Comments on: World Health Agencies Condemn Israeli Blockade of Gaza (Again); Obama’s Biggest Mideast Failure http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:17:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1818 Anonymous Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:25:27 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1818 Why we care if Hamas wins ot not. We care talking about children being abused by Israel and denied help. Do you care to say that we should not help Haiti becuase the gov. is corrupt??????? Why we care if Hamas wins ot not. We care talking about children being abused by Israel and denied help. Do you care to say that we should not help Haiti becuase the gov. is corrupt???????

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1787 Anonymous Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:21:45 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1787 Gaza is a tragedy. But I expect that Hamas will be voted out of office in the next election.<br /><br />Is that scheduled any time soon? Gaza is a tragedy. But I expect that Hamas will be voted out of office in the next election.

Is that scheduled any time soon?

]]> By: kassandra http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1771 kassandra Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:14:41 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1771 Anony, Had you watched more of that TV program, you would know that the US contributes around 1.5 Billion dollars a year of military aid to Egypt. The amount is reduced every year, and also reduced if Egypt does not do its part as the US/Israel's enforcer. Only about 10% of the aid goes for civilian projects, the rest to keep Mubarak in power.<br /><br />The interesting angle is what a large part the Yom Kippur War plays in the Egyptian story. I visited the War Museum on top of the Citadel last year, and there are life-sized dioramas depicting the various battles, with the Egyptian guns shooting the Israelis to smithereens. Didn't see any other tourists there, but troops and troops of school children were there. Somewhere into their consciousness the idea is being planted that Egypt can take on Israel. I saw the same type of pictures drawn on the walls of military facilities around Suez.<br /><br />US dollars are building up the Egyptian Armed Forces, ostensibly as a reward for signing the peace treaty with Egypt. But the US has been bit before by financing a military force. The Egyptians have a very long view of history. Anony, Had you watched more of that TV program, you would know that the US contributes around 1.5 Billion dollars a year of military aid to Egypt. The amount is reduced every year, and also reduced if Egypt does not do its part as the US/Israel's enforcer. Only about 10% of the aid goes for civilian projects, the rest to keep Mubarak in power.

The interesting angle is what a large part the Yom Kippur War plays in the Egyptian story. I visited the War Museum on top of the Citadel last year, and there are life-sized dioramas depicting the various battles, with the Egyptian guns shooting the Israelis to smithereens. Didn't see any other tourists there, but troops and troops of school children were there. Somewhere into their consciousness the idea is being planted that Egypt can take on Israel. I saw the same type of pictures drawn on the walls of military facilities around Suez.

US dollars are building up the Egyptian Armed Forces, ostensibly as a reward for signing the peace treaty with Egypt. But the US has been bit before by financing a military force. The Egyptians have a very long view of history.

]]> By: Patrick Cummins http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1770 Patrick Cummins Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:55:19 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1770 "Until President Obama does something to end the Gaza siege and its attendant horrors, his Mideast policy will remain an abject failure."<br /><br />Thanks for saying this Professor Cole. You are exactly right. "Until President Obama does something to end the Gaza siege and its attendant horrors, his Mideast policy will remain an abject failure."

Thanks for saying this Professor Cole. You are exactly right.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1769 Anonymous Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:37:45 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1769 So Juan,<br /><br />What do you think about Egypt's blockade on Gaza? I was recently overseas and saw a major segment on Al Jezzera about Egypt sending humanitarian supplies back to Jordan that were destined to Gaza. They also stated Egypt will also build a wall sealing off Gaza and its tunnels. Shed us some light on why this too is not in the US domestic media. So Juan,

What do you think about Egypt's blockade on Gaza? I was recently overseas and saw a major segment on Al Jezzera about Egypt sending humanitarian supplies back to Jordan that were destined to Gaza. They also stated Egypt will also build a wall sealing off Gaza and its tunnels. Shed us some light on why this too is not in the US domestic media.

]]> By: estebanfolsom http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1768 estebanfolsom Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:49:59 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1768 thank you <br /> juan<br />for your post<br /><br />i was thinking<br />something similar<br /><br />of course we all<br />react with empathy<br />to a natural disaster<br /><br />but what about a <br />man-made one ? <br /><br />absolutely <br />completely<br />preventable <br />avoidable<br /><br />if the good<br />can't stop<br />the bad<br /><br />then what<br />the hell<br />good is it ?<br /><br />still<br /><br /> as jimi said<br /><br />'keep on pushing<br /> straight ahead' thank you
juan
for your post

i was thinking
something similar

of course we all
react with empathy
to a natural disaster

but what about a
man-made one ?

absolutely
completely
preventable
avoidable

if the good
can't stop
the bad

then what
the hell
good is it ?

still

as jimi said

'keep on pushing
straight ahead'

]]> By: Kelly http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1766 Kelly Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:16:08 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1766 So the 'allies' press for UN sanctions to Iraq all through the 1990s, denying basic commondities, including medical supplies as part of campaign to induce the population to rise up at the Hussein's regime - which lead to widespread suffering, child malnutrition and death. Then very similar tactics with the blockade in the Gaza is employed to crush the Palestinians into submission rather than resist an illegal occupation, as per international law and protest collective punishment which is also illegal under international law. Guess these things have no bearing on the policy makers? So the 'allies' press for UN sanctions to Iraq all through the 1990s, denying basic commondities, including medical supplies as part of campaign to induce the population to rise up at the Hussein's regime – which lead to widespread suffering, child malnutrition and death. Then very similar tactics with the blockade in the Gaza is employed to crush the Palestinians into submission rather than resist an illegal occupation, as per international law and protest collective punishment which is also illegal under international law. Guess these things have no bearing on the policy makers?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2010/01/world-health-agencies-condemn-israeli.html#comment-1765 Anonymous Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:52:04 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4925#comment-1765 The word "failure" sometimes is used to describe lack of success once you have *tried* to do something.<br /><br />Then there is a second type of "failure," in which you do not succeed in achieving an outcome that you did not *try* to achieve.<br /><br />But it is a third type of "failure" that most aptly describes the case at hand, which is when you do not achieve something which you did not even *want*.<br /><br />Let us be clear. The American failure in this case is of the third type: the United States does not favor any outcome in which Israel doesn't have its way. Period. If this means Palestinians starving, so be it. THE U.S. HAS ACTIVELY SUPPORTED THE SIEGE ON GAZA. And it is this support that has allowed the human tragedy to unfold. The US is morally culpable just as Israel is. The US shares in Israel's war crimes, and bears moral responsibility for them. The word "failure" sometimes is used to describe lack of success once you have *tried* to do something.

Then there is a second type of "failure," in which you do not succeed in achieving an outcome that you did not *try* to achieve.

But it is a third type of "failure" that most aptly describes the case at hand, which is when you do not achieve something which you did not even *want*.

Let us be clear. The American failure in this case is of the third type: the United States does not favor any outcome in which Israel doesn't have its way. Period. If this means Palestinians starving, so be it. THE U.S. HAS ACTIVELY SUPPORTED THE SIEGE ON GAZA. And it is this support that has allowed the human tragedy to unfold. The US is morally culpable just as Israel is. The US shares in Israel's war crimes, and bears moral responsibility for them.

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