Israel allows shoes and crayons to be imported to gaza -bless them

[sook]

In a sign that Israelis are becoming more charitable and just they are now allowing Gaza to import shoes. It came after pressure from the US. It almost seems like this could be some sort of alternate sick Comedy Central story or perhaps from the Onion.
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Israel to Allow Shoes Into Gaza Strip After Three-Year Ban
Pressure From US Seen as Key to Allowing Footwear Into Strip
by Jason Ditz, March 29, 2010
Email This | Print This | Share This | Comment | Antiwar Forum
According to Palestinian officials, the Israeli government has made one of its most significant revisions to the Gaza blockade in three years, allowing the importation of shoes and certain types of clothes into the tiny enclave.

Israel has not allowed any shoes to be legally brought into the Gaza Strip since 2007, and officially cemented the ban in 2008 under the claim that shoes were a ‘dual use technology.’ This argument was based on claims that since militaries wear shoes as part of their uniforms, any shoes imported into the strip might be used as part of a military uniform. This same argument was made in the banning of many types of clothing.

For those who could afford it, this meant having to import shoes by way of the tunnels into Egypt, which regularly come under Israeli bombardment because they allow the importation of banned goods, from shoes to iPods to cars. For Gaza’s poor however, importation is not an option and they must make do with what they have or go without.

Officials say that the move is a concession by the Israeli government after pressure from the Obama Administration. The shoes will be allowed in later in the week, after the Passover holiday blockade is lifted. It is unclear if the move signals a semi-permanent end to the ban on shoes, or if the shipment will be a one-shot deal.


http://news.antiwar.com/2010/03/29/...three-year-ban/

[sook]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1159929.html

Israel allows clothes, shoes into blockaded Gaza for first time

Israel will allow a shipment of clothes and shoes to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the first time in its almost three-year-old tight blockade of the enclave, Palestinian officials said on Monday.

They said the first 10 truckloads would be arriving via the Israeli-controlled Gaza border point on Thursday.

Israel is under international pressure to relax its blockade, which the United Nations says punishes Gaza's 1.5 million people over their leaders - the Islamist group Hamas, considered by Israel and others a terrorist organization.

Israel prohibits shipments of cement and steel to Gaza on the grounds that Hamas could use them for military purposes.

Its long list of controlled goods also includes items that critics say have no apparent military value, such as children's crayons and books.

Gaza has been getting most of its consumer goods via tunnels from neighboring Egypt, operated by smugglers who add on hefty surcharges. Gaza merchants said 10 truckloads would not fill their stocks and demanded that Israel release goods long held in its sea ports.

Egypt is building an underground wall to block the tunnels, which have been frequently bombed by the Israeli air forces since Israel's offensive against Hamas 14 months ago in which some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel

[sook]

Praise the lord, they are truly the merciful and all pious. Palestenians aren't human though, they deserve nothing.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Praise the lord, they are truly the merciful and all pious. Palestenians aren't human though, they deserve nothing.

what fkn horse are you on

[Winehole23]

(Sarcasm)

[ChumpDumper]

Military crayons.

[LnGrrrR]

Wow... that's pretty ridiculous. Thanks for this post.

[Winehole23]

Operation Cast Lead was more or less a massacre, and the inhumane blockade that preceded it, continues.

[sook]

Where is all the Israeli patriotism from WC? He seems to back them more than us, I'm surprised I haven't seen an entrance from him.



Surely the Israelis give no reason to spout hate with a blockade that deprives people of basic human necessities. It all comes down to whether you believe each human life is precious.

[ChumpDumper]

Surely there is a logical military fear that justifies the great crayon embargo.

[DarrinS]

Will shoes and crayons protect them from the suicide vests that their parents make?

[sook]

Will shoes and crayons protect them from the suicide vests that their parents make?

still classy I see. You are s . Even whottt would show some kind of disagreement with what the Israelis did.

[ChumpDumper]

Will shoes and crayons protect them from the suicide vests that their parents make?

Still changing the subject.

Why crayons?

Please explain.

[MiamiHeat]

Still changing the subject.

Why crayons?

Please explain.

Seems to me the focus of the article is about 'shoes'

the crayons were not the issue, but the shoes were. "Shoes and crayons allowed into.." could have easily been "Shoes and bottled water"

They didn't ban crayons apparently, they banned shoes. Crayons just got mentioned in the article because it piggybacked in the shipment of shoes.

[ChumpDumper]

Its long list of controlled goods also includes items that critics say have no apparent military value, such as children's crayons and books.

[MiamiHeat]

[MiamiHeat]

This comes just months after two visiting U.S. Members of Congress highlighted Israel's barring of lentils and pasta. As the Jerusalem Post reported in February, the Israeli Defense Force responded to the criticisms by allowing transport of the dreaded legumes and starches into the territory.

[MiamiHeat]

ANYONE else find this ironic? Israel basically keeping a ghetto/concentration camp?? denying the people supplies? forcing them to starve and build mud houses? only 60 years after the closing of the Nazi concentration camps that the jews suffered?!?

[sook]

ANYONE else find this ironic? Israel basically keeping a ghetto/concentration camp?? denying the people supplies? forcing them to starve and build mud houses? only 60 years after the closing of the Nazi concentration camps that the jews suffered?!?

Not darrins, he has the Israeli flag tatted on his vagina.

[DarrinS]

They seem to have no shortage of real and toy guns.

[ChumpDumper]

Why no crayons, Darrin?

You haven't explained the great military crayon embargo.

[DarrinS]

Why no crayons, Darrin?

You haven't explained the great military crayon embargo.

if I know. But it is another good reason to hate Israel.

[ChumpDumper]

I don't hate Israel, but I do question some of their actions.

Do you question any of their actions, Darrin?

[DarrinS]

I don't hate Israel, but I do question some of their actions.

Do you question any of their actions, Darrin?

I think it's wrong if their blockade hurts children in any way.


Why was there a blockade in the first place?

[ChumpDumper]

I think it's wrong if their blockade hurts children in any way.


Why was there a blockade in the first place?

Israel didn't approve of the results of a democratic election.