Was The Hamas Planned Explosion Of The Rafah Wall Supposed To Hurt Israel?
Yes it was planned and it appears that the efforts of Hamas will play to the advantage of Israel, as she washes her hands of Gaza. The Gazans have depended on Israel for their electricity and medical supplies. Who will take care of that now?
Washington, Cairo, and Jerusalem are expressing “concern” regarding the flow of hundreds of thousands of Gazans into Egypt, testing border agreements that have existed since Israel completely withdrew from the heavily populated strip in 2005. Some Israeli officials, nevertheless, saw an “opportunity” in yesterday’s event, suggesting that responsibility for Gaza’s humanitarian situation should be shifted to Egypt.
Egyptian officials said that yesterday’s event occurred after an explosion on the border crossing from the Sinai desert into the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip. After the explosion, which blew the border barriers open, a teeming flow of Palestinian Arab men and women ” up to 350,000 people, according to some counts ” crossed the border into Egypt, in search of heating oil, food, cigarettes, and other goods Gaza lacks. …The official ” who was intimately involved in forging the agreements between Israel and its neighbors when Prime Minister Sharon decided on “disengagement” from Gaza ” said the “paradigm change” after yesterday’s event at Rafah may lead to a reexamination of some realities those agreements have created, such as Israel’s responsibility for the flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza.
Ed points out:
Israel should follow through on this threat. Cease all humanitarian provisions and make it clear to Hamas and the Gazans that they need to rely on other Arabs for their sustenance. We’ll see how long it takes for Egypt to close Rafah again under those circumstances. Most likely, it will be a matter of days.
It appears that Egypt is feeling the pressure:
Egypt began trying to control the masses of Palestinians flooding in from the Gaza Strip Thursday, stopping some from moving deeper into Egypt. But authorities did not attempt to reseal the breached border with the Palestinian territory.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Israel wants to relinquish all responsibility for Gaza, including the supply of electricity and water, now that Gaza’s southern border with Egypt has been opened.
Egypt immediately rejected the idea.
On the Egyptian side of the border, helmeted riot police with dogs used batons to beat the hoods of Egyptian cars and trucks offering rides to Palestinians seeking to buy goods in towns out of walking range.
Dozens of Egyptian guards pushed their way through the crowds but did nothing to halt the thousands of Palestinians moving over the wreckage of a metal wall brought down when
PalestinianHamas gunmen blasted it with explosives a day earlier.
Cut them off. Let the Arab nations take care of them….
January 24, 2008 - 09:20 AM on January 24th, 2008
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. These palestinians have just what they deserve. No sympathy from me.
January 24, 2008 - 10:50 AM on January 24th, 2008
The only downside is that we’ll probaby end up paying for it all. We already give Egypt billion$ in foreign aid every year.
January 24, 2008 - 01:47 PM on January 24th, 2008
Perfect. Israel should immediately secure its border and cut off everything from Gaza. Perhaps even handing Egypt a document giving Gaza ownership unilaterally to Egypt.
Egypt must now take care of the land it used to own before 67 and refused to take in 1972.
Egypt: We need electricity and water for our citizens in Gaza.
Israel: Fine. We actually have water, electricity, and the power lines already in place.
Stop the rockets.
Egypt: we really don’t want to do that.
Israel: We know. You are capable of stopping them, though.
Egypt: Yes, we are. What happens if the rockets continue?
Israel: You mean if you LET Egyptian rockets launch at Israeli cities? We will then try to convince you otherwise, as you would no doubt do if Israel rocketed Egyptian cities.
By the way, our agreement predicates ownership of Sinai on being a peaceful neighbor. Do you wish to put that in jeapordy? Can you spell “history”
Egypt: OK, you win. We will stop the rockets, keep Sinai and purchase electricity, fuel, and water from you.
We really want to make our people self sufficient.
Israel: If you are ready, and peaceful, we have the technology to turn deserts into gardens and we also have the desire to share that technology, but only with peaceful neighbor.
Is that still you, Egypt?
Egypt: (groan) Yes, it is.
February 6, 2008 - 11:58 AM on February 6th, 2008
What do you think of this samsonblinded.org/blog/israel-cannot-blockade-gaza.htm ? Shoher is arguably the most right Israeli today, but he argues Israel should talk to Hamas as Egypt will not maintain the blockade of Gaza.