10-1-2019Israel quietly lets in Gaza workers in bid to ease tensions - FARES AKRAM AP

https://www.apnews.com/2da01bd000ef47f484e548e47caf9f98

Israel is quietly allowing thousands of Palestinians to enter from the Gaza Strip to conduct business and work menial jobs, apparently as part of understandings with the ruling Hamas militant group aimed at preventing a fourth war in the blockaded territory.  Israel effectively revoked thousands of work permits when it joined Egypt in imposing a crippling blockade on Gaza after Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. The blockade, along with three wars between Hamas and Israel, has devastated the economy in Gaza, where unemployment is over 50%.  In recent months, Israel has quietly provided some relief as part of an unofficial, Egyptian-brokered truce with Hamas, in exchange for reduced rocket fire from the territory and the scaling back of weekly protests along the border. It has allowed Qatar to deliver millions of dollars in cash to allow Hamas to pay its civil servants and has allowed the United Nations to step up aid efforts.  Now it appears Israel has expanded a program in which it had long provided hundreds of permits to business owners to travel to Israel and the West Bank for commerce. Palestinian officials say it is now providing some 5,000 so-called merchant permits and awarding them to Palestinians working as laborers in construction, agriculture and manufacturing…

 

Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10-30-2013 Israel's Weapons Industry, Arms Trade and Military and Surveillance Co-operation with the European Union – Shir Hever (economic researcher at Alternate Information Center) ePalestine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeDFEoKEi8Y The European Union is Israel's most important trading partner. An increasingly important part of that trade is in goods and services of the defense and homeland security industries. These have become a pillar of Israel's economy, and also play a big role in a number of EU countries. Israel touts its "battle-proven" technologies such as electronics and drones used in surveillance and assassinations, as well as the expertise and equipment it uses to repress popular resistance activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In Europe, France and the United Kingdom are among the world's premier arms exporters -- including to Israel. Germany and Italy are also significant in this respect, with the former providing submarines (capable of being refitted for nuclear weapons...
Read more

Black lawmakers vow to stand by Israel despite sitting out Netanyahu speech

http://www.jta.org/2015/03/10/news-opinion/politics/black-lawmakers-vow-to-stand-by-israel-despite-sitting-out-netanyahu "Leading black lawmakers have taken pains to put the blame for the speech incident on Boehner and convey their continued support for Israel. At the news conference with Lewis, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), the caucus chairman, described a phone call he had with Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to Washington who organized the invitation with Boehner, and who agreed to Boehner's request to keep it secret from the president and congressional Democrats. "During that telephone conversation I pleaded with the ambassador to seek a postponement of the joint session, but he dismissed that idea," Butterfield said. "Notwithstanding, I pledged my continued personal support and explained that Israel has many friends in the Congressional Black Caucus, and do not think that Speaker Boehner's conduct will interfere with our relationship." Posted ...
Read more

4-27-2018 You're far more likely to be killed protesting in Gaza than firing a rocket - Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man +972

https://972mag.com/youre-far-more-likely-to-be-killed-protesting-in-gaza-than-firing-a-rocket/134952/ Not a single rocket has been fired into Israel from Gaza in over two months, yet since March 30 Israel has killed more Palestinians in Gaza than it did in the previous 16 months, during which time militants launched over 60 rockets and mortars… Another conclusion might be that Israeli decision-makers, whether in the political or military echelon, see no negative consequences for shooting unarmed protesters that might deter them from continuing to deploy snipers along the borders week after week. Engaging Gaza's militant groups with deadly force in response to rocket fire, on the other hand, runs the risk of escalating into full-fledged armed conflict that would bring with it far greater consequences for Israel militarily, diplomatically, and geopolitically.   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member
Read more