Israel’s Gaza Blockade Is To Blame

Five years after the devastating Israeli war on Gaza, called ‘Operation Cast Lead,’ Israel has again bombed the densely populated open air prison strip to its south. Several Gazans have been reported injured and at least one toddler has been killed. All of the media accounts, as per usual, report the strikes as retaliatory, coming in response to rocket fire from Gaza which “landed in open fields [causing] no injuries or damages.”

Every single Israeli incursion or attack on Gaza is accompanied by the same narrative: Israel fairly responded to unprovoked Palestinian rocket fire. With Israel’s previous two attacks on Gaza, we know Israel actually broke the ceasefire, not Hamas.

Many of the press reports don’t make any mention at all of the sadistic blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza for years, which is starving Gazans of daily sustenance and is by most accounts illegal under international law.

Conditions in Gaza have become exceedingly desperate. About one third of Gaza’s arable land and 85 percent of its fishing waters are totally or partially inaccessible due to Israeli military measures, while at least two-thirds of Gazan households lack reliable access to food as a result of the blockade. Last year, the United Nations estimated that Gaza would be “unlivable” by 2020 unless the blockade is lifted. And again last month, UN officials said “Gaza is quickly becoming uninhabitable.”

Here is an editorial piece published today by the Guardian, entitled “Time to end Israel’s Gaza blockade”:

For the 1.7 million living in the tiny Gaza Strip, life has become increasingly desperate because of Israel’s continuing blockade, backed by Egypt and with no effective challenge from governments around the world. The blockade has brought electricity cuts of 16 hours a day, which means the only street lights visible at night have been those from Israel’s nearby towns. The electricity shortages have severely affected almost all essential services, including health, water, sanitation and schooling. With waste plants not operating, Palestinian children have been wading through freezing sewage to attend school. The terrible floods in Gaza brought the promise of increased electricity supplies for a few weeks, but the international community must demand that supply is constant and permanent.

…It is deplorable for us to allow this continuing collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza.

Not only does the U.S. allow this collective punishment, it actively supports it and is in part criminally responsible. But again, that is not part of the narrative Americans hear about.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said last year that the blockade bolsters extremists. “Keeping a large and dense population in unremitting poverty,” he said, “is in nobody’s interest except that of the most extreme radicals in the region.”

The bottom line: any narrative that doesn’t include Israel’s “unremitting” siege of Gaza as part of the reason errant rockets occasionally fly into empty fields in southern Israel is a narrative that is not complete.

24 thoughts on “Israel’s Gaza Blockade Is To Blame”

  1. Israel is a parasitic invasive species who is in the process of deliberately trying to eradicate the indigenous people of Palestine. The UN have issued a "Declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples," but not even the UN is coming to the rescue of these people who are faced with threats to their sovereignty.

  2. Gaza has been for many years the world's largest concentration camp. This is a crime that goes beyond scandal.

  3. I find it interesting there is no mention of Egypt in the article. As far as I know gaza shares two borders. Why is it Israel’s fault but not Egypts? Why are there fellow Muslims not helping them? Maybe it has something to do with Hamas being a terrorist organization and subsequently gaza a terrorist state. Rid gaza of Hamas and perhaps te Palestinian people (the ones caught in the middle of all of this) can return to some semblance of normality!

  4. Every time Bibi doesn't get his way in the global community, he's takes his vitriol out on Gaza. Just like shooting fish in a Gaza barrel.

    1. It would be of some help if you and others who are critical of Israel's criminal actions against the Palestinians would cease referring to an unvarnished thug by the cutesy nickname "Bibi" "Bibi" conjures up the image of a sweet, fun-loving guy who wouldn't dream of driving a Palestinian family from its home, who wouldn't hesitate to court martial Israeli soldiers who shot down Palestinian women and children in cold blood in the streets of Gaza during "Operation Cast Lead." His name is Benjamin and he's a murderous sociopath. Got it?
      No one publicly, as far as I know, ever referred to Adolf Hitler as "Dolfie" for the same reason Netanyahu should be stripped of his Made in Hollywood nickname.

      1. Whoa Thomas, lighten up. The moniker of "Bibi" was first used to me by a fine Palestinian woman that I've known for years and I've used the moniker ever since. Just about twenty years to be precise. As for "Dolfie", I like it. Thanks for the tip.

  5. The U.S. govt. — my govt — has sanctioned and enabled war crimes many times and in many places, but its unbelievably shameless, embarrassing servility to Israel is beyond cowardly; it is treason. Cowardly, corrupt, self-serving members of congress have literally sold out the American people. Congress has given Israel enormous amounts of money, the most modern weapons available, and a green light to inflict any cruelty, injustice, or humiliation on the Palestinians, and ultimately they — congress — will pay for their misdeeds.

