American Morning
Israel could ease Gaza blockade within days, Blair says
(CNN) – A deal to ease the Israeli blockade of Gaza could be in place "pretty quickly," Middle East envoy Tony Blair told CNN Wednesday.
Israel currently maintains a list of items allowed into the Palestinian territory, but would switch to a system where "stuff can go in as a matter of course unless it is on a prohibited list," the former British prime minister said.
"That would allow us to get a lot more of the ordinary stuff " needed for daily life into Gaza, while still protecting Israel's security, he said. "If we can do that over the next couple of days or so, that will be a significant step forward."
Israel has maintained tight controls on what can go into Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007, saying it must keep weapons out of the hands of the militant movement.
It sparked international outrage when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish ship trying to break the blockade May 31, killing nine people.
Israel says its soldiers were attacked when they boarded the ship, the Mavi Marmara.
Israel has resisted calls for an international investigation into the incident, from the United Nations among others, and set up a probe of its own led by a retired Israeli judge.
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To all the ignorant, "experts" on the Middle East: Don't forget, this Made up Isreal, is not the Israel of the Biblical Times. You all call for the subjegation of the Palestinean People simply because they object to THEIR LAND being stolen, and settled by Polish people??!! You all wish to demonize people that don't agree with this false isreal, occupying ill-gotten gains in the form of land. And..Because the Palestinean People don't lay down and die, much like the Native American Indian, you call for their proverbial "heads"!?! You are all murderous pigs, and deserve to loose your freedom, and all rights associated with being human! Until you loose that freedom, and equality.. You won't fatham how the Palestinean People feel right now.
The problem with the 'Palestinians' and the PLO is that whatever Israel does, it'll never be enough. Because the goal of he 'Palestinians' and the PLO is NOT to have a state of their own, but the destruction of Israel by any means possible.
Israel could completely withdraw from Gaza (oh wait, they already did that) and cancel any embargoes. But that wouldn't be enough because Gazians want free access through the Israeli border. [Funny Gaza has a border with Egypt too, but the Egyptians won't open their borders either!)
Israel could completely withdraw from the West Bank and remove all of it's Settlements. But that wouldn't be enough because the PLO demands that Israel supply it with water and electricity. [I wonder why Jordan won't step in an help the 'Palestinians' and the PLO?]
Israel could completely withdraw to the 1967 borders set by UN Resolution 242. But that wouldn't be enough because the 'Palestinians' and the PLO would argue, endlessly, that even that amount of land was too much to 'give' to Israel.
Israel could capitulate to every demand that the 'Palestinians' and the PLO want – Right of Return for Arab citizens, Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, you name it. Of course it that were to happen, in very short order, Israel would cease to exist. And if you're anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, or anti-Jew, then that would just be perfect. Except that there wouldn't be one democratic nation in the Middle East and the Islamic Caliphate would be one step closer to our shores here in America.
Israel conduct and investigation ! Thats like letting the fox guard the hen house. If israel told me that they were in the middle east, I would check a map before I believed them.
Judy is completely ignorant of past and recent history. The reason that Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza are not Israeli citizens (though they do often get medical, foodstuff, agricultural and fuel assistance from Israel) is because those territories do not recognize Israel as a sovereign nation, and in fact, spokesmen for those areas have repeatedly rejected peace plans and called on the utter destruction of the state of Israel, not to mention sending rockets and suicide bombers into Israel. Why would any country grant citizenship to people who put up with leadership (e.g., the PLO and Hamas) that don't want to be citizens of that nation and speak and act upon destroying that nation? Why, Judy, would you expect Israel to do that until "Palestinians" stop the death rhetoric and the violent activity?
Mr. Blair, respectfully, why should Israel make life easy for people who want only to kill them?
while I understand Israel's need to protect itself, there also has to be an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Large numbers of the houses of innocent people in Gaza were destroyed during the Israeli invasion, and if the building materials needed to rebuild these are permanently seen as potential weaponry, what happens to these people?
If you are forced to live in tents with minimal living conditions for a long time, then you will gravitate to bitterness, and the ensuing cycle of militancy that follows.
