Even before getting to the story, let me lead with a singular datum that we should all keep in mind: until now, there have been only two recorded deaths from the coronavirus in the P.A.-run territories. And there have been no deaths in Gaza.
Two hundred and fifty “global artists and writers” (GAW) have signed on to one of those virtue-signalling collective appeals to Israel to “stop the siege of Gaza.” The story, from AFP, is here:
More than 250 global artists and writers including rocker Peter Gabriel, director Ken Loach and actor Viggo Mortensen have appealed to Israel to stop the “siege” of Gaza, saying the coronavirus epidemic could have a devastating effect in “the world’s largest open air prison.”
There is no “siege” of Gaza, but rather, a “blockade,” and a most incomplete one at that. The difference Is clear: a “blockade” means that goods of some kind are prevented from entering a territory. A siege means the opposite: an enemy is prevented from leaving a territory which is under attack, until that enemy finally surrenders.
The Israelis are not trying to return to Gaza. They were glad to leave the Strip. They just want to be free of rockets being fired into Israel, free of infiltration by Hamas or Islamic Jihad terrorists whose reason for being is to kidnap or kill Israelis. Why is that so hard for the “250 global artists and writers” to understand? Israelis are only trying to prevent the Gazans from killing them. They are trying to prevent the manufacture or acquisition of more weapons of war, including rockets and mortars, and to make it harder for the Gazans to construct bunkers and terror tunnels. That is why they have “blockaded” – that is, prevented from entering Gaza — certain goods that can be used for that manufacture of weapons and the construction of those terror tunnels and those bunkers.
Israelis are trying to prevent Hamas from firing rockets into southern Israel, and to keep its fighters from entering Israel to kill or kidnap soldiers and civilians, as that group has for years been attempting to do, both by means of the dozens of terror tunnels into Israel that its fighters have dug, and by their attempts, during the Friday installments of the Great March of Return that have gone on since March 30, 2018, to break through Israel’s security fence.
The word “siege” is much more alarming than “blockade.” It was chosen deliberately by these “global artists and writers”; it conjures up images of people being starved into surrender by an implacable and ruthless enemy. Most of us are put in mind of the greatest siege of modern times, that is, the Nazi siege of Leningrad between 1941 and 1944, when 800,000 residents of the city died. Gaza has never been under siege by Israel. Israel does not blockade food supplies. Nor does it “blockade” medicines or medical equipment. And if children in Gaza need advanced medical treatment, those Palestinian children are brought to Israeli hospitals. Israeli doctors associated with the Save A Heart organization have saved the lives of thousands of Palestinian children. Not exactly “siege-of-Leningrad” material.
The “global artists and writers” sound the alarm: “the coronavirus could have a devastating effect” on Gaza. Could. That same alarm has been sounded for the past four months without letup by those who want to force Israel to completely lift its blockade. But so far, in all of “Palestine” – that is, in both Gaza and the P.A.-ruled territories in the West Bank – there have been 376 confirmed cases and exactly two deaths. By comparison, in Israel there have been 16,607 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 671 deaths. Judging by these figures, it is not Gaza – where there have been zero deaths from coronavirus – where those “global artists and writers “should be worrying about a “devastating effect.”
And is Gaza, as these “global artists and writers” insist, an “open-air prison”? What kind of “open-air prison” has million-dollar houses for 600 of its best-connected “prisoners”? There are at least three large shopping malls in Gaza City alone, boasting that they have “international brands.” What kind of “open-air prison” has shopping malls? Have you heard of an “open-air prison” that has an Apple Mobile store? What “open-air prison” has rooftop restaurants promising “fine dining,” luxury car dealerships including one specializing in gleaming late-model Mercedes-Benz, massage therapists, spin classes, boutiques selling cashmere sweaters, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and designer jeans, resorts with Olympic-sized swimming pools, cabana boys, and private beaches – all of which you can find in Gaza?
