Today’s quote of the day is from the Jerusalem Post interview with the Israeli military’s Coordinator of [Israeli] Government Activities in the [Palestinian] territories (COGAT), Major-General Eitan Dangot, who decides on a daily basis exactly what can get into or out of the Gaza Strip, or not: “The Palestinians in Gaza have for years been receiving the same amount of food which is sent in according to the amount they request,” he says. “Even now, with our more liberal policy, they are still asking for the same amount, which means they were never really lacking”… This JPost interview is posted here.
This JPost story reports that “As evidence, Dangot pulls out a chart showing the number of trucks carrying food that have been allowed into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing from as far back as 2006. Then, Israel was allowing in an average of 63 trucks a day of food. In 2007, the number was 67; in 2008, 71; and until June the average remained the same”.
Dangot tells the JPost that “Ensuring the balance is difficult,” Dangot admits. “Our job though is to help the regular civilian population and what we do is ultimately for the simple Palestinian on the street, not for Hamas … I saw that there was an opportunity to expand our policies while at the same ensuring that Hamas is isolated and not allowed to develop an economy,” he says.