Hamas and the free market
posted at 9:05 am on January 13, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
After complaints from theh Red Cross and UN that Israel had slowed the transmission of humanitarian aid, Israel facilitated the transfer of aid by temporarily halting military operations and pushing transit through the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings into Gaza. Did aid flow to the Palestinian people? Only those who could buy it on the black market:
Hamas on Monday raided some 100 aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them to the highest bidders.
The IDF said that since terminal activity is coordinated with UNRWA and the Red Cross, Israel could do nothing to prevent such raids, Israel Radio reported.
Between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the army had ceased all military activity in Gaza and once again established a “humanitarian corridor” to help facilitate the transfer of the supplies.
The Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings had been opened to allow in the aid trucks.
The UN and Red Cross failed to protect the aid, and instead Hamas used it as a fundraiser. Now they can use that money to buy weapons and maintain a little discipline in the ranks of the terrorist organization. The people who could already afford to eat can keep eating. Those Palestinians with no cash wind up starving.
Why does this sound familiar? Anyone else remember a UN food aid program that wound up supporting a tyrant while starving ordinary citizens? Maybe the UN, at least, ought to keep its mouth shut and let the Israelis finish the operation so that Hamas no longer has the opportunity to steal food from the mouths of starving children for their own fundraisers.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
no one can blame israel for this incident.
kelley in virginia on January 13, 2009 at 9:08 AM
but israel will be blamed anyway.
kelley in virginia on January 13, 2009 at 9:08 AM
Mugabe is now in charge of the UN food program to Gaza?
Congrats, Palestinians, this is the government YOU voted for, the one YOU chose, how’s that working out for ya?
Bishop on January 13, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Why does this sound familiar?
*cough*Saddam*cough*cough*
Tony737 on January 13, 2009 at 9:14 AM
I blame Bush. He was the worst president in history, ya know?
snaggletoothie on January 13, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Ban Ki-Moon asked for comment……
(crickets)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 13, 2009 at 9:16 AM
Clearly we are missing part of the story. I don’t believe for a second this happened without some sort of kickback to UN officials.
trubble on January 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Who knew Hamas studied in Chicago?
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM
I get the feeling that some people in the Red Cross and the UN are getting a cut of the profits.
http://aid2gaza.blogspot.com/
Blake on January 13, 2009 at 9:18 AM
You just don’t want to know that..
the_nile on January 13, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Picked up on the AP, AFP, and Reuters.
HAHAHAHA!
Nethicus on January 13, 2009 at 9:20 AM
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM
They probably get “The Untouchables” TV series on Palestinian television.
Barry better not negotiate with these animals. If he thinks he can and get away with it, he is misjudging the American people.
kingsjester on January 13, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Why wouldn’t they steal from their babies? They use their babies as shields.
jgapinoy on January 13, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Who knew Hamas studied in Chicago?
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Hamas members get a discount on classes taught by fellow traveler Bill Ayers.
I hear his “Bombing Military Installations 101″ is a very popular intro course.
Bishop on January 13, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Read the comments on the original link. Surprise! Plenty of idiots calling this a lie, although it’s an international relief effort and easily corroborated. Almost as bad as Hamas are their useful idiots claiming they’re really a scout troop instead of holdovers from the Third Reich.
chunderroad on January 13, 2009 at 9:22 AM
I don’t believe for a second this happened without some sort of kickback to UN officials. – Trub
Who knew Hamas studied in Chicago? – NoDonk
See, this is why I love HotAir!
Tony737 on January 13, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Yeah, yeah. Wait until the U.S. is hearing this from the rest of the world in 2010.
fiscallyconservative on January 13, 2009 at 9:25 AM
They think Elliott Ness is Jewish, of course.
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:25 AM
I also came across a link between the UN Oil for Food scandal and the senate race in Minnesota.
snaggletoothie on January 13, 2009 at 9:27 AM
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Yeah. And they root for “Al-Queda” Capone.
kingsjester on January 13, 2009 at 9:30 AM
A common occurrence in all of the hell-holes around the world. That’s why they are hell-holes – the people living in them.
