why do you made it a long post ... yesterday a minister i think the transport israili minister said the blockade was a mistake that we did it for abou mazin not for israil security .. so these activates were dead becouse they said the same ..it is a mistake that people are suffering

That's the point of view of one minister living fairly well distant of Gaza. Why not ask the people of Sderot and Ashdod what they think of the blockade? The people of Gaza are not suffering as a result of any actions by the State of Israel. I'm pretty sure that their suffering is due to living under the yoke of Hamas. There are no shortages of packaged foods; there are no shortages of fresh produce and fresh meat. Flour and grains are also readily available. Medicines, blankets, bandages, surgical equipment and the like have NEVER been embargoed. Gaza gets all its fresh water and electricity from Israel as well. The goods that are not allowed into Gaza are those that can be used for shoring up the smuggling tunnels or converted into weapons-type use. Stop perpetrating the myth of "deprivation" in Gaza. All Hamas has to do to open the crossings with Israel and end the embargo is renounce terror and acknowledge Israel's right to exist in its ancient homeland. Why is that so hard for them to do? And why should Israel accord Hamas any quarter without it?

"I don’t think any embargo or blockade used as a tool to force policy change has ever been successful - I can’t think of one. Can you?" Sure can. The embargo of South Africa and the embargo of Libya certainly forced changes in policy in both nations. The embargo of Cambodia also resulted in policy change -- and leadership change away from the Khmer Rouge. "Innocent people in those places are suffering because of atrocities committed on them by their own leaders, not because of any embargo or blockade." How would you characterize Hamas using the billions of dollars and billions of euros in cash aid that has poured into Gaza for acquiring weapons and building ever more sophisticated terrorist training centers? How would you characterize the fact that Hamas' so-called "leadership" have extremely luxurious second and third homes in Europe and extremely lavish offshore bank accounts? How would you characterize Hamas' refusal to allow civilians to evacuate areas that the IDF has warned are to come under bombardment? How would you characterize Hamas' penchant for storing weapons in schools and hospitals and mosques, thereby turning them into legitimate military targets? If those are not "atrocities," I am hard-pressed to think what is. "Also, according to the UN World Food Programme, 80% of Gazans, half of who are under 18yrs old, now depend on humanitarian aid and a bare minimum of 400 truckloads per week is required but Israel has allowed only an average of 171 trucks per week to enter Gaza." Oh, so you believe a United Nations agency? Sad. In the month of May, 1,905 trucks carried humanitarian supplies into Gaza through Israel. Similarly, in the month of May, how many trucks do you think crossed from Egypt into Gaza with humanitarian aid? I'll tell you. Zip. Zilch. Not ONE. No one starves in Gaza. That's just a myth of convenience for those who hate Israel. Israel does not impose "collective punishment." If it did, it would seal its border with Gaza, and not supply fresh water or electricity (good luck waiting for Egypt to pick up the slack). The fact is that Israel's blockade of Gaza and embargo of certain goods is designed exclusively to punish Hamas. And that it does.

First off to answer your moronic statement that blockades have never changed a policy try Cuba. It sure changed Soviet policy. 2nd the Arabs have no legal claim to any land west of the Jordan River. We are the legal owners. Our people are the natives and the Arabs are like you illegal squatters and colonists. 3rd our right is in international laws and treaties. San Remo Maritime Treaty, Oslo Agreements give us the right to regulate, inspect and stop any and all shipping that we want going to Gaza even in international waters. Try learning to read and how about returning the land YOU stole to the natives? Bet that won't happen. Thieves are always the most self-righteous of all hypocrites.

