egypt to permanently open the gaza border crossing

[bud]

what will this mean?

it will certainly improve the lives of the gazans who continue to live in dire conditions due to the effects of the blockade by israel and the former dictator and israeli/u.s. yes-man, mubarak.

the biggest concern, especially from the israeli perspective, will be the increase of weapons movement into gaza. this could be a good test to see if hamas will be able to continue its own self-imposed ceasefire and put aside, what many consider a failing tactic of arms struggle, which has failed to create any progress for the quest for palestinian statehood.

then again, as it has happened in the past, israel has been quite successful in provoking hamas in the name of self-defense and have drawn them into cycles of violence. violence that have done nothing but to punish the people of gaza but also stall any progress in a real and just peace. something the current israeli government seems to be okay with.

link to the news

[Bonam]

then again, as it has happened in the past, israel has been quite successful in provoking hamas in the name of self-defense and have drawn them into cycles of violence.

:lol:

[GostHacked]

I looked at that yesterday myself and thought it was pretty interesting. I'd say this is something to keep an eye on.

[DogOnPorch]

:lol:

Oh my...I have to agree with Bonam.

[Remiel]

Given how things seem to be going in Gaza right now, I kind of wonder what sort of effect this will have not just between Israel and Hamas, but equally importantly that between Hamas and the other emerging factions in Gaza, like Al-Qaeda, and some of the other breakaway factions as well. At the end of the day, I do not think it is in Israel's interest for Hamas to fail if it means the rise of some even less trustworthy enemy.

[DogOnPorch]

Given how things seem to be going in Gaza right now, I kind of wonder what sort of effect this will have not just between Israel and Hamas, but equally importantly that between Hamas and the other emerging factions in Gaza, like Al-Qaeda, and some of the other breakaway factions as well. At the end of the day, I do not think it is in Israel's interest for Hamas to fail if it means the rise of some even less trustworthy enemy.

The waiting executioner you know as opposed to the waiting executioner you don't. Right...I don't think that's a very sound strategy.

[Remiel]

The waiting executioner you know as opposed to the waiting executioner you don't. Right...I don't think that's a very sound strategy.

Not exactly. We know exactly what Al-Qaeda is: worse.

[Saipan]

what will this mean?

It means Arabs in Gaza can now move freely to their brotherland [and stay there]. Unlike Cubans and formerly "east" Europeans, who had to escape in the dead of night risking lives.

Good idea.

[DogOnPorch]

Not exactly. We know exactly what Al-Qaeda is: worse.

Their AK-47s shoot farther?

[Remiel]

Their AK-47s shoot farther?

Well no, obviously; but their plots do. Their international scope is a different sort of beast that the more nationalistic Hamas.

[DogOnPorch]

Well no, obviously; but their plots do. Their international scope is a different sort of beast that the more nationalistic Hamas.

To Israel, that would be immaterial. Kill 'em all...Taliban, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, al-Qaeda, Tamil Tigers (and anyone else wanting a go @ them) would be the proper response.

[Remiel]

To Israel, that would be immaterial. Kill 'em all...Taliban, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, al-Qaeda, Tamil Tigers (and anyone else wanting a go @ them) would be the proper response.

From a certain strategic viewpoint, I suppose there is one sense in which they might be better off with Al-Qaeda: other allied nations (of Israel) might be more willing to join in the bloodshed.

[DogOnPorch]

From a certain strategic viewpoint, I suppose there is one sense in which they might be better off with Al-Qaeda: other allied nations (of Israel) might be more willing to join in the bloodshed.

Well...for all the bluster...the Arab-Israeli Wars are not The Somme.

[Remiel]

Well...for all the bluster...the Arab-Israeli Wars are not The Somme.

I am sure we can all thank God for that, .

[DogOnPorch]

I am sure we can all thank God for that, .

The media has made this conflict to be the Siege of Leningrad...it's just not. Barely qualifies as a 'bush war' in old colonial terms.

[DogOnPorch]

The big losers here will be the Arab mafia (and Hamas) who profited greatly via smuggling @ Rafah.

[Bob]

Aside from the absurdities of the political commentary in the OP masquerading as objective analysis, I'll give my impression of the recent development with the opening of the Rafiah Crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border (since I'm sure you're all just dying to know what I think /sarcasm).

The bad news? This is yet another tiny avenue through which terrorists can exit Gaza and enter Israel, or attack Jewish or other (i.e. American) interests abroad. In my paranoid mind, there is no question that terrorists have already exited Gaza for operations. Weapons smuggling? I'm not so worried about it. What kind of weapons can you really smuggle through a border crossing? All the real weapons enter Gaza through underground tunnels and, to a lesser extent, undetected naval vessels to Gaza's Mediterranean border. They've already got a steady supply of weapons, this crossing which is only suffient for the movement of people isn't anything Israel needs to worry about with respect to weapons smuggling. As cool as the "peace" is between Egypt and Israel, I don't see Egyptian border guards being so reckless as to allow some meaningful amount of weapons to get into or out of Gaza.

The good news? As some editorialists have already opined, perhaps this is the first of several steps through which Israel can transfer responsiblity (both real and perceived) for Gaza to Egypt. Israel provides (although it is paid for these services) electricity, water, and waste services to Gaza. Israel also facilitates aid to Gaza through certain border crossings (currently I think only through the Erez crossing). As a half-joke, if anyone wants to go back to the lines as they were before June of 1967, does that mean Egypt will reoccupy Gaza and carry that burden on its own? In short, perhaps these recent developments can be part of a greater shift towards finalizing the divorce between Israel and Gaza.

[Bob]

Given how things seem to be going in Gaza right now, I kind of wonder what sort of effect this will have not just between Israel and Hamas, but equally importantly that between Hamas and the other emerging factions in Gaza, like Al-Qaeda, and some of the other breakaway factions as well. At the end of the day, I do not think it is in Israel's interest for Hamas to fail if it means the rise of some even less trustworthy enemy.

I think some of the Israeli establishment not-so-secretly wants for Gazans to really feel the squeeze and suffer some hard times. I think that some of the Israeli establishment actually believes (naively) that this "stick" (as opposed to some type of carrot) approach might alter mainstream Gazan support for Hamas. In other words, if they suffer as a result of electing and supporting Hamas, perhaps they'll choose differently next time?

The only real alternative to Hamas, in Gaza, is Fatah. There is no other well-organized organization with any serious amount of support in Gaza as far as I know. The main difference between Hamas and Fatah is religiosity. Hamas is much more Islamic, but the rhetoric regarding Israel is quite similar. Yes, of course Hamas is more consistently aggressive and makes more far-reaching demands, but Hamas and Fatah are essentially similar in many ways, in my view.