It is not Israel that treats the Gazans as prisoners, but their own Hamas rulers, a class of thieves who steal the Strip blind, and violently suppress any signs of dissent. It is not Israel that tries to stifle economic development in Gaza. When the Israelis left Gaza in 2005, they handed over 3,000 greenhouses that they had built, and hoped that the Palestinians would continue to use, taking advantage of the already successful business of growing and selling flowers and fruits to the European market, and flourish even more. Instead, the Palestinians vandalized and destroyed those greenhouses, helping themselves to whatever they could find – like copper piping – of value. Is that Israel’s fault?
The Israelis also encouraged Gazans to work in Israel, where they were paid at least twice what they received from Arab employers at home. The number of work permits given to the Gazans has varied; in times of terror, fewer permits are granted; in periods of relative calm, more are allowed. In late 2019, Israel granted 5,000 Gazans permits to work in Israel, mainly in construction and agriculture. The Israelis, far from wishing to keep Gazans “imprisoned,’” would like to have still more Gazans working in their country, provided they can assure themselves, through intensive vetting, that those allowed in will not engage in terrorism. Israel wants the Gazans to be gainfully employed, and prosperous, in the hope that this will cut down on terrorism. It was the head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, who last February traveled to Qatar to persuade the Emir to continue to provide, periodically, cash payments to Hamas. That money allows Hamas to pay for fuel for the Strip’s power plant, pay its civil servants, and provide aid to tens of thousands of impoverished families. Israel was fundraising for the Gazans. What do the “global artists and writers” think of that?
Niemoller says
The GAW community should be the new byword for clueless arrogant elitists who pump out low-intellect consumer garbage they think passes for art.
Peter35 says
I wonder why it is so-called artists, actors, many so-called musicians, etc., are invariably dunderhead leftists?
Maybe all the sense and reason in their miserable bodies is channeled into their art…
I can’t be the first to wonder about this.
James Lincoln says
Peter35
Yes, a large percentage – but not all.
As far as musicians, is a “short” list of conservative rockers:
https://www.ranker.com/list/republican-rockers-_-conservative-rock-stars/famous-conservatives
gravenimage says
Thanks for that list, James.
Buraq says
GAW (Godawful w**kers) living in ivory towers, far, far away from reality. These clowns are so-o-o sad. They were once cutting edge musicians and writers, but are now resting on their dried out, faded laurels. Lacking any of the spark that shot them to fame, they lend themselves to ‘good causes’ to maintain a reputation that is no longer deserved. Clowns!
Seth says
Peter Gabriel is such a dickhead.
Joe says
GAW are mostly has-been ex-drug addicts who like to touch children.
Gene Easley says
Medical jihad in America—No mention on Jihad Watch about the new Muslim drug czar Moncef Slaoui. Curious–I guess it doesn’t bother anyone the a unproven, DNA altering drug will be put in the arm of potentially EVERY American and not one word about it.
GreekEmpress says
It bothers me. I haven’t heard anything about a DNA altering drug, but I did hear about Slaoui’s appointment—and you were the first person I heard it from and thanks for that.
gravenimage says
Why would a vaccine for the Coronavirus alter your DNA?
wpm says
Israel provide all kinds of humanity aid to the Gaza and other areas control by the P.A.The P.A. leaders steal billions of dollars given to them by many countries that could go towards road building , schools, hospitals, to the “elected for life” P.A. leaders live rich lives as “welfare queens on the dole of aid” as they encourage their people to commit violent action against the hands that feed them.The left falls for blame the Jews mentality instead of looking at the facts the the Gaza leaders are running a Mafia style protection racket on world leaders and their own people.
Charlie in NY says
Like most artists they engage in fiction not reality. These preening “social justice” warriors apparently don’t even realize that Gaza’s southern border is with Egypt not Israel, something equivalent to having a large paved road running next to the Maginot Line. If it wanted, Egypt could, in theory at least, satisfy all Gaza’s needs – were it not for the inconvenient fact that Hamas, a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, consistently acts to undermine Egypt’s security in Sinai and is consequently viewed as an enemy.
gravenimage says
True, Charlie. And this is why I am often embarrassed to call myself an artist. This *should* be a noble word, but so often now as it is used it is just depressing at best.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
You are an artist – and, I believe, from San Francisco if I remember correctly.
