But the occupation remains

[bluesoul]

By SONIA NETTNIN

Although Israeli Forces withdrew settlers from Gaza the military occupation of Palestinians continues. Despite U.S. mainstream media reports that the 38-year-occupation of Palestinians within Gaza has "ended," the Israeli military still controls water, the Palestinians' passage through checkpoints and air space.

When the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs surveyed the West Bank in April 2005, OCHA counted over 600 closure barriers placed by Israeli Defense Forces. When Israeli soldiers create flying checkpoints, they block roads with cars or tanks so they can stop Palestinians instantly. These physical obstacles restrict Palestinians' access to jobs, schools, health care, shopping, family gatherings, community events, and places of worship. When Palestinian farmers transport their goods across checkpoints their produce may perish because of the wait-time in checkpoint lines, or because Israeli soldiers deny them passage.

Israeli by-pass roads are not only on land confiscated from the Palestinians, but Israeli forces deny Palestinians access to them. Israeli license plates are yellow and Palestinian license plates are blue, so the color differentiation determines which roads are accessible to settlers only. The continued construction of by-pass roads and expanding, Israeli settlements in the West Bank not only forces Palestinians to use back roads, but physically alters their communities into geographical cantons or disconnected islands.

The three aquifers in the region are controlled by Israel. As a result, Palestinians need permits to dig and repair wells. It is not uncommon for Israeli forces to destroy Palestinian wells. Even if they are repaired Israeli forces have a track record of damaging them again. An example of this practice occurred in Rafah. Even though Israeli forces remove the settlers does not mean they disengaged from Israeli practices.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/nettnin08222005.html

[Brightmore]

1. Give it some time

Sheesh. What's it been since they left Gaza? Four days? Why hasn't the PA disarmed Hamas yet?

Israel has truly become the Jew of all nations.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Then maybe the mainstream US media should be more honest...

...and say that the occupation of Gaza hasn't ended yet?

[tucoramirez2005]

5. The PA cannot disarm Hamas

but that's really there business.

Canada can't make the US disarm any particular Americans, nor should they try.

[eyl]

6. If those American citizens

were busily blowing up Canadians, you could be damn sure they would try.

[tucoramirez2005]

7. That would depend

on which side of the border those Canadians were on, wouldn't it?

: o

[eyl]

8. No, actually, it wouldn't

and your analogy is made even weaker by the fact that Hamas et al haven't limited their attacks to the Territories.

[tucoramirez2005]

14. You missed the point

to them there is no difference between the "territories" and the rest of 1946 Palestine.

The analogy was only flawed in that the US and Canada are both real countries.

[eyl]

15. In which case,

what difference does it make which side of the border they're on? (as you brought up in #7)

[DemInDistress]

2. I don't understand the mass evacuations of settlers

if the Israeli Military controls all aspects of the New Gaza Strip for Palestinians? Is it ,here's your land/homes but we control all roads,wouldn't that be like surrounding the New Gaza?...

[pelsar]

4. west bank

the article is about the west bank and not about gaza

[barb162]

9. It won't be controlling all aspects at all. Palestinians can build

resorts, houses, etc. Security is an important separate issue.

[newyorican]

10. That's funny...

build resort with the IDF controlling the border, coastline, airspace and all trade.

[eyl]

11. If you haven't been following the news recently

Israel is negotiating an arrangement to allow it to leave the Egyptian border, as well as about possible operation of a port in Gaza.

[newyorican]

12. Negotiations are meaningless...

with Jabba in charge.

To Jabba, negotiations = stalling. A simple review of his history would tell you that.

[eyl]

13. Oh? You mean like the disengagement from Gaza

which many (here included) proclaimed would never happen?

Besides: Cabinet to approve Philadelphi deal with Egypt today (the Cabinet approved the measure after the article was written).

[pelsar]

16. dont start eyl

if you were to go back here you would find most of the posters were saying that the gaza pullout would never happen...evil sharon is being tricky...and the philedelphia route?...never go to the egyptians...etc

how soon they forget....but it wont open their eyes to the changes....light can be blinding

[barb162]

17. maybe we should buy some sunglasses for them

[Violet_Crumble]

20. Bullshit...

If you were to go back here you'd find nothing of the sort. I remember seeing and sometimes voicing doubts that it may happen, but yr going to have to explain what's so terrible about that...

btw, when it comes to anything to do with this conflict, most folk with an ounce of common-sense tend to realise that talk very often doesn't translate into action and are wise to wait and see what happens. That's not being blinded or anything you claim - it's being sensible...

Violet...

[eyl]

21. Skepticism is one thing

But when people flatly predicted Sharon had no intention of going through with the disengagement*, you'd think they at least qualify their assurances about his intentions in the future, no?



*eg

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x58105#58109

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x58105#58277

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x54074#54198 (one of yours)

These are just a few I found with Google; I remember quite a few more, but can't find the threads right now

[Violet_Crumble]

22. Bullshit Part II...

That's not MOST of the posters here, as pelsar claimed, and if you'd read the first one, you'd have noticed that the poster you used as an example was quoting Sharon himself. And I'd caution you to try reading a few more posts of mine about the disengagement instead of cherry-picking one comment and using that as an example of my views on the disengagement. I think posts could be pulled up and presented which could show me as a)being skeptical it would ever happen b)hoping it would happen c) not being sure at all. Still not sure why that means I'm blind or anything....

Violet...

[eyl]

23. .

A) I didn't say most. And what you said was "you'd find nothing of the sort". well, three>nothing; and there were others I crecall.

B) The first comment was a comment on a quote of Sharon's.

C) Yes, I've seen some examples of your statements showing skepticism rather than outright denial - but not in that one; and as I said, I took the first three I found. Don't remember saying you're blind either...

[pelsar]

24. i exagerated...

being one who believed sharon, knew of the preperations...i had no doubt he was going through with it....

and being the "kid| that i am i want to say something to the effect of "I told you so"....

it came out as "most"....and i was being lazy by not doing the research....

[eyl]

25. Or to put it another way

pelsar overstated the case, and you understated it.

Fair enough?

[Violet_Crumble]

26. I think that's a fair call...

:)

[newyorican]

18. Disengagement from Gaza...

was unilateral (that means not negotiated to those a little slow on the pick-up).

So...no, I don't mean unilateral decisions when I speak of negotiated settlements (duh). I know the difference, you obviously don't.

[pelsar]

19. dont like the truth?

well since the israeli govt and the PA coordinated the leaving on Gaza....which means they worked out what happens first and where the forces are, etc....thats also called negotiation..