Hamas overthrew the legal government of Gaza and has been illegally shelling Israel. The Blockade is 100% legal and Israel is not occupying. Assuming your a learned person of the left, how is it you are so for Hamas when they deny free speech, freedom of religion, women's rights, gay rights and non-violence? If Israel went away tomorrow, these policies would not change, so why support Hamas? The only explanation is you are either a hypocritical or antisemitic. Which is it?

everybody else is stupid, everybody else is wrong. The jew can not be wrong

In every embargo you cited, none included the intentional military destruction of food production facilities, underground aquifers, electrical generation equipment, waste water treatment facilities and water purification equipment ( all in violation of article 33 of the Geneva Convention) I would have to go back to the Middle Ages to find similar sieges. The UN in resolution 1860 already has labeled Israel guilty of collective punishment which is a war crime. I will not defend Hamas but even if I accepted your figure for trucks in May, that equates to 1 truck to supply 800 human beings for 1 month. Your figure , if true, doesn't make the UN average per month incorrect. That the US State Dept now is in discussions with Israel to alter its blockade to only include military supplies should tell you something. That you defend a policy that (aside from the fact it doesn't work)t is a crime in Jewish law in terms of dealing with innocents is something no Jew on earth should respect. I find your statement that no Gazan is starving to be unmitigating.

Israel's sovereignty cannot logically be under threat because it does not exist in the first place. Yes, I am aware that many nations recognize Israel's existence de facto (and de jure on paper only), but no proper nation truly recognizes Israel's claims to sovereignty. My view is confirmed by what I hear in conversations among diplomatic circles in which I frequently travel.

1. When Israel withdrew from Gaza, they left intact several hydroponic ponds for growing beautiful vegetables and fruits in water as well as a number of greenhouses. They also left intact beautiful homes, apartment buildings, stores, schools, hospitals and other facilities. A gesture of good neighborliness to our neighbors. What did the Palestinians do? I will tell you. They dynamited it all (except for a few very nice villas which the "leadership" preferred to keep for themselves), calling it all "tainted." Israel didn't HAVE to exercise such largesse. A scorched earth policy would have been better, considering the way these animals recognized the gesture. 2. There are no natural acquifers in Gaza. Israel did build desalinization plants, but the Palestinians dynamited those, too. 3. The only waste water treatment facilities have been left to wither into dust, because the Palestinian "leadership" doesn't really care if the average Palestinian has clean drinking water and appropriate sewage treatment. Did you know that prior to 1967, when Israel brought modern waste treatment facilities to both the West Bank and Gaza, those two regions had one of the highest mortality rates from cholera in the world? No. I didn't think you did. Sad, but not surprising. 4. If Palestinians are hungry or ill in Gaza, it has nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with Hamas. They love a big pile of dead civilians -- for which they are responsible, but for which they love to point the finger at Israel. Lastly, I ask you this. You profess to come from New York City. Imagine the following scenario: certain individuals from New Jersey fire daily missile barrages in your front yard for eight long years. They send suicide bombers with the express purpose of killing and maiming innocent Jewish civilians. They kidnap citizens of New York. They lay IED devices all along I-94 and the New Jersey turnpike, hoping against hope to murder even more innocent New Yorkers. Factor in EIGHT LONG YEARS of this. Now, I ask you -- how favorably disposed would YOU be to the not-so-good people of New Jersey?

Israel was officially recognized and admitted to the ranks of the United Nations by nearly all of the members of the international community in 1949. (A few Arab and Moslem states abstained or voted against.) The fact of the matter is that 192 nations have extended recognition to the State of Israel. Once you extend recognition, you cannot withdraw it. Recognition is tantamount to an acknowledgment of sovereignty. "Diplomatic circles in which [you] frequently travel?" Oh, I didn't realize you were a limo driver. Thank you for the clarification.

The arguments here from you and your fellow apologists are straight off the Hasbara sheet for how to deal with the pesky truth about the role of Israel’s dark regime in the slow strangulation of Gaza. The Hasbara sheet reads: deny the situation even exists and attempt to sidetrack the discussion with some nonsense about other blockades; question the source when presented with overwhelming contrary evidence; provide numbers for the amount of aid that entered Gaza in May (after Israel’s dark regime cynically increased it when it knew the flotilla was on the way and that it would soon be coming under the international spotlight because of the way they planned to deal with it) and other apparent largesse in an attempt to prove that Israel is actually really quite benevolent towards the Palestinians in Gaza. When this fails, as it will since it’s almost impossible to defend the indefensible, blame the victims and the Palestinian leadership, then claim it’s all about anti-Semitism and support for Hamas, and throw in something about white settlers from 200 years ago. This Hasbara effort has the life of about four or five posts (Cynthia from “USA” managed four at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3901639,00.html) before you come to the conclusion that, in the face of the truth and facts and impossible questions, the hasbara is worthless and bunk and badly in need of an update.

