Soccer Dad

Israeli oppression and security

Elder of Ziyon observes that a a list of supplies that Israeli has allowed into Gaza during the first half of June shows that the "terrible siege" that Israel has imposed isn't exactly hermetic.

And Israelly Cool shows a photograph of three terrorists doing quite well in those terrible conditions in Israeli jail. He notes:

Especially Kuntar, who's idea of a hunger strike seems to be not eating the second steak ...

Kuntar, the vicious murderer about to be released has also married and earned a degree in jail.

Perhaps when Israel's enemies refer to Gaza as a "jail" it means that the residents of Gaza are as prosperous as the terrorist that Israel has incarcerated.

But if the suffering of Gaza has been inflated, Israeli security concerns have been minimized.

Boker Tov Boulder observes

So as I was saying, Hornik mentions recent news reports... like the palestinian man who was trying to carry four pipe bombs through a check point near Nablus (Rice echoes in my head, about the "obligation" of Israel to improve the quality of life for poorpalestinians) and the one who was caught with a six-inch knife...

But then at the end, he writes about the real problem Rice has created for Israel.

She has -- with the blessing of her boss, President George W. Bush--further eroded the legitimacy of Israel's security concerns and Jewish essence, and whoever is her successor, if so inclined, will find it all the easier to continue her destructive path.

Of course Israel doesn't help its case when it does things like ease pressure on Hamas or release prisoners getting little in return.

Worse, rather than help matters, Mere Rhetoric notes that Sec. Rice is actually hardening the position of Abbas:

The awesome thing about blaming Israel's East Jerusalem construction is that it's only a deal breaker because the State Department convinced the PA to make it a deal breaker. Of course the Palestinians will never sign a final status agreement without East Jerusalem. But in the meantime - for the sake of the vaunted 2008 date - they were at least willing to focus on other issues. Then the State Department unilaterally declared that - actually - East Jerusalem construction isa huge deal and it is tanking the peace process. So of course the Palestinians followed suit. Almost as if it was somewhat predictable US peacemaking would fail and that Israel would get blamed.

Just another week in the peace process. Peace is war.