Anti-Israel activist Stanley Heller had a Forum article with the title "Will Obama have different strategy on Palestinians?" published in the New Haven Register on Thursday, November 20, 2008.
As usual, it was filled with inaccuracies and errors of both omission and commission.
We include here a Comment & Analysis, in which we follow a Heller comment with a PRIMER analysis.
For those who may be inclined to send their own responses to the New Haven Registers, letters to The Register may be addressed to letters@nhregister.com.
We follow the Comment & Analysis with the full text of Heller's screed.
As usual, it was filled with inaccuracies and errors of both omission and commission.
We include here a Comment & Analysis, in which we follow a Heller comment with a PRIMER analysis.
For those who may be inclined to send their own responses to the New Haven Registers, letters to The Register may be addressed to letters@nhregister.com.
We follow the Comment & Analysis with the full text of Heller's screed.
Comment:
'She was forced to carry the body of her dead baby because the Israeli authorities had refused to let an ambulance drive her through the crossing.'
Analysis:
This is the unsubstantiated statement from a highly unreliable source. It may be found at, which is part of a section of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East web site. The fact that the UNRWA provides resources like this to anti-Israel propaganda is a symptom of the way the United Nations has helped create generations of Arabs devoted to spreading hatred.
This is the unsubstantiated statement from a highly unreliable source. It may be found at
Comment:
"This was a shocking detail in a 'Letter from Gaza' that was published on the Web site of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
"'Letter from Gaza' is a series of occasional letters written by Najwa Sheikh who lives in a Gaza refugee camp. She was described walking across a checkpoint and seeing another woman returning to Gaza holding only one small bundle in a piece of cloth. The woman had been allowed to give birth in an Israeli hospital, but her baby died and she had to carry it home.
"This is just one of the endless cruelties inflicted on the Palestinians of Gaza by the Israeli government."
Analysis:
The reality is it demonstrates precisely the opposite!
Despite the terror war Hamas maintains, this woman preferred to give birth in Israel rather than in Gaza and Israel allowed her into Israel to give birth.
The reality is it demonstrates precisely the opposite!
Despite the terror war Hamas maintains, this woman preferred to give birth in Israel rather than in Gaza and Israel allowed her into Israel to give birth.
Comment:
"The United Nations aids 750,000 refugees in Gaza.
Analysis:
The overwhelming majority are not refugees, but descendants of refugees, who have been kept by the Palestinian Arab leadership, the Arab nations and the United Nations in refugee camps rather than relocated into normal homes in normal neighborhoods.
Effectively, the United Nations does not "aid" them; the United Nations is complicit in perpetuating their misery.
The overwhelming majority are not refugees, but descendants of refugees, who have been kept by the Palestinian Arab leadership, the Arab nations and the United Nations in refugee camps rather than relocated into normal homes in normal neighborhoods.
Effectively, the United Nations does not "aid" them; the United Nations is complicit in perpetuating their misery.
Comment:
"Since Nov. 4, Israel has decided that the United Nations will not be allowed to bring in food to Gaza. Due to lack of supplies UNWRA has had to stop distributing supplies to Gazans.
"Every three months, the needy get a new package of rice, flour, sugar and oil. On Saturday, it would have been the turn of about 20,000 Gazans to pick up food supplies.
"They received nothing. The U.N. World Food Program, which feeds 130,000 Gazans who are not refugees, says it has enough food to distribute for four weeks.
"Also, Israel cut off fuel deliveries to Gaza so the only Palestinian power plant shut down and one third of the people lost all their electricity."
Analysis:
These assertions are false, as even the Palestinian Authority maintains. As detailed in an article included below, available in full at, Palestinian Authority officials said "there is no shortage of basic goods, medicine and fuel in the Gaza Strip."
These assertions are false, as even the Palestinian Authority maintains. As detailed in an article included below, available in full at
Comment:
"There had been a fairly well observed truce between Hamas and the Israeli government for five months, ..."
