Israel blocks Olympics-bound Palestinian from travel

[webfact]

Israel blocks Olympics-bound Palestinian from travel

Top Palestinian official says Israeli authorities prevent Olympic team chief from leaving the besieged Gaza Strip.

 

GAZA: -- Israeli authorities have prevented the head of the Palestinian Olympic team from leaving the Gaza Strip to be with his team in Brazil, according to a senior Palestinian official. 

 

"Israel did not give Issam Qishta a permit to leave Gaza and therefore he was not able to join the rest of the Olympic team in Brazil," Munther Masalmeh, secretary general of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, told the Dpa news agency on Tuesday.

 

Emmanuel Nahshon, spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, said his government was working on allowing Qishta to join the rest of the Palestinian team.

 

Full story: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/israel-blocks-olympics-bound-palestinian-travel-160802202751580.html

 

-- AL JAZEERA 2016-08-03

[JingerBen]

The radical Zionists who run Israel just shot themselves in the foot again.

This is a public relations disaster in the making.

[billd766]

The Al Jazeera Facebook link is OK now.

 

What a petty interfering country Israel is.

 

I am sure that most of their supporters will come up with many "good" reasons for this, but none will be valid.

[stevenl]

This really comes across as petty obstruction.

[Kiwiken]

Just another wall. Israel has many walls

[Ulysses G.]

10 hours ago, JingerBen said:

The radical Zionists who run Israel just shot themselves in the foot again.

This is a public relations disaster in the making.

 

Only with the leftists who hate Israel anyway. No one else really cares. The Palestinians long history of murdering innocents - terrorism - does not create a lot of sympathy.

[Steely Dan]

Probably just an innocent bureaucratic mix up or non-compliance with the regulations by the Palestinian. I'm sure on reflection our esteemed members will agree considering their stance on Malaysia failing to grant visas to Israeli athletes wishing to take part in the world windsurfing championship.

[JingerBen]

14 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

Only with the leftists who hate Israel anyway. No one else really cares. The Palestinians long history of murdering innocents - terrorism - does not create a lot of sympathy.

Your knee-jerk reaction doesn't address the topic in any way, shape or form.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed.

[Jingthing]

No information was given about this specific case so it's hard to know if there was any reason to deny passage for this specific person.

Of course, it's regrettable that Gazans have such problems in traveling, whether through Israel or Egypt (which was closed to all for the Olympics timing). 

As someone that supports the right of Israel to exist and defend itself, I don't think that means supporting every single Israeli policy or action any more than support for the right of existence of defense would imply for any other nation. 

[Somtamnication]

The Israelis are terrified of competition. Full stop. 

[Ulysses G.]

They seem to win pretty much every time - especially against Muslims - but it is better not to get too cocky and keep on winning.

[dexterm]

4 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

They seem to win pretty much every time - especially against Muslims - but it is better not to get too cocky and keep on winning.

No mention of religion in the OP.

Your obvious religious bigotry undermines your credibility.

[geriatrickid]

I suppose it is to be expected that the PLA would try and score some political points with this set up, and of course the usual  jew hating bigots had a chance to offer up the same blame the  juden  lines they always toss out. Oh and yes, I know, I know, they don't hate jews, they are just opposed to Israel.    How about some facts ok?

 

There are 22 people who are accredited to the The Palestinian Olympic team.  Only 6 are athletes. Those 6 by the way have benefited from access to training facilities in Israel, although, like many of the Israelis, they train elsewhere. There are 3 members from Gaza. One athlete and the deputy head of the  Palestinian delegation. Neither of those two had any problems. The third  person, is Issam Qishta who is a POLITICAL appointee and who is NOT an athlete and who is NOT a trainer nor coach nor physical support member did not apply  for the standard transit document to leave Gaza in the same manner as everyone else.

 

The  entire team, except for the political delegate was organized and outside of Israel in time to make it to Rio. Only the POLITICAL appointee was not with the team. Fair people who know the Palestinian tactics of cheap claims of  victimization will see through this manufactured crisis. Thai Visa's jew haters, ooops, sorry, Israel opponents, will not.

Edited August 4, 2016 by geriatrickid

[Carib]

The moment one comments on something what happens in Israel and it is not in favor of that country that makes one a Jew hater?  

[happy Joe]

A good opportunity to exclude Israel for all official international competition.

