21-Jun-10 News -- Israel eases the Gaza naval blockade - 21-Jun-2010 - Generational Dynamics

In the whitelisting strategy, Israel specified a list of items that were permitted go come into Gaza. This caused a great deal of confusion, because there are many harmless items that simply hadn't made it onto the list yet.

In the new blacklisting strategy, Israel specifies a list of items that are NOT permitted into Gaza. Anything not on the list is permitted.

"Statement Following the Israeli Security Cabinet Meeting 20/06/2010

Israel’s policy is to protect its citizens against terror, rocket and other attacks from Gaza. In seeking to keep weapons and war materiel out of Gaza while liberalizing the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza, the Government of Israel has decided to implement the following steps as quickly as possible:

1. Publish a list of items not permitted into Gaza that is limited to weapons and war materiel, including problematic dual-use items. All items not on this list will be permitted to enter Gaza.

2. Enable and expand the inflow of dual-use construction materials for approved PA-authorized projects (schools, health facilities, water, sanitation, etc.) that are under international supervision and for housing projects such as the U.N. housing development being completed at Khan Yunis. Israel intends to accelerate the approval of such projects in accordance with accepted mechanisms and procedures.

3. Expand operations at the existing operating land crossings, thereby enabling the processing of a significantly greater volume of goods through the crossings and the expansion of economic activity. ...

6. Israel will continue to facilitate the expeditious inspection and delivery of goods bound for Gaza through the port of Ashdod. ...

The current security regime for Gaza will be maintained. Israel reiterates that along with the U.S., EU and others, it considers Hamas a terrorist organization. The international community must insist on a strict adherence to the Quartet principles regarding Hamas.

Hamas took over Gaza and turned it into a hostile territory from which Hamas prepares and carries out attacks against Israel and its citizens.

The Israel Defense Forces will continue to prevent the flow into and out of Gaza of terrorist operatives, weapons, war material and dual use items which enhance the military capability of Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. Israel calls on the international community to stop the smuggling of weapons and war materials into Gaza.

Gilad Shalit is approaching four years in captivity. The international community should join Israel in strongly condemning those who hold him captive and in redoubling their efforts to secure his immediate release."

This change should substantially increase the types and amounts of goods that can be brought into Gaza.

The announcement was made jointly on Sunday by Netanyahu and Tony Blair, according to the NY Times. Blair, the former Prime Minister of Britain, is serving as a Middle East envoy from the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers — the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

I watched Blair being interviewed on Sunday afternoon on CNN, and I was struck by how often he said that Israel had to be able to defend itself. He made some mention of that in practically every sentence.

My interpretation is that Blair is taking on the role of being the only person expressing Israel's point of view. The world is pretty uniformly critical of Israel these days, even the Obama administration. With the Israelis in a highly anxious state, it's possible that Israel will overreact, as it has done in the past. Blair undoubtedly realizes that, and is taking steps to reassure Israel that its interests and survival will be protected.

Netanyahu's statement on Sunday retains the requirement that everything must still be inspected. Therefore, this will change nothing in terms of the "freedom flotillas" that are going to set sail to confront the Israeli naval blockade, and possibly provoke violence. Thus, we can still expect a tumultuous summer.

The strange case of Helen Thomas

A Sunday Washington Post article is authored by David F. Nesenoff, the rabbi who asked Helen Thomas on May 26 for "Any comments on Israel?" and got the answer "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine," and to "go home" to Poland and Germany.

This is such a bizarre and deviant answer from a supposedly respected member of the White House press corps that it raises numerous questions. The main question is how the White House press corps could have protected Thomas for so many years. I've frequently criticized the mainstream media, especially the NY Times and NBC News, and especially during the Iraqi war "surge," for doing everything in their power bring about the defeat and humiliation of the United States. Fortunately they failed, but it's consistent with their protection of the likes of Helen Thomas, and it's the same bizarre and deviant mentality.

In 2006, I posted the article, "President George Bush talks about a 'Third Awakening,' but he has his history wrong." In that article, I traced how the U.S. started the 20th century as a largely Protestant country, intolerant of Jews and Catholics alike. In reaction to the atheism of Stalin's Communist Russia and to the Holocaust, America changed after WW II into a champion of freedom of religion. At that time, America also became "policeman of the world," and Israel's principal defender.

So the question that I have is this: Where did Helen Thomas develop such deep hatred of the Jews? This is the stuff that the world is made of. This is the stuff that leads to the bloodiest genocidal wars. But how did she develop that hatred?

Thomas was born in America in 1920 of naturalized Syrian/Lebanese parents. She's always claimed to be a proud American, and yet she developed this pathological hatred for Jews. How is that possible?

The comparison that I draw is to the London subway bombers of 2005. These were young men, born near London of naturalized Pakistani parents, and they hated the British enough to blow up subway cars full of people. Thomas must have developed her hatred around the same age, but of course didn't choose to blow anybody up.

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In Osh, Kyrgyzstan, it's quiet tonight, even though the Kyrgyz army used heavy equipment to tear the down the barricades the Uzbeks had erected to protect their homes from violence by --- the Kyrgyz army. NY Times

Turkish newspapers appear to be blaming the United States for a terrorist attack by the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists that killed 11 soldiers on Saturday. The claim is that the U.S. should have spotted the terrorists approaching and provided real time intelligence to the Turks, but didn't do so. Today's Zaman

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jun-2010
21-Jun-10 News -- Israel eases the Gaza naval blockade

Israel changes the terms of the Gaza naval blockade

The strange case of Helen Thomas

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jun-2010 21-Jun-10 News -- Israel eases the Gaza naval blockade

Israel changes the terms of the Gaza naval blockade

The strange case of Helen Thomas

Additional Links

Web Log Pages

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jun-2010
21-Jun-10 News -- Israel eases the Gaza naval blockade