Sunday, April 27, 2008
Too bad, The Telegraph is one of Britain's better papers as far as editorial slant goes, but their man in Israel, Tim Butcher, is straight down the line with the rest of his British colleagues in the truth impairment department, repeating Hamas propaganda as if it were factual news, and quoting Euro-bureaucrats as reliable while presenting official Israeli responses as something to simply be refuted: UN forced to halt Gaza food aid to a million
In fact, the print headline is even more sensationalist:
That's "Million may go hungry as UN is forced to halt Gaza food aid'. No wonder the Brits increasingly hate Israelis and the Jews that support them. It's portrayed as if Israel is intentionally starving a million souls for no explicable reasons (in fact, they're not starving at all).
The United Nations says it is being forced to stop delivering food aid to Gaza because of the fuel shortages caused by Israel's response to militant attacks.
Almost a million Palestinians will go hungry if the UN stops deliveries, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation.
The fuel blockade means pumps have already been turned off, causing water shortages and sewage problems, while the vaccination stocks at Gaza's main hospital were spoiled after it had to turn off its refrigerators...
Etc...and you know where this is going and who's to blame. Here's a hint: It's not the terrorists that have been attacking the fuel depot, shooting at the delivery trucks, staging the trucks, diverting and hoarding the fuel supplies...
In fact, just days before it was reported by the UN no less [PDF report], is that warehouse food stocks are fine, and prices for the essentials continue to be lower in Gaza than in the West Bank and Israel itself. Is Gaza so huge that food can't be distributed there? Nonsense. And the vaccination story and hospitals supposedly turning off refrigerators is older than dirt. Where is a story from Tim Butcher about this damage to a Jewish cemetery? He was all over this after all.
This report from the Israeli Government, dated for the 24th, illuminates the situation, and the extent to which Hamas itself is staging the "shortages" quite well. Funny how this never manages to make it into British press reports. It's a must-read for you, even though professional journalists don't seem to bother:
Palestinian residents disrupting UNRWA activities in the Gaza Strip (Communicated by the Coordination and Liaison Administration, Erez)
Col. Nir Press, head of the Coordination & Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip, addressed the issue of UNRWA fuel shortages today (Thursday, 24 April 2008) stating that: "After receiving an update and a request from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees) regarding the depletion of fuel required by the organization, we yesterday coordinated with UNRWA, the Palestinian fuel association and the Palestinian fuel administrator, the transfer of fuel required by UNRWA.
Update: More, just today: Hamas Opens Fire on Fuel Trucks for Gaza Hospitals according to PALESTINIAN Sources
The said transfer arrangement consisted of 100,000 liters of diesel fuel and an additional 20,000 liters of gasoline and was to be drawn from the fuel supply located in the Palestinian fuel depot at Nahal Oz. [The same depot the Palestinians have been attacking and murdering people at. -S] The supply accumulated at the Palestinian fuel depot amounts to one million liters. The Palestinians have not withdrawn any fuel during the past month, and are not supplying the fuel necessary for humanitarian and civilian requirements. In this manner, the Palestinians, led by the Hamas organization, are manufacturing shortages, hardship and crisis".
In accordance with the transfer arrangement, the first fuel tanker-truck arrived from the Gaza Strip this afternoon to withdraw fuel for UNRWA. However, tens of thousands of Palestinians blocked one of the main intersections leading to the fuel depot, preventing the entrance of the tanker to the depot and thus preventing the supply of fuel.
It should be noted that Israel is not involved or responsible for occurrences in the Gaza Strip, for vehicular traffic on the highways, or for access to the organization's depot.
Israel has supplied UNRWA with its fuel it requires for current operations during the last few months, and since yesterday has been attempting to assist the organization with the Palestinians, and enable it to withdraw its fuel requirements, in a manner similar to that used with regard to diesel fuel supplied to the Gaza City power station. Yesterday approximately one million liters were supplied to the power station, the entire quantity of which reached its destination.
It is our hope that tomorrow the Palestinians will allow the tanker-trucks to reach the fuel depot, and supply the UN organizations serving the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing once again a further Hamas attempt to create a crisis situation in the Gaza Strip at the expense of the civilian population. The Nahal Oz fuel terminal and the Kerem Shalom crossing have been attacked, and the supply of fuel for humanitarian purposes has been obstructed, while the Hamas attempts to direct the resulting pressure toward Israel.
Col. Press called on the Palestinians to draw fuel from the Palestinian depot at Nahal Oz, and to use it for the various humanitarian and civilian requirements for which it is meant.
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So maybe Tim Butcher will actually pick up the story -- after all, these are reliable sources, right? (see previous, just today: Tim Butcher Becomes Hamas Mouthpiece) AFP: Hamas blocked fuel for Gaza hospitals: Palestinian ministry RAMALLAH, West Bank ... Read More
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, p.39
The UN rice prices in Gaza are in page 18 of the PDF. cheap very cheap.
As we've noticed - the British media are totally irresponsible with regard to Israel.
This is a shame on several levels, not least of which is the fact that they've shown they can be played, used for propaganda purposes - and worse - they're inciting violence in the Middle East as well as global antisemitism.
Clearly, if the goal is to help the Palestinian people, inciting violence isn't the way to do it.
But historically, Britain's behavior toward Israel and indeed, the Jewish people, has been highly problematic.