Edited August 4, 2016 by happy Joe

[JingerBen]

20 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

I suppose it is to be expected that the PLA would try and score some political points with this set up, and of course the usual  jew hating bigots had a chance to offer up the same blame the  juden  lines they always toss out. Oh and yes, I know, I know, they don't hate jews, they are just opposed to Israel.    How about some facts ok?

 

There are 22 people who are accredited to the The Palestinian Olympic team.  Only 6 are athletes. Those 6 by the way have benefited from access to training facilities in Israel, although, like many of the Israelis, they train elsewhere. There are 3 members from Gaza. One athlete and the deputy head of the  Palestinian delegation. Neither of those two had any problems. The third  person, is Issam Qishta who is a POLITICAL appointee and who is NOT an athlete and who is NOT a trainer nor coach nor physical support member did not apply  for the standard transit document to leave Gaza in the same manner as everyone else.

 

The  entire team, except for the political delegate was organized and outside of Israel in time to make it to Rio. Only the POLITICAL appointee was not with the team. Fair people who know the Palestinian tactics of cheap claims of  victimization will see through this manufactured crisis. Thai Visa's jew haters, ooops, sorry, Israel opponents, will not.

Of course Issam Qishta is a "political" appointee.

He is the head of the Palestinian Olympic team.

The rest of your post doesn't even deserve comment, other than to say that a defense against an accusation of racism can only be made if you name the poster and point out what is offensive.

Otherwise, the charge is slanderous and cowardly.

[Carib]

2 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

 

it is when there is a blind acceptance of a biased story. Why was  there no fair response? Look at the most critical comments. They ignore the fact that the  Palestinian team was already outside of the PLA territory and Israel. Instead, the  story is embellished and spun to make it seem that Israel sabotaged a young athlete's chance to shine. none of the critics knows anything about the delegations structure. If they did they would ask why the president of the PL National Commitee is Major General  JIBRIL MAHMOUD MUHAMMAD RAJOUB

 

Jibril Rajoub is Deputy-Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee (since September 2009). He is also Head of the Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, and Chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee. He is a former member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council (until Aug. 2009), the former National Security Advisor to Yasser Arafat, rank of Brigadier-General, and the former Head of the West Bank Preventive Security Forces (1994-2002).   Jibril Rajoub was sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for throwing a grenade at an Israeli army truck. He was released in the Jibril Agreement - A deal between the Israeli government and the terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), led by Ahmed Jibril. On May 21, 1985, Israel released 1,150 Palestinian prisoners, including terrorist murderers, in exchange for three Israeli soldiers who had been taken hostage by the PFLP.

 

No mention of the fact that of the 6 actual sport participants, 3 are Germans and 2 are of Egyptian heritage. Oh yes, we have a real bonafide team there. Be sure to keep an eye out for Christian Zimmerman in the dressage competition.

 

 

Nothing in your posting carries any justification for using the term Jew haters, nothing at all. 

[JingerBen]

4 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

 

it is when there is a blind acceptance of a biased story. Why was  there no fair response? Look at the most critical comments. They ignore the fact that the  Palestinian team was already outside of the PLA territory and Israel. Instead, the  story is embellished and spun to make it seem that Israel sabotaged a young athlete's chance to shine. none of the critics knows anything about the delegations structure. If they did they would ask why the president of the PL National Commitee is Major General  JIBRIL MAHMOUD MUHAMMAD RAJOUB

 

Jibril Rajoub is Deputy-Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee (since September 2009). He is also Head of the Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, and Chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee. He is a former member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council (until Aug. 2009), the former National Security Advisor to Yasser Arafat, rank of Brigadier-General, and the former Head of the West Bank Preventive Security Forces (1994-2002).   Jibril Rajoub was sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for throwing a grenade at an Israeli army truck. He was released in the Jibril Agreement - A deal between the Israeli government and the terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), led by Ahmed Jibril. On May 21, 1985, Israel released 1,150 Palestinian prisoners, including terrorist murderers, in exchange for three Israeli soldiers who had been taken hostage by the PFLP.

 

No mention of the fact that of the 6 actual sport participants, 3 are Germans and 2 are of Egyptian heritage. Oh yes, we have a real bonafide team there. Be sure to keep an eye out for Christian Zimmerman in the dressage competition.

 

Obfuscation from start to finish.

Absolute bilge.

[Steely Dan]

It's quite funny actually, the more tenuous and trivial a topic is the more ridiculous  the usual pro forma whining from some of our esteemed members looks. 

