http://ilblogdioliva.blogspot.it/
il blog di Rosa Schiano, 30 anni, fotoreporter e attivista dell’International solidarity movement. Rosa ha preso il posto di Vittorio Arrigoni. è Lei che oggì documenta la violenza nei Territori Occupati.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Israel’s Shortsighted Assassination by Mr. Baskin (16.11.12)
A New York Times article by Gershon Baskin, a co-chairman
of the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, a columnist
for The Jerusalem Post and the initiator and negotiator of the secret
back channel for the release of Gilad Shalit.
Gershon Baskin was helping negotiation of an extended cease fire between Israel and Hamas, when Mr Jabari was killed.
" On the morning that he was killed, Mr. Jabari received a draft proposal for an extended cease-fire with Israel, including mechanisms that would verify intentions and ensure compliance. This draft was agreed upon by me and Hamas’s deputy foreign minister, Mr. Hamad, when we met last week in Egypt.
(...)
Mr. Jabari is dead — and with him died the possibility of a long-term cease-fire. Israel may have also compromised the ability of Egyptian intelligence officials to mediate a short-term cease-fire and placed Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt at risk.
Gershon Baskin was helping negotiation of an extended cease fire between Israel and Hamas, when Mr Jabari was killed.
" On the morning that he was killed, Mr. Jabari received a draft proposal for an extended cease-fire with Israel, including mechanisms that would verify intentions and ensure compliance. This draft was agreed upon by me and Hamas’s deputy foreign minister, Mr. Hamad, when we met last week in Egypt.
(...)
Mr. Jabari is dead — and with him died the possibility of a long-term cease-fire. Israel may have also compromised the ability of Egyptian intelligence officials to mediate a short-term cease-fire and placed Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt at risk.
This was not inevitable, and cooler heads could have prevailed. Mr.
Jabari’s assassination removes one of the more practical actors on the
Hamas side. "
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Quella prigione a cielo aperto chiamata Gaza
Le speranze nate con il ritiro israeliano nel 2005 sono state rapidamente uccise. Un
anno fa, durante l’operazione “piombo fuso”, l’esercito israeliano ha
ucciso 1.419 palestinesi, principalmente civili, e ne ha feriti 5.300.
Con i confini sigillati non c’era scampo per gli abitanti della
Striscia. Dopo l’attacco i confini sono rimasti chiusi. L’assedio
continua.
http://www.terranews.it/news/2010/01/quella-prigione-cielo-aperto-chiamata-gaza
http://www.terranews.it/news/2010/01/quella-prigione-cielo-aperto-chiamata-gaza
Who was Ahmed Jabari?
From Haaretz (14.11.12)
Ahmed Jabari was a subcontractor, in charge of maintaining Israel's security in Gaza. This title will no doubt sound absurd to anyone who in the past several hours has heard Jabari described as "an arch-terrorist," "the terror chief of staff" or "our Bin Laden."
But that was the reality for the past five and a half years. Israel demanded of Hamas that it observe the truce in the south and enforce it on the multiplicity of armed organizations in the Gaza Strip. The man responsible for carrying out this policy was Ahmed Jabari.
In return for enforcing the quiet, which was never perfect, Israel funded the Hamas regime through the flow of shekels in armored trucks to banks in Gaza, and continued to supply infrastructure and medical services to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. Jabari was also Israel's partner in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit; it was he who ensured the captive soldier's welfare and safety, and it was he who saw to Shalit's return home last fall.
Now Israel is saying that its subcontractor did not do his part and did not maintain the promised quiet on the southern border. The repeated complaint against him was that Hamas did not succeed in controlling the other organizations, even though it is not interested in escalation. After Jabari was warned openly (Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff reported here at the beginning of this week that the assassination of top Hamas people would be renewed), he was executed on Wednesday in a public assassination action, for which Israel hastened to take responsibility. The message was simple and clear: You failed - you're dead. Or, as Defense Minister Ehud Barak likes to say, "In the Middle East there is no second chance for the weak."
The assassination of Jabari will go down in history as another showy military action initiated by an outgoing government on the eve of an election.
This is what researcher Prof. Yagil Levy has called "fanning the conflict as an intra-state control strategy:" The external conflict helps a government strengthen its standing domestically because the public unites behind the army, and social and economic problems are edged off the national agenda.
This recipe is familiar from 1955, when David Ben-Gurion returned from his exile in Sde Boker and led the Israel Defense Forces to a retaliatory action in Gaza, and his party, Mapai, to victory in the election. (Barak recalled this period with nostalgia, when he spoke last week at a memorial for Moshe Dayan). Ever since, whenever the ruling party feels threatened at the ballot box, it puts its finger on the trigger. The examples are common knowledge: the launch of the Shavit 2 missile in the summer of 1961, in the midst of the Lavon affair; the bombing of the Iraqi reactor in 1981; Operation Grapes of Wrath in Lebanon in 1996, and Operation Cast Lead in Gaza on the eve of the 2009 election. In the two latter cases, the military action turned into a defeat in the election.
