Opinion  Sever Plocker
What about Gaza?
Sever Plocker
Published: 18.01.10, 00:50
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1. Such A Comparison?
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (01.18.10)
Haiti's disastrous situation is an Act of G-d. Gaza's disastrous situation are acts of Man. Haitians welcome Jewish help. Gazans abhor Jewish help. Haitians have not been known to be hostile to Jews. Gazans are hostile to Jews. Haitians do not blame their tzoress on the Jews. Gazans blame everything on the Jews. etc.
2. not the same
Ellen ,   Israel/USA   (01.18.10)
Why am I not surprised that someone has decided that Israel should not be helping out in Haiti. If children died in Gaza during last years war it was because the adults allowed it to happen. Israel made phone calls and dropped flyers--the adults didn't care. They wanted the ability to cultivate articles like this--and children's lives just weren't important. The Palestinians want their own country--but they want Israel to do everything--can't have it both ways! The Haitians are innocent victims of an earthquake. The Gazans are victims of themselves. I'll show sympathy for the residents of Sderot and other Southern areas. I'll show sympathy for the victims in Haita. Gaza--you have to be kidding!
3. Israel needs to retake Gaza permanently.
Chaim ,   Israel   (01.18.10)
First, let's reverse the abomination of Disengagement, which brought us only disaster, by retaking Gaza permanently. Than we should consider building a hospital there.
4. Field Hospital
P Miller MD ,   Los Angeles   (01.18.10)
Mr. Plocker, a question please! Do you honestly believe that an Israeli field hospital would be safe in Gaza? Might not the doctors and nurses be a target for Israeli-hating Hamas insurgents? I suspect that Israel will be given little credit internationally for coming to the aid of Haiti, but so what? In such a dire time for Haiti, who looks for praise? I fully expect, however, that Israel would be given even less credit internationally for a faux pas of entering Gaza no matter how philanthropic was Israel's aims. And there would be no international tears should Israeli doctors and nurses be slain by Arabs in Gaza just as the same were slain in 1948 on the way to Mount Scopus. One final thing- an aid mission to Haiti helps to reaffirm to the world that the Israeli-palestinian conflict is not about race as claimed by Palestinian supporters, and that Israel is not racist. While aid in times of natural disasters really should no be about propoganda at all, it cannot hurt Israel's standing in either Africa or amongst African-Americans to see that Israel is amongst the frist to send aid to people of color when it is needed.
5. Haiti article
John Robey ,   Austin Texas   (01.18.10)
The author calls the mission to Haiti "needless." There really are very few place in the world that are more needful than Haiti and the need for a hospital in Gaza is needed not because of the "dozens" of children injured..... but because of the hundreds of children injured to late for the hundreds that are dead.
6. Gazans would kidnap or murder Israeli field hospital workers
Beth   (01.18.10)
Mr. Plocker is obviously living in a Leftist Fantasyland.
7. One does not reward pathology, Sever Plocker
Cameron ,   USA   (01.18.10)
Absurd proposal.
8. Why doesn't Hamas establish Gaza hospital?
Yacov ,   Chicago   (01.18.10)
Hamas receives millions of dollars per year form Iran. How about Hamas building a hospital and clinics to help Gazans rather than buying rockets and explosives to kill Israelis? Oh...that would be peaceful. Can't have that. Silly me.
9. Haiti vs. Gaza
NYC Girl   (01.18.10)
When the Israelis handed over Gaza, they left a fully functioning economy along with an infrastructure that would have allowed the Gazans to build a society that would improve the lives of their citizens. But, rather than schools and hospitals, the thugs of Hamas chose to use whatever they were given to launch a campaign of rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. These people are responsible for their own misery, not the Israelis. They've already received billions in aid from the West and what do they have to show for it? And by holding Israel responsible for Gaza (and all the other self-inflicted ills of the Palestinians), what you're really doing is infantilizing them and allowing them to get away with murder...like a recalcitrant child.
