David Cameron: Gaza Is A 'Prison Camp'

AFP:

British Prime Minister David Cameron Tuesday urged Israel to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip, slamming the current state of the Palestinian enclave as a "prison camp."

Read the whole story: AFP

Comments

[eileenflemingWAWA]

08:01 AM on 07/31/2010

The Goldstone Report accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes perpetuated during Operation Cast Lead-a full-scale attack on Gaza that killed 13 Israelis and 1,400 Palestinians.

Over 5,000 Palestinians were injured, 400,000 were left without running water, 4,000 homes were destroyed, rendering tens of thousands who are still homeless because of Israel's targeted attacks upon them, their schools, hospitals, streets, water wells, sewage system, farms, police stations and UN buildings.

The 22 days of Israel's attack on the people of Gaza was enabled by US-supplied weapons, although Israel has consistently misused U.S. weapons in violation of America's Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts.

For Operation Cast Lead, "Washington provided F-16 fighter planes, Apache helicopters, tactical missiles, and a wide array of munitions, including white phosphorus and DIME. The weapons required for the Israeli assault was decided upon in June 2008, and the transfer of 1,000 bunker-buster GPS-guided Small Diameter Guided Bomb Units 39 (GBU-39) were approved by Congress in September. The GBU 39 bombs were delivered to Israel in November (prior to any claims of Hamas cease fire violation!) for use in the initial air raids on Gaza..."

http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1746&Itemid=234

[Justtellthetruth]

04:09 AM on 07/31/2010

By the way, the OVERWHELMINGLY VAST MAJORITY of people living in Gaza live on less than 2 dollars a day, and could never afford a SINGLE THING for sale in the "mall"

[Justtellthetruth]

04:07 AM on 07/31/2010

I think this article from Foreign Policy sums up attempts to gloss over the crime that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza (and the west bank) and exposes them for what they are;

"Cameron's prison camp description gave voice among critics to uncomfortable associations with some of the worst excesses of Nazi Germany. Some apologists for Gaza's strangulation have, certainly unintentionally, evoked similar associations. The shameful press attention paid to the appearance of a new shopping mall in Gaza and the fine fare on offer at one of the Strip's restaurants by those anxious to give lie to the pain and suffering caused by the siege is a particularly evocative case in point. The efforts by Gaza's besieged population to create a semblance of normality, like the orchestra of the Warsaw ghetto, is a lasting testament to the triumph of the best instincts of human spirit over those who would crush it. Did the reaffirmation of humanity by Jews staring into the abyss negate the gruesome, bestial reality of the ghetto? And so it is with Gaza."
.

[enderM]

08:55 AM on 07/31/2010

"like the orchestra of the Warsaw ghetto"....
You miss the point entirely. The POINT being, that PostAfterPostAfterPost speaks of the *in general* destitution of Gaza&WB...states that *not even the simplest of necessities are available*
When that is simply not true. How are those 5Star Restaurants run, if there are not even the *bare necessities*? Who are all the well stocked stores selling to, boasting that "business is good"....
The POINT being, that regardless....the Mall exists and is overfilled with stock....the retaurants operate,Boasting about their tasty*SteakAuPoivre*...and *locally grown produce*...when people are posting that *they can't even get seeds to plant*...apparently, THEY CAN.
It is about the myth....it is about intentionally twisting to fit the agenda...it is about the pure unadulteratedHypocrisy. THAT is the point.

As far as "like the orchestra of the Warsaw ghetto"...big difference...you can not compare people getting together and playing music in a ghetto....to people dining on SteakAuPoivre in a 5Star restaurant, after attending the *almost daily art&cultural events* in their new clothes that they bought at the *new mall, brimming with business*....
There were no malls, no pools, no 5Star restaurants or SteakAuPoivre in the Warsaw ghetto....so please, tell me again how it is the same because theJews *formed an orchestra*.

[Justtellthetruth]

01:00 PM on 07/31/2010

Perhaps I should simply restate this; the vast, VAST majority of people in gaza live on less than 2 dollars a day, and lack the resources to even rebuild their bomb ravaged homes.

