Comments on: Eyeless in Gaza http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:34:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: Paul Malin http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1278 Paul Malin Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:11:44 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1278 So you're going to Gaza because you really <i>care</i> about the Palestinians and your really <i>care</i> about the siege. But it's not about humanitarian aid, so you don't bother to take any, even though you, alone, are going to be breaking the blockade? Well, alright — 200 hearing aids, that's about one suitcase, and 5000 balloons (<i>balloons?</i>), another suitcase. Even my parents, touristing in the USSR in the 1980s, found space to cram some jeans and a tanach or two into their baggage, for the use of the locals. It was a tighter squeeze than hearing aids and balloons on a fishing boat will have been. Could it be that these people love the cause (or Cause), but don't actually give a wet slap about the people? It could be — because that's exactly how the Arab states have treated the Palestinians since the beginning. So you’re going to Gaza because you really care about the Palestinians and your really care about the siege. But it’s not about humanitarian aid, so you don’t bother to take any, even though you, alone, are going to be breaking the blockade? Well, alright — 200 hearing aids, that’s about one suitcase, and 5000 balloons (balloons?), another suitcase. Even my parents, touristing in the USSR in the 1980s, found space to cram some jeans and a tanach or two into their baggage, for the use of the locals. It was a tighter squeeze than hearing aids and balloons on a fishing boat will have been.

Could it be that these people love the cause (or Cause), but don’t actually give a wet slap about the people? It could be — because that’s exactly how the Arab states have treated the Palestinians since the beginning.

]]> By: Richard http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1271 Richard Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:34:56 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1271 Yvonne Ridley "We took in some token humanitarian aid but it was all about the siege … stupid!" No , it was much more than that , it was part of a delegitimisation of Israel campaign , part of a campaign which believes Israel should not exist within a 2 states settlement. From the campaigns website : 'The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in 1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that has squeezed Palestinians in the West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.' Yvonne Ridley “We took in some token humanitarian aid but it was all about the siege … stupid!”

No , it was much more than that , it was part of a delegitimisation of Israel campaign , part of a campaign which believes Israel should not exist within a 2 states settlement. From the campaigns website :

‘The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in 1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that
has squeezed Palestinians in the West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.’

]]> By: Noga http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1270 Noga Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:52:44 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1270 Does Ridley's scolding mean that BILL DIENST, the ship’s doctor, who described the mission as: “Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe…, Israel … denies the vast majority of the population access to … medical care and basic necessities. ” is a dishonest and stupid person? Does Ridley’s scolding mean that BILL DIENST, the ship’s doctor, who described the mission as:

“Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe…, Israel … denies the vast majority of the population access to … medical care and basic necessities. ”

is a dishonest and stupid person?

]]> By: Eamonn McDonagh http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1269 Eamonn McDonagh Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:25:47 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1269 I'm with Snoopy I’m with Snoopy

]]> By: Lipschitz http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1267 Lipschitz Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:46:28 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1267 Also Yvonne, you say this is all about the "siege" - if Hamas had restricted its activities to chucking hearing aids and balloons at Israeli schoolkids & pensioners, do you really think there would be a "siege" at all? Also Yvonne, you say this is all about the “siege” - if Hamas had restricted its activities to chucking hearing aids and balloons at Israeli schoolkids & pensioners, do you really think there would be a “siege” at all?

]]> By: Lipschitz http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1266 Lipschitz Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:43:06 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1266 Oh come on Yvonne don't be so modest. If IDF had kidnapped you and held you hostage on a West Bank settlement you'd have converted to orthodox Judaism by now! Oh come on Yvonne don’t be so modest. If IDF had kidnapped you and held you hostage on a West Bank settlement you’d have converted to orthodox Judaism by now!

]]> By: SnoopyTheGoon http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1265 SnoopyTheGoon Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:40:44 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1265 Where does a person who - converted to Islam - joined this disgusting spiv Galloway - called her co-religionists to boycott the police - sung hosannas to child killer Shamil Basaev - ... - and now is hobnobbing with Hamas gangsters gets off calling anyone stupid? Strange world... Where does a person who

- converted to Islam
- joined this disgusting spiv Galloway
- called her co-religionists to boycott the police
- sung hosannas to child killer Shamil Basaev
- …
- and now is hobnobbing with Hamas gangsters

gets off calling anyone stupid?

Strange world…

]]> By: Yvonne Ridley http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1260 Yvonne Ridley Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:52:02 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1260 Oh cut out the invective and go to the www.freegaza.org website and you will see what the mission was all about. We took in some token humanitarian aid but it was all about the siege ... stupid! Kindest regards Yvonne Ridley ps: Personally I was glad the Israeli Navy backed down - I hate confrontations and certainly did not want to become the next Tom Hurndall or Rachel Corrie Oh cut out the invective and go to the http://www.freegaza.org website and you will see what the mission was all about.
We took in some token humanitarian aid but it was all about the siege … stupid!
Kindest regards
Yvonne Ridley

ps: Personally I was glad the Israeli Navy backed down - I hate confrontations and certainly did not want to become the next Tom Hurndall or Rachel Corrie

]]> By: Noga http://blog.z-word.com/2008/08/eyeless-in-gaza/#comment-1125 Noga Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:49:01 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=257#comment-1125 BILL DIENST, the ship's doctor, described in an article the situation in Gaza as follows: "Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe..., Israel ... denies the vast majority of the population access to ... medical care and basic necessities. " http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/371366_firstperson21.html Yet the Gaurdian, a news outlet not known for favouring Israel, reported that: "The mission is intended to challenge the economic blockade imposed by Israel and deliver a cargo of 200 hearing aids for a deaf school and 5,000 balloons" presumably quoting the ships passengers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/23/israelandthepalestinians Can we deduce, from the incongruity between the messages that no humanitarian crisis takes place in Gza, that there is no shortage of basic nessecities and medical care, and that the people on those two yachts had known that all along? Why else would they bring in a "cargo" of 200 hearing aids and 5,000 balloons and not what you would expect such good people to bring to a place of such deprivation (like food stuffs and antibiotics, etc)? Isn't it a cynical manipulation of the term "humanitarian aid"? Balloons? And won't this cause a long term harm to the credibility of genuine humanitarian missions, going where the people are actually dying, starving and deprived of the barest necessities? Such as in: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/23/content_9648262.htm http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/LSGZ-7HNCRJ?OpenDocument BILL DIENST, the ship’s doctor, described in an article the situation in Gaza as follows:

“Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe…, Israel … denies the vast majority of the population access to … medical care and basic necessities. ”

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/371366_firstperson21.html

Yet the Gaurdian, a news outlet not known for favouring Israel, reported that:

“The mission is intended to challenge the economic blockade imposed by Israel and deliver a cargo of 200 hearing aids for a deaf school and 5,000 balloons” presumably quoting the ships passengers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/23/israelandthepalestinians

Can we deduce, from the incongruity between the messages that no humanitarian crisis takes place in Gza, that there is no shortage of basic nessecities and medical care, and that the people on those two yachts had known that all along?

Why else would they bring in a “cargo” of 200 hearing aids and 5,000 balloons and not what you would expect such good people to bring to a place of such deprivation (like food stuffs and antibiotics, etc)?

Isn’t it a cynical manipulation of the term “humanitarian aid”? Balloons? And won’t this cause a long term harm to the credibility of genuine humanitarian missions, going where the people are actually dying, starving and deprived of the barest necessities? Such as in:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/23/content_9648262.htm

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/LSGZ-7HNCRJ?OpenDocument

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