10. Israel established a field hospital in Gaza.
Zvi   (01.18.10)
Hamas prevented Gazans from using it. Hamas has also prevented other Gazans, particularly those affiliated with its opponents, from getting medical care in Israel, and during Cast Lead it murdered some of its opponents in their hospital beds in Gaza. The Haitian government has shown itself to be an utter organizational failure during this emergency. But it is NOT murdering its people or brainlessly shooting rockets at the Dominican Republic. Mr. Plocker's comments are small-minded, small-hearted and short-sighted. Israel sent its assistance because it has an extremely professional and well-equipped team of search-and-rescue experts who are always looking to help others, from Mexico to India to Kenya to Turkey to Indonesia. Why does Israel send help to anyone? Because that is an expression of what Israel is and wants to be. Israeli rescuers and doctors have served in emergencies all over the world, REGARDLESS of whether the world media covers this; who remembers what Israeli search & rescue teams did in Gujarat, India or in a building collapse in Nairobi? Only the people whose lives they saved. Certainly not the world's media. The Israeli rescuers and doctors also provide training to emergency staff from around the world, regardless of whether the press covers this. They share their knowledge with the Jordanian and Palestinian Red Crescents, because this saves lives; the world media don't cover this at all. And the Israeli doctors and rescuers are always interested in learning from every disaster so as to better equip their country to deal with disasters that might happen. God forbid, if a really major earthquake occurs somewhere in Israel or in one of the neighboring countries where Israeli help might save thousands of lives, it is vital for Israel to have learned all possible lessons from this one. You claim that Israel's reason for sending assistance to Haiti is a desire to make an impression; but there are a lot easier and more straightforward ways to get good press coverage than sending doctors and rescuers to help Haitians. It's obvious that Israel has been doing exactly the same thing for years, without worrying about whether this would make an impression. So clearly you don't understand the core motive at all. Try dropping your cold cynicism for a while, Mr. Plocker. Then you'll understand.
11. Field Hospital in Gaza
avrom miller ,   Brooklyn, USA   (01.18.10)
Is it possible Mr. Plocker does not recall that Israel handed Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority after forcefully and violently evacuating its own citizens, and what the Palestinian reaction was? Total Destruction of the greenhouses and the Synagogue and the creation of a terrorist state on Israel border used as a launching pad for thousand of missiles and rockets against Israeli citizens. And you want Isrel to establish a Field Hospital for Gaza? How long would it take for Hamas to destroy it and murder the doctors? The only Field Hospital israel needs is for its leftist mental patients.
12. Are you freaking kidding me?
J K ,   NYC, USA   (01.18.10)
The Pals get a gazillion dollars from the world in addition to all the revenue Hamas is collecting from all the illegal tunnels. Go build your own freaking hospitals instead of missiles to lob at Israel. Geez Plocker...cry everyone a river.
13. Good article
Walter ,   Anchorage USA   (01.18.10)
Haiti and Gaza are completely separate issues. israel does not redeem itself through Haiti, but good work is good work. As for being motivated by 'image'... most countries have ignored Haiti up til now. The US has largely banned Haitian immigrants, specifically (a fact that is inconvenient during this crisis). Its a miserable country that is only useful when it is on the front page.
14. Have YOU been to Gaza?
blash ,   Los Angeles   (01.18.10)
Obviously Mr. Plocker, you haven't been to Gaza. Any Israeli team that set up shop there with a field hospital would be bombed back to the Stone Age since Hamas would consider it humiliating for Palestinians to be treated by Israelis. Try to learn a little from history, OK?
15. reality check time
tom ,   toronto, canada   (01.18.10)
the only action that would "reduce the tensions" with gaza would be a full re-occupation by the idf. the emergency field hospital set up at the border to treat civilian casualties of operation cast lead went unused, because hamas did not approve of gazans using it. it closed for lack of patients. why would another such hospital, inside gaza, work better? with idf troops protecting it, hamas would scream "occupation", and without troops to protect it, it would be open to blackmail, kidnappings, and attacks. hamas would "guarantee" the hospital's safety, and "groups not aligned with hamas" would carry out the attacks, as they do now, whenever hamas needs deniability. at least the haitians aren't likely to shoot qassams at israel.
16. Accomplishments abound
Doc ,   Canada   (01.18.10)
At least the Hatians would not attack the field hospital with mortars. An even more amazing accomplishments is that the BBC actually had something positive to say about Israel. Finally, the US media (CBS) complimented the Israeli mission as the "rolls royce" of field hospitals. Not a bad bonus, in addition to actually saving lives
17. splitting the difference
Laurence ,   Tustin, USA   (01.18.10)
No amount of money or gesture of good will towards the arabs occupying Israeli land will ever instill a sense of gratitude, let alone a sense of common humanity with their Israeli neighbors. Their primitive minds understand force only and overwhelming, pitiless use of it will ever stabilize the region. This, I believe, is the sad, sober truth.
