1 post tagged “border”

Previous to Jan 23, 2008 most of the Western world did not know that Egypt has a blockade of its own to the Gaza Strip preventing cross border traffic.  Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!  It looks very similar to the fence the Israelis built complete with concrete walls and 20 foot tall corrugated iron and razor wire.

Gaza has been under Palestinian rule since the Oslo Peace Accords when Arafat went from resistance leader to legitimized Palestinian Authority.  Hamas has been the acting authority since June and has demonstrated equally corrupt leadership and equally deadly aggression against Israel.  The Palestinians had launched 4 to 5 hundred rockets into Israel  in the previous week which prompted the Israelis to close access into Israel and allowed only emergency shipments into Gaza.  Of course, the UN has called Israel's actions criminal but have no regard for the hundreds of rockets Hamas has used to attack non-military targets in Israel in the previous week or for the blockade on the Egyptian border.  Gaza's borders are entirely controlled by its only neighbors, Israel and Egypt but Israel gets all the criticism for the blockade. 

Hamas, feeling the pressure from their own people suffering for lack of food and basic staples, blew up the Egyptian blockade instead of Israel's because they knew a breach on that side would be viewed as an attempt to attack the Israeli military and would be met with overwhelming force.  News reports reveal that the Egyptian border also has military guarding it and they have repelled numerous attempts to cross until the night time breach in 5 or 6 different locations via multiple explosions and heavy equipment pushing over the weakened structure.  If you read through the articles, some way down into the body you find that throughout the 11 day breach, a kind of open air bazaar sprang up via Egyptian peddlers bringing supplies to sell to the Palestinians who were streaming over the border, but just a couple blocks away, military and riot police contained the hordes of shoppers coming out to buy their supplies.

In the end, Hamas under pressure, worked with the Egyptians to reseal the border, controlling its own populace while the fence was being set up again.  So much for the brotherhood of Islam.  If you don't think this is enough proof that Egypt is just as guilty in the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, take it from a spokesman for Hamas.  ""The people of Palestine will not go back to their cage,"  Sami Abu Zuhri said at a rally Friday. "We broke the handcuffs, and we will break the siege."

Some in Israel think this is an opportunity to force Egypt to take responsibility for Gaza.  Matan Vilnai  This would allow Israel to wean Gaza from the Israeli tit and produce accountability in the area through the peace treaty Israel has enjoyed with Egypt since 1979.  Gaza would benefit by being released from the terribly inept leadership of Hamas and other factions who would rule in their stead.  Quoting Daniel Pipes; Egypt has abilities Israel does not, to work with Muslims to bring security to both the Gazans and Israel and the onus is on Muslims, not Jews to help Muslims.