April 14 2010
Former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei has expressed support for Palestinian resistance, calling Gaza the world’s largest jail.
In a report published by UPI on Tuesday, ElBaradei described resistance the only path open to the Palestinian people, because the Israeli occupation only understands the language of force.
“The peace process has become a stupid joke which we talk about without achieving any progress,” the Egyptian diplomat reportedly said, adding that the Arabs should back their negotiation option with force and deterrence.
He also criticized Cairo’s construction of a steel wall along the border with the Gaza Strip, aimed at disrupting Palestinians’ “survival” tunnel network, as harmful to Egypt’s reputation.
He described Egypt’s construction of the wall as joining Israel in its closure of the strip, which he said “has become the world’s largest prison.”
“The logical solution to the problem would be to close the tunnels and open border crossings while creating a free trade zone in Rafah where Palestinians can trade and then return to Gaza.”
More than two years of a crippling Israeli blockade has pushed some 1.5 million Gazans on the verge of starvation and has irreparably hurt Gaza’s economy as the siege totally cuts off the territory from the outside world.
As Israel refuses to open Gaza border crossings it has closed since 2007, the Rafah crossing — the only terminal not under Tel Aviv’s control — is sealed off by Egyptian officials.
The 67-year old ElBaradei is largely expected to run in Egypt’s 2011 presidential elections, as opposition parties are seeking to pressure President Hosni Mubarak for democratic reforms. Source
The West Bank is also being turned into an Israeli prison as well. At lest for the Palestinians who live there. The illegal Jewish settlers actually have more rights then Palestinians.
Israeli group slams WB expulsion order
An Israeli human rights group has called on the international community to press Tel Aviv to revoke its decision of expelling Palestinians from the West Bank.
“The Fourth Geneva Convention imposes a complete ban on forced removal of civilians from their homes, a prohibition whose violation is considered a grave violation of the convention,” the Hamoked Center for the Defense of the Individual said in a statement on Wednesday.
The group added, “We call on all state parties to the convention to take immediate action to have the (Israeli military order) revoked.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Hamas’s parliamentary bloc, Salah al-Bardawil held the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority accountable for the potential expulsion of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank under a new Israeli decree that describes tens of thousands of Palestinians as “infiltrators.”
“No one has the right to make decisions on where Palestinians should live, for it is their legislative right to live in any part of Palestine. The criminal and humiliating order reflects Israel’s policy to continually deport Palestinians from their lands. Palestinians are required to flatly reject the order,” he said.
The law, which was signed on October 13, 2009 and came into effect on Tuesday, permits Tel Aviv to expel any Palestinian citizen who does not have what Israel describes as “proper ID card.”
The order puts Palestinians under the sole jurisdiction of Israeli military courts. The Palestinians will be indicted on charges carrying prison terms of up to seven years, should they refuse to leave their own land and homes.
This is from 2006 but still happens all the time. The only reason Israelis don’t know what is really happening is because of censorship.
Everything Israelis see or read is censored.
Talk about freedom of the press.
It doesn’t really exist in Israel and never has.
Related
Israel Gags News on Extra-Judicial Killings
Haaretz Threatened for Exposing Israeli Assassination Cover-Up
They also attempt to keep the truth from the rest of the world. Lest we forget.
Foreign Press still banned from Gaza/Israel attacks Media Building in Gaza City/January 2009
Israel blocks foreign media from Gaza/ November 2008
But hey also would not let food aid into Gaza either.
U.N.: Israel won’t allow food aid to enter Gaza/November 2008
How to Market Gaza as an Israeli success story: The complete guide
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