Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Brilliant

Disgusting: "Under Israeli pressure, US canceled a two-year-old scholarship program for students in the Gaza Strip" [...]  What does "under Israeli pressure" mean? Did they threaten not to accept billions more in aid?

  Glenn Geenwald Tweets

After allowing the scholarship program to proceed in 2010, Israel this year refused to give permits for the Gaza students to travel to the West Bank.

[...]

Israeli officials claim that West Bank universities are breeding grounds for militant groups like Hamas. Last month, Israel's Supreme Court upheld this travel ban on students.

[...]

In a statement, the American consulate in Jerusalem said it decided not to grant the scholarships over the summer after Israel said it would not permit the students to travel. "Because of the timing and risk of losing funding, available scholarships were awarded to other applicants," it said. "We hope to include Gazan students in future programs."

[...]

Israeli military spokesman Guy Inbar said the policy is part of Israel's struggle against Hamas, an Iranian-backed group committed to Israel's destruction.

[...]

Israeli officials claim that West Bank universities are breeding grounds for militant groups like Hamas. Last month, Israel's Supreme Court upheld this travel ban on students. Israeli military spokesman Guy Inbar said the policy is part of Israel's struggle against Hamas, an Iranian-backed group committed to Israel's destruction.


  AP

And here's the important catch: some of the students, who previously could attend a US sponsored university are now going to an Islamic Hamas sponsored University. Is that really what Israel is hoping to achieve?
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. --Mark Twain
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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