To your point #1 ,The reason the Gazans didn't accept the greenhouses and villas is because they have the third highest population density in the world. They needed the land for high rise housing. The 8,000 settlers that left occupied the same amount of land as over 130,000 Gazans. They unfortunately never built a thing since the initial boycott started immediately after the Israeli pullout.(prior to Hamas even gaining power) to your point #2 Both the UN Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International measured the water quality in the underground aquifer you say doesn't exist. It was 95 % tainted after Operation Cast Lead. The Namar well complex was blown up by Israel which it says was accidental. Tzipi Livni is quoted in a lawsuit filed by Doctors without Borders in the Israeli High Court as saying "Let them get water when they stop firing missiles"(as if 1.5 million people are firing missiles. to your point#3 In Cast Lead ,it is documented (and Israel admits to) blowing up the retaining wall of Gaza's sole waste treatment plant flooding an agricultural field with sewage. Because Gaza has no spare parts and concrete neither the well complex in "2" or the treatment plant in "3" can be repaired which is why the UN Human Rights Commission called Gaza a humanitarian disaster. to your point #4 It is so stupid it doesn't merit an answer but Israel is maintaining the blockade not Hamas.The US gov't is intervening not simply because the blockade doesn't work but for humanitarian reason. Lastly since 2007 Israel has 6 documented civilian deaths (by their own published figures) do to Hamas rocket fire. In Operation Cast Lead alone Israel killed 1,400 Gazans, left over 5,000 wounded and left 100,000 homeless. A ceasefire exists now and the blockade is no less severe. The unvarnished truth is almost nothing you say is accurate or intelligent and Israel's current situation can be blamed on pathetic thinkers like yourself.

I failed to mention in your point #2 that Israel did not build desalination "plants" in Gaza which the Gazans "blew up". In 2003 after Olso ,Israel started one plant but a worker was killed. Olso progressively broke down and the plant was never completed. Hamas is trying to obtain international aid to build one now.The source of Gaza's water problem began when the population tripled as a result of the 1948 war refugees and progressively that put too much strain on the aquifer. Again this is simply additional evidence that you invent facts when you need them.

Bibi is a terrible P.M. despite his obvious high intelligence and excellent oratory. Unlike Obama, Bibi doesn't needs a teleprompter to speak well. The problem is that Bibi folds like a lawn chair whenever pressure is applied. Israel needs a very different P.M. Someone who NEVER apologizes. For Israel has nothing to apologize for. Someone who NEVER gives in to pressure. Neither Bibi nor his policies are good enough for Israel. Israel needs far stronger leadership.

As long as it continues, and mainly among our leaders, Israel sovereingty will be under attack !

Israel will not be there when the 200 years are over!!

the logic is as iam a palastinian i asked gazans about their suffering i do not ask sederot citizines but i listen to israili openion about the suffering of sderot .becouse of that i listen to this minister and when i listen to sara b she said there is no suffering in gaza ...... and israil asked why they have a bad pr ????

