Vilna'i: Israel won't open Rafah Crossing without Gilad Schalit

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel will not open the Rafah Crossing on the border with the Gaza Strip, and will not permit any passageway of Palestinians into Egypt until progress is made in securing the release of captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Schalit, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i said on Tuesday.

"Forget about it. Unequivocally, opening the Rafah Crossing and the crossing of Palestinians into Egypt is conditional on the release of Gilad Schalit," Vilna'i said during a tour of the Kerem Shalom Crossing on the Gaza border.

Like many other officials throughout Monday, the deputy defense minister also downplayed remarks made by IDF chief of general staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, in which the latter implied that Israel knew the whereabouts of Schalit.

"They were blown out of proportion," Vilna'i said of the remarks. "He didn't say anything that wasn't already known. We saw Gilad Schalit walking on his feet, and Hamas took responsibility, and we demand that Hamas return him."

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Israel offers to help Egypt rebuild wall on Gaza border

<snip>

"Israel has offered to help Egypt build a technologically advanced wall on the Gaza Strip border, an Israeli defense source said Monday.

Since the border breach between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in January this year the Egyptians have made only rudimentary repairs. They fear another border breach and Palestinian invasion of Sinai, and are therefore amenable to building an effective border on the "Philadelphi route," especially west of Rafah, where there are still several holes in the fence."

<snip>

"Israel has proposed in talks with American and Egyptian officials to build the barrier from three components.

The first would be 12-meter high concrete walls, like the ones Israel uses as protection from fire. People will not be able to break them down and they will be resistant to bombs, unlike the metal fence.

The second component will be an electronic fence that would sound an alarm when people approach it. The third would combine the technological measures to locate tunnel digging or tunnels under the border fence."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1008697.html

[azurnoir]

1. What?

Haven't we been told repeatedly that Israel has absolutely, positively no control over Rafah, that it is not open is on Egypt's shoulders, perhaps someone should inform Vilna'i.

[pelsar]

2. yes you have..now lets see....

if you can explain just how israel controls rafah....can you?

or how about explain when egypt let out the Palestinians to go to mecca and israel protested.....perhaps explain how israel at the sametime protested and yet "controlled the exit?

or...excuse me while i try not to laugh to loud...now you believe an israeli politician for what he is saying?

anyway..i shall be fascinated to hear just how israel controls rafah (phasers?) Go for it!

[Sezu]

3. I'm thinking.......mind control. Yeah that's the ticket. LOL. n/t

[azurnoir]

4. Israel has phasers??!!?

seriously now if I had said Vilna'i was full of it I would most likely be explaining that I didn't say all Israeli's were liars........

So at the moment Egypt controls Rafah and it is according to political expediency that to a degree decides when Egypt opens the crossing.

On politicians having "credibility gaps", I think that comes along with politics, so to a degree they all lie, no matter what country they're from

[pelsar]

5. feel free to say Vilna is full of it..and for that matter...

any israeli politician...you wont get an argument from me.......thats what the profession is all about.

yes "at the moment Egypt controls Rafah with Hamas on the other side....egypt decides when and when not to open it...and all israel can do is either start a war with egypt or lodge a protest.....