The POINT of the article that I provided from FOREIGN POLICY is that people such as yourself, who would attempt to paint a picture of the people of Gaza living in the lap of luxury since there is a single mall and some restaurants there are tantamount to evil,
Like someone suggesting that if there was an orchestra in the Ghetto, that it really could not be so bad.

Is that any clearer? I am sure it is, but since your job here is to try to make evil look something that should be ignored, I doubt you will end your detestable diatribes.

[enderM]

03:03 PM on 07/30/2010

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/05/25/fancy-restaurants-and-olympic-size-pools-what-the-media-won’t-report-about-gaza/

http://www.visitpalestine.ps/index.php?lang=en&page=122746672222&city=122713180012&sites=what_to_see&scategory=12270809069
http://www.rootsclub.ps/index.php
http://www.rootsclub.ps/movie.php
http://www.rootsclub.ps/gallery.php

‘Why don’t you write about the affluent parts of Gaza?”
"As the correspondent for one of Japans biggest newspapers said to me last
week, Gaza and the West Bank are the only places in the world where I have
seen refugees drive Mercedes."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=285242

[barefoot2626]

11:05 PM on 07/30/2010

Is Israel still occupying Palestine?

[enderM]

11:24 PM on 07/30/2010

Makes one wonder doesn't it?
There are pockets of poverty stricken...in Gaza,WB, No one is saying that does not exist in places in Gaza/WB...but stop posting that ALL of Gaza/WB are *destitute*...that there is *not enough food*, or clothes....it is simply NOT TRUE.
If there are *some* Palestinians that are able to take advantage of the nightLife, restaurants, pool, and art and culture events....and some that are not and are living in tents....then that is due to their own rule......who uses them as pawns to keep the myth alive.
We have pockets of poverty in every state in the US....
We have homeless living under bridges and in parks, that don't even have tents.
And we blame OUR OWN GOV. for that.....which is what you should be doing in regards to Gaza/WB...Blaming the Government...who perpetuates the poverty for their own agenda.

[enderM]

11:37 PM on 07/30/2010

BTW BArefoot, I'm still waiting for you to provide the link to your numerous claims that Israel hasKilled "tens of thousands of Palestinian children".....I would really like to see that.....not that I *don't believe you* or anything like that......but I'd like to see where that is stated......

in the meantime....check this out...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2010
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/victims.html#2009
http://www.crethiplethi.com/hamas-calls-for-the-destruction-and-delegitimization-of-the-state-of-israel/israel/2010/

I know facts are a thorn in yourSide, so to speak...but thought you might enjoy these links. :)

[tallen]

10:41 AM on 07/30/2010

Egyptian Journalist Describes 'Absolute Prosperity' in Gaza
07/29/10

With Hamas telling tales of deprivation and suffering in Gaza, Egyptian journalist Ashraf Abu al-Houl has added his report to others who were surprised to discover a “prosperous” Gaza in which prices are low and luxury businesses are booming. Al-Houl's story of his trip to Gaza and his realization that “in actual terms, Gaza is not under siege” was written up in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram

"A sense of absolute prosperity prevails, as manifested by the grand resorts along and near Gaza's coast. Further, the site of the merchandise and luxuries filling the Gaza shops amazed me,” he reported.

Concerned that his initial impression of prosperity may have been misleading, “I toured the new resorts, most of which are quite grand, as well as the commercial markets, to verify my hypothesis. The resorts and markets have come to symbolize prosperity, and to prove that the siege is formal or political, not economic,” Al-Houl said.

Gaza's markets are filled with a “plethora of goods,” he wrote. Prices on many items, particularly food, are much lower than they are in Egypt, he said. With goods entering Gaza from both smuggling tunnels to Egypt and humanitarian aid shipments coming in via Israeli crossings, “supply is much greater than demand,” he stated.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/138860

[StCuthbert]

11:50 AM on 07/30/2010

Facts, not Palsbara.

[cincinnati]

02:49 PM on 07/30/2010

are the streets paved in gold too...?

[barefoot2626]

11:08 PM on 07/30/2010

what you asked me, C., I forgot, but can't back to the original message. Gates closed.

