Gaza Facts

There are 3 common mistakes I'm tired of seeing. I don't want to get into political arguments right now, just set straight some facts.

1. Gaza is the most densely populated city in the world:

Gaza city is not even in the top 85(a). In fact, there are many cities that are denser than Gaza. For example, London, Cairo and New York.

2. Gaza is occupied by Israel:

Gaza has been 100% cleansed of Jews in 2005. In the same year, Israel also formally declared an end to Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip. Presently, There isn't a single Israeli soldier on Gazan soil. Israel doesn't fully control Gaza's borders either, since the strip has a Southern border with the sovereign state of Egypt. The latter fully controls at least one crossing, but chooses to keep it closed for their own political and economic reasons.

3. Gaza is one of the poorest regions in the world:

Gaza Strip's Human Development Index is usually around the 100th in the world (out of 177) (b). Higher than Egypt or Syria, but lower than the Palestinian average.
Life expectancy in Gaza is around 107th in the world, higher in fact than Glasgow (SNP likes to flaunt this). The Palestinians are the largest per capita recipients of foreign aid in the world and the 8th fattest nation in the world. By all global accounts, Palestinians are neither rich, nor poor, but strongly in the middle.

(a) WikiPedia - List of cities proper by population
(b) WikiPedia - Human Development Index

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Jumblerant

Israeli Troops Punished For Dancing In Hebron

I stumbled across this YouTube video of Israeli soldiers dancing in Hebron this afternoon and thought how fun it would be to share it and show the world that at the end of the day, the 2 sides do have a lot in common.

Sadly with my research I found that so many different people have twisted the story into their own little attacked on either side that I feel that I need only give you the footage and you can decide for yourself just how much hatred the 2 sides have for each other:



The Arabic at the bottom translates as 'Israeli soldiers dancing at a wedding a Palestinian in Hebron'.

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Jumblerant

A Hunger To Serve

In today's media we don't really get to see the 'other side' of the Israel-Palestine discussion. We don't see the reasons or hunger that Israeli youth have for serving in the IDF.

I think that this young man tells quite eloquently the level of desire that many youth have to serve their country, and to defend their country.



Here is a picture of Izzy with the (micro?) Tavor :

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http://jumblerant.blogspot.com

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Pretty Simple Really - Israel vs. Palestine

Sometimes it really isn't that complicated.



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 http://jumblerant.blogspot.com

Rockets Hitting Israel

So you might have heard that a few rockets have hit Israel in the last few days and I can assure you that I am pretty gosh-darned miffed about it.

Mainly because I live in Israel.

I'm not a source for information regarding the present conflict, I just spent the weekend with my wife and kids in our house, and I really don't trust the news, but I do like what this chap has to say about peace in the Middle East though.

If you 5 have minutes I strongly recommend watching it. It explains a lot.







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http://jumblerant.blogspot.com

Challafax or Halalifax Canada?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeJust saw this and thought it was the funniest thing I've seen in a long while.

Image by Mez Love via Flickr

Jon Stewart really is a very funny young chap.

But I wouldn't get him tattooed on my arm though!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

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Those Zionist trousers

Ian O'Doherty, in the Irish Independent, takes note of the Gaza Mall:

Gaza is, we're (un)reliably informed, the world's largest open-air prison. Indeed, in some of the more excitable circles of the anti-Israeli lobby, it's often referred to as a concentration camp; an analogy so obnoxious that it doesn't even merit mention.

And in a flyer for a fundraising gig organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement (they're not really anti-war, just anything to do with the Yanks and Israel), they said: "Since the Israeli attack in December 2009, which killed over 1,400, the people of Gaza have been suffering the worst conditions ever. Israel's continuous siege of Gaza and blockade of humanitarian aid makes even the basic necessities such as school material for children, medical supplies etc an impossibility (sic)..."

How terrible. But the Gazans have one thing to look forward to -- they opened a giant, fully stocked shopping mall this week.

And among the delights on offer are, according to its website: "air conditioning, a parking lot, security guards, a full service supermarket and a food court."

It also boasts: "Israeli trousers at reasonable prices."

So, you can hate the evil Zionist pig-dog entity that will soon disappear if Allah has his way (praise be upon him) but, in fairness, the Jews make comfy chinos, so we'll make an exception.

But just this once, mind.

It is amusing that the BDS'ers have been silent about how Gazans are so happy to have Israeli goods available to them again, after years of being stuck with crap from their fellow Egyptian Arabs.

In 1947, Arabs from Palestine who dared break the Arab boycott against Palestinian Jews were subject to firebombs and murders. When will we see calls from some ideological moron from Olympia, WA to punish the Gazans for helping the Israeli economy?



And thus endeth the rant.


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