Wikileaks Shows Israel Keeps Gaza Economically Weak & U.S. Knew

Wikileaks has released cables from 2008 in which Israel told U.S. officials it would keep Gaza's economy "on the brink of collapse." The cables show that Israel kept the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv briefed on its internationally criticized blockade of the Gaza Strip.

For years, humanitarian groups have criticized Israeli government for keeping the 1.3 million Palestinians residing in Gaza contained within an apartheid-like wall and controlling Palestinian access to food, electricity and water as well as transport in and out of Gaza. The separation governed by Israel has prevented Palestinians from normal trade and has drastically limited other links with the world.

One cable reads, "As part of their overall embargo plan against Gaza, Israeli officials have confirmed to (U.S. embassy economic officers) on multiple occasions that they intend to keep the Gazan economy on the brink of collapse without quite pushing it over the edge."

Anyone aware of the politics in the Middle East already knew things like this were the norm but U.S. and Israel have long denied this kind of malicious intent and activity. It is because of officious intermeddling of this sort that much of the Muslim world is so against the United States. This is yet another example of why the U.S. engaging in an "anything goes" relationship with Israel is harmful to Americans as well as to the peace process in the Middle East.