As a highly intelligent staunch anti-jihadist, you certainly don’t fit the stereotype…
gravenimage says
Yes, James–thank you. There are actually more Anti-Jihadists out here than you might think–still a minority, though. Most people here are sadly in denial about the threat of Islam–and those in the “art community” most of all.
Lilith Wept says
I am as artist as well…..I think we should try to use our art, if possible, to support our conservative, anti Jihad, anti islam views.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Lilith. I actually have done some anti-Jihad art. Recently PhotoBucket removed all of my Muhammed cartoons–I need to set up a proper website for this work. (I already have two websites for my non-Jihad related work).
I was going to link to what’s left, but it looks as though PhotoBucket has now shut down my account entirely. All the more reason to create a website.
Do you have any anti-Jihad art, Lilith? I would *love* to see it. What kind of art do you do? I do mostly pen and ink and watercolors–children’s work and graphic novels.
I have also thought about doing a graphic novel version of the “Prophet” Muhammed’s ugly life. Is that something that people here would be interested in seeing?
Adam says
So the message is what? OK Jews break it up and go away and leave the poor Gaza people alone.
How about you folks just STFU.
gravenimage says
Here’s the vicious Jihad apologist Adam again.
By “leave the poor Gaza people alone” he means that the Gazan Muslims–Hamas–should be allowed to commit genocide against the Jews without their being allowed to defend themselves. *Ugh*.
And, like so many Muslims, he does not want the “filthy Infidels” to be able to say anything against it.
FYI says
Virtue-signalling Global artists and writers:yes,like those wealthy celebrities telling us “we are all in this together” as they sit in their mansions singing John Lennon’s imagine.
{“Imagine no possessions” they sing :to which a homeless man might retort..”Oh I don’t need to try..”}
How a benefit for the Yazidis,a concert in support of iranian women in jail for not wearing their hijabs,victims of islamic rape and terror…?
Not lefty enough is it?
How about ISRAEL instead,a much easier target.
What hypocrites!Being lectured to by such folk…
ronit says
So this is again a common global phenomenon…until now I thought that it’s only in India that all these so called ‘writers’ ‘actors’ ‘intellectuals’ etc keep working as paid agents of Muslims.
mortimer says
What drug is actor Viggo Mortensen taking? He should stop taking it.
gravenimage says
Same drugs as most clueless dhimmi snowflakes, I’m afraid.
DHazard says
The Gazans are as much in charge of their own fate as anybody else.
James Lincoln says
Here’s a link to the letter and a list of the people who signed.
Noticeably absent were Ted Nugent and Charlie Daniels…
https://liftthesiege.com/
gravenimage says
250 “Global Artists and Writers” Fear Coronavirus “Devastating” In Gaza, Want Military Embargo on Israel (Part 1)
……………….
Ludicrous clueless virtue signalling. The idea that allowing Gazan Muslims to murder Israelis (which is what they would do with any easing of security) would somehow make them safer against Coronavirus makes no sense at all. Besides everything else, it would actually make them less safe.
David Halterman says
How can that be true? The Muslim Imans have told us that Covid-19 is Allah’s punishment on the Kafir for mistreating the Muslims of the world. So the Palestinian-Arabs and all the other Muslims have nothing to fear from Covid-19. Surely Allah can and will protect the “Muslims Best of Peoples in my Eyes”! Surely Allah can create and send a plague that only kills the Kafir! Right?
Westman says
Dar al-Islam is a house of confusion.
gravenimage says
Muslims don’t have to be logical or consistant.
R says
JUDEA & SAMARIA – that’s a ridge of mountains, not a f***ing bank!
gravenimage says
It means the west bank of the Jordan River–but this phrase was never used for the region until Transjordan seized it in 1950 and did not want to use its traditional Jewish name.