"JERUSALEM - For more than seven weeks, the international aid group Mercy Corps has been trying to send 90 tons of macaroni to the isolated Gaza Strip as part of a global campaign to help the 1.4 million Palestinians there rebuild their lives after Israel's recent devastating 22-day military operation.Israel, which controls most of what goes into and out of Gaza, has said no repeatedly.
At first, Israeli officials said that they wanted to make sure that the macaroni wasn't destined for a Hamas charity. Then they said macaroni was banned because they didn't consider it an essential food item.
On Wednesday, days after American lawmakers raised pointed questions about the macaroni ban, Israeli authorities said that they were preparing to give the pasta a green light.
For the international aid community, the dispute is emblematic of the red tape and political maneuvering that have stymied efforts to rebuild Gaza."
Food is a basic human right and should NOT be used for any political maneuvering. I hope we all keep an eye on this situation in the Middle East and contact our government representatives as needed.
If you are in NYC and interested in hearing someone's thoughts on PEACE in the Middle East, please see one of my earlier posts about Mona Eltahawy, who is giving a lecture tonight at 7:30 pm.
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