OldEnglish on January 13, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Disproportionate depravity, disproportionate use of force, and disproportionate condemnation by the prevailing media.
Mark30339 on January 13, 2009 at 9:35 AM
The Palestinian people are just cannon and propaganda fodder for the puppet terrorists Hamas and their puppet masters, the Iraninans and other anti-Jewish/anti-Israeli groups.
albill on January 13, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Yeah, yeah. Wait until the U.S. is hearing this from the rest of the world in 2010.
fiscallyconservative on January 13, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Tooo shayyyy
Bishop on January 13, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Wow..what a SHOCK! /sarc
beththebaker on January 13, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Makes me wonder how anyone still defend these guys. It is beyond me how these guys are still portrayed and martyring underdogs and people are asked to look to them for salvation. UN lied people died.
Tommy_G on January 13, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Shocking.
The UN: patsy for every enemy, no matter how disorganized and unarmed. Do the French run the UN’s
rapepeace corps?The UN is a pathetic waste of money.
BKennedy on January 13, 2009 at 9:48 AM
Capone was just a simple olive oil peddler trying to feed his family, why is that evil jooooooooooo Ness persecuting him?
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 9:50 AM
The UN failing to protect innocents, especially children? Maybe this is a step forward, failing to protect instead of actively sexually assaulting children.
rbj on January 13, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Is anyone surprised by this? I can’t even rouse up healthy indignation at yet another story about the the followers of the religion of peace. I don’t feel sorry for any one them, not the Palestinian women who breed tomorrows suicide bombers (with the occassional time-out to dance in the streets when our buildings get blown up) or the martyred children who are paraded around in the streets.
I don’t have any desire to understand the nuances of Islamists – I just want this country to do everything it takes to keep us and future generations of Americans safe from them.
CarolynM on January 13, 2009 at 9:56 AM
The UN is worthless. ugh I agree this will be declared a lie by the msm and liberal loons.
Interesting link. I feel Soros is the man behind the curtain running this country. This guy is dangerous.
becki51758 on January 13, 2009 at 9:57 AM
A little, just for the pure balls it took to believe they could do this and still get away with winning the media war.
Esthier on January 13, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Can you be more specific?
1. Saddam (obvious, no bonus points)
2. Sudan
3. Ethiopia (from the 80′s to now)
4. Central African Republic (ditto)
5. Chad (ditto)
6. etc, etc, you get the point.
The legacy of the UN supporting a starving population while the host government absolves itself from any and all responsibility to it’s own citizens (can anyone say “enabling”?) is a long and sorry one.
Waterboy on January 13, 2009 at 10:11 AM
They are the Democrats of the Middle East, they can do no wrong. Just a few “bad apples”, probably. Nothing to see here.
Jews are the Republicans of the Middle East, they can do no right.
Life’s easily explainable by the abject idiots who make up western media.
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 10:11 AM
That’s always a possibility.
scalleywag on January 13, 2009 at 10:17 AM
The Palestinian arabs are dangerous animals that should be dealt with as such. Kind of like rattlesnakes, fire ants, and rabid dogs.
saiga on January 13, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Not being an expert in such matters I would surmise, as a layman, that it would be better to keep your human shields somewhat plumped up. All the better to absorb more shrapnel when you hide behind them.
sdd on January 13, 2009 at 10:20 AM
The Joooo haters will not respond to this post.
All the whining about Israel cutting off med supplies, I wish I would have listed the names of the poster here that cried about that…now they will just gloss over this and wait for Israel to stub their toe.
right2bright on January 13, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Does Hamas mean “rat” in Arabic?
While the rest of the world bemoans Israel as baby killers, Hamas and the UN run a racket in aid. Who would have guessed?
Hening on January 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I can’t even rouse up healthy indignation at yet another story about the the followers of the religion of peace.
