On March 25, I reported that the ongoing Gaza blackout had killed an infant after his respirator failed. Though the infant did die in the manner reported, later information has showed that he actually died earlier in the month.
This isn’t the major shift in story that it sounds like, however. The Gaza Strip has been under rolling blackouts for over a month now, and the same exact issues surrounding the infant’s death would’ve been true in early March as were on the 25th. The Hamas government’s state media simply didn’t catch wind of the story and report it to the world until weeks after it happened, and therefore no one else knew about it either. Instead of some plot by Hamas to garner world sympathy, it strikes me more as an attempt to cover up that they have such a poor handle on things that they didn’t even notice an infant dying in the blackouts.
Some other outlets are scrambling to correct the story because they initially blamed the Israeli blockade for the death. Interestingly, however, this wouldn’t have been true at either date, and this is one of those rare occasions when suffering in Gaza isn’t a direct result of Israeli policy.
As I pointed out in the initial article, the Egyptian junta is the one that stopped the fuel shipments to Gaza’s power plant, though no one seems to have a solid answer as to why. Israel even went to the surprising length of supplying Gaza some emergency diesel fuel last week, though it was quickly burned through.
Oh, come on now, Jason. Stop being so shy.
The child's death may not have been a "direct" result of Israeli actions in this very particular case, but it's a direct result of Israeli policies — or, more precisely, of Israeli and U.S. policies. Though in this particular case it's a direct result of Egyptian actions, these Egyptian actions are a result of the POLICY of Israeli-imposed blockade, and the Egyptian junta's support of that blockade is enforced by U.S. bribes in the form of military underwriting to the junta. Obviously and of course, there's nothing more potently persuasive to admirals and generals than the gifts of toys that they can use to blow things up with.
And as far as the "why" of the junta's support of the Israeli blockade in this particular instance, one might speculate that it's simply bureaucratic inertia in support of an Israeli-U.S. policy that is DIRECTLY murderous. Or maybe it's a favor to Washington, to make up for the brief arrest of a bunch of busy-bodies like Ray LaHood's little pride-and-joy of a regime-changer.
Whatever the reason in this particular case for the Egyptian junta's actions, these actions are nevertheless a very DIRECT result of the Israeli policy of blockade and a very DIRECT result of the U.S. support for its enforcement.
Like I mentioned in Jason's earlier post, "But we'll blame Israel anyway."
Thanks for the claification Jason. Although, most of the anti-Israel crowd could care less now that it doesn't serve their pet cause.
most of the anti-Israel crowd could care less '
While you might be correct why not consider that the death of the kid was caused by the conduct of the Israel nation. Israel got Gaza by its conduct of sending in it military into the land. It did the same thing in 1955 so Israel clearly wanted to control Gaza from the first days of Israel.
I am open to the fact that this child died and there was no fault of Israel but does that change the fact that many do die because Israel stays in land that they stole. I fully understand that many believe that God gave them the land but would not an almighty not provide a deed or a mountain range to show he was really behind the matter. Also why no visits of that almighty in 6,000 years? If God was so interested in having his chosen in the promise land why would he not show up for so long? I like the term anti-zionist more than anti-Israel. The anti-Israel sound like one is a bigot while anti-zionist sounds more like someone is against the clearly political use of religion in political situations.
It is sad to read that the innocent infant was killed in Gaza.. I hope that the situation will get better.
I think that these numbers in fact are really greater than they write.
Whatever the reason in this particular case for the Egyptian junta's actions, these actions are nevertheless a very DIRECT result of the Israeli policy of blockade and a very DIRECT result of the U.S. support for its enforcement.