Population density, yes. Building high-rises and new homes, no. That would be a waste of perfectly good cement and concrete which are utilized exclusively for shoring up smuggling tunnels. Although Hamas has established a big new terrorist training center on the site of two of the greenhouses. I agree (for one rare instance) with Mrs. Livni. I think that all electricity and fresh water provisions to Gaza should be terminated until Hamas denounces terror, repudiates its charter calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people, and acknowledges the absolute right of the State of Israel to exist in its ancient homeland. You speak of "humanitarian" disasters. Do you agree that there are many far worse humanitarian disasters throughout the world that draw absolutely no attention? Why is that? And why should I take your plaintive bleating about the plight of a bunch of terrorists seriously when there are real evils being perpetrated against innocent human beings which you completely fail to address? That makes you a hypocrite, John -- not a humanitarian. Sorry. Hey, war is hell. If Hamas hadn't plagued Israel with daily missile barrages for a period of eight years, Cast Lead would not have been necessary. Besides, the waste treatment plant was built by Israel. Do you really think that anybody except Israel cared about how many Palestinians might die of cholera? No one did, certainly not between 1948 and 1967. More hypocrisy on your part, I guess. Why doesn't the United States end its blockade of North Korea and Myanmar, which blockade has resulted in REAL humanitarian disasters, unlike the artificial one created by the media in Gaza? Humanitarian, indeed. More hypocrisy (I am detecting a pattern here with you). The law looks to intent, not efficacy. Would you have preferred that the missiles fired from Gaza kill many people? But I ask you this: if you point a loaded gun at someone, and pull the trigger and the gun jams -- do you agree that you are still going to go to prison for a rather long time? Intent, not efficacy. Are you suggesting that over 8,000 missiles should be ignored, merely because Hamas cannot hit the broad side of a barn? Is there no end to your hypocrisy?

The plant in Ashkelon, a scant ten kilometers away from Gaza, can desalinate Gaza's water. Except that Hamas then starts accusing Israel of "stealing" Gaza's water. It's simply not true, but the accusations are believed. So let them spend their billions of dollars and billions of euros in cash aid on something other than acquiring weapons, building fancy second and third homes in Europe and padding personal offshore bank accounts. There would certainly be enough to build a desalination plant. Contemplate the possibility -- no, John, the likelihood -- that the LAST thing on earth that Hamas wants to do is improve the lot of the Palestinians. Now, what kind of a photo op would THAT be? You're just a sucker.

I did not say that there is no suffering in Gaza. I am saying that any suffering in Gaza is solely the responsibility of Hamas. Israel would be more than happy to wash its hands of Gaza were it not for the unfortunate fact that Hamas persists in firing missiles into Israel. Why is that? And as long as they do not stop; as they long as they maintain their charter calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people, why should I care about a single Palestinian in Gaza? The Palestinians have sown the wind. Now you have to reap the whirlwind. It's really all that simple.

To build a plant, they would need concrete and construction materials all of which are on Israel's boycott list. As even Israel will tell you, Hamas is not only adhering to the ceasefire they are attempting to control more militant Iranian funded groups which may eventually take over Gaza if things don't improve. Israel is cutting its own throat not only in world public opinion but in the Gaza leadership they may create.Their policies are slowly producing anarchy. It is not me who is the sucker. It is most evident,however, to any reasoned person who reads your ridiculous ramblings that you are an embarrassing buffoon.

They don't have the level of skill or engineering required to build a desalination plant. What they do have is an ability to contract with a foreign company to come and build one for them. Israel would not stop such an effort -- they have certainly never stopped the United Nations from building anything, and such a construction project could be brokered through the United Nations rather easily. As to "world public opinion" -- it really isn't all that important to me. I am Jewish and I know what the world thinks of Jews, and I say the problem is with non-Jewish perceptions of Jews. What you see directed at Israel is nothing more than anti-Semitism redirected at the Jewish state. I don't know why, and I don't really care why. I do know that it has nothing to do with anything the State of Israel has ever done except, of course, win six wars that no one expected them to win. As to your deliberate and rather rude comment: insulting me does not make you less of a hypocrite, John; nor does it make you any less a sucker for having fallen victim to spurious arguments. Would you have felt less offended had I merely referred to you as gullible? Your rudeness does, however, cast you in rather an unfavorable light. Insults are, after all, the last refuge of an individual who cannot pose a competent counter-argument. That would be you. Is that why you failed to reply to my post at No. 48? Have a really nice day.

