I stumbled across this piece of stupidityby Juan Cole where he takes already suspect statistics fromHRW and elsewhere - and twists them even more:
Truckloads of goods per year allowed by Israel into Gaza in 2005: 2,500
Exports from Gaza to the rest of the world allowed by Israel: 0
Beyond that, the number of truckloads to Gaza is now about 1250 a week - 25% higher than Cole says. And a few events happened between 2005 and now, which Cole and HRW don’t address, that make security an issue.
Israel allows exports of strawberries and flowers from Gaza, and did this year as well. Growing season ended in May. HRW says this, Cole ignores it. Cole is lying when he says that the amount of exports from Gaza are “zero.”
Moreover, Israel requested a one-time export of tens of thousands of palm fronds in September, which was refused by Hamas. Does Cole approve?
In fact, the latest Lancet study showed:
Moreover, a higher 11.5% stunting rate was considered a fantastic achievement in a recent World Bank report, and the stunting rate in Gaza is small compared to many other Arab countries!
There are no restrictions on importing medicine into Gaza. None. Any shortage of medicines is because of the PA (not Hamas) not paying for them. The blockade has nothing - nothing at all - to do with this.
Poor Juan, so blinded by hate that he is forced to bend statistics and believe unreliable sources to push his agenda.