Eventually the cycle of mistrust has to be brought to an end. The current policies (of both Israel and Hamas, note) have to be pushed aside and new confidence building measures enacted.
People just need to remember...If Israel ever falls, the US will not be far behind. Many Muslims flat out tell you they plan to fly the Muslim flag over America and the world...as a society we really do need to listen to what they are saying. And if you disagree, look at the turmoil in European societies today and how well they have integrated.
Palestinians danced in the streets when 9/11 occured. They may want the world to feel for their cause but remember they voted in Hamas. Collective punishment, Yes, They deserve it, as did Germans who voted in Hitler. They add nothing to society, They teach hate.
Israel has no interest in helping the poor and desperate population of Gaza. It's not in the expansion interest of Israel to make their lives livable under any circumstances. This is done purely for perception purpose since the outrageous murders of innocent peace activists by Israeli commandos. Israel wants another war in the middle east for further expansion. Israel feeds on the wars and expansion since it's birth and can only survive with killings and wars. The Iraq war with Saddam was designed and created by pressure from Israeli and Jewish lobbies in the name of security. The Iran war will start soon under the same perception.This will continue for another 200 years during which Israel will unload it's nuclear arsenal all over middle east but still will never be able to make peace with it's neighbors because the whole nation is based on racist principals.
If it wants peace then there is only one solution "ONE STATE SOLUTION" and right of return for all Palestinians. Which Israel will never allow because its a racist state and cannot allow equal rights for all it's citizens. Jews are considered above all others in the world specially in Israel.
What about the United States embargo against Cuba? It has been going on for over 40 years?
Where is the aid ship for Cuba?
Let's just get out of there. It's creepy. Good that they worry about kids that live there. That's the rotten part. Those kids (and you have to say all ages) were born in the wrong place. I've never talked to anyone that thought anything that was going on over there was right, so it doesn't shock me that they don't think so either. When does it end? It seems like it should be possible. Is this about lakefront property? What? They said its about Arabs v. Israelis. But, why? Define the actual problem. What are they actually fighting over?
Israel is using the US.
Write letters. Demand to know how much money (and watch the words in the response very carefully because they are very deceitful...like the bailout money) the United States has sent to Israel. Demand to know exactly how much, under which Presidents, and which members of Congress. Demand that they stop sending guns and money to Israel. Don't be an accomplice to this. Stand up and tell them no. We have no dog in this fight. (Evidently they wanted a trade route with China. It's quicker to go through the Med than to go around Africa. Let's just go to the back door through the Pacific and skip that whole mess. Save your money. It's not making us more safe to be there. It's making us less safe.)
Hey Joe F. – Use your brain. How would anyone know or believe the goods were spices and potato chips unless they first INSPECTED them. That's all that's happening here. If the goods are found to be just spices and potato chips, they will pass on thru. Get it? (You really don't expect the Israelies to 'beleive' the cargo manefest without taking a brief peek at the cargo do you? As soon as the cargo in 'uninspected', it will immmediately be changed to contain 'weapons of war'... against Israel. Duh!
I love how the Brits are attempting to fix a problem they originally caused. No one cares about what you or your Queen have to say Blair.
A side issue which has been completely overlooked here is the need to make sure we don't "radicalize" Turkey. It is, after all, an Islamic country, and a democracy. If the US can go from the conservative excesses of the Bush administration to the liberal excesses of the Obama administration in one election, then the very real possibility exists that Turkey's current secular, moderate leadership could be replaced by something far less to our liking.
Like Pakistan, there are nations who are currently nominally on "our side" who could flip over very quickly, changing the map of the Middle East dramatically. One of Jimmy Carter's greatest failures was his inability to look beyond the Shah of Iran's questionable human rights record to see that he was our ally, and that the alternatives were far worse.
Violence begets a certain response, you launch rockets at us and we make your lives harder until you stop. simple mathematics, how long would you let your neighbor launch bottle rockets at your house or attack your children before you did something about it?