There is a disagreement among historians as to whether it is necessary to add the Yom Kippur War to the list. In that conflict, which broke out on the eve of the 1973 election, the Arabs fired first, but their decision to go to war was taken in the context of the increasingly extreme position of Prime Minister Golda Meir's government which had refused Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's peace offer and declared an expansion of Israeli settlements in Sinai.
This, for example, is the opinion of researchers Prof. Motti Golani and Shoshana Ishoni-Barri.
The current operation, Pillar of Defense, belongs in the same category. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interested in neutralizing every possible rival, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak is fighting for enough votes to return to the Knesset. A war against Hamas will wipe out the electoral aspirations of the ditherer, Ehud Olmert, whose disciples expected him to announce his candidacy this evening and it will kick off the agenda the "social and economic issue" that serves the Labor Party headed by MK Shelly Yacimovich.
When the cannons roar, we see only Netanyahu and Barak on the screen, and all the other politicians have to applaud them.
The political outcome of the operation will become clear on January 22. The strategic ramifications are more complex: Israel will have to find a new subcontractor to replace Ahmed Jabari as its border guard in the south, and it will also have to ensure that its action in Gaza does not cause the collapse of its peace treaty with Egypt under the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Hamas movement's patron.
These are not easy challenges and the results of the operation will be judged by the extent to which they are met.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-killed-its-subcontractor-in-gaza.premium-1.477886
Ahmed Jabari was a subcontractor, in charge of maintaining Israel's security in Gaza. This title will no doubt sound absurd to anyone who in the past several hours has heard Jabari described as "an arch-terrorist," "the terror chief of staff" or "our Bin Laden."
But that was the reality for the past five and a half years. Israel demanded of Hamas that it observe the truce in the south and enforce it on the multiplicity of armed organizations in the Gaza Strip. The man responsible for carrying out this policy was Ahmed Jabari.
In return for enforcing the quiet, which was never perfect, Israel funded the Hamas regime through the flow of shekels in armored trucks to banks in Gaza, and continued to supply infrastructure and medical services to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. Jabari was also Israel's partner in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit; it was he who ensured the captive soldier's welfare and safety, and it was he who saw to Shalit's return home last fall.
Now Israel is saying that its subcontractor did not do his part and did not maintain the promised quiet on the southern border. The repeated complaint against him was that Hamas did not succeed in controlling the other organizations, even though it is not interested in escalation. After Jabari was warned openly (Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff reported here at the beginning of this week that the assassination of top Hamas people would be renewed), he was executed on Wednesday in a public assassination action, for which Israel hastened to take responsibility. The message was simple and clear: You failed - you're dead. Or, as Defense Minister Ehud Barak likes to say, "In the Middle East there is no second chance for the weak."
The assassination of Jabari will go down in history as another showy military action initiated by an outgoing government on the eve of an election.
This is what researcher Prof. Yagil Levy has called "fanning the conflict as an intra-state control strategy:" The external conflict helps a government strengthen its standing domestically because the public unites behind the army, and social and economic problems are edged off the national agenda.
This recipe is familiar from 1955, when David Ben-Gurion returned from his exile in Sde Boker and led the Israel Defense Forces to a retaliatory action in Gaza, and his party, Mapai, to victory in the election. (Barak recalled this period with nostalgia, when he spoke last week at a memorial for Moshe Dayan). Ever since, whenever the ruling party feels threatened at the ballot box, it puts its finger on the trigger. The examples are common knowledge: the launch of the Shavit 2 missile in the summer of 1961, in the midst of the Lavon affair; the bombing of the Iraqi reactor in 1981; Operation Grapes of Wrath in Lebanon in 1996, and Operation Cast Lead in Gaza on the eve of the 2009 election. In the two latter cases, the military action turned into a defeat in the election.
There is a disagreement among historians as to whether it is necessary to add the Yom Kippur War to the list. In that conflict, which broke out on the eve of the 1973 election, the Arabs fired first, but their decision to go to war was taken in the context of the increasingly extreme position of Prime Minister Golda Meir's government which had refused Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's peace offer and declared an expansion of Israeli settlements in Sinai.
This, for example, is the opinion of researchers Prof. Motti Golani and Shoshana Ishoni-Barri.
