Israeli PM: Gaza blockade prevents rocket attacks

[azurnoir]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hotly rejected calls to lift a blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza on Wednesday, insisting the ban prevents missile attacks on Israel and labeling worldwide criticism of his navy's bloody raid on a pro-Palestinian flotilla as "hypocrisy."

"This was not the 'Love Boat,'" Netanyahu said in an address to the nation, referring to the vessel boarded by commandos, setting off clashes that led to the deaths of nine activists. "It was a hate boat."

"Israel is facing an attack of international hypocrisy," he said, asserting that the Jewish state is the victim of an Iran-backed campaign to arm the Hamas rulers of Gaza with missiles that could hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said the aim of the flotilla was to break the blockade, not to bring aid to Gaza. If the blockade ended, he warned, hundreds of ships would bring in thousands of missiles from Iran, to be aimed at Israel and beyond.

The result, he said, would be an Iranian port on the Mediterranean. "The same countries that are criticizing us today should know that they would be targeted tomorrow," Netanyahu said.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_TURKEY_ISRAEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-06-02-19-05-34
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

so the only way Israel can prevent rocket attacks is a blockade, how's that one been workin' for ya so far?

[WeDidIt]

1. It's clear, all they want is to exterminate the Palestinian people

Israel is engaged in systematic genocide.

[Webster Green]

2. It is genocide.

But Israel can't be criticized for committing genocide because they're so fucking special?

Mutherfuckers! :mad:

[backwoodsbob]

6. so how much has the pali population dropped

since this genocide started?

[Webster Green]

12. OMG. That's so fucking stupid.

If you deny people the basics for survival, they will die.

[shira]

10. Genocide? What, in reverse?

:eyes:

[Webster Green]

11. WTF?!

:silly:

[shira]

13. The Palestinian population in Gaza is only growing. That's some 'genocide'.

[MadBadger]

14. Most ineffective Genocide ever. Bush must be running that genocide.

[Webster Green]

16. Genocide.

Pure and simple.

[EFerrari]

18. Increased birth rate is directly tied to their food insecurity. n/t

[MadBadger]

19. Food insecurity doesnt equal genocide

[EFerrari]

24. Right. But the increased birthrate is not a sign of thriving. On the contrary.

[BootinUp]

27. I believe the birthrate is down in Gaza

http://www.indexmundi.com/gaza_strip/total_fertility_rate.html

[Webster Green]

17. Genocide.

That is their goal.

[lumpy]

23. If the Palestine population is growing, that really bothers the

Israelis doesn't it? Keep that blockade going, stunt the growth and health of those little Palestinian kids and all will be well. It is a slow and purposeful sort of genocide.

[DOOMS]

4. And what it called when Israel is attacked routinely?

Daily? I call it the same thing. I see it as survival. Maybe crude but awfully effective considering they are surrounded by the same folks I believe this land in question was captured from while being attacked by its 5 wealthy and much larger neighbors. Stop attacking Israel for Jerusalem and we can all move on.

As I suspected, there is much more to the story than reported by the MSM. There were warnings, there were ties to terror groups, they were in the wrong by making the attempt regardless, and they attacked the soldiers.

Benny is right. Hypocrisy and propaganda. This seems a lot bigger operation than simply a peace keeping mission. JMO.

[Tripmann]

3. If its not a love boat

wheres the weaponry bound for hamas that it was worth executing innocent aid workers for?

disgusting

[Ignis]

26. Oh, haven't you seen the scary, scary "weapons cache?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x315316#316052

They were going to smuggle in other weapons--like, oh, you know GUNS and stuff--but they decided at the last minute to only smuggle in sticks and knives.

:rofl:

Of course, we're supposed to take at face value the fact that the IDF practiced pristine evidence custody procedures with these weapons. And why should we ever have any cause to think that the IDF might have a stake in making the flotilla volunteers look dangerous?

:eyes:

[Tripmann]

28. Exactly

The propagandists might be able to make that shit fly with the leave-your-brain-at-the-door fox news right wing morons, but I have not seen ONE commentator ask the most blindingly obvious question.....

Why would a flotilla that was almost certainly going to be searched one way or another by the IDF carry ACTUAL weapons for hamas, when it would destroy the whole effort to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gazans when they would be found?

[ladjf]

5. That's pure B.S. nt

[shaayecanaan]

7. Hamas can get all the weapons they want through the tunnels...

and they have plenty of tunnels, and plenty of weapons. It is the Gazans who do not have access to their own private tunnels that are bearing the brunt of the blockade.

Accordingly, the purpose of the blockade cannot be to prevent Hamas having access to weapons, as they have ample access through the tunnels anyway. The real intent of the blockade is to foster hardship amongst Gazans in the hope that their discontent might destabilise the Hamas government.

As Israeli officials have commented:-

"The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/apr/16/israel

[shira]

9. Nastier weapons in bulk can be shipped via Iran. Need examples?

[shaayecanaan]

15. Yet more gratutitous, rolled-gold, mouth-dribbling bullshit...

If all you want to do is prevent arms shipments from Iran, the Egyptians can easily intercept them at the Suez Canal. The boat bound for Lebanon which was intercepted in the Mediterranean by Israel was apparently allowed to go through by Egypt so that Israel could have the benefit of a good photo opportunity. And the Karine A was intercepted before it reached the canal. It could have been intercepted later with much less fuss but again the IDF wanted to make it a bit more of a dick-swinging exercise.

[backscatter712]

8. Israel killed more people on the Mavi Marmara than Hamas rockets have killed per year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel

The most was 2008, when Palestinian rockets killed 8. The Israeli assault on the Mavi Marmara killed at least 9, in one night.

[Recursion]

20. Didn't they just have two rocket attacks today?

Bang-up job that blockade is doing.

[proReality]

21. Making peace can also stop the attacks and benefit everyone.

It's more than a shame the Israelis are stuck in a brutal warrior mindset.

[hayu_lol]

22. Obviously the Palestinians don't need to much in aid goods...

since HAMAS refused the first shipment.

To make a political point, the people are willing and able to do without.

[EFerrari]

25. Obviously, after all the violence and destruction, the Israeli government doesn't get to

be let off the hook that easily.