    1. The question is–when will they pay?? And it sure as hell isn't MY government! The gallows for all of them.

  6. The USA, EU & Canada should cut military and economic aid to Israel. It mistreats Arabs and displaces them with settlements. Another reason Israel should receive no aid is that it's neither a third world nor even a second world nation.

  7. "The settlements" and "The blockade" are the RESULT not the CAUSE of "Arab" INTRANSIGENCE.
    I do not remember any peace BEFORE the so-called "settlements" had even started in 1967 and in 1973 the second war within six years (again;BEFORE the "settlements" were even conceived).
    "The blockade", even after Israeli's pulled out, for one thing is not just on the "Israeli" side; there is ,of course "Egypt" on the other.Just one example, amonst many of "Arab" against "Arab".
    Instead of trying to create a decent, dignified civil society, certain "Gazan's" simply wanted to bomb,destroy and terrorise rather than talk!
    You are playing the "Israeli" game; you are allowing them to divide and rule. They don't want to rule over those particular Arabs they just want the land before 1967 and have a "Jewish state. That' been true all along. (Jerusalem is a bit more problamatic) and in my personal opinion, I think they need and deserve one! "Arabs" are allowing themselves to fall into this very old trap; arguing amonst themselves.
    Be generous perhaps, because it is not as if "Arabs" are short on land. To me ,they just seem greedy ,very unreasonable and they fail or REFUSE to see the "Israeli" fear, their story or their narrative.
    Put simply; "Israeli's" and "Jews" are genuinely scared and frightened for their very existence. Fear mixed with paranoia ,not surprisingly, regarding their history, is very dangerous.
    Not long ago,literally,roughly 60/70 years a whole country,tried too wipe them out .
    Anyhow,to me it would be great to see someone like "Netanyahu" go and visit "Rouhani"…..let's see something radical, innovative and positive in 2014.
    At least the "Israeli's" are nowhere near as good at treating the "Arabs" badly as they are at doing it to themselves, vis a ais "Syria" " where "Assad" is starving out millions of "Palestinians" ,"Egypt" and "Lebenon"…….etc,etc

    1. What a load of nonsense! You must be a Zionist or a Zionist sympathiser trying to blame the Palestinians. The zionists will never give up The Golan Heights, Jordan Valley which is post 67 as it provides water for the illegal settlements. Pre 1948 the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians began and it continues to this day. Apartheid has nothing to do with the ME region. For anyone to compare themselves to Syria get real. A slow starvation has been going on in Gaza for decades, indefinite administrative detention, daily humiliation, human suffering, prevention of healthcare and education. This slow death is no match to comparing it to a regional war. What the zionists are doing through stealing land, denying Palestinians their homes is criminal and evil. The settlers going around brandishing rifles at young children and women, destroying olive trees that have been in families for generations, dumping raw sewage, toxic waste in Palestinian areas. There is no match to that evil anywhere in the world. The Middle East has issues but nothing to compare to Zionist evil. Also and more importantly nearly all of the news channels rae owned by zionists and news is selective. we only see what the owners want us to see. God fearing decent human beings are around everywhere in the Middle East except no one likes to mention them. The other irony on propaganda and the Zionist machine is Hollywood. Does anyone find it strange that the Ramadan and Eid never happen on the USA according to Hollywood yet Hanuka, Bar Mitzava are common? LOL.

  8. Jesus died for You You will go to Heaven

    What is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. GodWhat is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. God also gives prophecy-promises of judgment to those who disagree wither are indifferent to Him. 

    Can men give prophecy?
    No! Genuine prophecy comes only from God. “No prophecy was ever an act of human will” (1 Peter 1:21)

    Why is prophecy (a great gift from God), avoided today by many? Why do Lutheran pastors often avoid preaching on prophecy?
    In recent years a small group of Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Dispensationalist preachers have predominated television preaching. These preachers claim that the key prophecies of God deal with the state of Israel. These misguided preachers have twisted God’s prophecies and removed Christ from the center of prophetic preaching. By doing this, they replace Jesus Christ with the geographical state of Israel. This misuse of prophecy has cause many Lutheran pastors to avoid teaching about prophecy altogether, thereby leaving their people in the dark and without the hope that God desires to give His people through Christ-centered prophetic preaching. 

