The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "Gisha"
Top 10 Reasons why Rafah opening doesn’t cut it
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway, more on the inadequacy of the new Rafah Crossing rules on the Egypt-Gaza border. The top 10 reasons why the opening of Rafah Crossing just doesn’t cut it In no particular order of importance, we thought we’d list some of the reasons why the opening of Rafah, while significant and helpful, doesn’t meet all of Gaza’s needs for access and why, as some voices in Israel have recently suggested, it can’t serve as Gaza’s only access point. Despite four unanticipated days of closure last week, the crossing has been operating for the passage of travelers on a more regular but still semi-limited basis. Passage through the crossing remains limited: Egypt has indicated that it will operate the crossing six days per week during regular working hours, but it … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Gaza not un-besieged after all
When I was arguing with AIPAC attendees in Washington D.C., the one thing they didn’t seem to have an answer for was if the occupation of Gaza was supposedly over, why was Israel controlling all its borders? Well, with the seemingly heartening news that Egypt’s military government was opening the Rafah crossing, Israel’s defenders could briefly claim that even the Siege was over! This was absurd on the face of it, as Larry Derfner points out, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
New Egyptian government stops helping starve people of Gaza
Connecting their revolution to the Palestinian struggle in a positive way, Egypt’s new government refused to continue participation in the Siege of Gaza. Liberation will not stop at the Rafah Crossing. Hopefully this will help Israel to recognize the inevitable and cease its futile policy. Here’s Gisha’s response to the announcment that the government would ease passage via Rafah. Gisha expresses hope that Egypt will expand the ability of Gaza residents to travel abroad via Rafah Crossing, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
How to lift the closure of Gaza in three easy steps
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway, what it would actually take to end just the closure of Gaza, although not the entire Occupation. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister said last week that the continued smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip threatens further implementation of the “easing” of the closure. Israel of course has the right to prevent the passage of arms shipments (as it did this week at sea). But why weapons smuggling should prevent easing the closure is … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Strawberry Fields Forever
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway This week the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the “beginning of the export season” in the Gaza Strip. “The export season” entails the continuation of a short-term program, sponsored – from planting through to distribution – by the Dutch government. The program allows a few farmers in Gaza to sell strawberries and flowers in European markets. So far this week, 7 trucks have left the Strip. As has been the case in every … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
The mathematics of strangulation of Gaza
By Jesse Bacon When the specifics of Israel’s siege of Gaza came to light, it appeared almost random in its insanity and cruelty. The famous example is the prohibiting of pasta while allowing rice, all the while claiming this was somehow ensuring Israel’s security. Well wonder no longer. Through the heroic efforts of Gisha, whose work we feature regularly here on The Only Democracy?, the actual policy has been released. It turns out there is a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
For Gaza tailors, market is flooded, external markets are (still) banned and 96% of their jobs are lost.
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway What happens to industry when you open a market to consumer products but restrict raw materials and ban export? What doesn’t happen is economic recovery. The Israeli cabinet decision to ease the closure on the Gaza Strip did not change the sweeping ban on Gaza exports. While industrial raw materials were allowed into Gaza beginning in July, the limited capacity of the crossings meant only small quantities entered … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Gourmet in Gaza
By Jesse Bacon As a food snob, I immediately think what restaurants are nearby when planning any excursion. Even if its to a beseiged war zone that Israel forbids from rebuilding. So it’s good to hear from the Israeli government that if by some chance they let me into Gaza there would be a gourmet restaurant waiting for me! No coriander allowed, but I am sure that leads the creative cooks into all sorts of Iron … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Israel Transferring Goods, Fashionably Late
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway When the closure was imposed on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, clothes and footwear importers in Gaza found themselves unable to bring goods into the Strip that they had ordered from abroad. For almost three years now, these goods have been sitting in storage containers at Israel’s port in Ashdod or in the West Bank. Each month of storage costs an importer between $300-$500 per container. Recently, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
How to Market Gaza as an Israel Success Story
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway The following guide was inspired by a report by the Government of Israel, summarizing Israel’s humanitarian activities for the Gaza Strip in 2009 and at the start of 2010, which was submitted yesterday to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. Take things out of context. When you say that, “41 truckloads of equipment for the maintenance of the electricity networks were transferred”, you do not need to mention that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Interactive Video
“You have a choice! Israeli Anti-Militarists Speak”
Four Israelis—Dorothy Naor, Sergeiy Sander and Eli Fabrikant, and Ofer Golani—talking about their personal histories, political views and activism in 132 short films.