Analysis:
During the so-called truce, Hamas and other Arab terror groups have reduced the quantity of their terror attacks, but have still launched dozens of missile and mortar attacks against civilians in Israel. They have also, in blatant violation of the truce, smuggled in huge quantities of weapons in preparation for launching more large scale terror attacks once they've decided they've benefitted enough from the "truce."
During the so-called truce, Hamas and other Arab terror groups have reduced the quantity of their terror attacks, but have still launched dozens of missile and mortar attacks against civilians in Israel. They have also, in blatant violation of the truce, smuggled in huge quantities of weapons in preparation for launching more large scale terror attacks once they've decided they've benefitted enough from the "truce."
Comment:
" ... but on the night of our presidential election the Israeli army killed six men they said were digging a tunnel which they claim was being built to capture Israeli soldiers."
Analysis:
Israel reacted to a terror cell preparing an attack. It's interesting that Heller treats the unreliable ranting of an Arab propagandist as gospel but casts aspersions on anything reported by Israel.
Israel reacted to a terror cell preparing an attack. It's interesting that Heller treats the unreliable ranting of an Arab propagandist as gospel but casts aspersions on anything reported by Israel.
Comment:
"The Israelis could have contacted Hamas and demanded they do something, but no, they mounted an attack. After the killings, some 140 rockets have been shot from Gaza into Israel. One Israeli has been injured. Another seven or so Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in answer to the rocket fire."
Analysis:
This is simply laughable, or would be were it not for the deaths on both sides resulting from Arab terrorism.
This is simply laughable, or would be were it not for the deaths on both sides resulting from Arab terrorism.
Comment:
"In the midst of all this on Nov. 9, a boat called 'The Dignity' was allowed by the Israeli Navy into the Gaza port.
"Along with medical supplies, it carried 11 European parliamentarians and Amira Hass, the award-winning journalist for the Israeli paper Ha'aretz.
"They met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who told them that Hamas would be willing to accept a state with the 1967 borders.
"Though Israel in theory wants a 'two-state' solution, this statement had no effect on the Israeli government."
Analysis:
Hamas leaders have made clear that any such "acceptance" of the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state would not constitute acceptance of Israel, but would at best be used as a base for the eventual annihilation of Israel.
Hamas leaders have made clear that any such "acceptance" of the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state would not constitute acceptance of Israel, but would at best be used as a base for the eventual annihilation of Israel.
Comment:
"As it turns out, Ha'aretz a week later published an article saying that Haniyeh had made a similar offer in 2006 to the U.S. government via a letter hand-delivered by a Jewish American professor to the State Department. Neither the Bush administration nor Israel responded."
Analysis:
See above.
See above.
Comment:
"The American public has been content to allow Congress and the Bush administration to give total support to all Israeli measures against Palestinians."
Analysis:
Israel has not taken "measures against Palestinians;" it has taken necessary measures to protect its citizens. Even while working to save Israeli lives, it has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the very people in Gaza who are launching attacks against civilians living in Sderot, Ashkelon and other areas within range of Kassam and Grad missiles launched from Gaza.
Israel has not taken "measures against Palestinians;" it has taken necessary measures to protect its citizens. Even while working to save Israeli lives, it has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the very people in Gaza who are launching attacks against civilians living in Sderot, Ashkelon and other areas within range of Kassam and Grad missiles launched from Gaza.
Comment:
"Even in the midst of U.S. economic problems, our government decided this summer to raise Israel's military aid to $30 billion over the next 10 years. However, the presidential election has shown that most Americans have rejected the path of the last eight years.
"Will they also demand termination of the strategy of unending cruelty against Palestinians?"
Analysis:
The military assistance our government gives to Israel is only slightly more than the direct assistance we give to Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Arabs and is dwarfed by the enormous sums we overpay to Arab sheikdoms for oil and the portions of that money siphoned off to support Israel's enemies.