    If you were to make a tree diagram of all Old Testament prophecies–with a branch or twig representing each specific prophecy–why would Genesis 3:15 be the root of this big “tree” of many old testament prophecies?
    There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. Already in the third chapter of the first book, God gives His “root,” His “foundation block,” or His cornerstone prophecy. This cornerstone prophecy on which all other prophecies are built is Genesis 3:15. Every activity of the entire Old and New Testament is tied in some way to Genesis 3:15, just as every branch and smallest twig of a tree is in some way tied to the root. 

    WHY IS GOOD NEWS DEVOTING AN ENTIRE ISSUE TO PROPHECY?
    The primary purpose of GOOD NEWS is to give its readers hope. As You turn these pages and see specific prophecies explained, you will also experience the hope God desires to give you.

    HOW CAN YOU EASILY DETECT THE HERETICAL TEACHING OF TODAY’S TELEVISION PREACHERS AND DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE SOLID AND RELIABLE TEACHING THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS ALWAYS USED REGARDING PROPHECY?
    Popular and heretical preachers of prophecy usually focus on the Bible books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. These books are then used to explain current world politics, especially current events, and to guess when Jesus will return. The greatest condemnation of these charlatans is the clear teaching of Jesus: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36)

    WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW ABOUT THE TWISTED HERESY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    As already noted, the Dispensationalist teaching of prophecy takes Jesus from the center of all prophecy and replaces our blessed Lord with the state of Israel. In Luke 24:44, Jesus says, “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Dispensationalists, in effect, have recast this section of God’s Word to say, “All things written about the state of Israel in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Furthermore, as Luther points out, Israel, even in the Old Testament, has always referred to those who believed and followed God, not to a particular race of people or to a certain geographical area. 

    WHY IS IT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW WHAT THE WORD ‘ISRAEL” MEANS TODAY?
    Over the centuries, in its worship services, the Christian church has always used the Psalms. The Psalms regularly refer to Israel. When the Psalmist is referring to Israel, he is pointing to those whom God has promised to bless. In their false understanding of Scripture, the Dispensationalists have misled millions to believe that the Psalms are referring to God blessing the state of Israel, when, in fact, the Psalms refer to a blessing God wants to give to all who are worshiping him. In other words, the heretical Dispensationalist theology twists and redirects God’s promises of blessings from children who are His through Baptism to those they believe are His through geography.
    So, the bottom line is this. When people in your congregations are hoodwinked into believing Dispensationalist theology, they do not experience the blessings that God has to give them as His New Israel! (Romans 9:1-8)

    WHERE ARE THE CHIEF THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS THAT TEACH DISPENSATIONALISM?
    Among themselves Dispensationalists would agree that the leading schools teaching their interpretation of the Scriptures would be Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas. One of the founders of Fuller Theological Seminary was also a major promoter of Dispensationalism.

    WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE LEADING AND MOST POPULAR TEACHERS OF THE TWISTED THEOLOGY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    The most popular teacher of dispensationalism has been Hal Lindsey, the author of The Late Great Planet Earth which sold some 35 million copies and was translated into over 50 languages. In more recent years, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins authored the Left Behind series of books, which netted each author over fifty million dollars. These figures demonstrate how widely this 19th-century American heresy has been spread and the threat that it poses to Christ’s church. Jesus says, “Many will … mislead many” (Matthew 24:5). 

    WHY DO THESE RELIGIOUS FICTION BOOKS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT DEAL WITH PROPHECY, SELL SO WELL?
    All people, even those committed to secularism, are interested in getting a peek into the future. Thus, when a charlatan comes along who claims to be interpreting present and future events ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, there are many buyers! Even members of the U.S. Department of Defense were known to be reading The Late Great Planet Earth in the hope of seeing the future of world political and military movements. One author noted that reading The Late Great Planet Earth was like getting an advance copy of tomorrow’s newspaper!
    Finally, on e could read many, many books explaining how the twisted theology of Dispensationalism has impacted politics in the United States and other parts of the world. But politics is not our mission at GOOD NEWS. While we have taken some space to point out the deadly menace of Dispensationalism, you can see that the greater percentage of this issue is devoted to the true and correct Biblical understanding of prophecy, a great blessing God wants you to have! 
    Dispensationalism is effectively exposed in volume XIII of Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics: Escatology by John R. Stephenson. p. 83-97, in the essay titled, “Fictitious Signs of His Coming: Sundry Dreams of the Dispensationalists” (Published by the Luther Academy, Fort Wayne, IN. 1993).

    For Bible Study questions about this page, turn to page 41 and use questions 43 through 45.

