Israel Matzav

Netanyahu to donors: Keep your checkbooks in your pockets

Representatives of 70 countries will meet on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh in the Egyptian-occupied Sinai (heh), where they are expected to pledge some $2.8 billion to rebuild Hamastan. Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu is asking why all this money is being promised to the 'Palestinians' when Hamas has not stopped firing rockets at Israel. 'Palestinian' terrorists fired seven more rockets at Israel's Negev region last night.

After hearing in one meeting that European taxpayers were concerned about investing in Gaza only to see further destruction at the hands of the IDF, Netanyahu explained that Israel tried hard to avoid civilian casualties and targeted only those areas used by terrorists. He then reportedly said he was not willing to sacrifice Israel's security "for a smile."

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One Netanyahu aide said that with the Gaza reconstruction conference, it seemed as if the world felt that attacks on Israel were a thing of the past, when they were taking place daily.

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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that "should the firing from the Gaza Strip continue, it would be met by a painful, sharp, strong and uncompromising response by the security forces, led by the IDF."

Olmert said Israel could not countenance the continued attacks, and that the response would not be what the terrorist organizations expected.

Later in the day, Olmert met with Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, who was on his way to the donor meeting. The prime minister told him that Israel supported aid for the Palestinians in Gaza but that ways had to be found to ensure that the support did not strengthen Hamas.

The important thing was not just to pledge money, Olmert said of the expected $2.8 billion in pledges, including $1b. from Saudi Arabia. The important thing was to see how the aid was to be delivered, and what monitoring mechanism would be set up so the money didn't end up helping Hamas.

Like Netanyahu, Olmert said it would be a mistake to believe that the matter of rockets from Gaza was over. The assumption that there was now quiet in the South and that all efforts could be focused on reconstruction was faulty, he said.

In the run-up to the conference, Quartet envoy Tony Blair became the latest in a parade of international figures making their way to the Gaza Strip, going there Sunday for the first time since taking up his post in the summer of 2007.

"This money will not have a lasting impact unless there is a political solution," Blair said. "It is ultimately in the politics that the solution lies."

At a UN-run school in Beit Hanun, Blair said, "I wanted to come to hear for myself first-hand from people in Gaza, whose lives have been so badly impacted by the recent conflict. These are the people who need to be the focus of all our efforts for peace and progress from now on."

Britain's International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander also visited Gaza, and pledged £30m. to rebuild homes, schools and hospitals damaged or destroyed in the recent IDF offensive.

During his visit, Alexander urged Israel to relax restrictions on items allowed into the area.

"There is a desperate need for tough restrictions on the supply of goods to be relaxed," he said. "Gaza needs money, fuel and construction materials, and whilst these goods are turned away at the borders, repairs to homes, water systems and the electricity network will remain impossible. Israel must do the right thing and allow much-needed goods to get through to those men, women and children who continue to suffer."

In a statement released by the British Embassy, Alexander did not relate to Israeli concerns that it could not allow construction materials such as steel and concrete into the region for fear they would be used to build rockets and rocket factories.

Watching the world fall over itself to give money to the Hamas terrorists is sickening. You would think that Gaza's residents had no role in the tragedy that has befallen them. That's an out and out lie.

Watching Israeli politicians falling all over themselves to find ways to get money to Gaza is even more sickening. Let them stop shooting rockets at us and then we can discuss how to rebuild Gaza without endangering Israeli lives. Another home in Sderot was hit last night. The kids in Ashkelon can't go to school today because it's too dangerous. As long as that's true, I don't give a damn what happens to the Gazans, and I suspect that most other Israelis don't care about them either. In the words of a certain 'Palestinian' leader, let the Gazans drink sea water.

Oh, he didn't say that about the Gazans? All the more reason for us to say it.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:30 AM