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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel declares Gaza an 'enemy entity'
2007-09-19
Better late then never...
JERUSALEM - Israel's Security Cabinet declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" Wednesday, Israeli radio stations reported.

The decision would let Israel cut off vital electricity, water and fuel supplies to the Palestinian territory, which the Islamic militant Hamas group took over in June.

The action would be the most severe of the retaliatory measures Israel has taken recently against near-daily rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel. Israel hopes to force Hamas to stop the projectile attacks because Israeli airstrikes and land incursions against the rocket launchers have not been effective.
Ah, I'll bet there's some good seething tonight...
Posted by:tu3031

#31  ISRAELI NEWS > HAMAS > CURBS/SANCTIONS ON GAZA ARE A "DECLARATION OF WAR" BY ISRAEL.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-09-19 23:14  

#30  With Alcohol.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2007-09-19 22:59  

#29  Israel should have some fun and spike the remaining water.
Posted by: 3dc   2007-09-19 21:21  

#28  Paleos are so fucking lame, they can't even be to clever by half.

Paleos have driven the bar lower that anyone science thought possible.

Forget About Global Warming, Paleos are Global Digging at a furious pace. The New Menace,
Ovey
Posted by: Red Dawg   2007-09-19 20:35  

#27  perception is reality in situations like this and Israel will not benefit.

I doubt a single mind that matters will be changed, one way or the other. Do it.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-09-19 19:59  

#26  Glen, They'll benefit in my eyes.
Posted by: jds   2007-09-19 19:37  

#25  Cutting off fuel and water to Gaza is going to look an awfully lot like the Nazi treatment of the Warsaw Ghetto, a scene Israel should be sensitive to. I'm not saying it is not deserved, or that there are even 10 innocents there to be harmed, but perception is reality in situations like this and Israel will not benefit.
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-09-19 19:04  

#24  This 'collective punishment' meme is starting to chap my caboose. Welcome to the world of nation states, losers, where what your government does has a direct effect on your well-being and happiness. Can't stop miscreants from waging war on your neighbors? Don't be surprised if someone else's cavalry shows up to save the day.

This is good practice for the paleos. And like TW says, anyone with any sense has already left.
Posted by: SteveS   2007-09-19 18:25  

#23  Those who don't like the situation have been leaving ever since the wall went up. Those that are left...
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-09-19 16:38  

#22  Collective subscription to undying hatred must reap its own reward to burn the Palis up sooner or later. Make it sooner after ages of that by denying easy water now. They can always dig their own wells btw.
Posted by: Duh!   2007-09-19 15:58  

#21  Thank you, Brett. You're too kind.

Ask the Germans and the Japanese about the effectiveness of "collective punishment".

Anyone who is outraged or morally squeamish about the use of collective punishment needs to take another look at the concept of dhimmitude. It is the epitome of collective punishment. Islam's cultural arson must be fought with a hotter flame. The interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq amount to using mere firebreaks against a massive blaze. The West must begin to set backfires and bring the flames of real war to Islam's door. One of the only alternatives to such destructive measures is decapitating Islam's power structure and nobody seems to have the courage required to pursue this.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-19 15:40  

#20  If the Canadians persisted in shelling Detroit, we would be over there in a jiffy.

Not so fast, Kowalski.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-09-19 15:31  

#19  Zenster, I enjoy your commentary so much, I look for it on the sidebar. ;-)
Posted by: Brett   2007-09-19 15:20  

#18  Ask the German's and the Japanese about the effectiveness of "collective punishment".
Posted by: tu3031   2007-09-19 15:11  

#17  There may be a few innocent Palestinians in Gaza who are now in effect being held hostage and used as human shields by their own government. It sucks for them but the first priority of the Israeli government has to be the security of its own citizens.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2007-09-19 15:04  

#16  PS: Oh, and Condi, STFU.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-19 15:03  

#15  Their aim is to use the civilian population to put pressure on Hamas to halt the rocket attacks, by cutting off vital resources gradually.

