day. Climate change is over decades and cannot honestly be denied as happening. A dictionary explains the difference.
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Les- Thank you for your comments. In general I agree, but I must wonder why? Why engage this? Our friend is in a fantasy world, filled with liberal bogeymen caricatures so busy singing kumbaya around the campfire that they have not a clue about the problems of terrorism or drug smuggling. There have been plenty of examples to disprove his assumptions and conceptions of "liberal" or "religious left" mentality. It is a pointless endeavor to confront the same caricatures from the same person over and over again.
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The Jews are not brain-washing children in military training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and murder as many Jews and non-Muslins in the process.
The Jews don't hijack airplanes or kill athletes at the Olympics. There is not one single Jew that has destroyed a church. There is not one single Jew that makes protests by killing people.
The Jews don't have leaders calling for Jihad and death of all infidels.
I believe most people would agree with Benjamin Netanyahu when he said "If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel".
The Global Jewish population is approximately 14 million or .02% of the world's population. There have been 129 Nobel Prizes awarded to Jews which reflects what God told Abram, "and in thee shall all the families of the world be blessed."
I am weary of the continuing bashing of Israel who concern themselves with protecting their citizens from those who want to destroy them.
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Dale, most of your statements are totally false. I was in one church building where the Israelis denied it was a church building. They greatly damaged the building and destroyed many things. No, a Jew did not destroy the church. The church is the Body of Christ. When will you promote Christianity rather than Judaism?
It is a sin and possibly slander to spread lies.
The NT is based on Jesus Christ, not the illegal establishment of the 1948 State of Israel, which is not at all the OT Israel.
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There are those who watch current political, religious, weather and other events of a catastrophic nature. I consider these people watchmen who I believe have special spiritual insights as regards to ongoing Israel related events.. This effort to oppose the Israel blockade of Gaza is of great concern.
In Genesis , God tells Abraham in regards to his descendents of promise, “I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse you”. .
With these verses in mind, I share observations of Bible Analysts Hal Lindsey and Carl Gallups of Hickory Hammock Baptist Church in Milton FL.
There are several events that are of special interest. The administration of then President Bush strongly encouraged Israeli PM Ariel Sharon to vacate Israel occupied Gaza in an effort to promote ‘peace’. August 15, 2005 was the vacate deadline given to Israeli citizens living in Gaza. On August 29-31, 2010,Hurricane Katrina slams into US Gulf Coast. At that time, there was talk that perhaps Katrina was possibly divinely ordained because of the Israel/Gaza situation earlier in the same month
On April 19, 2010, Fox News reports that the Obama admnistration will no longer automatically support Israel in UN Security Council matters. The next day, on April 20, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes having huge, long term environmental and economic consequences. Is this coincidence? Or the hand and judgment of God?" How many catastrophic events of this nature must occur before we understand that perhaps God is sending us warning messages? Or are these merely coincidents?
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Correction, the year for Katrina should be 2005 and not 2010.
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Yes, Mr. Welty, God may be sending us warning messages that we should follow the Bush/Obama policies of more justice. We cannot support injustice and get away with it. We cannot support Israel's inhuman torturous treatment of those in the Gaza strip, nor their illegal immigration--not just living in the land, but stealing the land from the Palestinians. Much of the land that Palestinians live on is well known as occupied territory. Occupied by Israel. A careful honest reading of "I will bless thee . . . I will curse thee" makes it clear that God was speaking to Abraham, not the current country of Israel, nor at any time the country of Israel, nor the people of Israel. God spoke to Abraham. Genesis 12;2, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you." The object of the verb is "you", not "nation". Similar words were spoken to Ishmael. We are better off reading the Bible, not following some false teacher(s). And the Bible does not end at Gen. 12:3. Moses was later than Abraham. Read carefully the whole chapters of Deuteronomy 28, 29. That makes clear the obedience demanded of the children of Israel. If they do not keep the covenant, there are dire consequences. 29:23-28. The Bible has progressive revelation. Some of it is in the coming of the Messiah Jesus who in John 8:31-47 says, "If you were Abraham's children, then you would do the things Abraham did." "You belong to your father the devil. . ." "The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." Paul writes that there is neither Jew nor Greek, etc. Revelation 5:9, reads that the worthy will be "from every tribe and language and people and nation". No where in the NT (and OT as well) does it say that one will get to heaven without obedience to Christ/God. Israelis by definition are not obedient to Christ the Messiah. FYI there are thousands of Palestinians living in Israel as Israeli citizens. Talk to Palestinians, read books by Palestinians, visit Palestine. The main line of Palestinians do not hold any vengeance or revenge for taking their land from them in 1948 and many times since. A book to start on is "A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation" by Naim Stifan Ateek. There are many other books. I did not know of these books until just before I left for Palestine in May, 2010. They are not publicized partly because of USA fanatical support of Israel.
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