 

This is is juxtapositioned with more details of the Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists in 1972 being mutilated and tortured as well. Had it happened today I have zero doubt some of our number would be talking of freedom fighters instead of wishing for boycotts as they do now,

[geriatrickid]

17 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

Of course Issam Qishta is a "political" appointee.

He is the head of the Palestinian Olympic team.

The rest of your post doesn't even deserve comment, other than to say that a defense against an accusation of racism can only be made if you name the poster and point out what is offensive.

Otherwise, the charge is slanderous and cowardly.

 

He is not the head of the team. He is delegation head. There is a difference. Technically, the convicted murderer and sidekick of  Yasser Arafat is the head of the team. There was no racism because no one was singled out.  This is a manufactured crisis. Of the 6 athletes, 3 are Germans and 2 are Egyptian Palestinians. Christian Zimmerman is representing  the Palestinians in dressage. Tell me how  these people  suffered racism. Qishta did not file his paperwork properly. When I transit India, if I do not have a visa, I am blocked from transiting.  Qishta was going from Gaza to Jordan. He was not flying out of Tel Aviv.  In case you missed it,  arabs have a  tendency to go kaboom when they travel into Israel, so Israel instituted some measures for people transiting the country.

 

What is offensive is that the usual coterie jumped to the conclusion that israel did something wrong. it did not. 21 members of the Palestinian delegation, including the key trainers and athletes did not have a problem. One person, who is not an athlete, who is not integral to the athlete's performance didn't get his transit visa done. This was a last minute "crisis". meanwhile the  rest of the team was ready set gone.

 

The same gang latches on to a negative article from a biased source and makes no effort to  consider what actually happened. It is spun into a story of sabotage necessitating Israel's banning etc.  Where is the  fairness here?

[Boon Mee]

It does seem strange that when something slightly negative comes out re Israel, the vitrol from the wacky left goes over the top.

In this case, the boy from Gaza was most likely a victim of snarled red tape.

Hope he joins his pals soon in Rio! 

[geriatrickid]

58 minutes ago, happy Joe said:

A good opportunity to exclude Israel for all official international competition.

 

Why? Because Qishta did not file for a transit visa on time? Who's fault is that?  The 21 member group comprising 6 athletes and  16 support personnel had no problems with  Israel. If you are that easily offended then perhaps you should look at the composition of the Palestinian team and ask if it really is a legit team. It could be embarrassing if Christian Zimmerman  wins something. the Hamas jihadis in Gaza will choke singing the praises of  someone who is not Palestinian, nor muslim, nor arab, nor with any link to the Palestinian territories.

'

Since you want to exclude  groups, please answer how  a 55 year old non arab speaking  Christian from Cologne – who is a descendant of German composer Robert Schumann, who serves as CEO of a communications company  and who retired from competitive dressage 30 years ago and barely competed at all for many years become a citizen of Palestine and its representative at the Olympics?
 

The very fact that those blaming Israel for something not its doing, ignore the fact that  it seems that a place on the  Palestinian team was "sold" says it all.  

 

 

 

[Ulysses G.]

1 hour ago, Carib said:

The moment one comments on something what happens in Israel and it is not in favor of that country that makes one a Jew hater?  

 

No. Doing it obsessively - like many here do - is a different story.

[geriatrickid]

34 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

Obfuscation from start to finish.

Absolute bilge.

 

The truth  upsets you doesn't it. It interferes with an opportunity to go after the jooz, oops sorry, israel.  If anything I have written is factually incorrect, please  identify the relevant sections and I will  address the issue.  In the meantime, there is no obfuscation. One political  appointee  who's role is that of infusing politics into an activity that is supposed to be free of politics didn't get his visa paperwork done. Boo hoo.  If I don't have my visa in order, I'll get tossed into  a Thai prison. This person went back to the luxury compound to chill while the crisis  runs its course.

[thai3]

21 hours ago, stevenl said:

This really comes across as petty obstruction.

 

 

Not really if you remember 1972 Olympics and the fact that most so called Palestinians hate Jews and want to eradicate Israel.

[Carib]

7 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

No. Doing it obsessively - like many here do - is a different story.

 

From what I read on these kind of topics to me the obsession is on "the other side". 

[daveAustin]

Sorry, Israel, but this is just petty and vindictive. Show the world you are better than this.

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, happy Joe said:

A good opportunity to exclude Israel for all official international competition.

There is no logic in that statement. Only raw vile irrational HATRED. 

[JingerBen]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

There is no logic in that statement. Only raw vile irrational HATRED. 

There you go again...

If a country acts to sabotage a competing team they should be banned.