Peres tells Solana: Israel will not ease pressure on Hamas

[bemildred]

Vice Premier Shimon Peres had an angry exchange with visiting European Union foreign policy coordinator Javier Solana yesterday, after Solana demanded to know why Israel is keeping the Gaza Strip's border crossings closed.

Solana argued that this causes hunger and frustration, which ultimately encourage anti-Israel violence.

But Peres snapped back that "Israel is first and foremost obliged to provide security for its citizens." Therefore, he said, as long as missiles are fired at Israeli communities and terrorist activity continues, the crossings will not be opened.

Peres also blamed Hamas for the Palestinians' difficulties and rejected Solana's request that Israel transfer the taxes and customs duties it collects on the Palestinians' behalf. "The European Union must look at the reality and understand that as long as Hamas continues with its policy of extremism, the Palestinian people will continue to suffer and there can be no progress toward a peace deal, which could have been signed some time ago," he said.

Haaretz

[breakaleg]

1. Their views are so far apart, it's like they aren't even speaking

the same language.

I'm getting really tired of the security excuse from Israel. They use that excuse like a blank cheque to do whatever they want.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[breakaleg]

3. That's your opinion, not a statement of fact.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[breakaleg]

5. if i showed you pictures of children killed by the IDF would that make

Israel a terrorist state?

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Tom Joad]

8. this will increase the malnutrition of Palestinian children. This is State terror.

And nothing less.

[Name removed]

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[Tom Joad]

10. Six Human Rights Groups to Israeli High Court: Renew Fuel Supply to Gaza

Renew Gaza Fuel Supply and Open Crossings for Humanitarian Supplies
http://www.acri.org.il/english-acri/engine/story.asp?id=322


Six Human Rights Groups to Israeli High Court: Renew Fuel Supply to Gaza and Open the Crossings for Food, Equipment and Humanitarian Supplies


Today, July 11, 2006, six human rights groups petitioned the Israeli High Court demanding that the crossings in Gaza be opened to allow for the steady and regular supply of fuel, food, medicine, and equipment, including spare parts needed to operate generators.

The groups – the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Hamoked: Center for Defence of the Individual, B’tselem, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Gisha - Center for the Legal Protection of Freedom of Movement also asked for an urgent hearing in order to prevent serious harm to the health of the civilian population, especially patients in hospital, and to prevent the breakdown of the water and sewage system in Gaza.

During the current military operation in the Gaza Strip the Israeli military has interrupted the supply of fuel to Gaza and kept Gaza`s crossings mostly closed to supply of food and other humanitarian goods. The uninterrupted supply of fuel and equipment is necessary for the functioning of Gaza`s health and sanitation systems, and Gaza requires a steady supply of food and medicine.

Since Gaza`s power station was destroyed on June 28, there is an increased need for fuel to power the generators in Gaza and for spare parts to keep the generators running at such a high capacity. The closure of Karni Crossing has led to shortages in food at a time when, given the difficulty of obtaining electricity to prepare and refrigerate foodstuffs, Gaza requires increased shipments of dairy products, meat, flour, and other goods.