Philo,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Weissglass

That's what a siege is meant to do. It's intended to grind down the will of population until they comply with your wishes. What did YOU think it was for?

Neverending retaliation?

Bazz,

So what? The challenge to the blockade was also meant to be symbolic. The blockade itself is illegal, as are the numerous acts of non-compliance with UN demands. If it wasn't for the USA's security and financial umbrella Israel would be considered a rogue state.

I also love seeing that "self-hating Jew" blanket accusation that gets dropped from time-to-time. There must be a fair percentage of dissident Israelis that just hate themselves and not their government for what's going on in their name.

Dear Bazz,

You claim that the shops are full of food
in Gaza? They may be - but the locals can't
afford to buy the food. They rely on the aid, as well
as the medical supplies, that is being
blocked. When you tell people to "tighten their
belts," you'd better make sure that they can
afford to buy the the belts first,
before they can tighten
them. "Let them eat cake," (when they can't even
afford bread).

You're entitled to your opinions -
but not your own facts!

Foxy wrote;
>You claim that the shops are full of food
>in Gaza? They may be - but the locals can't
>afford to buy the food.

If they can't buy the food why does the shopkeeper stock it ?
Surely he would not buy all that stock, vegetables and fruit in one shop, if no one can buy it !

The fruit & veg shop was stocked just like one near here.
What do you think ?

If someone kept shooting at you from across the road, would give them aid. I doubt it.
As long as the Palestinians keep spending all their money on weapons then the only option is that they go hungry.
Israel is not going anywhere, so the sooner the Palestinians live with it the better off they will be.

Dear Bazz,

In Australia the Mercedes Benz motor showrooms
are over-flowing with Mercedes, not everyone
can afford to buy them. A larger proportion
of the population buy cheaper Japanese cars
or second-hand cars, or have to rely on
public transport. Do you get the message?

According to recent international reports,
one fifth of the population of Gaza can afford
to buy the food in stock, its the other four-fifths
we're talking about.

Most of the food on sale in the shops is brought in
by black-marketeers through under-ground tunnels
from Egypt according to the media.

It's the foreign-aid such as the ship-armada that was
pirated, that the other four-fifths of the Gaza
population rely on.

Israel tends to distort the reality of the situation in
Gaza to suit theit own political agenda. It's only
as a result of the recent outrage - that the world
is reacting but the facts have existed since the early
blockade of Gaza.

These facts are on the international news coverage
we get everyday, you either don't watch the international
news channels or read international news coverage via
the web.

Yes Foxy you are right.
If we did not have to pay exorbitant taxes to support an army hell-bent on destroying New Zealand we might be able to afford the Mercedes cars.