The real strategy of "unending cruelty against Palestinians" is that of its own leadership and its Arab brethren, who continue to indoctrinate them in hatred and use them as pawns in their drive to destroy Israel, rather than encouraging them to join Israel in embracing peace.
The military assistance our government gives to Israel is only slightly more than the direct assistance we give to Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Arabs and is dwarfed by the enormous sums we overpay to Arab sheikdoms for oil and the portions of that money siphoned off to support Israel's enemies.
The real strategy of "unending cruelty against Palestinians" is that of its own leadership and its Arab brethren, who continue to indoctrinate them in hatred and use them as pawns in their drive to destroy Israel, rather than encouraging them to join Israel in embracing peace.
The following is the text of the Forum article as it appeared in The New Haven Register.
Will Obama have different strategy on Palestinians?
'She was forced to carry the body of her dead baby because the Israeli authorities had refused to let an ambulance drive her through the crossing.'
Stanley Heller is chairman of the Middle East Crisis Committee, a 26-year-old Connecticut human rights group. He can be reached at mail@TheStruggle.org or at MECC, P.O. Box 3626, Woodbridge 06525.
This was a shocking detail in a 'Letter from Gaza' that was published on the Web site of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
'Letter from Gaza' is a series of occasional letters written by Najwa Sheikh who lives in a Gaza refugee camp. She was described walking across a checkpoint and seeing another woman returning to Gaza holding only one small bundle in a piece of cloth. The woman had been allowed to give birth in an Israeli hospital, but her baby died and she had to carry it home.
This is just one of the endless cruelties inflicted on the Palestinians of Gaza by the Israeli government.
The United Nations aids 750,000 refugees in Gaza. Since Nov. 4, Israel has decided that the United Nations will not be allowed to bring in food to Gaza. Due to lack of supplies UNWRA has had to stop distributing supplies to Gazans.
Every three months, the needy get a new package of rice, flour, sugar and oil. On Saturday, it would have been the turn of about 20,000 Gazans to pick up food supplies.
They received nothing. The U.N. World Food Program, which feeds 130,000 Gazans who are not refugees, says it has enough food to distribute for four weeks.
Also, Israel cut off fuel deliveries to Gaza so the only Palestinian power plant shut down and one third of the people lost all their electricity.
It's all designed to force the Gazans to overthrow their Hamas leadership or to get Hamas to agree to Israel's terms. Where did we hear this logic before.?
This was tried out in the 1990s in Iraq where U.N. sanctions were used in an effort to get Iraqis to overthrow Saddam. In Iraq the sanctions killed hundreds of thousands.
No one expects the Israelis to take it that far. They'll bring it to the point of widespread hunger and utter destitution, but they'll eventually 'ease' the siege and allow just enough food to be allowed in to avoid outright starvation.
There had been a fairly well observed truce between Hamas and the Israeli government for five months, but on the night of our presidential election the Israeli army killed six men they said were digging a tunnel which they claim was being built to capture Israeli soldiers.
The Israelis could have contacted Hamas and demanded they do something, but no, they mounted an attack. After the killings, some 140 rockets have been shot from Gaza into Israel. One Israeli has been injured. Another seven or so Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in answer to the rocket fire.
In the midst of all this on Nov. 9, a boat called 'The Dignity' was allowed by the Israeli Navy into the Gaza port.
Along with medical supplies, it carried 11 European parliamentarians and Amira Hass, the award-winning journalist for the Israeli paper Ha'aretz.
They met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who told them that Hamas would be willing to accept a state with the 1967 borders.
Though Israel in theory wants a 'two-state' solution, this statement had no effect on the Israeli government.
As it turns out, Ha'aretz a week later published an article saying that Haniyeh had made a similar offer in 2006 to the U.S. government via a letter hand-delivered by a Jewish American professor to the State Department. Neither the Bush administration nor Israel responded.
