Opinion  Others
Letting go of Gaza
Shlomo Avineri
Published: 07.12.05, 09:25
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17 Talkbacks for this article
1. Cheap labor amounts to government subsidy
Ilan ,   Ariel   (12.07.05)
Favored industries receive a gift of cheap labor and there is a political cost in withdrawing this subsidy. The cost is borne by more unemployed who are therefore dependent on public aid. Soon the security situation will force Israel to close off entry from Gaza and this argument will become moot.
2. Disengagement?
Matthias ,   Switzerland   (12.07.05)
"Yet Israel continues to allow thousands of Gazans to enter the country every day for work." So much to 'disengagement'! What a joke!
3. I agree
J K ,   NYC, USA   (12.07.05)
The writer of this article is correct. The doors of Gaza are open to the rest of the outside world. If they want to find work, there is a whole world for them to go looking. We can worry about reciprocity later when its safe for Israelis in need of jobs can go to Gaza without fear of being lynched.
4. The Other Country
Joe ,   Israel   (12.07.05)
Since Gaza, by international law is not defined as a country, it remains in many ways the responsibility of the former occupying power. Th e supply of water and electricity remains the responsibility of Israel and this obligation is in writing. But the real problem is that the residents of Gaza do not consider themselves detached from Israel. Many of them participate in acts whose purpose is to liberate more of their land from the Jews. Why do w have a minister among whose tasks is to help the Gazans?
5. Gaza: The Ties That Bind
Dan Friedman ,   NYC   (12.07.05)
Shlomo has had excellent reasons to support every Israeli policy disaster of the last 30 years. Shlomo is a true "Israeli intellectual."
6. the palestinians have the butter and the money for the butte
cordier   (12.07.05)
7. israel must do nothing! ...until they do.
(12.07.05)
8. Say whatever you want, but Shlomo
Palestinian ,   Canada   (12.07.05)
is very realistic in his views. Israel has certain obligations - for it own security - to help Gaza become a stable and economically viable area. It is necessary to build bridges for peace and co-existance and Gaza is the right point to begin.
9. #4 only possible justification for destroying 10,000
AK   (12.07.05)
lives was the concept of total disengagement--that means no Arab workers allowed from Gaza into Israel. Without implementing complete and total disengagement, what was done to the Jewish communities in Gaza is simply a criminal act and the responsible parties should be made accountable for the misery they have created. Joe, people like you have no morals and no conscience, even if you never cease to talk about the civil rights and the humanity and the wellbeing of the entire human race.
10. I#8 Israel has no obligations in Gaza and can keep the
AK   (12.08.05)
peace with F16 bombers, rather than paying jyzia.
11. Kol Hakavod!
Ariel ,   Canberra, Australia   (12.08.05)
I don't usually agree with Shlomo Avineri, but today he is spot on! Ehud Olmert declared earlier in the year that there would be no more Palestinians working in Israel by 2008. This is the way to go. If the Palestinians want work, they have 3 options: 1) Go Westward, to Egypt 2) Go Eastward/Northward to Jordan, Iraq (plenty of jobs with Zarqawi there), Lebanon (up and coming democracy), Syria etc.... 3) Work in Gaza - I'm sure they could use some motivated construction workers there. Disengagement was supposed to end their reliability on Israel. Let's see it happen!
12. ..and another thing
Ariel ,   Canberra, Australia   (12.08.05)
Israel should not be hiring foreign workers at all - Arab or Asian or otherwise. I understand Israel has consulted with Australia on how to fill jobs with locals without having to rely on "gast arbeiter". Where are the days when Jews were proud to be "po'alei binyan" (manual labourers) if they could not find anything else?...
13. DAN, GAZA IS ISRAEL, YOU WILL SEE!!!
DACON9 ,   NO ARAB ISRAEL   (12.08.05)
14. ARIEL, I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH SOME READERS
DACON9 ,   NOT A DIPLOMATE   (12.08.05)
ISRAEL HAS APPROX 50,000 ETHIOPIANS 6,000 INDIANS 3,000 CHINESE RECENTLEY CONVERTYED TO JEWS HAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahah they are receiving housing aid schooling education ARE THEY WORKING TO PAY THEIR WAY ?????????????? WHY DOESNT ISRAEL GO T DISNEY WORLD AND GATHER IN THE ''LOST' TO BRING TO ISRAEL, AND FORSE THEM TO LIVE FOR FREE ARABS OUT NEW FAKE JEWS WORK
15. Avineri article
Avraham Altman ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (12.08.05)
Let's hope that more and more Israelis come to agree with Avineri.
16. Gaza is somewhere else ….
Russell Cohen ,   JNB (ZA)   (12.09.05)
Excellent article, this dose of common sense was long overdue. BTW, I also believe that handing over the greenhouses and other agricultural assets was a mistake that will still come back to haunt the Israeli agricultural sector (assuming the Palestinians manage to make a go of it).
17. Oil Money Can Build Industry
Harry Grunstein ,   Montreal,Canada   (12.09.05)
Why should tiny Israel feel guilt for the poor of the Gaza, who would love nothing more then to see Jewish blood flow on the sands of the Negev ? Can their oil rich brethern not fund the building of industrial complexes in Gaza and thereby create full employment. God forbid that their monies should not be spent on palaces,Rolls Royces and tanks.
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