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SHOULD EGYPT HAVE BANNED AID CONVOYS FROM GOING TO GAZA?
Egypt has announced it is to ban all foreign aid convoys to Gaza after activists from the Viva Palestina convoy led by MP George Galloway clashed with police on the Rafah border. Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit said the country has banned all aid convoys to Gaza, and that any aid for Palestinian brought through Egypt would be given to Red Crescent, the Muslim relief organisation, who would turn it over to their Palestinian counterparts. Is this a cruel ruling against Gaza? Or is Egypt right to want to avoid a circus like the Viva Palestina convoy, and making the move in the interests of its own people and the people of Gaza?
Should Egypt have banned aid convoys from going to Gaza?
Yes, because... Egypt has had enough
One soldier killed, stones thrown at guards and constant harranging by the likes of George Galloway, who can blame the Egyptians for putting their foot down.
It's not to do with Israel or Palestine but to do with how much an independent country can take when it's caught between a rock and a hard place.
Egypt is looking out for the best interests of its people, and refusing to be a political chess piece.
Counter:
But Egypt is not 'stopping' aid to Gaza, she is just sending it through the Red Crescent and other aid organisations that do NOT kill soldiers in the name of human rights.
All of this seems minor compaired to the results of stopping people sending aid through to gaza, an area that desperatly needs all the aid it can get, especially as the Israelis are not known for allowing free movement between Gaza and Israel. Egypt does not have the same worries that Israel does about the possibilty of suicide bombers from Gaza so does not have the justification to stop such movements.
While it might be argued that it has nothing to do with the greater israel/palestine problem as this is taking place within Egypt that would simply not be true. There would not be a problem at Egypt's border with Gaza if there was not the Israel/Palestine problem. It would be much easier for all necessary aid to go through Israel, but cant because of the determination by Israel to strangle Gaza.
It is equally difficult to see how this is something that is of particular interest to the Egyptian people and is therefore something that should be done in their interests. yes there may be some clashes and demonstrations but the chances are that most of Egypt's people would support allowing aid to reach Palestine from Egypt, from a historical perspective of Arab or Islamic solidarity it would seem that the Egyptian people themselves would be happy to make a minor sacrifice of problems at the border from aid convoys in return for helping the palestinians.
Vote on this point: Egypt has had enough
See history of changes to this point
Should Egypt have banned aid convoys from going to Gaza?
Yes, because... The aid convoys are no more than propaganda
Egypt's role in the blockade is part of its peace agreement with Israel. "It can't allow peopel across who might use them to attack Israel. Egypt has to watch its border.
The aid convoys are just a kind of propaganda to bring the attention of the other Arab communities and the international community against Egypt.
It's a pragmatic step, which, who knows, could be lifted if Hamas are toppled.
one soldier died. Which is strange, since Palestinians have thrown rocks at soldiers without killing them for many years now. Soldiers have protection from rocks.
This looks like 'propaganda' to control/stifle/annex aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel like China has been attacking humanitarian organisations for a long period of time; once Israel blew a red cross hospital, claiming that their rocket somehow diverted(barely apologizing at all). Her crimes in Gaza are ubiquitously known.
Egypt is doing this, keeping in mind the political hierarchy of our times: get in Israel's good books and then get more buyers for your oil and more aid for development.
There is no moral reasoning behind capping/nicking the aid effort to Gaza.
Vote on this point: The aid convoys are no more than propaganda
See history of changes to this point
Vote on this debate: Should Egypt have banned aid convoys from going to Gaza?
Modified:
06 Apr 2010
Point 1. Egypt has had enough
One soldier killed, stones thrown at guards and constant harranging by the likes of George Galloway, who can blame the Egyptians for putting their foot down.
It's not to do with Israel or Palestine but to do with how much an independent country can take when it's caught between a rock and a hard place.
Egypt is looking out for the best interests of its people, and refusing to be a political chess piece.
All of this seems minor compaired to the results of stopping people sending aid through to gaza, an area that desperatly needs all the aid it can get, especially as the Israelis are not known for allowing free movement between Gaza and Israel. Egypt does not have the same worries that Israel does about the possibilty of suicide bombers from Gaza so does not have the justification to stop such movements.
While it might be argued that it has nothing to do with the greater israel/palestine problem as this is taking place within Egypt that would simply not be true. There would not be a problem at Egypt's border with Gaza if there was not the Israel/Palestine problem. It would be much easier for all necessary aid to go through Israel, but cant because of the determination by Israel to strangle Gaza.
It is equally difficult to see how this is something that is of particular interest to the Egyptian people and is therefore something that should be done in their interests. yes there may be some clashes and demonstrations but the chances are that most of Egypt's people would support allowing aid to reach Palestine from Egypt, from a historical perspective of Arab or Islamic solidarity it would seem that the Egyptian people themselves would be happy to make a minor sacrifice of problems at the border from aid convoys in return for helping the palestinians.
Point 2. The aid convoys are no more than propaganda
Egypt's role in the blockade is part of its peace agreement with Israel. "It can't allow peopel across who might use them to attack Israel. Egypt has to watch its border.
The aid convoys are just a kind of propaganda to bring the attention of the other Arab communities and the international community against Egypt.
It's a pragmatic step, which, who knows, could be lifted if Hamas are toppled.
one soldier died. Which is strange, since Palestinians have thrown rocks at soldiers without killing them for many years now. Soldiers have protection from rocks.
This looks like 'propaganda' to control/stifle/annex aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel like China has been attacking humanitarian organisations for a long period of time; once Israel blew a red cross hospital, claiming that their rocket somehow diverted(barely apologizing at all). Her crimes in Gaza are ubiquitously known.
Egypt is doing this, keeping in mind the political hierarchy of our times: get in Israel's good books and then get more buyers for your oil and more aid for development.
There is no moral reasoning behind capping/nicking the aid effort to Gaza.