The current operation, Pillar of Defense, belongs in the same category. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interested in neutralizing every possible rival, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak is fighting for enough votes to return to the Knesset. A war against Hamas will wipe out the electoral aspirations of the ditherer, Ehud Olmert, whose disciples expected him to announce his candidacy this evening and it will kick off the agenda the "social and economic issue" that serves the Labor Party headed by MK Shelly Yacimovich.
When the cannons roar, we see only Netanyahu and Barak on the screen, and all the other politicians have to applaud them.
The political outcome of the operation will become clear on January 22. The strategic ramifications are more complex: Israel will have to find a new subcontractor to replace Ahmed Jabari as its border guard in the south, and it will also have to ensure that its action in Gaza does not cause the collapse of its peace treaty with Egypt under the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Hamas movement's patron.
These are not easy challenges and the results of the operation will be judged by the extent to which they are met.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-killed-its-subcontractor-in-gaza.premium-1.477886
Sending Gaza back to the Middle Ages
IDF prepares for ground invasion...Interior Minister Eli Yishai says on Israel's
operation in Gaza: "The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to
the Middle Ages. Only then will Israel be calm for forty years."
(Haaretz, Nov 17 2012)http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-idf-prepares-for-ground-invasion-as-gaza-offensive-enters-fourth-day-1.478505
(Haaretz, Nov 17 2012)http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-idf-prepares-for-ground-invasion-as-gaza-offensive-enters-fourth-day-1.478505
Monday, April 12, 2010
IDF order likely to target first Palestinians with Gaza addresses
A new military order aimed at preventing "infiltration" will come into force this week, Amira Haas warns in an article published in the Haaretz on April 11th 2010. According to the provisions, "a person is presumed to be an infiltrator if he is present in the area (the West Bank) without a document or permit which attest to his lawful presence in the area without reasonable justification." The first Palestinians likely to be targeted under the new rules will be those whose ID cards bear home addresses in the Gaza Strip - people born in Gaza and their West Bank-born children.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Gaza's fishermen look to farms, not the sea
Fish farming is being explored as a partial solution to restrictions on capture fisheries. Gaza's fishermen look to farms, not the sea, an article by Jon Donnison, was published on the BBC website on february 2nd 2010. Although a solution, fish farming also depends on the reopening of borders by Israel:
"We need to support and invest in the fish farming sector but if the Israeli blockade continues it will be difficult because fish farming relies on lots of technology in order to succeed and it is hard for the farmers to get the equipment they need because of that blockade."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Security Council report : February 2010 forecast
From the Security Council Report (February 2010 forecast):
Israel/Palestine: A briefing on the Middle East is expected. No outcome is expected. However, members will be mindful that the Secretary-General is due to submit a report to the General Assembly on Israeli and Palestinian investigations into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza, following the Goldstone Report.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
One and a Half Million People Trapped between Land, Sea and Air
an article by Nina Fleury dated January 9th 2010 on closures and restrictions imposed onto the Gaza Strip. The lack of essential imports, coupled with the ban on exports, has brought 95% of Palestinian businesses to close. Poverty levels have reached an estimated 80%, while unemployment stands at over 42%. 75% of the Gazan population, representing more than 1.1 million persons, now lack food security, compared with 56 percent in 2008. Some 1 million Gazans depend on food provided by aid agencies
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Goldstone Report
Much controversy around a report which in the end says what everybody knows.
The Goldstone report is the report of the fact finding mission on Gaza conflict. The mission was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate all violations which occurred during the 27 december 2008 - 18 January 2009 conflict.
It is worth a read and it is worth reading what was said about it to understand the politics behind the conflict.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has released this report in order to highlight the reality of life in the occupied Gaza Strip, and to illustrate the dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation brought about by 928 days of continuous illegal closure, as well as numerous offensives, incursions and attacks.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
War, Natural Gas and Gaza's Marine Zone
an interesting article dated April 22 2009. David K. Schermerhorn demonstrates the link between closure on fishing by the Israeli navy and the presence of natural gas off the coast of Gaza.
" BACKGROUND:
There is an historical connection between the Gazan community and the off shore fishery. In recent times some 3000 fishermen in over 700 boats made their livelihood in the waters off the shores of Gaza. Before 1978 when the fishing area included the sea off the Sinai coastline the area covered some 75,000 square kilometers.
The larger boats are about 20 meters in length and usually carry a crew of 7. They are typically trawlers using downriggers to lower their nets to the ocean bed. Currently their main catch is bream or sardines that average between 8 and 14 inches. The smallest craft are rowboats normally used to deploy nets a few hundred meters off shore. The nets are then hauled in by hand from the beach. These catches are very modest.
After the 1994 GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT the fishermen were free to use a corridor extending 20 nautical miles from the Gaza shore bounded by restricted zones to the north and south abutting Israeli and Egyptian waters. After the UN's 2002 Bertini proposal the approved location was reduced to an area within 12 nautical miles of the coast. More recently the area available has been reduced to 300 square kilometers.