The American public has been content to allow Congress and the Bush administration to give total support to all Israeli measures against Palestinians.
Even in the midst of U.S. economic problems, our government decided this summer to raise Israel's military aid to $30 billion over the next 10 years. However, the presidential election has shown that most Americans have rejected the path of the last eight years.
Will they also demand termination of the strategy of unending cruelty against Palestinians?
This is the text of the Khaled Abu Toameh article in which Palestinian Authority officials contradict Heller.
PA: 'Hamas is staging Gaza blackouts'
Nov. 19, 2008
Khaled Abu Toameh , THE JERUSALEM POST
Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah accused Hamas on Tuesday of staging the latest blackouts in the Gaza Strip in a bid to win sympathy and incite the Palestinian public against Israel and the PA.
The officials said that contrary to Hamas's claim, there is no shortage of basic goods, medicine and fuel in the Gaza Strip, largely thanks to the many underground tunnels along the border with Egypt.
This is not the first time that Palestinians have accused Hamas of staging Gaza blackouts under the pretext that Israel had cut off fuel supplies to the district's power grid.
Earlier this year, Palestinian journalists in Gaza City told The Jerusalem Post that scenes of Palestinian children and women holding lit candles in the dark had been staged by Hamas and some Arab satellite TV stations.
"There's no shortage of fuel in the Gaza Strip and the Electricity Company is continuing to function normally," said a PA official. "Our people in the Gaza Strip have told us that the blackouts are all staged as part of the Hamas propaganda."
Another PA official noted that Hamas's lies reached their peak last January when its legislators held a meeting in a darkened hall of the Palestinian Legislative Council - while light could be seen coming in through the curtained windows.
The official accused Al-Jazeera of serving as a platform for Hamas's propaganda machine by airing staged footage of children and women during candlelight protests in the streets of Gaza City.
"There's enough fuel in the Gaza Strip," he said. "Even when Israel reduces the fuel supplies, Hamas continues to smuggle tens of thousands of liters through the underground tunnels."
The Fatah-controlled Pal-Press Web site on Thursday quoted a senior official in the Gaza Electricity Company as saying that Hamas has been stealing fuel supplies intended for the power grid.
The official, who asked not to be identified, also denied claims by Hamas and Al-Jazeera about power outages in large parts of the Gaza Strip. He noted that 70% of the Gaza Strip's electricity came from Israel and Egypt, while the remaining 30% were being supplied by the local company.
"Hamas has seized more than 220,000 liters of fuel that was intended for generators belonging to our company," he revealed. "There's no shortage of fuel and as such there is no reason for a crisis."
The official also disclosed that Hamas militiamen had been forcing the company to cut off power supplies to some areas in the Gaza Strip so as to create the impression that the outage was due to a lack of fuel caused by the ongoing closure of the border crossings.
Toahmeh's article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1226404771503&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.
2 comments:
I'm always amused by claims from anti-Semites like Heller saying that Gaza is "cut off" by Israel. As anyone who looks at a map knows, Gaza also borders Egypt.
Egypt fully recognizes the existence of Arab Palestine and therefore has normal trade relations with Gaza. Indeed, Egypt is within the rights of their treaty with Israel to INSIST on normal commercial trade along Egypt's borders.
There is NOTHING stopping normal commercial trade between Egypt and Gaza. The Israelis are not in their right to prevent normal commercial trade between the two.
Thus, in order for Gaza to be "cut off", Egypt must also be participating in the blockade. Strange then that Egypt is never mentioned as participating in Gaza's "endless" misery.
Either Egypt is a full participant in the cutoff of commercial trade to Gaza or there is no cutoff of normal trade and humanitarian supplies at all. The anti-Semites who demonize Israel routinely avoid this because it completely refutes their accusations against Israel.
How true! I've never heard of anyone criticizing Egypt for cutting off Gaza.
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