What Israeli IDF really needs to do is re-occupy the entire Gaza peninsula region and throw the Hamas terrorist organization along with their Palestinian following into the Mediterranean Sea. That's certainly the ONLY way to get peace in that region of the world. I mean isn't it quite apparent, seeing how neither the Egyptians nor the Jordanians want to have anything to do with the so-called Palestinians and their Hamas terrorist organization? I say let Israel re-occupy Gaza and if Hamas wants, let them all flee to Iran. Only Mahmoud "Adolf Hitler" Ahmadinejad is in love with this group of TERRORISTS !!
Given the violent 1300 years history of Islam coupled with the oft stated goal of Islamists to destroy Israel, one might conclude that Israel should be tightening its security regimen and not the other way around.
Almost without exception ALL of the blogs related to Israel are divided into two camps; those that blog from a position of knowledge and those whose opinions are driven by their bias toward Jews.
I say this not to defend Israel, but to encourage those that have a headlined based knowledge on the subject to really research the history and the facts. It would undoubtedly improve the level of discussion.
@Charles Winetsky
Your rationale makes zero sense. Yes Arab Israeli citizens have full legal and political rights, but Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza are NOT Israeli citizens. They are citizens of no country and have few rights and no representation in Israel. The fundamental problem is that Israel wants the land but not the people. If this land were really Israel's as their maps show, why are the people not citizens with voting rights?
Israel has a right to exist and to protect itself. No other nation on earth is expected to relinquish the right to protect its people.
Hey Blair – Israel will surrender its autonomy, security , and provide resources for a Palestinian state the same year ALL of Ireland is free. Serious case of the pot callinf the kettle black
I might anderstand if Israel wants to maintanined tight controls on what go into Gaza, but spices, potato chips, soft drinks, and lately kitchenwares. I can't anderstand the logic behind that.
Israel needs to defend hertself. She has no allies she can depend on.
Oh we can trust the UN to monitor those non food supplies that can be used to build bunkers. Like the folks on the human rights council: Libya Uganda – or the security council: China, Russia, Turkey.
Does anyone even care what bLIAR says anymore anyway? I think I'm the only one who bothered to comment on this story, maybe the only one who read it even. And I only cam here to mock a sad pathetic lapdog of a clown...
Israel is treated like no other country in the world. I'm not speaking about being held to a higher standard – that would be ok. There is a predisposition on the part of most world leaders to condemn the actions of Israel without waiting to consider the actual facts. Israel is confronted with daily attempts by terrorists to harm its citizens and tourists that would surely succeed but for the most effective security capability in the world. It is surrounded by factions that are dedicated to its destruction. Its right to exist as a nation is denied by its neighbors. Is there any other member of the the UN that has existed for more than 60 years whose right to exist is denied by its neighbors? Yet Israel provides rights to its Arab citizens that Arabs do not enjoy in their own countries. It provides health and education benefits to its Arab citizens far exceeding such benefits available in the Arab countries. Israeli Arab citizens have full voting rights. Israel has been isolated in the world not because of its efforts to blockade shipments of potential arms to Gaza, which is certainly an appropriate security measure, but because there is a predisposition on the part of many countries in the world to criticize and condemn Israel no matter what it does. Israel, unfortunately, is located in a very dangerous part of the world. What most people don't realize is that the world would be a more dangerous place without Israel.
Like that will be a real credible investigation! The criminals being allowed to investigate their own crime! If this was any other country the UN would be doing it's own investigation. Why is Isrel being allowed to get away with this nonsense? How can you believe anything they would have to say? Wake up world.
At least we know they won't take the toothpaste away
Let the drunken Brit sailors do a pre-inspection on the goods. That'll give em something to do.
what has happened to cnn? every 30 seconds i see a light flashing cnn or weather alert and childish sound effects. who is ur target audience, 2 year olds? i wish u reported the news not childish flashes, if u notice msnc ratings plummeted with there sound effects and flashing lights. u r almost as bad, but your 3pm show is the worst on tv, every 15 seconds something is flashing on the screen, target adults with news, not children with constant flashes
do a survey, kinda like the emperor wears no clothes, networks like flashes and sound effects, audiences hate it
how humanitarian of them.....