Beginning in late 2000 the Israeli military began a campaign of intimidation and harassment against the fishing boats that ventured near or beyond a 6 nautical mile limit. No formal notice or explanation was ever given to the Palestinians. Instead the regulation was written and enforced by Israeli machine guns and water cannons. At least 14 fishermen have been killed by the Israelis, over 200 injured and numerous boats damaged or impounded.
WHY?
In the late 1990's the British Gas Group (BG Group) discovered a vast deposit of natural gas under the waters off Gaza: Over 1 trillion cubic feet equal to 150 million barrels of oil was estimated to be there. A significantly smaller deposit was also found in nearby Israeli waters.
On 11/8/99 Chairman Yasser Arafat signed an agreement giving BG Group 90 percent interest and 10 per cent to Consolidated Contractors Company, an Athens based Palestinian entity connected to the PLO. A final allocation of the rights continues to be contested between BG Group, Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians in obscured ongoing negotiations. The Israelis began their program of killing and harassing the Gazan fishermen only after the discovery of the natural gas deposits. It is a reasonable assumption that the two events are linked: That the Israelis are asserting control over this resource valued at over 4 billion dollars; And that they are intent on denying any benefit to the Palestinians regardless of who controls Gaza."
a time line supporting his argument follows the article.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Israeli navy arrests five Gaza fishermen
Date: 16-12-2009
Source: AFP
| Israel arrested five fishermen off the coast of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Wednesday after gunboats surrounded their vessel, according to witnesses and a Palestinian security official. A spokeswoman said the Israeli military was looking into the report. Israel and Egypt have sealed Gaza off from all but limited humanitarian aid since the Islamist Hamas movement seized power in June 2007. As part of the blockade, Israel prevents fishermen from venturing more than five kilometres (three miles) offshore, even though a 2002 agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority set the boundary at 22 kilometres (13.5 miles). Before the embargo, some 3,500 fishermen plied their trade off Gaza's 40-kilometre (25-mile) Mediterranean coastline, with around 30,000 people relying on the fishing industry. |
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fishermen trawl under Israeli navy scrutiny
a CNN article dated November 10, 2009
Highlights are the same as in 2005:
- Israeli navy keep watchful eye on Gaza fishermen
- They are only allowed to work three nautical miles off shore
- Fishermen say they risk being fired on by the navy if they break the limit
Friday, July 03, 2009
Sara Roy on Gaza
Sara Roy is a senior researcher at Harvard University. This article of hers was published today. It describes the current economic, political and human situation of the people in Gaza. Definitely worth reading.
The Peril of Forgetting Gaza
Published On Tuesday, June 02, 2009 5:23 PM
By SARA ROY
(...) Gaza is an example of a society that has been deliberately reduced to a state of abject destitution, its once productive population transformed into one of aid-dependent paupers. (...)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Gaza fishermen petition High Court
Published on June 16th 2009 on Ynetnews, a Israeli news website. The fishermen claim that their livelihood had been gravely undermined by Israel's Defense Ministry and demand compensation in addition to the ship's return. Two Palestinians were eventually questioned by Shin Bet officials following the seizure, before being returned to the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing. The four ship owners say Israeli officials promised to return the ship and its contents within a week, but have not done so to date
..."Four Palestinians from Gaza petitioned the High Court of Justice Tuesday in an effort to get back their confiscated fishing boat, seized by the IDF last month.
The petitioners say they approached the Defense Ministry several times but have not received a relevant response. They said that none of them were ever involved in terror activity against Israel."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
No fish, no food
Tyler Westbrook forwarded me these images which he shot last April in Gaza. Click on the link. Thanks Tyler
First Palestinian animation film
Inspired from a true story, “Fatenah” is the first Palestinian animation film. It is directed by Ahmad Habash, produced by Dar Films and funded by the World Health Organization. It will come out in Ramallah. I don't know about Europe. Synopsis below:
" Fatenah is a Palestinian woman who lives in Gaza Strip. Her simple wishes were her consolation in the absurd living situation around her. But when she discovers a lump near her breast, she will start a journey to save her dreams."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
4 Palestinian fishermen abducted, 2 boats stolen by Israeli Navy
According to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Gaza, "Since the end of the recent onslaught on Gaza, at least 28 fishermen have been abducted, 13 fishing boats stolen and not returned and at least 5 fishermen have been injured in the sea whilst others have reportedly been injured on the shore. " The news item, dated April 21st, 2009, comes from the ISM Gaza blog whose focus is exclusively on Gaza fishers. To keep an eye onto.
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