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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Paleo goons confront French FM in Gaza
2011-01-22
EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip — Dozens of furious Palestinians protested against the French foreign minister on a visit to the Gaza Strip on Friday, pelting her motorcade with eggs and narrowly missing her with a lobbed shoe. The thugs protesters, relatives of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, were angry about comments Michele Alliot-Marie reportedly made the day before in support of Gilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier captured in a cross-border raid by the Islamic militant group Hamas and held in Gaza since 2006.

Thugs Protesters were waiting for Alliot-Marie as she crossed from Israel into Gaza through the Erez Crossing, lying on the road and jumping on her vehicle. Hamas police eventually dispersed those thugs protesters, but more thugs gathered outside a United Nations office in Gaza City that was her first stop in the Palestinian territory, and later followed her to a nearby hospital, pelting her motorcade with eggs. AP Television footage showed Alliot-Marie narrowly dodging a shoe thrown by a thug protester as she climbed into a jeep under heavy guard.

Schalit, the captive soldier, is an Israeli-French dual national and France has repeatedly called for his release.

Alliot-Marie made no public statement Thursday after meeting with Schalit’s parents in Jerusalem, but the soldier’s father, Noam Schalit, said afterward that the minister had called on Hamas to allow the Red Cross to visit his son for the first time. He referred to his son’s capture as a “war crime.”

The Palestinians linked the comments to Alliot-Marie, although she did not say anything publicly before or after the meeting.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the statements reflected a “total bias toward Israel” and ignored the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. “They are the true prisoners of war,” he said.

Hamas is demanding that Israel release hundreds of Hamas thugs prisoners, including terrorists militants behind deadly attacks against Israelis, in return for Schalit. Talks facilitated by a German mediator have produced no result. Schalit has been seen by no one but his captors since 2006. A videotape released in 2009 showed him talking and reading a newspaper.

In keeping with the policy of the European Union, which considers Hamas a terror organization, Alliot-Marie did not meet with Hamas officials during her half-day visit.
Posted by:Steve White

#2  Â“They are the true prisoners of war,” he said.

If they are truly prisoners of war, as opposed to generic murderers, they will be released when the war ends. That's kinda sorta how it works. Me, I'm not holding my breath...
Posted by: SteveS   2011-01-22 20:15  

#1  A video of the love-in.
Posted by: tipper   2011-01-22 18:55  

00:00