Rafah crossing: Open, closed, it’s still Israel’s fault

Egypt says it’s going to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza. The AP still manages to slam Israel for having a horrible, awful, punishing blockade on the sweet, innocent Gazans, whose only crime appears to be breathing in the space next to Israel.

Egypt will open its only crossing with the Gaza Strip this weekend, the Cairo military government announced Wednesday, significantly easing a four-year blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory but setting up a potential conflict with Israel.

Funny, the blockade is so difficult that the Gazans are getting a new three-story shopping mall. It’s the second one opened in the last year. Oh, those poor, suffering Gazans, unable to get the basic essentials like beauty products.

There is nothing, of course, that the AP can’t find to bitch about regarding Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. While admitting that there is no real crisis as a result of the blockade, we get this:

This gives Gaza Palestinians a way to freely enter and exit their territory for the first time since 2007, when Hamas overran the territory, and Israel and Egypt closed the crossings.

Israel’s crossings are more significant, since they handle most cargo. A year ago Israel significantly eased its restrictions on cargo entering Gaza, but it still severely limits entry and exit of Gazans through its northern crossing into Israel.

Gee. Israel refuses to let Gazans into Israel. Why is that, I wonder? Surely there must be some reason [HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS] that Israel doesn’t want [HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS] to let Gazans travel freely [HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS] into Israel. Don’t worry, it’ll come to me. Just give me a minute.

And of course, we have to note this little gem:

The statement said rules in effect before the blockade would be reinstated. At that time, European observers had a role in operating the crossing, and Israel monitored people and cargo to keep out militants and weapons.

So the Gazans can’t enter and exit freely, a fact that contradicts directly the previous statements in the news article. But then again, we are talking about European monitors, who fled when directed by Hamas. I guarantee they will not confront Hamas over the open smuggling of weaponry into Gaza.

Also note that the AP spins this as an issue that will upset only Israel, when in fact, agreements were made between Israel, Egypt, the EU and the U.S. to monitor the crossings after Ariel Sharon withdrew every last Israeli from Gaza in 2005.

In the end of the article, we have the AP boilerplate about Israel claiming Hamas smuggles weapons through the tunnels. They’re very schizophrenic on that boilerplate. Some days, it’s the above. Other days, it plainly states that Hamas uses the tunnels to smuggle weapons. No matter which way you look at it, however, the arming of Hamas continues.

What is happening now is the gathering of Israel’s enemies on three sides, with the fourth side TBD depending on who takes over for Mahmoud Abbas, and how many weapons they can smuggle into the West Bank. The coming years are extremely dangerous for Israel. If the Islamists feel that they’re able to destroy Israel, they’re going to launch a war not unlike the 1967 Six-Day War. Only this time, one of Israel’s enemies may be armed with nuclear weapons. That is not a scenario I want to see. But it is one that the world is pushing Israel towards, by ignoring the enemies and concentrating on—wait for it—settlements.

Because yeah, Israel’s the obstacle to peace. Sure.