The New Republic

Carter's not the only one who's senile, Marty. That's quite a dishonest headline, even for you. The issue isn't that Israel won't allow missiles and rocket launchers; it's the preclusion, at various times, of canned fruit, fruit juices, chocolate and other such non-weaponized materials. You know this, of course. But you're a lazy propagandist who hasn't had to earn a living since LBJ was in office. Such complacency must rot the brain.

- misterbones

October 28, 2010 at 12:56pm

Kudos to the Nigerians! And Jimmy Carter should retire to his peanut farm and building houses for poor Americans. Maybe Tutu could join Carter, and both of them stay out of Israel's security.

- K2K

October 28, 2010 at 7:46pm

Looks like misterbones beat me to it. I don't get why Palestinian toddlers drinking fruit juice is so threatening to Israel.

- ATuring

October 29, 2010 at 10:14am

"The issue isn't that Israel won't allow missiles and rocket launchers; it's the preclusion, at various times, of canned fruit, fruit juices, chocolate and other such non-weaponized materials." "Dangot has since helped devise the more relaxed rules. Today, most consumer goods are allowed into Gaza, while many raw materials and building supplies remain restricted and exports are banned, with the exception of seasonal shipments of strawberries and cut flowers." http://topnews360.tmcnet.com/topics/associated-press/articles/2010/10/29/112383-israeli-general-lays-out-plan-reviving-gaza.htm Some photos from before the blockade was reformed: http://pajamasmedia.com/files/2008/09/610x.jpg http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2010/06/danish-report-from-gaza-wheres.html http://paltoday.ps/arabic/News-64161.html

- noga1

October 29, 2010 at 10:41am

And a few reminders of what Gaza's bare markets looked like before the easing of restrictions: http://paltoday.ps/arabic/News-64161.html http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2010/06/danish-report-from-gaza-wheres.html http://pajamasmedia.com/files/2008/09/610x.jpg

- noga1

October 29, 2010 at 10:43am

From the article linked by Noga. Doesn't take more than a paragraph or two to clarify that the embargo does not have as its only purpose preventing Hamas from obtaining supplies with which to make war. Far from it, the purpose is political, to make economic life in Gaza impossible in the hope that this will discredit Hamas. Of course, predictably, it has the opposite effect. But the people who think these things up have no interest in real-world outcomes. Only in the expression of their ideological zeal and self-righteousness. Without further ado: Israeli general lays out plan for reviving Gaza By Associated Press , TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli general who controls the gates of Hamas–run Gaza says he is pursuing a complex and delicate strategy: enable exports and development in the impoverished Palestinian territory while somehow preventing the Islamic militants who rule it from getting credit for any progress. In an interview with the Associated Press (News - Alert) on Monday, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot said Israel seeks to work with Hamas' rival, the West Bank–based Palestinian Authority of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, to help revive the economy. Fayyad would set priorities for what Gaza needs and place his people at the borders, Dangot explained. He said the Palestinian Authority — driven out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007 and currently involved in fitful peace negotiations with Israel — must "show the flag there, to show their existence — even if 100 meters (yards) from there is a Hamas checkpoint." The new approach is just the latest of the twists and turns Israel's Gaza policy has taken since the Hamas takeover. Trying to contain and weaken an Iranian–backed entity on its doorstep, Israel has employed a wide range of tactics — from a punitive three–year border blockade to periodic cease fires to a brief and devastating war almost two years ago. Israel imposed the blockade after the Hamas takeover of Gaza, allowing in only a limited selection of basic goods. But it came under pressure to ease the embargo after an Israeli raid of a Gaza–bound blockade–busting flotilla killed nine activists, including eight Turks and one Turkish–American, in May. Dangot has since helped devise the more relaxed rules. Today, most consumer goods are allowed into Gaza, while many raw materials and building supplies remain restricted and exports are banned, with the exception of seasonal shipments of strawberries and cut flowers. The general says he hopes to ease restrictions further. This could include allowing in more raw materials to crank up Gaza's key industries — textiles, furniture and agriculture — and to enable more exports by spring.

- roidubouloi

October 31, 2010 at 12:01pm

"But the people who think these things up have no interest in real-world outcomes." A strange statement considering that the article reflects exactly the kind of lesson roi prescribes.

- noga1

October 31, 2010 at 2:50pm

Marty Peretz ( on a Spine post 15.01.2009*): The Red Cross Retracts Its Outlandish Accusations Against Israel "Predictably, the press has been exaggerating Gaza death and damage...sometimes as an expression of its own inventiveness, sometimes as a result of historically unreliable informants, including those NGOs that have become, for all intents and purposes, accessories to the crimes of the terrorist gangs and their suicidal intifadas. " Almost 2 years later, we get confirmation from none other than: "Hamas interior minister Fathi Hammad [who] told the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat that between 200 and 300 Hamas fighters were killed during the 22-day onslaught in addition to hundreds of civilians. “They say the people suffered from this war, but is Hamas not part of the people? On the first day of the war Israel targeted police stations and 250 martyrs were killed, from Hamas and other factions,” he told the paper. “In addition to them, between 200 and 300 fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’s armed wing) and another 150 security forces were martyred.” His numbers roughly match the 709 “terror operatives” the Israeli military said it had killed during the fighting, which included members of the Hamas-run police force that has patrolled Gaza since the group seized power in 2007. " http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/November/middleeast_November13.xml§ion=middleeast&col= * The original post cannot be found on line but googling the quote will find a few venues that copied it in its entirety.

- noga1

November 2, 2010 at 9:57am