Laila El-Haddad - a study in contradictions

Laila El-Haddad, she of "Gaza was never a place with a quantitative food shortage...", issued another communique via CiF - her media channel of choice. This time the subject is Gaza left out in the cold. If it is not immediately clear what kind of cold Laila means this time, the lede answers:

The US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and Israeli policy seek to exclude residents of the Gaza Strip.

One can easily imagine Gazans, desperate for peace talks, knocking on the locked gates of the peace talks castle... but Laila, who is not too clever and shows herself a consistently poor propagandist, destroys this effect immediately:

Ask any resident of Gaza what their thoughts are on the US-sponsored "direct talks" between Israel and Mahmoud Abbas's Ramallah government, and you're likely to hear one of three responses:

1) Surely, you jest;

2) Something's rotten in Ramallah;

3) Negotiations?

Are you still under the illusion that Gazans want to take part in the peace talks? If you still are, Gazans made sure that their position on the peace talks is expressed in a clear and unequivocal manner.

And then, in the time honored tradition, Laila throws in the usual:

Though Israeli disengaged from Gaza in 2005, access and movement of goods and people in Gaza as well as airspace, sea space and population registration remain under Israeli control – all a critical part of any discussion on Palestinian statehood.

Too bad. This oft-repeated half-lie demands a repeat quiz from an old post of mine.

To ease the burden of answering these questions, multiple options are provided.

When IDF left Gaza strip, the purpose of this was:

1. To ensure Zionist control of the strip
2. To blockade 1.5 million of Gazans
3. To let Gazans manage their own lives and to become good neighbors
4. To free some military resources for upcoming war with Andorra

The airport built in Gaza strip was later destroyed by IDF because of:

1. Differences of opinion on the airport architecture
2. A need to create a new football field in the place
3. Continuing attacks on Israel from Gaza strip
4. Arafat piloting his plane in a way that clashed with FAA regulations

The plans for a seaport in the Gaza strip were scrapped because of:

1. Objections of environmental lobby in Gaza
2. Overabundance of jellyfish in the area
3. Growing use of the sea routes by Gazans to smuggle weapons
4. The area being too shallow for 6th fleet ships to anchor

The further deterioration of the situation in Gaza was caused by:

1. Bird flu
2. Hamas ascendance to power and sharp increase in flying objects crossing the border with Israel
3. Disagreements between Hamas and Israel on finer points of international cuisine (humus)

The closing of the border crossings between Gaza and Israel was caused by:

1. Insufficient manpower for management of the crossings
2. Continuing attacks over the border, including attacks on the crossings themselves
3. Lack of interest for employment in Israel on the side of Gazans
4. Clash between Muslim and Jewish religious holidays

The thousand of flying objects mentioned above are:

1. Doves, released by uncounted peace groups in Gaza to symbolize their desire for peace
2. Postcards from Gazan kids to the Israeli kids
3. A novel way to expedite the exchange of information between parties
4. Qassam rockets launched to kill Israeli citizens indiscriminately

Yeah, Laila, so why don't you take the quiz?