In a welcome turn, Israel is letting four out of the seven blockaded Gazan Fulbright scholars through the border. No word, however, on why they are holding up clearance for the other three.
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I'm sure it's completely arbitrary and has nothing to do with security concerns... why would there ever be security concerns in that area?
Security checks are probably taking longer with the last three than the first four.
like we need 7 more Palestinian terrorists here?
HamasOsamabama for President
Howard in Boston,
Can you give me ANY way in which letting Palestinian students into America, impacts Israeli security?
Before say anything, keep in mind that Israel has a tight lid on every entrance into Israel(Unless these students fly to Egypt, and sneak under a tunnel to get back into Gaza).
This is quite simply, a case of Israel trying to avoid setting a precedent. They don't want to establish any way to get out of Gaza.
At the same time, it's likely that these are the children of Hamas connected officials(How else do you gain enough power and money for such an education?), and so they are trying to use this as leverage in their negotiations.
To try and paint this as a security move is both laughable, and a bit sick.
Can you give me ANY way in which letting Palestinian students into America, impacts Israeli security?
The Israelis need to be sure these students are, in fact, students, and not militants bent on operating outside the confines of Gaza.
Was that so hard?
Okay David, you got me. It's not at all possible that mere students could pose any sort of security risk. I mean, we all know that all of the terrorists come from the ranks of the uneducated.
It's certainly also true that the Palestinian universities are not hotbeds of extremism and that not a single terrorist ever studied at any of them. Further, it's not at all possible that logistical or financial support for terrorist activities could be provided from the US, so surely, Israel would have no reason to be concerned about anyone doing anything over here.
Yup, I guess I just have to conclude that there is no possible security interest involved, so the Israelis must be doing this because they enjoy being arbitrary and cruel. Of course, I saw them kill Mickey Mouse on Gazan TV, so it's pretty clear that they'll do damn near anything.
The Israelis need to be sure these students are, in fact, students, and not militants bent on operating outside the confines of Gaza.
Is the Fulbright committee that easy to hoodwink? Aren't these grants affiliated with the U.S. government?
Because terrorists tend to be well educated children of wealthy or upper middle class families?
I don’t know whether terrorists in general “tend to” come from those backgrounds but that seems a pretty apt description of the backgrounds of Osama Bin Laden and most of the 9/11 high jackers who tended to be educated and from wealthier or upper middle class families.
See also: Weathermen, SLA, Red Army Faction, etc.
Think terrorists come from the ranks of the poor and oppressed? Think again.
Howard in Boston,
Are you really arguing that an American university is a more radicalizing place than GAZA?
"The Israelis need to be sure these students are, in fact, students, and not militants bent on operating outside the confines of Gaza.
Was that so hard?"
I understand the risk of allowing trade along Gaza, in that people can smuggle in weapons and rockets to use against Israel.
But what exactly, can these "militants" do outside of Gaza's borders?
Keep in mind, there are many many militants outside of the occupied territories, and their ability to impact Israeli security is negligible
Before anyone jumps on that, keep in mind that Israel's terrorism problem is entirely internal. There have not, to my knowledge, been any successful attacks in Israel done in cooperation with foreign terror groups. Clearly, the ability to leave Gaza is not very important.
On the other hand, the risk of keeping these kids IN Gaza is huge. Those Quassam ranges are getting better and better...
"Okay David, you got me. It's not at all possible that mere students could pose any sort of security risk. I mean, we all know that all of the terrorists come from the ranks of the uneducated."
Give me a scenario where these students pose a security risk outside of Gaza, and I will give you a much more likely security risk if you keep them IN Gaza.
"It's certainly also true that the Palestinian universities are not hotbeds of extremism and that not a single terrorist ever studied at any of them. Further, it's not at all possible that logistical or financial support for terrorist activities could be provided from the US, so surely, Israel would have no reason to be concerned about anyone doing anything over here."
1. Extremists tend to be smart.
2. Smart people tend to go to university
Therefore, university students will be over-represented as terrorists. Note the total lack of causality there?
In the absence of a plausible counter mechanism, I'm going to assume a potential radical is less likely to keep to Islamic fundamentalism in Harvard then as an underemployed and over-intelligent Gazan, and that we decrease the overall terror threat by allowing the move.
And honestly, Hamas has no shortage of representatives in the US, especially in the age of the internet. Only someone with the most simplistic view of counter-terrorism could think that 8 heavily monitored students in Ivy-league universities constitute meaningful assets.
"Yup, I guess I just have to conclude that there is no possible security interest involved, so the Israelis must be doing this because they enjoy being arbitrary and cruel."
Howard, please debate me, not the hypothetical straw-man that lives in your head. I listed clear motivations for Israel to keep the kids from leaving.
Israel is afraid that this will set a precedent that loosens their control on Gazan borders.
At the same time, these are the children of very powerful people in Gaza. Israel hopes to use their educations as bargaining chips in negotiations with Hamas.
These are perfectly legitimate, if Machiavellian, reasons. But they have nothing to do with short-term security.
"Of course, I saw them kill Mickey Mouse on Gazan TV, so it's pretty clear that they'll do damn near anything."
Ah, lumping all 1.4 million inhabitants of Gaza under "them". Classy.
How about this: I don't trust religious or nationalistic Jews. I've seem "them" open fire on crowds of innocent Arab civilians in a crowded place of religious worship. I've seen "them" openly praise the assassin of Yitzhak Rabin. I've seen "them" openly threaten my country with mutiny and rebellion when democratically outvoted.
So it's pretty clear they'll do damn near anything.