Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad, formerly acting Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT ), permitted bringing processed hummus into the Gaza Strip in July 2009, for the first time in two years. However, Gilad did not permit bringing hummus with extras, such as pine nuts or mushrooms, into the strip.
Gilad, currently head of the Defense Ministry's diplomatic-security staff, had allowed bringing chickpeas, from which hummus is made, into Gaza a few months earlier, together with other legumes that had been banned there since 2007.
These details appear in documents COGAT released following a petition filed by human rights groups to the Tel Aviv District Court in February this year.
The groups - Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Doctors for Human Rights and HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual - asked the court to instruct COGAT, a subordinate of the Defense Ministry, to disclose the regulations and criteria for permitting people to leave the Gaza Strip.
The documents consist of COGAT's weekly instructions regarding the exceptions that were allowed in or out of the occupied territories.
Although the petition pertained to the movement of people, some of the documents from 2009 came with an appendix listing the merchandise and items that COGAT permitted bringing into the Gaza Strip, such as basic humanitarian food items and other products.
The documents are mainly from 2005, 2006 and from 2009 to 2011. Those from 2007 to 2008, when the harshest restrictions were imposed, are missing.
In September 2007 Israel decided to impose a blockade on Gaza in response to Hamas' taking over the strip. The head of COGAT at the time was Yosef Mishlav.
Adding an item to the list of items permitted to bring into Gaza required the signature of COGAT's head himself. This was revealed in a document released following a previous petition filed by Gisha. Since COGAT is a subordinate of the Defense Ministry, the top official responsible for the permitted list of items was Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
In February 2009 United States Senator John Kerry visited the Gaza Strip and heard from Palestinians there that the banned items that Israel did not allow bringing into the strip included pasta. His shocked response was reported by the media. On March 3 legumes and pasta were still banned, but in May they were permitted into Gaza.
At one of COGAT's weekly meetings, between March 21 and May 2009, the officers decided to permit bringing toilet paper and hygienic products - "on the basis of examining every request individually" - into Gaza. In May the list includes "toilet paper" and "hygienic pads" with no conditions.
In the second half of 2007 Palestinians reported a shortage of toilet paper and hygienic pads for women. The list of hygienic items permitted into Gaza between March and May 2009 included toothbrushes and toothpaste.
In August 23 shampoo and conditioner were listed together with toilet bowl cleaners, in a category of "cleaning products that cannot be used for other purposes."
Between October 13 and October 21 COGAT decided to permit bringing tea and coffee for everyone in Gaza, not only for international organizations. In contrast, COGAT decided that tomato paste and fish preserves will be allowed, as before, only for the use of international organizations and only as donations - not for marketing.
Books, text books and writing instruments, printing ink, metal wires and bookbinding glue were still banned from the public at large and permitted only for international organizations, subject to COGAT's approval of each individual item.
A Gisha attorney told Haaretz that although the lists' existence was not new, "it disturbed us to see printed black on white that Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad himself had to consider bringing hummus into Gaza, despite the security risk it posed, but decided that pine nuts were too much."
In November 2009 Major General Eitan Dangot was appointed COGAT head and the list of permitted items grew. The cabinet decided to abolish the list on June 20 last year, in the aftermath of the raid on the Turkish flotilla to Gaza. However, there is still a list of banned items, consisting of products that can also be used as weapons.
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Amira Hass Amira Hass _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan saw "cause for war" with Israel last year after a deadly raid on a Turkish ship headed for Gaza, according to a transcript of a recent interview.
State news agency Anatolia released late on Sunday what it said was an original Turkish-language transcript of an interview Erdogan gave to Al Jazeera television last week. It included elements not broadcast as well as original wording for sensitive comments that had been transmitted only in Arabic translation.
Among previously unpublished elements, Erdogan said Israel's deadly raid last year on the Gaza-bound flotilla would have justified going to war: "The attack that took place in international waters did not comply with any international law. In fact, it was cause for war. However, befitting Turkey's greatness, we decided to act with patience," he said.
The transcript in Turkish from Anatolian, apparently provided by Erdogan's office, also gave the following account of the prime minister's response to a question on what Turkey would do to ensure free passage for its ships in the Mediterranean.
"Right now, without a doubt, the primary duty of Turkish navy ships is to protect its own ships," Erdogan said.
"This is the first step. And we have humanitarian aid that we want to carry there. This humanitarian aid will not be attacked any more, as it was the case with Mavi Marmara."
Turkey has downgraded diplomatic ties and halted defense-related trade after Israel's confirmation last week that it would not apologize for the raid on the Mavi Marmara in May 2010 in which nine Turks were killed.
Turkey and Israel had tried to mend fences before the publication of a UN report two weeks ago, which deemed the blockade of the Gaza Strip a legal means to stem the flow of arms to Palestinians.
Israel has said it will continue the blockade and that it wants to ease tensions with its former ally.
The prospect of a showdown at sea with Turkey, a NATO power and fellow ally of the United States, rattled Israelis already on edge over political upheaval in the Arab world and Iran's nuclear program. Washington has appealed for restraint.
