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Israel-Palestine
Stranded on the Egypt-Gaza Border
2004-08-02
Owww! Stop plucking on my heart strings like that!
RAFAH, Egypt, Aug. 1 -- Like thousands of other Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who do not have access to advanced medical care, Hani Hindi traveled across the border to Cairo for specialized treatment. Three months ago, Hindi said, he had been shot by Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis while sniping at some Joooos installing a rooftop satellite dish. But when he tried to return to his sniper nest home two weeks ago, Hindi said, he was stunned to find that Israel, which controls all access to Gaza with fences and military patrols, had closed the gates on July 17 and was letting no one in or out.
Stunned? He can have any range of emotions he wants, but "stunned" and "surprised" shouldn't be two of them.
Hindi, 22, and his wife, Malina, who is perpetually eight months pregnant, have been stranded since then at the Rafah border crossing with about 2,500 other Palestinians who are unable to cross into Gaza but lack the money or travel papers necessary to return to Egypt.
Funny how their brother Arabs aren't exactly welcoming them back, eh?
Hundreds of men, women and children -- many of whom, like Hindi, are returning home after medical procedures not available in the Gaza Strip -- are crowded into the crossing's arrival and departure halls, according to aid groups and people inside reached by cellular telephone.
Posted by:Steve White

#9  This one sort of stuck out from the crowd:

"It's awful," said Maha Jundia, 35, an official with the Palestinian Foreign Ministry who arrived at the crossing more than two weeks ago after attending a government training course in China. Jundia does not have money for a hotel or to go to Cairo to wait out the impasse.

WTF is the Palestinian Foreign Ministry sending anyone to China for? That little junket's expense account could have fed how many starving people?

More than anything, all of this bodes particularly ill for any continued Egyptian involvement in resolving the Palestinian crisis. Like Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, all of them could give a sh!t about actually solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I suppose nobody but the Jews really want the troubles to end, ergo the fence. Everyone else is sitting around capitalizing on the squalor and desperation of the Palestinians, who continue to remain utterly clueless in the face of endless object lessons.

Really stupid people get weeded out of the gene pool. The Palestinians need to bone up on this concept rather quickly before a little more chlorination eliminates their entire population. If that day comes, Arab crocodile tears will be outweighed only by Israeli tears of pure joy.
Posted by: Zenster   2004-08-02 8:49:55 PM  

#8  Theme song went like this of course:

Stranded
Stranded on a toilet bowl
Stranded
Stranded
Stranded on a toilet bowl
What do you do when you're stranded
And there ain't nothing on the roll?
To prove you're a man
You must wipe it with your hand
Stranded
Stranded on a toilet bowl!

Posted by: Shipman   2004-08-02 2:44:37 PM  

#7  File this under "Gives a Shit, Who?"


Who? Chuck Connors that's who!
Aren't you familiar with the tragic '60s outhouse western Stranded?
Posted by: Shipman   2004-08-02 2:42:47 PM  

#6  Wapo had a great article over the weekend on how nightlife in Jerusalem has recovered this last five months, and they mentioned the role of the security fence.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-08-02 11:14:33 AM  

#5  We need upfront full disclosure: this is WaPo crap.
Posted by: Capt America   2004-08-02 11:12:40 AM  

#4  Me, me, me! They never consider anyone else, such as the hundred of lives saved by the Wall and other Israeli measures. If it weren't so damned real and serious, the entire Paleo dogma routine would be hysterical. Well, hell, in cases like this story - it IS, lol! I can't help myself!

"perpetually eight months pregnant"

Definitely LOL! Excellent in-line commentary / fisking!
Posted by: .com   2004-08-02 9:42:59 AM  

#3  Damn! I saw this story and realized... my violin's in the shop! What bad timing for that to happen.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-08-02 9:35:46 AM  

#2  He said the Israeli government reasonably had offered to allow Palestinians to cross into Israel 27 miles south at a new border crossing facility and then be transported back up to the Gaza Strip, but that the Palestinians had refused.

Life is a lot tougher when you are stupid.
Posted by: ed   2004-08-02 7:54:13 AM  

#1  File this under "Gives a Shit, Who?"

Yeah, funny how their Arab "brethern" don't want them either.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-08-02 12:51:48 AM  

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