Gaza's - and Britain's - descent into madness

Melanie Phillips has a long, depressing post on Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism among British government advisors, the torching and looting of synagogues in Gaza, and her countrymens' relative indifference to (and excuses for) same.

The Jerusalem Post has more on the orgy of looting and violence in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority's inability and/or unwillingness to stop it, and Mahmoud Abbas' continued whining about "occupation":

The Palestinian Authority and Egypt agreed on Tuesday to close the border near Rafah to prevent Palestinians from crossing into Egypt.

The agreement was reached during a tense meeting between Egyptian and PA security officials after thousands of Palestinians infiltrated the border over the past 48 hours.
[...]
Many Palestinians tore down a wall and security fence over the past 48 hours, entering Egypt to buy cheap cigarettes, medication, food and electric appliances. [You mean Egyptians had a wall and fence to keep the Palestinians out? Boy, it's funny how the media, during the debate over Israel's "apartheid wall", never gave us that information, isn't it? - Ed.]

Others said they crossed to see relatives living in the Egyptian part of Rafah.

On Monday, Egyptian border policemen shot and killed a Palestinian as he tried to infiltrate into Egypt. Three others Palestinians were wounded in the incident.

In more scenes of chaos in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the disengagement, the PA has urged Palestinians to stop the looting of greenhouses in the former settlements, saying it was determined to end growing anarchy and lawlessness.

Thousands of PA policemen deployed in the former settlements were unable to stop Palestinians from storming the greenhouses on Tuesday and stealing water pipes and other equipment.

Some 3,000-4,000 greenhouses were recently purchased by a private foundation that raised $14 million. Most of the money was raised by Quartet special envoy James Wolfensohn, a former World Bank president, who also contributed $500,000 of his money with the hope that the greenhouses would provide jobs and income for Gaza's shattered economy.

In an attempt to halt the looting, PA policemen sealed off the former settlements and declared them closed military zones. Club-wielding policemen intercepted some of the looters, confiscating water pipes, roof tiles and window frames. One man who refused to hand over stolen items was severely beaten. The policemen also banned cars from entering Neveh Dekalim.
[...]
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that the Israeli withdrawal was not an end to occupation and that Israel must also withdraw from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

"The withdrawal of the occupation army and the settlers from the Gaza Strip doesn't mean in any way that occupation has come to an end," he said in the speech broadcast on PA-controlled radio and television. "Today Gaza, tomorrow the West Bank and Jerusalem."

Speaking to reporters after chairing a cabinet meeting in Gaza City, Qurei said the PA security forces would now focus on three areas: the industrial zone at Erez, the greenhouses and the Rafah border crossing.

Qurei also said disengagement does not mean the end of Israeli occupation. "The Israeli occupation hasn't ended," he said. "What we saw is the departure of the settlers."

Qurei added that unless the Rafah border crossing was handed over to the Palestinians, the Gaza Strip would be turned into a "big prison." He said the Israeli pullout was the first step toward liberating the rest of Palestinian lands.

Qurei said that as far as the PA was concerned, the occupation hasn't ended because Israel continues to control the border crossings and the airspace, as well as water resources.

Now, why would Israel want to control its border with these people? I blame that "Jewish supremacism" David Duke talks about.

(via LGF)

Posted by damian at September 14, 2005 07:35 AM | TrackBack