Israel shocked over `biased, unjust' U.K. report on territories

[Herschel]

Israel yesterday rejected the conclusions of a British parliamentary committee's report on the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, calling it biased and unjust.

"We are shocked by the failure of the committee to deal with the central issue - the campaign of terror and incitement initiated by Yasser Arafat and the terror organizations," the Israeli Embassy in London said in a statement. "Israel is not prepared to accept the committee report, which we see as biased and unjust to the core."

Members of the British Parliament's Select Committee on International Development have called on the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair to consider "economic pressure on Israel to ease movement restrictions which are crippling the Palestinian economy and causing soaring poverty."

cut

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/391344.html

Palestinian poverty is a result of PA corruption and Israel defending herself. Palestinians may thank their own leaders and killers when they do not eat.

[displacedtexan]

1. Sad.

Many don't seem to remember the PLO. When the PLO became the PA, I hoped their govt. would actually work on getting the economy/jobs thing going; however, I haven't seen much emphasis on prosperity... just more bloodshed.

Just my opinion.

[GabysPoppy]

2. Buta Suja has profitted.

As has her husband.

[Taeger]

3. Palestinians need new leaders

The so-called Palestinian leaders are interested in nothing but destroying Israel. They had more concessions than ever in the past. But that wasn't enough for them. They started another uprising and it all went to shit.

I get seriously ticked when someone won't accept progress because they're not getting everything that they want.

So fuck the progress, give it all up. Now they have nothing again.

[Muddleoftheroad]

4. Elsewhere in I/P

Someone was claiming the UK was Israel's ally.

Sure...

[tinnypriv]

5. I doubt you've read the report

Given your comment, but since I have, I can tell you the authors bend over backward to be pro-Israel.

Despite that, they are substantially accurate, which is neither "pro" or "anti" Israel, but simply the truth.

As for the "ally" status, as should be obvious, that is determined by political support from the government (the executive), arms/military sales and economic interaction.

A select committee is not part of the executive, and has zero enforcement powers, as you would know if you researched the constitutional situation in the UK.

It is nothing to do with military sales either, which have remained constant and extremely significant.

It is also nothing to do with economic interactions, inside of which Britain takes a pro-Israel line within the EU, as well as being one of Israel's most important trading partners. In addition, the government provides substantial incentives to invest in Israel and encourages such a climate.

So yeah, sure.

Though I will qualify that - perhaps the UK is not an "ally" of Israel if to be defined as such would mean supporting every decision of Israel, ad infintum, no matter the context, even if doing so would be extremely harmful to the population of Israel (say, supporting Gush Enumim style expansion). If that is your definition, I doubt any state would meet that standard (nor should they).