While Arming Israeli War Criminals to Teeth, NATO Nations Pledge to Keep Gaza Armless

ccun.org, March 14, 2009

News Commentary

By Hassan El-Najjar

NATO countries have continued to arm the Zionist Israeli terrorist state to teeth, from enabling it to amass a nuclear arsenal, to nuclear-capable submarines, to the most advanced weapons of death and destruction such as F-16 and F-35, as well as DIME bombs.

At the same time, they have implemented a tight regime of sanctions and embargo, with collaboration from some Arab states, to deny the Palestinian people food or light weapons to defend themselves against continuous Israeli attacks for the last three years.

Today, instead of helping the Palestinian victims against the Zionist Israeli war criminals, NATO countries are discussing in London ways to tighten the siege of Gaza to make sure that Palestinians do not receive any piece of light arms, by imposing a maritime sanctions and embargo regime over Gaza.

All this is to force Palestinians to surrender to the Israeli conditions, particularly recognition of the Zionist state, which is in fact accepting the Israeli theft of Palestinian lands and being quiet about the Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the Israelis since 1948, particularly in the last three years, and climaxed last January.

The Zionist state has never announced its borders. If Palestinians are being pushed by the Zionist-controlled NATO countries to recognize Israel, which Israel are they pushed to recognize?

Is it Israel of the 1947 UN Partition Resolution? Or the one of 1949 Armistice agreements with Arab states? Or the One of the 1967 War of Aggression without the illegal settlements? Or the one of the 1967 war of aggression but with the illegal settlements?

They just want Palestinians to surrender to the Israelis by accepting the theft, the historical injustice of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, which changed them into refugees, and forgetting about all the war crimes committed against them by the Israeli terrorist war criminals during the last sixty years.

But why are NATO countries playing this immoral role in support for the Israeli aggressors and war criminals against their Palestinian victims?

Maybe the answers for the following questions could explain the NATO countries behavior.

Is it because these Israeli war criminals are helping NATO imperialists to intimidate Arabs and Muslims by showing them the brutality and savagery of Israeli attacks if they do not allow the imperialists to take over their resources?

Is it because international relations, dominated by NATO countries, are void of morality and ethics, and based only on mere materialistic and opportunistic interests?

Is it because the political leaders of NATO countries are mere figure heads who serve their Zionist masters, the real rulers of NATO countries?

We are living in an era of no shame, indeed!

Nine NATO nations pledge to stop arms smuggling to Gaza

Date: 14 / 03 / 2009 Time: 09:49
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

The United States, Canada and seven European states agreed to stop alleged weapons smuggling to the Gaza Strip using as interception at sea, information sharing and diplomatic pressure.

A senior British diplomat told Reuters that the agreement had been reached by experts from the nine nations at a meeting in London. In the pact, individual states are not obliged to carry out any specific action, and the diplomat said that naval vessels would not use force.

Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway also signed up to the loose “program of action. “
The agreement is being billed as a part of an international effort to stabilize an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas, the movement that holds power in the territory, has said that it has a right to continue importing arms, although the extent of its ability to do so is not known.

Israel and Egypt have maintained a near-total closure of Gaza's borders since June 2007. Currently the only reliable means of importing anything into Gaza, including food, fuel, and consumer goods, is through an elaborate network of tunnels maintained by smugglers.

The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the program set guidelines for steps countries could take under international law. "What it does is provide a platform to start some form of practical cooperation," he said.

According to Reuters, the program read out by the diplomat says the nine countries, all NATO members, will "take action, to the extent that national legal authorities permit and consistent with international law, to support interdiction efforts."

"Such efforts may include enquiry, boarding, searching, stopping, seizing, or other efforts necessary to prevent transfers of arms, ammunition and weapons components," it said, but added that naval ships would not use force.

Nine countries agree on a plan to stop weapon flow into Gaza

Saturday March 14, 2009 11:32 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The United States, Canada and seven European countries agreed on Friday on a plan meant to stop the flow of arms and munitions into the Gaza Strip.

The plan includes a number of strategies including intercepting ships heading to Gaza, share intelligence information and practicing diplomatic pressure.

A senior British diplomat stated that experts from the nine countries had agreed during a meeting in London on a plan to bar the entry of weapons into Gaza.

The diplomat added that this plan does not mean engaging in combat.

In addition to Canada and the United States, the seven European countries involved in the plan are Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Norway.

Stopping the flow of weapons into Gaza is considered an important aspect that would boost a permanent cease fire in Gaza, the diplomat said.

The issue is also said to be a factor that would convince Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, and to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies, including material that would be used in rebuilding Gaza.

The British diplomat, who elected to remain anonymous, said that all measures would be in compliance with the International Law.

Even the Abbas Government Employees Are Suffering from the Israeli NATO-Implemented Sanctions

Gaza cash crisis forces PA employees into poverty

Date: 14 / 03 / 2009 Time: 16:13
Gaza – Ma’an Exclusive –

Until recently, 70,000 Palestinian Authority (PA) civil servants were among the only people who still received a steady income in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli-led blockade has forced most industries to shut down.

However, due to an Israeli ban on cash transfers to the Strip, PA employees may soon have to start selling their belongings, as they have not been able to withdraw their salaries from banks. Two weeks into March, the civil servants still have not been paid.

Ma’an spoke to many workers who still receive their income from the PA in Ramallah, who said that the current crisis is beginning to remind of the days when due to an international boycott of the elected Hamas government, no one received their salaries.

In other words, the boycott of Hamas, which currently holds power in Gaza is also undercutting the world’s efforts to bolster the Fatah-led PA based in the West Bank.

While PA workers check internet sites and TV news for word about their paychecks day and night, the prices of everyday goods are rising, in part due to the blockade.

Muhammad H is a sergeant in the PA security forces who has five children including two twins. He said, “I look at chickens to find that a kilogram of chicken meat is worth 20 Shekels ($5), then I look at mutton and red meat and its 50 shekels ($12) per kilo. So, I buy some vegetables and go home. If you ask about fruit, the answer is ‘no way.’”

Abu Ahmad is a first lieutenant in the security forces. He told Ma’an, “I think it over a thousand times before I decide to invite someone to dinner, because after that my salary will not suffice for the rest of the month, and I would have to borrow money from relatives, and I am fed up with borrowing. No room for invitations any more. That time is history, and all of us miss Mansaf, Maqluba and Fatta [Palestinian meals that involve meat].”

A spokesperson for the civil servants’ union in Gaza, Aatif Asqul, expressed astonishment that salaries have already been paid to West Bank civil servants. “This means banks can pay salaries, but not to civil servants registered in Gaza. We are not interested in discussing the motive, but rather interested in getting the salaries.”

“We want to get some grapes, rather than fighting the vineyard guard,” as he put it.

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