Arabs Support MachsomWatch

You've read my criticism of MachsomWatch at this blog (here and here and here, too) before.

Here are some Arabs who have expressed support, no doubt:

Chemicals used in making explosives caught at West Bank checkpoint

...a truck was caught at one of the crossing points in the West Bank carrying approximately 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate intended for use by militants in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced in a statement Saturday. Potassium nitrate is a banned substance in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank due to its use by militants for the manufacturing of explosives and Qassam rockets.

"The terror organizations disguised the Potassium Nitrate in sugar bags that were marked as being part of the humanitarian aid provided by the European Union," the IDF said. "This is another example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval."

Mob's Load

In a bit of flaming, Mobius attacked me and berated me for writing that the women of Machsom Watch were, in my opinion, nasty ladies.

Now, of course, I didn't mean that the women personally were nasty but that they were being nasty in badgering soldiers trying to protect Israeli citizens.

Like this news item I just picked up:

IDF soldiers caught a Palestinian trying to cross Chawara checkpoint with two bombs Saturday evening.

According to reports, the man had in his possession two pipe bombs and two improvised grenades. IDF sappers destroyed the devices in controlled explosions.

The Palestinian was transferred to security forces for further interrogation.

And to be very clear, they can observe the soldiers' behavior and report them for abuses. I'm all for that. Security concerns aren't a license to be bad. But to yell at the soldiers as they do and try ti actually interfere in their work is being, how did I say? Yes, nasty.

Nasty Ladies

Machsom Watch, an NGO [a radical, progressive, left-wing advocacy group] that monitors IDF checkpoints in the West Bank, said it was distressed by the IDF's call for former servicemen to come from abroad to serve in the territories.

"A large number of the checkpoints that are called "seam-line" are actually found deep inside the territories and far from the Green Line, and these checkpoints harm the Palestinians' quality of life," the organization said in a statement. "Therefore Machsom Watch is distressed by the fact that volunteers from abroad with good intentions to defend the State of Israel are sent to do missions that do not promote security but actually harm it."

Source.