[cincinnati]

12:45 AM on 07/30/2010

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is on Charlie Rose now, and probably can be seen on pbs.org or charlierose.com

His accent is very strong and at times hard to follow. He of course still defends the attack on the ships from Turkey, as if any ship in international waters should of course welcome, in the middle of the night, pirates or anyone who wants to join them.

Rose also had one of the Hamas leader's on recently, translated and again even harder to follow as his words were too loud underneath it all. Rose, please provide a fair translation of these people, as your talks are often about the best around on these important issues.

As far as Gaza being a virtual prison because of Israel that is all too obvious.

Barak also just said the US should put "it's goodwill on the table and use it to bring both sides together ." HAH, like when VP Biden went to Israel for peace and it's government immediately announced new settlements, knowing full well it would cause a fury and was an insult !!!

The US should get out of this mess, stop all money to Israel and the region. We will be blamed no matter what, and they'll all want a ton of our money for any solution. Let the rich supporters of Israel and the Arabs throw their money into it, we have done more than our share, Enough !

[magedfoxx]

01:54 AM on 07/30/2010

thank you.

[runforfun54]

07:27 PM on 07/29/2010

Yup, sure looks like a prison camp to me!
http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/99070819.html

[eva07]

06:03 PM on 07/29/2010

Check the following prison camp links:

This is from an Egypt:
http://dailycaller.com/2010/07/28/egyptian-journalist-in-actual-terms-gaza-is-not-under-siege/#ixz

This is from Hamas solving the most important problems in Gaza:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100728/od_nm/us_hamas_lingerie_odd

Here is about investment:
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=182943

Tourism:
http://www.visitpalestine.ps/index.php?lang=en&page=1230058796302”
and from Nicholas Kristof:
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/03/your-comments-on-my-gaza-column-2/

[Richard Pearce]

06:11 PM on 07/29/2010

I don't know about you, but when the Red Cross calls something a humanitarian crisis, it tends to carry more weight than stories which focus on the attempts to try and provide at least one place that over a million people can share to try and feel on one day that they are part of the world, rather than locked away from it.

[enderM]

07:23 PM on 07/29/2010

In all due respect Richard, I have heard the Red Cross call a fire in a large condominium on Miami Beach a Humanitarian Crisis.
No one is saying that the Palestinians don't suffer.....but to blame Israel entirely for the suffering is simply unrealistic. When you look at the suffering that is caused by their own rule, and the fact that Gaza's Arab brothers and sisters do nothing to help them.....
and also bring harm their way.......you can not tip the scale to just israel.

[tallen]

10:45 AM on 07/30/2010

>>Red Cross calls something a humanitarian crisis

And then numerous eyewitnesses as well as photographic evidence shows there is no such crisis...you have to wonder why the IRC ( whose racist policies did not admit Israel for membership for 50 years) is lying?

[Trollstein]

02:21 PM on 07/29/2010

Cheep shot to gain some traction with Muslims [read: oil], both inside and outside the UK.
England is directly responsible for screwing up the Mid East to begin with. The nerve of him.
The "prison camps" (in reality) are those so called "refugee" communities in a variety of Arab countries, where 6-million Palestinian-Arabs live without human rights and without nationality.
No criticism on those from the good P.M.

[Vlady]

03:36 PM on 07/29/2010

"Cheep shot to gain some traction with Muslims"

This is the essence of western countries policy towards ME. The appeasement is rampant to peacefy Arabs to get oiled piece of pie. The latest example is British/BP complicity in the release of Libyan terrorist.

[Trollstein]

04:55 PM on 07/29/2010

The world changed in 1907 brother, a date almost unnoticed in modern history. Most people think that WW1 was started when the "Arch Duke" was murdered in Yugoslavia. The root change actually began in 1907, when the annual sales of automobiles rose from 5,000 (1906) to 75,000 (1907). From that time forward, a "gold rush" including all the greed, envy and basically evil, was commenced in and around the Mid Eastern oil supply. This economic (and sometimes shooting) war has never ended.

[magedfoxx]

02:19 AM on 07/30/2010

so you ride a bike?

