SherriMunnerlyn
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- Jun 11, 2012
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Gaza exports have plummeted under Israeli blockade
"After a wave of international flotillas laden with humanitarian supplies for Gaza were headed off by Israeli forces, with one standoff resulting in nine deaths, a new idea was born: a reverse flotilla that would carry symbolic Gazan exports like embroidery, carpets, and dates to foreign customers.Gazans need “trade not aid,” says Mahfouz Kabariti, part of the "Gaza's Ark" international steering committee, as he polishes his glasses at an open-air restaurant in Gaza City. The vast Mediterranean stretches into the distance behind him, a seemingly open portal to the world.*(Editor's note: The original version misattributed the origin of the Gaza Ark idea.)But since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has enforced a strict naval blockade off Gaza’s coast, citing security concerns such as ships carrying Iranian-supplied weapons to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by Israel, the US, and Europe. The blockade has put the kibosh on exporting anything from Gaza by sea, and only very limited exports are allowed by land through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, stymieing Gaza’s manufacturing potential.“If Israel is telling the truth that they have not occupied since 2005, they will allow the ship out,” says Kabariti, head of*the Palestine Association for Fishing and Marine Sports. He plans to have “Gaza’s Ark” ready by the end of summer. “If not,*they are a liar; this is collective punishment and it’s against international law.” http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/hristian+Science According to this article, Gaza's exports dropped 97 percent from 2007-12, which Gazans say hurts not only their economy but their dignity. The Gaza Ark project says what is needed is trade, not aid. And all of this harm to civilians in Gaza is caused by the illegal Blockade of Gaza that intl legal authorities tell us is collective punishment unlawful under The Fourth Geneva Convention. Sherri
This is a May 25, 2013 article.
"After a wave of international flotillas laden with humanitarian supplies for Gaza were headed off by Israeli forces, with one standoff resulting in nine deaths, a new idea was born: a reverse flotilla that would carry symbolic Gazan exports like embroidery, carpets, and dates to foreign customers.Gazans need “trade not aid,” says Mahfouz Kabariti, part of the "Gaza's Ark" international steering committee, as he polishes his glasses at an open-air restaurant in Gaza City. The vast Mediterranean stretches into the distance behind him, a seemingly open portal to the world.*(Editor's note: The original version misattributed the origin of the Gaza Ark idea.)But since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has enforced a strict naval blockade off Gaza’s coast, citing security concerns such as ships carrying Iranian-supplied weapons to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by Israel, the US, and Europe. The blockade has put the kibosh on exporting anything from Gaza by sea, and only very limited exports are allowed by land through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, stymieing Gaza’s manufacturing potential.“If Israel is telling the truth that they have not occupied since 2005, they will allow the ship out,” says Kabariti, head of*the Palestine Association for Fishing and Marine Sports. He plans to have “Gaza’s Ark” ready by the end of summer. “If not,*they are a liar; this is collective punishment and it’s against international law.” http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/hristian+Science According to this article, Gaza's exports dropped 97 percent from 2007-12, which Gazans say hurts not only their economy but their dignity. The Gaza Ark project says what is needed is trade, not aid. And all of this harm to civilians in Gaza is caused by the illegal Blockade of Gaza that intl legal authorities tell us is collective punishment unlawful under The Fourth Geneva Convention. Sherri
This is a May 25, 2013 article.