This exact same strategy must be used throughout the Islamic world. Sufficient "pressure", coercion or just plain violence should be applied until civilian populations independently eliminate their jihadi co-religionists. Just as Israel is discovering, we are idiots to try and clean Islam's house for it. If we wish to avoid a Muslim holocaust, it is by these methods that they must be spurred into cleansing terrorists from their midst.

The Palestinian people know damn well who is firing the rockets, smuggling the arms and making the raids against Israel. Just as with this world's larger Muslim population, at no time have any consequences for inaction ever been severe enough whereby they are goaded into countering the problem. As all the food spoils in their stalled refrigerators and freezers, as they once more must wash all laundry by hand, when sundown idles entire towns and not even the flicker of a television set provides any respite, maybe then these genocidal psychopaths will finally reconsider their profound stupidity.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-19 15:03  

#14  In the Jerusalem Post article on this:
"Following the decision, a UN official called the move problematic, telling Army Radio that since Gaza was still under Israeli occupation and Israel controlled all crossings in and out of the area, collective punishment of all Gaza residents would constitute a violation of international law."

Another UN Maroon without a clue.
Posted by: Phinater Thraviger   2007-09-19 13:44  

#13  Clearly the Israelis are not playing by the rules. It is Hamas that threatens relentless violence to destroy them, not the other way around.

Imagine if Hamas had control of "vital electricity, water and fuel supplies" to Israel. You think we would hear preliminary declarations about what they might do if provoked by further violence? Me neither.
Posted by: Baba Tutu   2007-09-19 12:07  

#12   US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the US "will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza"

Both of them?
Posted by: WhitecollarRedneck   2007-09-19 12:05  

#11  Condi, stay out of it.
Did somebody wake her up?
Posted by: tu3031   2007-09-19 11:53  

#10  Hoping to peel away the civilian pop from Hamas, I would guess.
Posted by: lotp   2007-09-19 11:43  

#9  What is Condi's problem?
Posted by: 3dc   2007-09-19 11:40  

#8  I fail to see how what Rice says is stopping Israel from giving Hamas a good pounding.
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-09-19 11:37  

#7  US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the US "will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza,"
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-09-19 11:26  

#6  "Of course you realize, this means war!"
-- Bugs Bunny

About time! I am boggled by Israel's apparent indiffence to what most would consider an act of war. If the Canadians persisted in shelling Detroit, we would be over there in a jiffy. Getting tanks through the Windsor Tunnel might be problematic, though. (in all fairness, it must be noted that if this happened back in the Mayor Coleman Young era, the rest of Michigan would most likely join in with the Canadians.)

Posted by: SteveS   2007-09-19 11:13  

#5  More...

Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Israeli security cabinet declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" on Wednesday and voted to gradually cut off fuel and electricity supplies to the poverty-stricken territory, according to Israeli press sources.

However they voted against disconnecting the Gaza Strip's water supply.

The pretext for the isolation is that it is a response to the Qassam rockets continually being fired at Israeli targets. Their aim is to use the civilian population to put pressure on Hamas to halt the rocket attacks, by cutting off vital resources gradually.

Initially electricity supplies will be disrupted if rocket fire continues.

Also, crossings will be closed to prevent the entry of goods and people into the Gaza Strip. People will only be permitted access to Gaza through Egypt.

Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, described the cabinet vote as "a declaration of war."

The Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz reported that Ehud Barak advised the cabinet that a major ground incursion into the Gaza Strip is becoming more likely every day. Although he said other options would be considered before a major offensive.

Israeli sources said that Israeli will maintain the supply to the Gaza Strip of fifty-megawatts of electricity, one third of the usual supply. This electricity is solely meant to enable the functioning of hospitals and other vital services.
Posted by: tu3031   2007-09-19 11:11  

#4  This seems only fair, since the constitution of Hamas calls for Israel's destruction.
Posted by: Rambler   2007-09-19 11:04  

#3  How about putting them on double secret probation?
Posted by: mhw   2007-09-19 10:56  

#2  Israel has a JAG corp like ours? Surely they didn't declare enemy entities in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973... Did they do so before invading Lebanon the first time? Or the second time, last summer?
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-09-19 10:56  

#1  It is a start.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-09-19 10:42  

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