And don't start me on the horrors hidden in halva with fruit and nuts! Chocolate endangers life and limb, but at least Israel's greatest minds found a way of neutralizing the deadly potential of diapers and baby wipes, even if it took several years to achieve.
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It doesn’t surprise me that the human rights organizations (gisha) have difficulties getting straight answers as to there being an actual list of prohibited items, that the pretext for it changes, and that the list itself changes from time to time. This adds to the confusion and to the arbitrary nature of the power that Israel has to decide what goes in and out. Kind of like denying the right of entry to individuals. Maybe there is no such list, besides some basic items.
It’s not only the list itself, but also the “right” they have to arbitrarily impose such a list. The concrete and wood is to prevent construction, the fishing nets, the fishing, etc.
The basic idea seems to be to destroy the economy, pure and simple, and drive the people crazy.
I’m sure a MacGyver could find a way to make a qassam with some cumin though!
I’m pleased to see that pasta is now on the list of permitted items, whereas it was once forbidden. link to haaretz.com. We can thank US pressure for Israel’s concession, which of course was deeply painful. You Jew-haters can poke fun if you want to, but if Israel allows Gazans to spice up their pasta with coriander and cardamom, they will then demand cumin and curry. Pretty soon, all the “c” spices will be available, the people will look more favorably upon Hamas, thereby proving that there is no one to talk to. Besides, coriander and cardamom were al-Husseini’s favorite spices, and Jews who were kicked out of Iraq and Egypt and Libya were not allowed to bring their spices, which were confiscated without compensation.
I am struggling to joke about Israel’s motives but I think it impossible to even grasp the sadistic cruelty that has been national policy for years. I can only repeat that the most vehement proponents of BDS would not come close to imposing such misery on Israeli civilians.
Why does “Jewish self-determination” look so much like a German occupation, anyway? Kind of ironic, and not in any funny way.
Not to point out the obvious, but most of the food that Israel has banned is high on carbohydrates. Athletes usually load up on carbs before intense physical activity as they are a good source of energy. Unlike complex carbs which provide the body with hours of energy (kind of like a delayed release tablet), simple carbs available in chocolate, fruits and nuts are energy at the ready – if you will. It’s one of the reasons that hikers and backpackers usually carry around a ‘trail mix’ of dried fruits and nuts.
In other words, Israel doesn’t want the Palestinians to have any fighting energy to resist its oppressive policies. It’s one of the reasons that pasta has not been allowed in until recently.
Yet rice, also a carbohydrate, was allowed in when pasta was banned. The Israelis keep altering the list but there are some basic staples that are permitted in.
About a year ago toothpaste, toilet paper, fruit juice, cigarettes were all banned. Don’t think that has changed but not 100 percent sure.
Incidentally, this could be a great slogan for the IOF:
“We like our victims docile”
I can understand why they ban spices and sweets along with all the other things that provide comfort and sustenance.
Why do they ban A4 size paper?
Surely, you can’t be serious.
Paper can be easily used to make one of
these and attack Sderot.
Worse still, they could use it to make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl.
That is so true
How to make origami weapons:
link to origami.lovetoknow.com
How many times do they allow water a day if at all? Someone should start a policy here in the usa to treat the people here in the same manner, as a test, to see if they agree with 60+ years of hell on earth. As for these “so called criminal courts”, they need be dismantled, malitias have a small hope, but they are wacky one sidedness too, allthough they do not claim the indians gave it to them…thank goodness for small wonders. I do not believe even china did as bad as the occupation, yes aparthied has topped the list again, maybe tommorow someone else will, but it seems they have this market cornnered, even better than germany ever could have with a 60+ years of support of blind dumb and stupidity.
Eva, there’s amistake on Gisha’s list. Shasmpoo is ok but not conditioner. I remember from a year back how Israel stopped a shipment of shampoo (Pert, I think) because the formula included conditioner (2 in 1). Conditioner must include some explosiove properties.
It’s described in the UNRWA Julu 2009 report:
“…Items prohibited from entering Gaza include books, paper for textbooks, crayons, light bulbs, candles, matches, musical instruments, clothing, shoes, mattresses bed sheets, blankets, tea, coffee, chocolate and nuts. Hair conditioner is banned, while shampoo is not. No petrol or diesel has been allowed through the official crossings into Gaza since November 2008. Gaza’s power plant receives only 70% of its weekly fuel requirements and only half of the cooking gas needed. “
Gisha received information from certain point in time . These lists can change at whim, and goods allowed can be stopped at whim on the day.
The list as we all know is not about preventing materials that can be used against Israel but simply to make life unbearable for Gazans. It’s punishment pure and simple and I’m sorry to have to say that this was and still is ordered by the Americans. Israel doesn’t do anything that the US doesn’t OK. Everybody talks about pressuring Israel to lift the blockade but everybody is knocking a the wrong door. It’s the old good cop-bad cop routine.
Are crayons still banned?
Partial list of banned and permitted items:
link to fastforgaza.net
Crayons are writing implements, and as such forbidden.
If I were Israel (god forbid!), I would ban oxygen from Gaza – afterall, ‘tekhokhists’ are utilizing it to their advantange every single day!
The eventual arrival of this year’s ‘Gaza Aid’ fleet of twenty ships should be interesting to us all.
The meaning of the list and of its occasional changes seems to be to inflict little death but lots and lots of humiliation.