The best I can do is feel sorry for the kids because they don’t have a say in how they are being raised, or how their minds will be warped by the murderous ideology of their people.
Kids are kids everywhere and I truly feel bad for the simple fears and horrors that they will experience because of this war.
Bishop on January 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I’ve got a question.
If the Palestinians are so poor and destitute, where did they get the money to buy the stolen aid from Hamas? I’m curious to find out just how much Hamas was able to steal from these fools.
.
GT on January 13, 2009 at 10:30 AM
I do too, Bishop. The littlest are the real victims. The brain washing hatred they are raised with is a horrible form of child abuse and the very root of the problem TODAY. Until this ceases, the issues will continue.
beththebaker on January 13, 2009 at 10:31 AM
It begins somewhere. Quiet complacence among the “moderate” muslims? I doubt it. I think they ALL want a caliphate.
That’s what you get, too.
They are the ONLY ones I feel sorry for.
Badger40 on January 13, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Yes, but if they die of starvation, you can blame the Jews and get even more favorable media coverage.
Esthier on January 13, 2009 at 10:32 AM
One of the reasons the Third World stays impoverished is the interception of aid intended for innocents. Thomas Sowell does a nice job of summarizing it in Economic Facts and Fallacies.
whitetop on January 13, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Agreed, but that’s not our lookout. Let’s leave that to Annie Lenox and Bianca Jagger on their next Palestinian march. We have to recognize our enemy and defeat our enemy. All this hand-wringing makes us appear weak and emboldens them. Look what happened in London the other day-the police retreated and the protesters called them cowards and Kaffir (sp? the word for “non-believer”).
Islamists are unapologetically confident in their doctrine of supremism, subjugation and domination; Americans need to unapologetically do whatever is takes to defeat them. And a people that will martyr their own children are capable of anything. We have to stop thinking that if only given a chance, Islamists just want a Western education and front seats at Spamelot.
CarolynM on January 13, 2009 at 10:37 AM
I have to agree about the kids. That is sad when a child is innocent. Then they are self taught pure hate and lies. Once the poison sets in, it is pretty much to late for the truth. Hamas are a bunch of animals. They are not human. The UN is a joke. The Red Cross, I could tell you stories about them. Two of my cousins use to be with them. Some of the things they saw. Oh well. Does it matter? Israel needs to keep on going and wipe them out. Clean the trash out!
sheebe on January 13, 2009 at 10:42 AM
What, on the washed-up old hags for jihad, tour?
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 10:43 AM
The problem is that they still ARE winning the media war. I have got several snarky comments from various folks over the last couple of weeks because I vocally support Israel on my Facebook page. These comments usually make some reference to the casuality difference, and go on from there.
People don’t believe it. They don’t want to, they refuse to educate themselves about what has really been going on, and only see one side.
Trust me…Hamas will continue to win the media war because the only way for most people to hear about Hamas atrocities is via the media, and they’re not exactly in the tank for Israel.
Bob's Kid on January 13, 2009 at 10:47 AM
The way these wastes of oxygen use their children as shields and make them throw rocks at tanks and soldiers make me sick. There is a special place in Hell reserved for those who abuse children. And I hope that the 72 virgins that these clowns are going to when they die all look like Janet Reno and Rosie O’Donnell.
kingsjester on January 13, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Aid trucks for babies? That %$#@* gold!
mankai on January 13, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Now we know why Hamas has to go to such extremes to spoon feed their propaganda to the media. It’s to throw the dogs off the trail of what Hamas is really all about: greed, violence, hate, death, destruction, corruption, and self servitude. Nevertheless, the media is always right there, in complete denial, throwing them a pity party at every chance they get.
scalleywag on January 13, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Cue the pope! What? Oh, Hamas did this… move along, nothing to see here. (Call back when you figure out a way to blame Israel for this too.)
mankai on January 13, 2009 at 10:52 AM
A-Men. When this stuff comes up, people come and ask me my opinion (since I’ve been to the Middle East a few times). I usually avoid convos like that, but sometimes, I make an exception and explain how it is.