Mrs Livni is suggesting mass murder and a direct violation of article 33 of the Geneva Convention (which if implemented would guarantee a total world boycott of Israel.) I would expect "you" to agree with her however. The US blockade of North Korea is to stop it from exporting weapons not to prevent imports of food, fuel, electric power and water. The gov't's of North Korea and Myanmar ,not the US, are the cause of widespread hunger in these countries. The same cannot be said for Israel and Gaza.The intent of the Geneva Convention is to establish rules of conduct in a conflict. That applies to both Hamas and ISRAEL. On at least 6 separate occasions Hamas agreed to a cease fire if the blockade was lifted. The initial cease fire worked until Israel sent its hit squads in to assassinate two members of the Hamas gov't. Israel's objective is not a cease fire (which they have now)but to cause the downfall of Hamas. Stop the "i just want all the missles to stop" dialog.The truth is that Israel helped build Hamas as a counter balance to Arafat and the PLO years ago. Now they are reaping the rewards of their own ignorance. Your policies madam have left Israel,per a worldwide surrey conducted by the Univ. of Maryland as the most disliked country in the world. Israel's illegal settlements and annexations have left it only one friend (the US)to save it from a total economic boycott. Three times the UN Security council proposed such a boycott and three times the sole dissenting vote(veto) came from the US. If Israel keeps following your advice they will lose that veto.

As to your point #1 that it would be easy to construct a desalination plant under the auspices of the UN, the UN Relief organization cannot even replace the 3,500 houses that were destroyed in Operation Cast Lead (leaving 100,000 homeless)because of Israeli building materials restrictions under the boycott. There is over $4.5 billion in aid pledged by the US and other countries for building infrastructure like a desalination plant. Israel is not letting any of that go forward. As to point #2 world public opinion may make no difference to you but apparently Israel does not feel the same. The US vetoes(there have been 42 to date) in the UNSC have literally saved Israel from extinction since 3 of those vetoes prevented a South African style economic boycott from being imposed by every country in the world against Israel. As the head of Shin Bet recently said Israel is becoming more of a burden to the US than an ally. This has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. In the Durban Conference 17 countries walked out on Amedinejad's blatanly anti-Semitic speech. It has everything to do w/Israels illegal settlement and annexation policies and draconian policies in Gaza. They fortunately will change as a result of US pressure academic of your advice. As to your last comment, I actually missed your comments on 48 but I just responded to them.

Just as a point of clarification, the replacement of 3,500 houses would not shelter the 100,000 homeless. In all Israeli military operations, there are more than 14,000 homes destroyed in Gaza. Operation cast Lead is only partially responsible for the figure but the blockade clearly is responsible for the lack of building. Some make shift prefabs but mostly extreme overcrowded housing has been the result.

Under your rather incredible train of thought, then, the United States is guilty of mass murder for prohibiting the import of food by the North Koreans to feed their starving populace, several million of whom have died in a most unforgiving famine. Is that the argument you are prepared to make? I take it back, John. You are not merely gullible. You are an idiot. I never even made it past the first sentence. I will no longer read your posts. Don't bother addressing any to me. But I thank you for putting your true anti-Semitic and Israel-hating colors on display for all the world to see. You are a most unworthy opponent for a debate with me. Have a really nice life.

