Jackson50 said:
Comrade Tovya said:
Jackson50 said:
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I am well aware of the nebulous status of Gaza. Anyway, the status was irrelevant to my point. He said he would be pissed off because people were firing rockets at him. I can agree with that sentiment. I was attempting to convey the conflict from the Palestinian viewpoint. Would you not also be upset if a nation was effectively blockading you from the rest of the world and restricting your fuel and food supplies? You see, I was not referring to the Gaza barrier when I referred to the blockade. The barrier was an understandable measure that has been largely successful in eliminating the threat of suicide bombers leaving Gaza. This has also been witnessed in the West Bank. I was referring Israel's blockade that sealed the border and prohibited exports while concurrently limiting vital imports. In my opinion, Israel must bare the responsibility for ensuring that Gaza receives its supplies considering it controls Gaza's airspace, ports, and most of its land border. I would call the blockade a disproportionate response that has led to a minor or moderate humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It has also been a largely ineffective tactic.
I do believe that Hamas shoulders a greater share of the blame for the situation. With that being said, Israel has employed some questionable tactics that cannot be glossed over and left unaddressed.
The Israelis secure the airspace and sea around Gaza to prevent weapons from being brought in for Hamas to use to murder Israelis as well, and therefore it serves the same purpose as the checkpoints on the ground (the protection of Israelis, both Jewish and Arab).
And as for questionable tactics, which ones are you referring to?
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Yes, I understand why Israel desires control, and these methods in tandem with the Gaza barrier have been successful in reducing the number of suicide attacks to essentially nil. With that being said, if Israel is going to demand control over the supply lines into and out of Gaza, it should not restrict fuel and food as it has done with this blockade. That is one of the tactics I question. It seems neither a proportionate response nor a successful tactic in dealing with Hamas. As I said, I believe Hamas shoulders a greater share of blame for the situation. Hamas cannot be absolved from its actions and treated as a victim. Conversely, I do not give Israel carte-blanche in its actions.
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I could actually agree with you if there were a way to regulate who was receiving the materials (as in keeping those same materials out of the hands of Hamas). I've banged my head against a wall, and have come up with nothing really (outside of invasion, displacement of Hamas, and the installation of the some-what friendlier Palestian Authority). It's unfortunately almost impossible to prevent Hamas from controlling (and abusing) the resources that enter Gaza.
