[Gletkin]

Israel Blocks Pasta Shipment to Gaza, and Tensions Boil
Published on Thursday, February 26, 2009 by McClatchy Newspapers
by Dion Nissenbaum

JERUSALEM - For more than seven weeks, the international aid group Mercy Corps has been trying to send 90 tons of macaroni to the isolated Gaza Strip as part of a global campaign to help the 1.4 million Palestinians there rebuild their lives after Israel's recent devastating 22-day military operation.

Israel, which controls most of what goes into and out of Gaza, has said no repeatedly.

At first, Israeli officials said that they wanted to make sure that the macaroni wasn't destined for a Hamas charity. Then they said macaroni was banned because they didn't consider it an essential food item.

On Wednesday, days after American lawmakers raised pointed questions about the macaroni ban, Israeli authorities said that they were preparing to give the pasta a green light.
For the international aid community, the dispute is emblematic of the red tape and political maneuvering that have stymied efforts to rebuild Gaza.
"We're at the end of our rope," said David Holdridge, the head of Middle East emergency relief efforts for Mercy Corps. "This is just ridiculous. It's absolutely absurd."....

....The macaroni standoff drew the attention of U.S. lawmakers who made a rare trip last week to the Gaza Strip.

"Is someone going to kill you with a piece of macaroni?" Rep. Brian Baird, a Washington state Democrat who joined Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison in visiting Gaza, reportedly said after hearing about the aid restrictions....

...."We want to make sure that reconstruction for the people of Gaza is not reconstruction for the Hamas regime," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

I want......macaroni pictures!
-Khaled Meshal

This does sound a bit ridiculous (and the title a bad pun).
What exactly would Hamas "reconstruct" with macaroni?....A new version of Qassam rocket?
Brothers! I've got it!....We'll use raw pasta as shrapnel in our Qassam rockets! The Zionist infidels will never find them in the bodies of our stricken enemies with their fancy western X-rays!

[Vigil of Reason]

Why can't they try sending in some other things, as Israel so insists on no macaroni?

[sploop!]

^ Well, tortilini is much more dangerous, on a per gramme basis...

[Oxymoron]

Something about the Romans kicking the Jews out of their land, and now providing Spicy Meeat Ballls to Hamas aint right das all aint right.

All kidding aside, perhaps the Israelis should not be this pig headed. What do they think Hamas will do, sell it on the Black market and buy some vintage wine, which they will exchange for a S-300 system from the French who will attain it from the Russians for a Truck load of Grey Goose Vodka?

[Sephardi]

Why Macaroni?

Anyways, I think the Israeli Defense Forces should feed the people the macaroni, and kill a few Hamas members while on their trip to Gaza.

[danholo]

I guess they don't want to give the Macaroni to Hamas, who'll get credit for distributing it?

[sploop!]

Maybe they should send ground forces in and distribute it themselves, then?

[kyleb]

It seems the problem is, "Israel does not define pasta as part of humanitarian aid - only rice shipments."

And a disturbing exchange on the subject from a recent US State department briefing:

QUESTION: A new topic? On Gaza, there have been some reports that the United States is quite displeased with the Israeli government about the amount of goods that the Israeli government is allowing into Gaza. For instance, they’re making such restrictions on dual use that is kind of arbitrary and not necessarily in line with what the humanitarian needs are in Gaza. Can you say what, at this point, the State Department assessment of the amount of aid that’s going into Gaza right now?


MR. WOOD: I’m not prepared here to give you an assessment of the type of aid that’s going in, but we have --


QUESTION: Are you satisfied with the level of aid?


MR. WOOD: Well, look, the situation on the ground there, as you know, is very complicated. And what we have been trying to do is ensure that, you know, humanitarian assistance gets to the people of Gaza. We will continue to try to do that, but as I said, it’s complicated. And we have had discussions with the Israelis about the situation. Other countries have, as well. And we’ll continue to push to get as much in the way of humanitarian supplies into Gaza as we can. It’s the best assessment I can give you.


QUESTION: Well, just one example that is (inaudible) on the press that the Israelis are not letting pasta into Gaza, only rice, because that’s a humanitarian – because that’s only on their humanitarian things. Do think that all food and medicine should be allowed into Gaza right now?


MR. WOOD: Well, look, there are a number of players on the ground trying to deal with the humanitarian situation. I, from the podium here, can’t tell you whether, you know, pasta should fall into a specific category – into that category of humanitarian assistance or not. But what we’re trying to do is to make sure that the supplies that –


QUESTION: Well, apparently, U.S. officials have been complaining about this particular example. So, I mean, I’m just saying, like, shouldn’t all food and medicine be allowed into Gaza at this point? I mean, is that really a -- even a question about dual use?


MR. WOOD: What we want to see get into Gaza are humanitarian supplies that, you know -- that the Gazan -- the people of Gaza need. I can’t give you an assessment of, you know, whether all of these things are absolutely necessary to meet the humanitarian needs of the Gazan people. That’s better left to those international organizations and NGOs, you know, who are in the area trying to work on this issue. I just can’t make that kind of determination.


QUESTION: Do you think that Israel should be tying the amount of aid and supplies getting into Gaza to the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit? Because as you know, the -- some people in Israeli Prime Minister Olmert’s staff have complained that this – that aid is being used as a political tool.


MR. WOOD: Well, it’s not for me, from the podium here, to engage in these types of -- on these issues. I mean, this is --


QUESTION: Well, should aid -- you don’t -- you can’t say whether you think aid should be used as a political weapon?


MR. WOOD: Well, aid should never be used a political weapon. But again, I’m not engaged in those discussions that are going on with regard to, you know, the opening of the borders and with regard to the ceasefire. Those are decisions that will have to be made at an appropriate time. I’m not able to do that from here.


QUESTION: Well, but I mean, do you think that the ceasefire is being honored? I mean, obviously, there have been complaints that Hamas is not honoring the ceasefire. But is Israel honoring the ceasefire in terms of allowing the aid and – under their obligations? Are they meeting their obligations?


MR. WOOD: Well, I’m not able to give you that kind of assessment from here. But my understanding is, is that there are discussions going on amongst a wide variety of parties with equities with regard to this conflict, and they are trying to bring about, you know, a durable ceasefire. They’re trying to make sure that the, you know, humanitarian supplies reach those who need them in Gaza. I just can’t give you that kind of assessment at this point. It’s a very complex situation on the ground, and that’s something we have to be aware of.

[Arthur2sheds_Jackson]

All the zionists who previously denied that Israel occupies Gaza have exposed their hypocrisy by admitting that Israel controls food going into the place.

An occupation in all but name.