News Release - Israeli “goodwill gestures”

 The Australian Friends of Palestine Association notes with interest recent reports that the Israeli government has extended the Palestinian fishing zone off the coast of Gaza, and allowed increased transportation of water, goods and building materials into Gaza.

 The Associated Press and the Times of Israel have quoted a statement from an Israeli military liaison officer saying these moves are “goodwill gestures”.

 These “gestures” were reported in the same week that the more commonplace gesture of Israeli Defence Force members shooting Palestinians was reported. According to the al Jazeera news service one victim was a 12-year-old boy and another a fisherman killed within the newly-extended fishing zone.

 Israel announced that the Gaza fishing zone had been extended out to 15 nautical miles from the coast (approximately 28 kms), the furthest since 2007.

 It was also announced that water, goods and building materials could be transported into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Approval was given for five million cubic metres of critical water supplies, 30 trucks of cement, 120 trucks of gravel, 15 trucks of steel and other basic supplies.

 Bassam Ghabir, the director of the Palestinian side of the crossing, said this amounted to a resumption of supplies at levels that existed prior to Israel’s May bombing raids of Gaza, which were sparked when Palestinians protested against Israel’s forced expulsion of their compatriots from their homes in East Jerusalem.

 The “goodwill gestures” were accompanied by a warning from IDF chief Aviv Kohavi that “rioting and terror” would provoke a "strong response or operation” by his forces.

 AFOPA Chair Edie Bransbury questioned the extent of “goodwill” in the announcements.

 “On one hand shooting Palestinian citizens, throwing them out of their homes and warning of further military operations, while on the other returning supply transports to previous levels. And those trucks carry goods supplied by Israeli companies that profit from the trade,” Ms Bransbury said.

 “Rather than ‘goodwill gestures’, what these announcements amount to is yet another reminder of the illegitimate control Israel exerts over the lives of Palestinian citizens. What right does Israel have to drip-feed critical water supplies into Gaza? What right does it have to determine what supplies go into the territory? These are rights it has stolen from the Palestinian people, who have absolutely no self-determination, in either Gaza or the West Bank.”

 For further comment or information please call Edie Bransbury on 0402 890 387.