[Bill Baker]

A human rights crime
The world must stop standing idle while the people of Gaza are treated with such cruelty
Jimmy Carter
8 May 2008



The world is witnessing a terrible human rights crime in Gaza, where a million and a half human beings are being imprisoned with almost no access to the outside world. An entire population is being brutally punished.

This gross mistreatment of the Palestinians in Gaza was escalated dramatically by Israel, with United States backing, after political candidates representing Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Authority parliament in 2006. The election was unanimously judged to be honest and fair by all international observers.

Israel and the US refused to accept the right of Palestinians to form a unity government with Hamas and Fatah and now, after internal strife, Hamas alone controls Gaza. Forty-one of the 43 victorious Hamas candidates who lived in the West Bank have been imprisoned by Israel, plus an additional 10 who assumed positions in the short-lived coalition cabinet.

Regardless of one’s choice in the partisan struggle between Fatah and Hamas within occupied Palestine, we must remember that economic sanctions and restrictions on the supply of water, food, electricity and fuel are causing extreme hardship among the innocent people in Gaza, about one million of whom are refugees.

Israeli bombs and missiles periodically strike the area, causing high casualties among both militants and innocent women and children. Prior to the highly publicised killing of a woman and her four children last week, this pattern had been illustrated by a report from B’Tselem, the leading Israeli human rights organisation, which stated that 106 Palestinians were killed between February 27 and March 3. Fifty-four of them were civilians, and 25 were under 18 years of age.

On a recent trip through the Middle East, I attempted to gain a better understanding of the crisis. One of my visits was to Sderot, a community of about 20,000 in southern Israel that is frequently struck by rockets fired from nearby Gaza. I condemned these attacks as abominable acts of terrorism, since most of the 13 victims during the past seven years have been non-combatants.

Subsequently, I met with leaders of Hamas - a delegation from Gaza and the top officials in Damascus. I made the same condemnation to them, and urged that they declare a unilateral ceasefire or orchestrate with Israel a mutual agreement to terminate all military action in and around Gaza for an extended period.

They responded that such action by them in the past had not been reciprocated, and they reminded me that Hamas had previously insisted on a ceasefire throughout Palestine, including Gaza and the West Bank, which Israel had refused. Hamas then made a public proposal of a mutual ceasefire restricted to Gaza, which the Israelis also rejected.

There are fervent arguments heard on both sides concerning blame for a lack of peace in the Holy Land. Israel has occupied and colonised the Palestinian West Bank, which is approximately a quarter the size of the nation of Israel as recognised by the international community. Some Israeli religious factions claim a right to the land on both sides of the Jordan river, others that their 205 settlements of some 500,000 people are necessary for "security".

All Arab nations have agreed to recognise Israel fully if it will comply with key United Nations resolutions. Hamas has agreed to accept any negotiated peace settlement between the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, provided it is approved in a referendum of the Palestinian people.

This holds promise of progress, but despite the brief fanfare and positive statements at the peace conference last November in Annapolis, the process has gone backwards. Nine thousand new Israeli housing units have been announced in Palestine; the number of roadblocks within the West Bank has increased; and the stranglehold on Gaza has been tightened.

It is one thing for other leaders to defer to the US in the crucial peace negotiations, but the world must not stand idle while innocent people are treated cruelly. It is time for strong voices in Europe, the US, Israel and elsewhere to speak out and condemn the human rights tragedy that has befallen the Palestinian people.

Jimmy Carter: A human rights crime | Comment is free | The Guardian

[FoxTrot9R]

I was going to read it honest. Then I read Jimmy Carter and had to stop. I am sure its tremendous though.

[Thaiboxer18]

While I certainly applaud Egypt's refusal to deal with Hamas, I condemn their treatment of the Palestinian civilians. I also condemn the appalling lack of help the rest of the 3rab states have given to the civilians in Gaza, who, although not nearly as bad off as people in surrounding countries (when Hamas exploded part of the wall separating Gaza from Egypt and the Gazans went into Egypt to get cigarettes, bombs, etc, they commented that the people in Egypt were much poorer than they were), are still not treated like first-world people, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that they continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israel, which surprisingly makes Israel not want to give the Gazans free stuff. Who would have thunken?

[Bill Baker]

Originally Posted by Thaiboxer18

While I certainly applaud Egypt's refusal to deal with Hamas, I condemn their treatment of the Palestinian civilians. I also condemn the appalling lack of help the rest of the 3rab states have given to the civilians in Gaza, who, although not nearly as bad off as people in surrounding countries (when Hamas exploded part of the wall separating Gaza from Egypt and the Gazans went into Egypt to get cigarettes, bombs, etc, they commented that the people in Egypt were much poorer than they were), are still not treated like first-world people, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that they continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israel, which surprisingly makes Israel not want to give the Gazans free stuff. Who would have thunken?

Ya, its pretty sad that egyptians occupied pali's land and are committing all the attrocities mentioned by former Prez. Carter.

o wait, Egypts not even mentioned in the article...

What about Israels treatment of Palestine, or anything mentioned by Jimmy Carter in the article??

(also, FYI, EGYPT mediated the recent truce plea by Hamas that ISRAEL rejected. Israel rejects Hamas offer for truce - Israel-Palestinians - MSNBC.com start ur thread about arabs betrayal of pali's and i promise il contribute. dont try to divert the attention from israel.)

[Bill Baker]

All Arab nations have agreed to recognise Israel fully if it will comply with key United Nations resolutions.

even tho the arab nations havent been much help to palis, they r not the problem.

Israels refusal to comply wit UN resolutions is (one of the problems).

[Bill Baker]

anybody read the book?

My friend has it and im borrowing it from him this week!

[Bill Baker]

DP sorry.

have a smily face, brighten up ur day.

[Ezra Pound]

I listened to some of the audio version, I dunno Im glad a former president is standing up to them, most have been terrified to; read the quotes regarding their power on the president truman library website. He had a thing or two to say about them. A lot of bullying goes on especially in regards to money to run the next campaign. If they aren't satiated they will fund your opponent. Behind closed doors, none of the shit I, You (Bill Baker) or Muay Thai say is avante or even news to them. Its just like at everyone else's job, you know your boss is a cocksucker but you can't say it at work. These guys live in the public eye, so they can't say shit until they are retired, some never do. That's what the rule of 80 in my sig refers to. Politicians don't say shit about them and their power until they are long retired and or approaching 80 years old. Paul Findley was a former Representative/Congressman who wrote a book called They dare to speak out it discusses this phenomenon and others.

[Chthon]

Originally Posted by Thaiboxer18

I also condemn the appalling lack of help the rest of the 3rab states have given to the civilians in Gaza...

You write in internet Arabish now?

[Ezra Pound]

Originally Posted by Thaiboxer18

While I certainly applaud Egypt's refusal to deal with Hamas, I condemn their treatment of the Palestinian civilians. I also condemn the appalling lack of help the rest of the 3rab states have given to the civilians in Gaza, who, although not nearly as bad off as people in surrounding countries (when Hamas exploded part of the wall separating Gaza from Egypt and the Gazans went into Egypt to get cigarettes, bombs, etc, they commented that the people in Egypt were much poorer than they were), are still not treated like first-world people, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that they continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israel, which surprisingly makes Israel not want to give the Gazans free stuff. Who would have thunken?

You have to have an independent economy and provide service(s) to the world to give anything. Anything else, is OUR shit. Have a nice day.