Threatened And Beaten On The Way To Gaza - Adam Shapiro

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"I departed Cyprus with 20 others on June 29 in a converted ferry carrying humanitarian provisions intended for Palestinians in Gaza cut off from the world by the Israeli military siege. Our intent was to bring Palestinians toys, medicines, toolkits, olive tree saplings, and one 50-kilo bag of cement while breaking the sea barrier Israel maintains to imprison Palestinians in their coastal territory.

An independent filmmaker, and human rights advocate, I planned to document the trip and life in Gaza.

Approximately half of Gaza's population is under age 18. These children suffer the consequences of an Israeli imposed economic collapse ostensibly intended to undermine Hamas rule. As with Iraq, the sanctions serve only to devastate a population and decimate civil society.

At 2:00 am on June 30, somewhere off our starboard side, an Israeli warship shone its searchlights at our boat. A voice called on the radio, "You are navigating towards a blockaded area. You are hereby ordered to change your course. If you do not, we will be forced to use all necessary force to stop you."

These waters are patrolled unchallenged by the Israeli navy. Our call for help - one previous boat of ours was intentionally rammed by the Israeli navy - to a UN ship we knew to be in radio range went unanswered.

We counted eight Israeli warships and four zodiac boats with boarding parties and divers in hot pursuit. About an hour earlier an F-16 executed fly-overs. This was US-supplied and American taxpayer-subsidized-force all to stop one bag of cement from reaching a ghetto and human-made disaster area.

In a flurry of activity, we were boarded. Those of us with video cameras bore the brunt of the over-zealous navy forces. We were beaten to break our grasp on the video cameras. I have documented events from Afghanistan to Darfur to various locations around the Middle East, but until then I had never been physically attacked on account of my work. Israel's military censor continues to hold the evidence and I expect never to retrieve it. With the evidence gone, much of the media have treated the event as though it never occurred."

more

[sharesunited]

1. If Hamas would renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist, the blockade could end.

Mixing rockets, munitions, and assault weaponry with humanitarian aid is why the blockade is in place.

[Scurrilous]

3. Lifting of Gaza blockade depends on abducted soldier's release: Israel

<snip>

"Israel will not fully reopen its border crossings into the Gaza Strip until Palestinian militants release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the country's security cabinet said Wednesday.

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened his cabinet Wednesday to discuss a proposal that would release roughly 1,400 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit.

After more than four hours, the cabinet emerged to say "it would be inconceivable" to accept an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire deal that calls for Israel to allow items other than humanitarian aid into Gaza without Shalit's release.

Border crossings have been temporarily opened throughout and after the recent 22-day conflict with Hamas to allow humanitarian supplies inside, but items such as building materials are needed to help with Gaza's reconstruction.

"The crossings are open and will remain open to humanitarian aid," said Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

"Any further widening will be dependent first on the release of Gilad Shalit."

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/02/18/israel-shalit.html

[bitchkitty]

4. Wow, great idea!

My sister and I have an ongoing argument. I think I'll just run over and bomb her house, then seal the whole family in the basement.

Why shouldn't I? She won't listen to reason!!! All she has to do is to admit I'm right and give me that painting that my mother left. But since she won't, I'm going to kill them all. It will her fault, by the way. I have a right to that painting. Those I don't kill, I'm going to blockade in the basement and starve. I won't give them sufficient food, potable water or medicine.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[sharesunited]

6. Your theoretical feud ends when you're both dead. Hamas drags in each new generation.

What a fine gift and legacy for Palestinian children, this bubbling cauldron of bile.

[bitchkitty]

8. Most of them will probably die if the blockade doesn't

get lifted.

What a fine gift and legacy for Israeli children, this murderous reign.

[sharesunited]

9. Peace grows by behaving peacefully. Stop thrashing about when you're pinned down.

Use this life to improve your situation. Deal respectfully with those who hold power over you.

[bitchkitty]

17. Jesus Christ! Submit and you'll feel better?

Just bend over and take it like a man? Unbelievable.

I don't think so.

[azurnoir]

18. are you cop? sounds like it n/t

[varelse]

19. That has to be the most disgusting post I have ever read on DU

and I've seen some doozies. :puke:

[LeftishBrit]

20. If everyone acted according to your advice, workers would still have no rights and women still

wouldn't have the vote.

I'm very glad that the suffragettes, early trade unionists, and civil rights activists did not simply 'behave respectfully to those who held power over them".

[shaayecanaan]

5. No...

the rockets are home-made from urea, sugar and sheet metal. And the weapons that Hamas imports are smuggled in through the tunnels. Its easier and more reliable that way. Plus, the tunnel operators drastically discount the price of their services for Hamas. Such is the price of doing business in Gaza.

The blockade exists purely as a collective punishment. An Israeli minister was quoted as saying the purpose of the blockade was to put the Gazans on a "diet, but not so much as to make them starve".

If any of the vehicles carrying (or attempting to carry aid) through the gates has carried so much as a single rifle or RPG, I havent heard of it.

The major operator of aid to the strip is UNRWA. Most of the time, it is their trucks carrying chickens, cows and so forth, that are turned away. Im not sure if you're accusing the UN of mixing up their humanitarian aid with guns and bombs, but to be honest, you sound like you havent put much thought into it anyway.

[sharesunited]

7. Gaza could be heaven on earth, but martyrdom is so much more dignified and filled with integrity.

[shaayecanaan]

11. No, it is an unmitigated shithole of a place...

Shimon Peres remarked in his memoirs how marginal the country in Gaza was, how poor the soils and how overpopulated it was. He said the only experience in Gaza that was vaguely pleasant was going out on the fishing boats, but even then they can only go out a few miles before they meet Israeli gunboats. He marveled that Israel had even been stupid enough to go near it in 1967 and correctly inferred that Egypt had only been too glad to get the place off their hands.

None of which I imagine matters to you. Good luck with your cocoon.

[sharesunited]

13. I said "could be." I understand its present despairing condition.

The money which is ready to flow in there is substantial. But they need to turn their attitude around to benefit from the world's willingness to help them.

[timeforpeace]

10. Well said. Thank you for all your reasoned responses in this thread.

[azurnoir]

12. you believe that a falsehood is well said?

I suggest you read comment #5

[GoesTo11]

2. I put my hand on the stove and it hurt. Damn that stove.

People who romanticize the 60s just want someone to have to arrest them by force. What the hell do these people expect? They expect exactly what happened, and when they are arrested they are happy as pigs in shit.

[azurnoir]

14. Hmmm seems it worked in the '60's precisely for the same reason

that it will work now

[GoesTo11]

15. And if I grow my hair long, I'll be a Beatle.

[azurnoir]

16. well if you say so n/t