Concerns must grow of mass kidnappings of BDS activists. There is no other explanation for their failure to protest with great vigour against the Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. Egypt has flooded the tunnels across its border with the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip has two borders: both Egypt and Israel restrict trade with the Gaza. The Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip is biting much more than the Israeli blockade.
Hamas derived 40% of its tax revenue from tariffs on goods that flow through those tunnels. One estimate puts the economic losses at nearly a fifth of Gaza’s GDP. This blockade by Egypt of the Gaza Strip has been regularly reported in the Guardian, so BDS activists must know of it.
No peace convoy has been launched to break this Egyptian blockade. Plenty were launched against Israel. One reason may be the Egyptians are a lot rougher customers. There is rule of law in Israel, none in the Egypt.
As the Guardian reported, Hamas’s decision to fire missiles at Egypt despite the risk of ringing upon themselves civilian losses owed as much to Egypt’s refusal to lift this blockade as it does to Israel’s.
David Brooks argues that Egypt is the real target of the Hamas missiles. After the military coup in Egypt, its military leaders closed roughly 95% of the tunnels that connected Egypt to Gaza which were used to smuggle food, weapons and other goods into Gaza.
Source: When Middle East Conflicts Become One – The New York Times.
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