[Richard Pearce]

06:13 PM on 07/29/2010

Ergon, do you ever notice how the Israeli apologists seem to think that claiming the Geneva Conventions don't exist often enough will make them disappear?

[Ergon]

12:56 AM on 07/30/2010

International Law is what they say it is, apparently.

[Paul Houston]

02:19 PM on 07/29/2010

Hmmm, I sense of American schizophrenia here. The moment that a British Prime Minister criticizes Israel's actions towards the Palestinians, the shriek goes up that the UK is becoming Islamified (Ignoring the fact that the Muslim population of the UK is about 1.5%) Then promptly ignores the fact when he calls out Pakistan about its support for terrorism.

[TheLonelyGod]

02:39 PM on 07/29/2010

Whether you feel like Cameron is right or not, or whether the UK is becoming "Islamified" or not, the shrieks about Islamization were happening long before he said this.

"Londonistan" was written in 2006.

[Paul Houston]

03:05 PM on 07/29/2010

Yes written by Melanie Phillips, who also thinks that MMR is a Government conspiracy to leave all young children brain damaged, who believes that Saddam Hussain had WMD but buried the manufacturing facilities outside Baghdad (Somebody worked out if this was possible, it was, provided you diverted the Euphrates river) then were smuggled out of Iraq to Syria. The reason she said the US did not reveal this was to avoid upsetting Syria. I could go on but there is not enough space to cover how many times she has been wrong (hint, guess what her religious persuasion is?)

[hello All]

02:19 PM on 07/29/2010

David Cameron: Gaza Is A 'Prison Camp'

Wish the American leaders develop some spine and speak the truth in public.

[rander1]

12:08 AM on 07/30/2010

Some more truth here:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138860

Should American leaders speak about it "in public"?

[cincinnati]

12:52 AM on 07/30/2010

It's no secret that Israel spreads a ton of money around to "encourage" these misleading stories. I can believe Haaretz sometimes but other Israeli media is pretty much like Rupert Murdoch's Evil Empire, mostly bull......right out of the novel 1984...

[TheLonelyGod]

01:09 PM on 07/29/2010

Amira Hass: The Palestinian Authority is Imprisoning Gazans.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-palestinian-authority-is-imprisoning-gazans-1.304481

[lbsaltzman]

01:20 PM on 07/29/2010

Nobody said the Palestinians are perfect, but they need Israel off their back so that they can be left in peace to solve their own problems. Nothing justifys the occupation of the West Bank and the now partially lifted, but still dreadful, blockade of Gaza by Israel.

[Marcus047]

01:44 PM on 07/29/2010

How can they solve any of their problems when all they wan to do is continue the war with Israel and blame israel for all their woes.

[Trollstein]

03:37 PM on 07/29/2010

Why is "they"? Because the acutal Arab people on the ground have NO say in what is being done (or not done) in their names.

[mommamia526]

09:52 AM on 07/29/2010

Interesting, Mr. Cameron! I am not living in Gaza, so I just read what is being said. And, what is being said is divergent.

Today I saw a youtube post on www.FreeMiddleEast.com. It is about foreign aid to Palestinians. I want the ME to be free and prosperous. Do you? Take a lookielook.

I have read for days about a spit shiney new mall in Gaza. For weeks about an Olympic size pool in Gaza, and for much longer about overflowing open air markets, five star hotels in Gaza.

Has anyone seen a picture of Mahmoud Abbas' little bungalow? Or, the other little one of a Gaza leader? I have not seen it, but I sure would like to see those pictures.

This is what I have to say on the subjects of Gaza and Palestinians in general. Let them vote! Allow them to apply for citizenship in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. And with that, allow them the right to ownership and all services the non refugees have.

Let me know if you do not agree with my point of view, and why, will ya?

[riverhouse]

11:16 AM on 07/29/2010

Palestinians do not need to be citizens of some other country. They are not refugees. That is their country and their land. Most Israelis were citizens of another country before immigrating to the socialist haven of Israel. Would you agree that the majority of Israelis should go to another country and apply for citizenship? Return to their country of origin, perhaps?

[Inoku]

11:50 AM on 07/29/2010

She wasn't talking about the Palestinians living in the disputed territories. She was talking about the Palestinians living in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, who have been systematically disenfranchised and essentially prevented from leaving their refugee camps. The Arabs keep the Palestinians in their camps and forbid them from becoming citizens, all in order to use them as a rhetorical club against Israel. Many of these Palestinians have never seen "Palestine" and just want to productively add to Lebanese, Syrian, or Jordanian society. In fact, when Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan have opened themselves to Palestinians seeking citizenship, overwhelming numbers of Palestinians sought that option.

[enderM]

12:00 PM on 07/29/2010

And exactly what do you think the (jews) "country of their origin" is????

[manoflamatzah]

12:22 PM on 07/29/2010

Yes.. and let us not forget that Gaza is one of the most populated areas in the world, yet they HAVE 5 KIDS PER FAMILY on average, one of the world's highest birth rates.... hmmmm.... y'think that this will help their overcrowding problem? Oh, but g-d forbid they be told that this is only going to make their situation WORSE.

[Marcus047]

12:44 PM on 07/29/2010

Exactly. A 20% population increase in 3 years isn't healthy or sustainable for any country, let alone on that claims to be suffering.

[StCuthbert]

09:34 AM on 07/29/2010

WHY does Israel mistreat the Gazans so??

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2555.htm

Oh....

[barefoot2626]

11:15 AM on 07/29/2010

Israel killed 1,400 human being last year. Oh, goodie: the Israelis let them have a shopping mall which will be blown to smithereens the next time Israel doesn't like something somewhere in Gaza or something Hamas has did nor said.

When the Nazis occupied France for four years- it wasn't hard to stroll down to the nearest cafe and have tea and biscuits.

The Occupation is now forty three years old.

[enderM]

11:58 AM on 07/29/2010

As of July 24,2010,in 2010Alone, over 102 rockets were shot atIsrael....
if this would stop,So would Israel's defense.

As for "When theNazis occupiedFrance for four years- it wasn't hard to stroll down to the nearest cafe and have tea and biscuits. "

Tourism websites forGaza paint a very different picture that what you want us to believe.
Noone is saying there are not poor and starving in Gaza....but there are poor and starving in every country, and in every state in grandOleUSA.
You keep claiming *destitution*, *starvation*.....so explain these quotes taken from a tourism site for Gaza:
>>"Palestinian cuisine is still about local produce, fresh herbs and the balance of ingredients in one single dish."..."
>>" When you come to Palestine, therefore, you will encounter a gastronomic experience where food preparation and food sharing are at the core of age-old traditions of hospitality "
>>"While modern, popular music is widespread, traditional folk tunes-like ala dal'ona and zareef at toul – are still an important part of life in Palestine."....
>>"there are many cultural and musical activities taking place on almost any given day of the week." What? Dancing,MusicBarsRestaurantsFUN?

There are twoSides to everything....so while noOne argues that the PalestinianPeople get the raw end of the situation,HamasPropoganda is being dispelled...right before your eyesFrom their OwnWebsites.....

I guess like the saying goes...."the *proof* is in the pudding"

[manoflamatzah]

12:05 PM on 07/29/2010

No, the "occupation" as you put it, would actually be 63 years old. Remember that their buddies, the Egyptians and the Jordanians, annexed Gaza and the West Bank, respectively. At the time, not even they recognized the Palestinians as a separate ethnic entity. The Palestinians are simply useful pawns for the Arab world - when it suits them, they suddenly start decrying the rights of the Palestinians, while at the same time they encourage the continuation of "refugee camps" that now have a large majority of people who are grandchildren of the original inhabitants (average 5 kids per family, what do you expect?). And to compare the Israelis to the Nazis so absurd as to not even warrant further response, other than it exposes an underlying ignorance of historical fact.

[Wisdo]

08:40 AM on 07/29/2010

Well Said Mr. Cameron. Amazing to hear the truth spoken by a tory, but then theres a first time for everything.

[StCuthbert]

09:30 AM on 07/29/2010

The further to the left you drift, the better the far right looks. Think about it, won't you?

[barefoot2626]

06:02 PM on 07/29/2010

No, the "right" doesn't look better. The "right" doesn't know where the center is.