So, Israel opened up the Rafah crossing into/out of Gaza yesterday. They are reportedly allowing a maximum of 15 people into and 15 out of, GAZA each day.* There are estimates of 20,000 Gazans who need significant medical interventions, beyond what the battered (by Israeli bombs) and poorly supplied (due to Israeli restrictions) hospitals in Gaza can provide. And they are allowing FIFTEEN people to exit each day. Boy, I need to take it all back what I've said about Israel's cruel and heartless treatment (read: genocide) of Gazans. This makes up for it entirely. Just think, as long as there aren't any further numbers added to the 20,000 total, it'll only take 3.7 years to get them through. Why, that'll pass in no time for those with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. No time at all. It would seem the generosity of the Israeli government knows no bounds. The next Noble Peace Prize should definitely go to Israel's Government. In spite of the blistering pace of these medical evacuations, they'll have to prioritize the sickest first—those children near death from a bullet lodged in their brain, courtesy of an Israeli sniper, for example. The thousands of kids needing to be fitted with artificial limbs will, of course, be placed at the end of the queue. No worries! Those 3+ years will flash by in a, well, flash! Really, one has to step back and simply marvel at the generosity of spirit that is being displayed here. Still, as one might expect, the first two days after the opening did not go smoothly. Three women attempting to cross back into Gaza were blindfolded, handcuffed, and terrorized for hours before being allowed to enter. But I figure, you have to be sure, and you have to give your goon squads something to do. There's nothing more dangerous than an idle goon squad, am I right? It must be noted that food, medical supplies and the like are still not being allowed through, but this too is an unbelievably humane gesture—a way to help all of those obese Gazans lose a bit of weight.
As you would expect, the unappreciative Gazans failed to grasp how benevolent Israel has been toward them. The head of what is left of a medical center in Gaza City complained, “Denying the evacuation of patients and preventing the entry of medicines is a death sentence for them.” How unappreciative can one person be? And there were many other voices raised in complaint about the pace of movement across the border. One Palestinian, a Rotana Al-Regeb said, “They didn’t let us cross with anything. They emptied everything before letting us through. We were only allowed to take the clothes on our backs and one bag per person.” It seems the ingratitude of Gazans knows no bounds! They should count themselves lucky that they aren't just shot on sight! Of course, that WAS the policy before, and deservedly so! The people of Gaza don't seem to understand that being vermin, any consideration they receive should be accepted with overflowing appreciation. Really, I cannot bring to mind such grace bestowed on those so undeserving since Germany helped clean up the Warsaw Ghetto back in the day. Hat's off to the beneficent government of Netanyahu!
*There has also been reporting that the actual number is 50—but it's hard to believe that ANYONE could be THAT charitable! The above was based on reporting from the AP, Al Jazeera, and the NY Times.
