"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." ~ 
Any world is an illusion, but within illusion, another world, a better world, seems possible. In the material world, the one we think is real, the divide between the 'left' and 'right' is an artificial one. This divide serves to keep us separate from each other and prevents us from seeing clearly that we in fact have shared interests and a common enemy. A better way to approach economy, politics, culture and society would be to take note of the ways in which our societies are divided horizontally: the interests of the few (the elite) and the many (ordinary people). The elite wants to oppress and exploit the rest of us. In a material sense, they are our enemy. They are working to establish a One World Company, aka a totalitarian New World Order. World government is the last thing ordinary people need. We need free and open communities with equal rights for everyone and a profound respect for the many differences between us. We want freedom rather than security. We want peace, not war. Above all else, we want truth, dignity and justice. ~ The Editor
XML FeedsGaza: Isolated Under Siege
Water crisis in Gaza. Photo: Sameh A. Habeeb
Under repressive occupation, Military Orders govern virtually all aspects of life. Freedom is entirely restricted. Police state authority runs Palestine.
Although Oslo called Palestine one territorial unit, Israel maintains total control of people and goods movement in and out of Gaza.
In June 1989, Israel began restricting free movement between Gaza and Israel through magnetic ID cards not given former prisoners.
In 1991, Palestinians had to apply for personal exit permits. They were required to enter or leave Palestine and how long they could stay in Israel. Over time, numbers issued decreased.
In 1993, closure was imposed for the first time after Palestinians allegedly killed several Israelis. In 1994, Israel began building a fence separating Gaza from Israel. Checkpoints control people traffic. Karni crossing controls goods in and out.
In late September 2000, after the second Intifada began, Israel almost entirely prohibited Gazans from entering Israel or traveling to West Bank locations. In 2001, a no-go buffer zone was established.
It prohibits Palestinians from entering areas up to two km inside Gaza and beyond three nautical miles in their own waters. They're recognized under international law up to 12 miles plus an additional 12 miles for partial control.
Moreover, an exclusive economic zone extends up to 200 miles. Nonetheless, Palestinians venturing beyond three km or inside two km on land risk being shot, including young children.