Erdogan, seeking to expand Turkey's regional influence, travels to Cairo on Monday as part of a tour of three Arab countries likely to be scrutinized by Israel, whose once warm ties with both Muslim states have been shaken. _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Turkey: IHH draws up list of IDF soldiers linked to Gaza flotilla raid
Speaking to the Today's Zaman daily, Turkish prosecutor denies list was result of an official investigation; directory includes 174 names identified using Facebook, Twitter accounts.
By Haaretz Tags: Gaza flotilla Israel Turkey Gaza Strip
A Turkish public prosecutor said Monday that the Turkish IHH organization drew up a list – reportedly found through Facebook - of Israeli soldiers who were involved in the 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman reported on Monday.
Istanbul Deputy Public Prosecutor Ates Hasan Sozen denied reports that the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office asked the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to identify the soldiers and prepare the list.
“No state institution had such a request, nor does it have any information on this. The prosecutor conducting the investigation has given no such order,” Sözen said told Today's Zaman, adding that the list was handed in by an IHH lawyer.
Sozen was responding to a report in the Turkish Sabah daily that claimed that MIT received a list of Israel Defense Forces soldiers who participated in the raid on the Mavi Marmara, which resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish citizens. The report said that nearly all of the soldiers were identified using Facebook.
According to the earlier Sabah report, Turkish intelligence units, at the request of the prosecutor's office, launched what the report called “a commando hunt” on websites such as Facebook and Twitter, while cross-referencing using pictures taken of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the naval commando base which houses the unit which conducted the 2010 raid.
Next, the Sabah report claimed, Hebrew-speaking intelligence experts examined Facebook correspondences between soldiers suspected of taking part in the raid and their friends, with the soldiers' names confirmed by Turkish intelligence sources within Israel. A total of 174 names were identified using these methods, the report said,
The Sabah report comes amid an ongoing crisis in Israel-Turkey ties, one which Ankara says is perpetuated by Israel's refusal to apologize for the 2010 raid, which resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish nationals.
Speaking on Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that relations with Israel may “never be normal again," telling CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS": "We gave our warnings to Israel. This is the reason for war. This is something you cannot do in international waters. But as a great state, we have been very forgiving. That's why we have been very patient." _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Íàïîìíèì, â ïÿòíèöó, 22 ìàðòà, ïðåìüåð-ìèíèñòð Áèíüÿìèí Íåòàíèÿãó ïðèíåñ èçâèíåíèÿ Ðåäæåïó Òàéèïó Ýðäîãàíó â òåëåôîííîé áåñåäû. Ãëàâà ïàðëàìåíòñêîé êîìèññèè ïî âíåøíèì äåëàì è îáîðîíå Àâèãäîð Ëèáåðìàí îñóäèë ýòîò øàã. Íåãàòèâíî âîñïðèíÿë èçâèíåíèÿ è áûâøèé êîìàíäóþùèé ÂÌÑ àäìèðàë Ýëèýçåð Ìàðîì.
Ïðåçèäåíò Èçðàèëÿ Øèìîí Ïåðåñ è íà÷àëüíèê ãåíøòàáà ÖÀÕÀË Áåíè Ãàíö, íàïðîòèâ, ïðèâåòñòâîâàëè ðåøåíèå Íåòàíèÿãó. _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Òðàóëåð "Ìàðèàííà" âûøåë èç ãàâàíè øâåäñêîãî Ãåòåáîðãà 10 ìàÿ è íàïðàâèëñÿ ê ïîáåðåæüþ Ñðåäèçåìíîãî ìîðÿ, çà íèì ïîñëåäîâàëè åùå äâà ñóäíà. Ïî äîðîãå ôëîòèëèÿ çàõîäèëà â ðàçëè÷íûå ïîðòû è áðàëà íà áîðò àêòèâèñòîâ è ãóìàíèòàðíóþ ïîìîùü. Ïðè ýòîì îðãàíèçàòîðû ìåðîïðèÿòèÿ îòìå÷àëè, ÷òî òðàóëåð è äðóãèå ñóäà äîñòàâÿò â Ãàçó ñîëíå÷íûå áàòàðåè, êîòîðûå îáåñïå÷àò ñåêòîð àâòîíîìíûì èñòî÷íèêîì ýíåðãèè.
Èçâåñòíî, ÷òî íà áîðòó "Ìàðèàííû" íàõîäèòñÿ Ìèêàýëü Êàðëñîí, ãëàâà øâåäñêîãî êîìèòåòà ñîëèäàðíîñòè ñ Ãàçîé, ïðîôåññîð ïåäèàòðèè Ãåíðè Àøåð, ðåæèññåð-äîêóìåíòàëèñò Ãåðìàí Áåðãðåí è ïðåññ-ñåêðåòàðü ôëîòèëèè Äðîð Ôåéëåð. _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Îòìåòèì, ÷òî íà áëèæàéøóþ ñåññèþ ÑÏ× ÎÎÍ íàìå÷åíû ñåìü ðåçîëþöèé ñ îñóæäåíèåì Èçðàèëÿ, áîëüøå, ÷åì âñåõ äðóãèõ ñòðàí âìåñòå âçÿòûõ. _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà