Sunday September 29. 2013

I've Been Thinking:

Israel and Gaza share a border, that is not news. The international media have, however, have turned border issues and restrictions into a centerpiece of their coverage for years.

Just a stone's throw from the Israel/Gaza border is the Egypt /Gaza border. Egypt controls that border and is much more protective of it than Israel is of theirs. The border between Egypt and Gaza has been closed and opened and then re-closed and re-opened again for months.

Because terrorists use the border as a way of entering Egypt from Gaza, the Egyptians have decided to restrict border crossings. Last year 65,000 people crossed into Egypt from Gaza during the months July, August and September. This year, during the same time period, only 14,000 crossed from Gaza into Egypt.

5,500 people are now stuck waiting on the border. They include university students returning home, people in need of medical care and business people. They just wait.

As for trade, no goods can cross from Egypt to Gaza.

I know why there is almost no coverage of this blockade. Covering this blockade would not fit the media model. It is not as interesting when Arabs oppress Arabs as it is when Israelis oppress Arabs. When Israel oppresses Arabs, that becomes newsworthy.

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