    43. The heresy of Dispensationalism has been promoted by many popular evangelical preachers on television and radio. Major schools of theology, such as the Moody Bible Institute, promote Dispeationalism. Bestselling books like The Late Great Planet Earth, and even the series, sow the tares of dispensational thinking in the minds of million of Christians (Matthew 13:24-30). Nevertheless, Dispensationalism is not a God-Pleasing doctrine. Jesus warns us: “Many will come in My name … and will mislead many” (Matthew 24:5).

    44. Jesus claims that the entire Old Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). Dispensationalism removes Jesus from the center of Biblical prophecy and replaces Him with the modern state of Israel. Dispensationalists base their teaching on obscure passages while ignoring the Bible’s clear teachings, such as: “But of that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). Finally, Dispensationalism robs God’s children of the comfort of their Baptism. By focus-ing on bringing back the political state of Israel, Dispensationalism denies God’s promise that, through Baptism, He has established the Christian church as His New Israel (Romans (:1-8)

    45. No matter how persuasive and exciting television preachers or popular books may be, always remember: Christ, not the state of Israel, is the center of all Scripture (Luke 18:31). When you hear novel interpretations drawn from books such as Revelation or Daniel, keep in mind: “No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). Search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), and compare the claims of Dispensational teachers to God’s clear testimonies, such as Matthew 24:36 and Romans 9:1-8. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), knowing that the entire OLd Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). And bear in mind that all prophecy springs from the root of Genesis 3:15. When you are armed with these clear Biblical teachings, and refreshed by God’s forgiveness in Word and Sacrament, you will be able to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

    (Good News Magazine Prophecy Issue 35, Concordia Mission Society, P.O. box 8555 St Louis MO 63126)

  9. Now the Israelis are trying to pose as the victims by asking money (via a booth at the farmer's market)to build bomb shelters for THEIR children!With all the latest military hardware from the U.S.(at NO charge)they ruthlessly bomb, bulldoze, and starve-by-blockade a basically helpless population in Gaza, while a complicit mega-media covers for them, and then claim Israel's 'victimization' by the very people they oppress.

    Do they think the world didn't hear about 'operation cast lead', with it's hideous toll of Palestinian suffering?Or the Israeli navy's attack on relief ships trying to bring food/medial supplies to the people of Gaza?And these were just two high-profile incidents out of YEARS of systematic persecution.

  10. Now the Israelis are trying to pose as the victims by asking money (via a booth at the farmer's market)to build bomb shelters for THEIR children!With all the latest military hardware from the U.S.(at NO charge)they ruthlessly bomb, bulldoze, and starve-by-blockade a basically helpless population in Gaza, while a complicit mega-media covers for them, and then claim Israel's 'victimization' by the very people they oppress.

  11. What a load of nonsense John Hoser! The leading zionists come from Europe or are Settlers that will kill a child on a whim or antagonise an old woman, pull her hijab and laugh at her. Israel has been working with many Arab nations for decades giving intelligence. many Israeli companies have own massive contracts in the ME that are in the settlements. Israel has occupied Sth Syria, Sth Lebanon, Jordan! Palestine! Is this the voice of a scared and paranoid nation? The IDF are 5th largest exporters of weapons! they receive support and funding from the EU AND THE USA. The Palestininas have nothing! In fact if you are going to label Arabs which covers a massive region who fight amongst yourselves well look in Israel, as a nation you fight amongst yourselves as well and look how small your area is. You must be a Zionist or a Zionist sympathiser trying to blame the Palestinians. The zionists will never give up The Golan Heights, Jordan Valley which is post 67 as it provides water for the illegal settlements. Pre 1948 the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians began and it continues to this day. Apartheid has nothing to do with the ME region. For anyone to compare themselves to Syria get real. A slow starvation has been going on in Gaza for decades, indefinite administrative detention, daily humiliation, human suffering, prevention of healthcare and education. This slow death is no match to comparing it to a regional war. What the zionists are doing through stealing land, denying Palestinians their homes is criminal and evil. The settlers going around brandishing rifles at young children and women, destroying olive trees that have been in families for generations, dumping raw sewage, toxic waste in Palestinian areas. There is no match to that evil anywhere in the world. The Middle East has issues but nothing to compare to Zionist evil. Also and more importantly nearly all of the news channels rae owned by zionists and news is selective. we only see what the owners want us to see. God fearing decent human beings are around everywhere in the Middle East except no one likes to mention them. The other irony on propaganda and the Zionist machine is Hollywood. Does anyone find it strange that the Ramadan and Eid never happen in the USA according to Hollywood ? yet Hanuka, Bar Mitzava are common? Lies Lies Lies by the racist zionists.

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