Israel ordered to let international media into Gaza

[laststeamtrain]

Source: Guardian

Israel ordered to let international media into Gaza
Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 31 December 2008

Israel's supreme court today ordered the government to allow the international media into Gaza to report on the effect of the air strikes on Palestinians.

Over the past two months, foreign journalists and representatives have increasingly been restricted from entering Gaza.

Israel has closed the border completely since it began bombing the besieged Palestinian territory on Saturday.

However, the supreme court told the government it must allow up to 12 journalists to enter whenever it opens the Erez crossing, a passenger gateway, for humanitarian reasons.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/31/israelandthepalestinians-middleeast2

[GoesTo11]

1. Israel orders Israel to let international media into Gaza

Do we condemn Israel for having to be ordered by itself to do this, or do we praise Israel for ordering itself to do this. Is this more evidence that Israel is a military state or more evidence that it's governed by rule of law? Very, very confusing.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarrenH]

19. Not really confusing

Israel is governed by the rule of law and is in some ways remarkably liberal for a state premised on ethnic and religious identity. It is also a state that has brutally oppressed people who are not its citizens for 40 years. And there are some ways in which it uses roundabout means (issuing building permits in some areas, et al) to treat its Palestinian citizens like second class citizens.

We should condemn the state for keeping Palestinians in ghettos, for controlling their water supply, their every movement, for stealing their land, for settling hostile Israeli citizens in their midst and to reacting disproportionately, with massive humanitarian consequences, to every Palestinian response to those impositions.

And we should praise Israel's more courageous journalists, its concienscious objectors, its peace movements and its courts, at times, for their tireless efforts to stop the madness.

[babylonsister]

2. Very interesting. Will the government listen to Israeli's SC? nt

[acmavm]

3. I wonder myself. But the outcome will tell the world a lot about Israel.

[pjt7]

4. Good for the Israeli Supreme Court

& Gaza, & the World

[acmavm]

5. I most certainly agree. There ARE people in Israel who are sick and tired

of their government's policies of thuggery, brutality, and land theft.

But the Israeli government doesn't care.

[iandhr]

7. land theft...

... Israel is a country that gave back that the look over in the 1967 war when Egypt attacked. They gave back the Sinai back to Egypt. As a Jew I can say the Israel's current biggest problem is the religious right wing. The get more power then there electoral support. Israel population is very secular at large. This is because that any party that gets more than 2% of the votes get seated in Parliament the lowest threshold of any parliamentary democracy. (I think) So on many occasions So even if the Labor party wins the election the often need the religious parties to form a government. For change to happen they need to raise the threshold to something like 7% which i think is what Germany has so that if Labor or Kadia wins a election down the road they will not need to use Shas (or a similar party to form a goverment)

[Baby Snooks]

12. The religious right..

The religious right in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the main instigators of the ongoing problems in the Middle East. And one of the reasons why I finally realized the god of Abraham is a myth. They all worship the same god and yet for centuries have been hell-bent on annihilating each other. I still say the real god was throwing that big old black rock at Abraham. And you have to wonder why the real god was throwing that big old black rock at him. Hopefully next time the real god won't miss. Sorry but the history of the three religions of the god of Abraham, really of all religion, is one of mass mayhem and murder in the name of their god. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Winterblues]

17. How did Israel get their land originally?

I mean in the very beginning...Didn't they steal it by Military force?

[iandhr]

18. All the people who had power in the holy land took it by force

First the Jews came, Then the Christians came, Then the Muslims came, The Christians came (Crusaders), Then the Muslims came again (Ottomans) then the British came, And the Jews again (From the United Nations)

[Echo In Light]

9. Exactly. Just as is the case w/Americans, although not nearly enough

[iandhr]

10. the difference..

is that in America is more religious the Israel but most are not like far right religious. Is America the religious right is concentrated in the GOP in Israel they are spread across multiple parties

[bemildred]

8. That's the question. nt

[Tempest]

11. The government will just refuse to open the Erez crossing

I'll be shocked if the government actually allows journalists into the Gaza Strip.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RoccoR5955]

14. They'll talk the talk, but...

...will they walk the walk. If history is an indication, I say NO! They will say that there was something wrong with the press that wanted to enter Gaza, and throw them out, AS USUAL!
Israeli leadership is nothing more than a bunch of thugs, they talk big, but act like a bunch of babies, who want their toys back. They ought to learn to live and let live, and not destroy the indigenous people to "their" country.

[defendandprotect]

15. Good News, finally -- !!!

[uppityperson]

16. k&r for the world being able to see what is going on places.

[Robbien]

20. The fact that no one can enter Gaza without Israel's say so speaks volumes

Only a prison state has no control over its own borders.

[FarrenH]

21. Just like the fact that Palestinians have repeatedly

gone to the UN for UN observer/peacekeeping forces in the occupied territories and the Israelis have repeatedly refused.

[ohio2007]

22. death to tyrants rant

Only a prison state has no control over its own borders.

Nizar Rayyan Hamas Political Leader Killed In Gaza


http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2fa_1230816313

which # 2 was was that blessed peacemaker ?