They look at me like I have grown two heads and tell me that what I say is irrelevant since it’s clearly supporting Israel, more often than not.
The Israelis could cure cancer, AIDS and all sorts of diseases, help the Palestinians set up their own country, and negotiate peace with all their neighbours. The peace people would then blame them for not picking up the litter in Albequerque.
mjk on January 13, 2009 at 10:54 AM
…or George Bush.
CarolynM on January 13, 2009 at 10:58 AM
They haven’t done that yet? Evil Zionists!
I condemn all acts of littering on both sides (but I especially condemn Israel for her repeated failures to heed the calls to choose a different path… and clean up the mess made by other, far nicer, people who litter only because Israel has oppressed them.)
mankai on January 13, 2009 at 11:00 AM
He is, and has been since last fall.
Vashta.Nerada on January 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
He has been negotiating with them? Where was that covered. Info, please.
kingsjester on January 13, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Here’s a hint: Yassir Arafat, that selfless, Nobel prize-winning man of the people (those impoverished, downtrodden, perpetually victimized Palestinian people), died with hundreds of millions of dollars stashed away in various bank accounts around the world.
But like every other politician/crook in the world, he probably stole it “for the children.” It just somehow never made it to them. Funny how that always happens.
AZCoyote on January 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
How do you think they learned to steal the aid packages?
Barry lent them some of Daley’s aldermen.
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
I wouldn’t be surprised if the only currency allowed in payment for a purchase was the United States dollar.
unclesmrgol on January 13, 2009 at 11:23 AM
You have to hand it to Hamas for their “creative” way of fundraising. Where ever things are not right the first thing I like to do is FTM (Follow the Money) to the source of imperfection, and, it looks like it is correct in this case as well.
DL13 on January 13, 2009 at 11:27 AM
I am beginning to believe that the Palestinian people are not the dupes that they are portrayed to be. This has been going on for too long. Surely the Palestinian people are not so stupid, as not to see the obvious. I think that maybe they have got the leaders that they want.
Johan Klaus on January 13, 2009 at 11:38 AM
I wonder if they know Bernard Madoff.
Johan Klaus on January 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM
The UN needs to keep it’s ‘mouth shut’ on a regular basis. If ever there was an ineffectual organization, the UN is it.
jeanie on January 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Just as we will shortly have the leader we want? The “economic bailout” seems to be flowing in the same direction in both places, methinks, funded from the same source — the “man on Main Street” as our various candidates put it during the recent election cycle.
unclesmrgol on January 13, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Question: Where is the aid from the Red Crescent?
And why isn’t the muslim world b*tching about the lack of aid from its own?
madmonkphotog on January 13, 2009 at 12:02 PM
The Red Crescent is the Red Cross is the Magen David Adom.
In other words, aid from Muslim countries, as well as Israel and the United States, are being funneled into Gaza under the auspices of the umbrella International Committee of the Red Cross. That aid is collected from individual “Movements” across the globe, including, for example, the UAE’s Red Crescent Society. Some of this aid has previously been used in ways not condoned by the international movement.
unclesmrgol on January 13, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Well, if you consider Hamas a “community organizer”, and looting and selling relief supplies an act of “community outreach”, it all kinda makes sense.
Socratease on January 13, 2009 at 1:33 PM
It was reported in the Guardian, and some other sources. Also, an OTR quote from a European diplomat was that some of Barry’s transitional team were in country already. Heard that in mid-November
Vashta.Nerada on January 13, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Y’know, the larger US bills now have chips embedded in them. Last I heard, they were in the eye in the portrait. I’m sure that you have to get the antenna close to them to activate them … but how close?
njcommuter on January 13, 2009 at 2:50 PM
+1
Either American, Egyptian or even Iranian money who are their puppetmasters.
tjexcite on January 13, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Brand name: Charmin.
NoDonkey on January 13, 2009 at 4:12 PM