Israeli blockade of Gaza unsustainable: White House

Source: reuters

(Reuters) - The White House said on Friday Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was unsustainable and urged a Gaza aid vessel sent by pro-Palestinian activists to divert to an Israeli port to reduce the risk of violence.

"We are working urgently with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and other international partners to develop new procedures for delivering more goods and assistance to Gaza," said Mike Hammer, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

"The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed. For now, we call on all parties to join us in encouraging responsible decisions by all sides to avoid any unnecessary confrontations," Hammer said in a statement.

Israel was preparing to intercept the Irish-owned ship the Rachel Corrie, bound for Gaza with aid and activists, after its naval operation on Monday in which nine Turkish activists were killed on another ship when it was boarded by Israeli forces.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6536PD20100604

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ok, ok.
but now facts! facts!

Slow down guys, you might sound reasonable at this pace.... :puke: :puke:

...blockade as unsustainable is a very strong message that things have to change and that, in a world where the super-conservative Israeli government has flipped-off the entire world, even the United States has its limits to what it will go along with.

It's not the end and it's not even the beginning but it's a subtle shift in tone, and it's useful. Remember, the Israelis are the other half of the Middle East peace process and for such a Samson-obsessed series of conservative governments and a fatalistic society, one might argue that there is no stick when it comes to dealing with them, only a successive procession of more and more bitter carrots.

PB

and murder its civilians in both, and another country.

Try 75.

That's how many places we have US military combat troops actively taking people out. Somalia, Yemen...heck, anywhere that has a serious militant anti-US presence. There's been a few threads on it lately:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=326720&mesg_id=326720

But mostly I hope the IDF doesn't attack these ships and murder any more people.

You sound as optomistic as I used to be but I no longer believe there's much at all Israel could ever do that would draw more than an insipid 'very strong message' from the US administration. I no longer believe Obama's going to ever do anything when it comes to the I/P conflict other than make wishy washy comments about the unbreakable bonds between the US and Israel. I might sound overly cynical, but I just thought I'd pop in with that before this thread gets banished to the dungeon out of sight of everyone...

...situation as far as this sort of thing goes. I know you're as familiar, if not moreso, with the seriously sad state of affairs when it comes to the American response on matters involving Israel. My angle is the White House didn't need to comment on the blockade at all, and certainly not in terms which imply that the Israeli action is ultimately doomed to failure.

I know his comments sound wishy-washy (at best) but remember in the U.S., November elections coming up (ALL House seats and 1/3 of the senate will be up for grabs, IIRC). Obama is sucking up to AIPAC as much as he can in hopes of keeping the Democratic edge.

For him to make a statement even remotely critical of the Israeli government, much less that the Gaza blockade is "unsustainable" I think is a bold move in a game where he has very little wiggle room and not many options, at least for the time being.

But I hear ya! ;-)

Whoops- meant to add: You know how incredibly over-sensitive the Israelis are of any form of criticism and how this will likely be parsed endlessly in the Israeli press.

PB

Fewer young Jews are identifying with Israel every year, if I recall NPR correctly.

It was the Jon Stewart video satirizing the Israeli actions against the flotilla that made me think there might not be a lot of solidarity on this.

Source: msnbc

JERUSALEM - Israel was prepared to intercept another ship bound for Gaza carrying aid and activists Saturday, increasing fears of more international tension over its blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Israel faces an international outcry after its naval operation Monday in which nine Turkish activists were killed on a ship bound for Gaza.

Israel says its blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposed after Hamas seized the territory from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, is meant to prevent arms and military supplies from reaching the territory's Hamas rulers.

In Washington, the White House said Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was unsustainable but urged the Gaza aid vessel to divert to an Israeli port to reduce the risk of violence.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37440816

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"In Washington, the White House said Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was unsustainable......."

Anybody have a link?

one of their 400-500 nuclear weapons...

Vaporized victims can't be autopsied...

governed by a group of psychotics.

Bush and Israel's way of dealing with the world was the same.

Also the Palestinians, if they would hold back on the rockets and bombings maybe that would give the political situation in Israel time to change and maybe get some type of moderate in.

I can't believe the current Israeli gov't would ever make peace. I don't know what the hell they want other than to put their people and the Palestinaans thru more crap.

It's too bad there is so little leadership coming from the White House at this important moment.

haaretz breaking news, http://www.haaretz.com/misc/breaking-news

...

"Israel has attempted to justify its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship last week by accusing five of its passengers of being "active terror operatives linked to al-Qaeda, Hamas and other armed groups.

In a statement, Israeli authorities named five passengers it said were "known to be involved in terrorist activity".

But at least one of those named told Al Jazeera that Israel's claim was baseless.

Rejecting Israeli allegations that he was a "radical anti-Israel activist" who was travelling to Gaza to "train a commando unit", Ken O'Keefe, a British-American citizen, said he had never carried arms for the group."

- al jazeera, http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/06/20106742339685948.html

the free gaza group thanx common people around the world for the support, and wishes the end of the illegal blockade.

"The facts are simple: The blockade of the port of Gaza is illegal, as deemed by international law and the UN. This point cannot be argued, the siege must end, the rights and dignity of the Palestinians in Gaza must be honoured, the port must be opened. Alongside of our partners in the Freedom Flotilla, we demand that Israel returns our boats including the Spirit of Humanity, detained by Israel since early 2009. The Free Gaza Movement and our international parteners intend to launch another flotilla at the first available opportunity. After that there will be yet another... and another... until this diabolical blockade collapses and steps towards peace are finally taken.

On June 6, another boat was announced by the ''Jüdische Stimme''. Along with her partners, the EJJP and JJP (UK), they are sending a boat and call to world leaders to help Israel find her way back to reason, a sense of humanity and a life without fear. ''Jewish Voices'' expects the political leaders of Israel and the world to guarantee safe passage for their small vessel to Gaza, thus helping to form a bridge towards peace. The FGM and our partners would like to acknowledge and thank the many governments, in particular that of Ireland and Turkey, for their support for our mission. However most importantly of all, we would like to thank the'ordinary people from everywhere who contributed to the cargo and raised their voices together to spread the message worldwide: This siege of the Gaza strip and the imprisonment of its people must end."

freegaza, http://www.freegaza.org/en