18. We should go where we make a difference
Frank A. ,   Los Angeles, CA   (01.18.10)
An Israeli team of doctors in the middle of Muslim Land will be perceived as spys, the hospital will be considered a base for operations, and they will look at this act as Israel's attempt to kill Palestinian kids. At least in Haiti Israel can make a difference - however small - that will be appreciated.
19. Plocker would build field hospitals for the enemy
Yisroel ,   USA   (01.18.10)
--and not for a friendly country like Haiti that voted for, and was one of the crucial votes at the UN on establishment of the State of Israel. Perhaps the author would also like to provide for the storage of enemy: munitions, headquarters and communication centers under the hospitals as is currently in vogue.
20. Israel and Gaza
eva goldstein ,   U.S.A   (01.18.10)
Israel went in to Gaza stop the misseles what the Palestinian terrorist sending to state of Israel Where is the rich Arab countries to help the Palestinian Peoples? Israel both all the wounded to the hospitals they set up field hospitals near Gaza. Sir you need to visit Sderot Ashdod and Askelon Sincerly Eva Goldstein
21. Israel aid to Haiti.
Ely Greenhut ,   Tzfat Israel   (01.18.10)
Hamas would kill any Israeli trying to help their own. They do not want to have it said that they were helped by Israel, that is bad for their reputation of their sworn statement to annihilate Israel. Hamas is no different than Iran Israel. Remember the earthquake in Bam Iran, Israel medical supplies that were sent to Iran were rejected. Also, Hamas will disassemble the aid & hospital equipment to make explosives. Rest assure they can easily do it. Sever Plocker You are a SELFISH FOOL.
22. Please help Gaza
Hector   (01.18.10)
Gaza needs hospitals and mosques to store rockets.
23. When Shallit returns, then think about it. The people o
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (01.18.10)
of gaza freely elected the hamass terrorists and they support the hamass terrorists. hamass promises to take over Israel and kill the Jews. These people deserve NOTHING.
24. I can't beleive this guy wrote this article.
Mike ,   Post Falls, USA   (01.18.10)
25. Needless Haiti mission?
USA   (01.18.10)
Tell it to the guy whose life they saved by pooling him out from under the rubble. I mean no disrespect and nothing personal but you sir....you really got your s...t backwards. You really shouldn't be writing for Ynet, you shouldn't even be writing for Haaretz you should get a job with Amnesty International or Al Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.
26. haiti was act of nature. gaza act of elected officials who m
ralph   (01.18.10)
must bear responsibly . you are wrong elected government is responsible for their people. israel is not responsible. no matter how tortured you try to wrap your mind. the citizens had a choice, they had options they chose hamas and in the spirit of democratic freedom we must respect their right to make bad choices. i would not even support israel re-conquering gaza just to liberate its citizens. not one israeli life is worth it.
27. Sorry, you're wrong.
Michael Steiner ,   Bahrain   (01.18.10)
First of all, the people of Haiti are truly innocent of any crime (despite what maniacs like Pat Robertson say). They deserve whatever help we can provide, noth now and - as you mention - once the dust settles. Secondly, our field hospital in Gaza would NOT be "safeguarded." If anything, going by what befell our greenhouses post-Hitnatqut or what happened several times at Erez, IT and ITS personnel would be attacked, overrun, its equipment stolen, etc. Thirdly, Gaza supposedly has a government that rules it with an iron fist and that is expending millions on ordnance, cigarettes and other "bare necessities." Why don't you petition that government to set up a hospital instead?
28. Seriously fool? No souless kidnappers in Haiti
Ilan ,   Ariel   (01.18.10)
A field hospital in Gaza would be too busy burying it's staff to help anyone.
29. Sever Plocker Has a Short Memory
EGGM ,   Petah Tikva, Israel   (01.18.10)
During Operation Cast Lead, Israel set up field hospitals in the northern strip, but almost no one came for fear of being killed by Hamas. What makes Mr. Plocker think that it would be different this time? Indeed, setting up an Israeli hospital in Gaza would be a grand waste of money better spent elsewhere, like Haiti, where according to media reports, Israeli teams did manage to rescue their share of victims from under the rubble and treat them.
30. BBC coverage
jonathan ,   truro, england   (01.18.10)
BBC rolling news has given major coverage today to the Israeli rescue team and field hospital in Haiti.
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