Oh, I almost forgot .... Like all conventions, the Geneva Convention applies exclusively to countries, and only to those countries which raitfy the Convention. The Geneva Convention therefore does not apply to rogue terrorist organizations. Hamas knows this, and is playing it to the hilt. Moreover, the United States blockade of North Korea and Myanmar effectively prevents the shipping of humanitarian -- in both cases, largely food -- goods into both North Korea and Myanmar. You fuss, and thousands die each day. Do you not realize that, were people in Gaza actually starving, Hamas would circulate photos throughout the world just as quickly as it could? (Oops! I hope I haven't given them any ideas.) The fastest growing health problem in Gaza, John -- just so you know -- is obesity. So much for your starving masses. Hamas is a terrorist organization. The United States does not deal with terrorist organizations. Why should Israel? And who the hell is Hamas to make any sort of "demands," anyway? They represent a vanquished people. Israel will no more entertain their "demands" than the United States entertained the demands of Germany and Japan following the Second World War. The settlements are not illegal. Israel acquired non-sovereign territory in the course of fighting defensive wars. The Arabs in the West Bank are lucky that Israel didn't dump the lot of them upon Jordan in the immediate aftermath of the Six Day War. (Frankly, they should have.) West Bank Palestinians are citizens of Jordan. I'm all for annexing the territory and shipping the Arab residents to the country of their citizenship. Once Israel annexes Judea and Samaria, the Arab residents will be illegal aliens. Countries throughout the world routinely deport illegal aliens. So, if Israel does the same, no problem. Right? Or do you have a different agenda you wish to push? I don't care who likes or dislikes Israel. Truly I don't. It's nothing more than a latter-day manifestation of hatred of Jews that has been transformed to target the Jewish state. What I do care about is that no Jews will ever be led like sheep into a gas chamber while the world stood by and applauded. And, frankly, I don't care how many non-Jews have to die to ensure that it will never again happen. I really don't. And Israel has the wherewithal to make sure that it never happens again. Don't think we won't exercise it. Veto? Veto? There is a growing movement in Israel in support of Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the United Nations. Keep your veto, and shove it. The United Nations long ago lost any credibility it may at one time have had. So, boycott us economically. Who cares? While you are at it, please boycott our leading edge chemotherapy protocols; our facial recognition software; our mass spectrometry; our MRI technology; our cellular phone technology and the thousands of other technological and medical innovations Israel has brought to the world. Okay?

What a shame Hamas dynamited so many lovely Israeli apartment buildings left vacant as a result of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. So -- homeless? Overcrowded? Not Israel's fault. Don't you realize that these are precisely the conditions that Hamas sought to bring about in order to dupe gullible idiots like you? Hamas is twisting you by the tail, John, and you don't even realize that you're being played. Sad.

The spotlight is on Israel because of the effect the blockade is having on innocent people in Gaza, most of who are under 18yrs old, not because of Israel’s troubles with Hamas. While it’s true that there isn’t a humanitarian crisis in Gaza (even Hamas say people aren’t starving in Gaza) it is also a fact that 80% of Gazans rely on humanitarian aid - higher than Somalia - and that Israel has allowed less than half the barest minimum aid required and just 25% of all manner of other goods to enter the Gaza strip. It is a result of these actions by the Israeli regime that innocent children are suffering from high rates of anaemia and malnutrition. The fact that innocent people are suffering because of Israel’s blockade of Gaza has nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of the Hamas movement, has nothing to do with whether a terrorist organisation should be responsible for providing succour to the beleaguered population, and has nothing to do with keeping weapons out of Gaza. And the same applies to the rights and wrongs of other blockades - just a red herring. If you have a view about Darfur or Burma (please, the correct name!) or North Korea, go off and post it on another site. Causing small children to suffer in Gaza is not about keeping children in Israel secure. Preventing the export of all goods out of Gaza, resulting in 98% of industrial operations shutting down and high unemployment, does not keep weapons coming into Gaza. In the free elections of 2006 the Palestinians of Gaza (at least, some of the 40% or so of those over eighteen) didn’t vote the way Israel wanted them to vote so Israel’s dark regime decided to put them all “on a diet, but not enough to make them die of hunger”, as punishment. The blockade has nothing to do with Israel’s fight with Hamas, has not prevented them re-arming themselves with 5000 rockets, and they are now more popular among the Palestinians of Gaza than they were three years ago. This is why the world is brassed off with Israel; this is why the flotillas are turning up on your doorstep, not because we’re all anti-Semites who don’t want Israel to defend itself or any other such nonsense. Hamas has nothing to do with it.

The US puts no restrictions on food imports to North Korea and never has. Livni's comments were to tie providing water to Gazans only if they stopped the missiles (since they don't have an alternate source of that lost water that would in fact be a death sentence. That is hardly an equivalent punishment). You apparently have difficulty reading.Perhaps that is the true reason why you never made it past the first sentence or perhaps it is because you read that i exposed your mindless ramblings for what they are. Virtually nothing you say is either accurate or intelligent. It is irrelevant whether you read this because everyone reading it in sequence with your responses sees the obvious.