WikiLeaks: Israel demanded bribes from U.S. companies to allow goods to enter Gaza in 2006
22 replies, posted
[B]U.S. distributors accused Israel in 2006 of charging exorbitant fees to allow their goods into Gaza and an Israeli general admitted corruption existed at a major border crossing, a U.S. diplomatic cable shows.
[/B][URL]http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/wikileaks-israel-demanded-bribes-for-goods-entering-gaza-1.335585?localLinksEnabled=false[/URL][URL]http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70531J20110106[/URL]
[URL]http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20110106/twl-israelis-demanded-bribes-at-gaza-cro-3cd7efd_1.html[/URL][quote=Haaretz]
A key Israeli cargo crossing for goods entering the Gaza Strip was rife with corruption, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks on Thursday.
The June 14, 2006, cable, published Thursday by Norway's Aftenposten daily, says companies told U.S. diplomats they were forced to pay hefty bribes to get goods into Gaza. It was unclear whether the practice still continues.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
The document quoted a local Coca-Cola distributor as saying he was asked to [B]pay more than $3,000 to get a truckload of merchandise through the Karni Crossing[/B]. The executive claimed an unidentified high-level official at the crossing headed the corruption ring.
"Corruption extends to Karni management and involves logistics companies working as middlemen for military and civilian officials at the terminal," the document says.
The executive was identified as Joerg Hartmann, with Coca-Cola's distributor in the West Bank. The company did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Other companies, including Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, Philip Morris, Westinghouse, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Aramex and Dell, had complained of corruption at the crossing, according to the cable.
It was not clear which companies had actually paid the bribes, though the document said Caterpillar executives refused to pay.
The alleged corruption occurred a year before Hamas overran Gaza and Israel imposed an economic blockade. At that time, however, Israeli-Palestinian violence frequently closed the border crossings.
[B]Hartmann told U.S. diplomats that the cost of the bribes would rise after extended closures of the border. [/B]
The document was identified as a joint cable by the U.S. ambassador to Israel in Tel Aviv and the American consul-general in Jerusalem, who works closely with the Palestinians. The embassy had no immediate comment.
At the end of May 2006, "34 shipments of American goods, amounting to nearly 1.9 million dollars (had) been waiting three to four months to cross into Gaza," it added.[/quote]
Even though nothing will happen to Israel as a result of these leaks, it is good to raise awareness. I hope these leaks continue and will just restrict to exposing injustices only.
[QUOTE=Dr. G;27254273] I hope these leaks continue and will just restrict to exposing injustices only.[/QUOTE]
Certain things should be an exception to that. Otherwise, what's the point of knowing the truth?
This shit just seems to get more and more horrible as we learn more.
Fuck Israel, before this they were questionable and leaning to historical irony, but after this and the leak that they were keeping Palestine's economy on the edge of collapsing just to discredit Hamas is fucking poor.
Israel can wallow in it's own shit, the only good thing to have ever came out of Israel is advanced military technology.
and processors
You antisemitists you!
If there is one country that should be called rogue nation it is israel.
I can't wait to see the leaks about the 2006 war in Lebanon and Israel and what really happened.
Lets trash talk Israel some more.
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Shit post" - TH89))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Brage Nyman;27261762]Lets trash talk Israel some more.[/QUOTE]
Let's ironically suggest that we should trash talk israel you guys.
Fucking hell, i used to back israel because i bought the whole "only democracy in the middle east" crap i got fed, turns out it's just as bad as the other corrupt dictatorships warring across the region.
Let's just stop supporting them and hope they self destruct like the fucking pimple on the worlds ass it is.
[QUOTE=bravehat;27256318]the only good thing to have ever came out of Israel is advanced military technology.[/QUOTE]
Completely wrong.
To quote wikipedia;
[quote]Science and technology in Israel is one of the country's most developed sectors. The percentage of Israelis engaged in scientific and technological inquiry, and the amount spent on research and development (R&D) in relation to gross domestic product (GDP),[b] is amongst the highest in the world[/b].[1] Israel ranks fourth in the world in scientific activity as measured by the number of scientific publications per million citizens. Israel's percentage of the total number of scientific articles published worldwide is almost 10 times higher than its percentage of the world's population.[2]
Israeli scientists have contributed to the [b]advancement of agriculture, computer sciences, electronics, genetics, medicine, optics, solar energy and various fields of engineering.[/b] Israel is home to major players in the high-tech industry and has [b]one of the world's most technologically-literate populations.[/b][3] In 1998, Tel Aviv was named by Newsweek as one of the ten most technologically influential cities in the world.[4][/quote]
Israel is like a spoiled child, it's given the privileges of being a country, then it tries to start crap with others
Wikileaks is a great site. We need to be shown the true side of things instead of being kept ignorant about them.
One fact I think we've all realized by now is that the US and Israel are whole lot more corrupt than the public thought before, thanks to Wikileaks reveals.
[QUOTE=Dr. Fishtastic;27262285]Israel is like a spoiled child, it's given the privileges of being a country, then it tries to start crap with others[/QUOTE]
This this this.
Dear Israel
"fuck off"
...
You folks DO realise this is the result of /one/ corrupt official, don't you.
[QUOTE=Dr_Funk;27263814]...
You folks DO realise this is the result of /one/ corrupt official, don't you.[/QUOTE]
not one offical
[quote]US firms complained in 2006 of corruption by Israeli officials at the Karni crossing into Gaza[/quote]
"the executive claimed an unidentified high-level official at the crossing headed the corruption ring."
You have corruption at one checkpoint stemming from one official. The only reason people are making such a big deal out of this is because it gives them a reason to hate Israel.
E: Therefore, this title is false. It is not "Israel" - it is an "Israeli official".
[QUOTE=Dr_Funk;27263814]...
You folks DO realise this is the result of /one/ corrupt official, don't you.[/QUOTE]
Actually the Yahoo! article (AFP) says it was high-ranking Israeli official[B]s[/B].
[editline]8th January 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Dr_Funk;27263908]"the executive claimed an unidentified high-level official at the crossing headed the corruption ring."
[/QUOTE]
Because "heading a corruption ring" means one official?
[QUOTE=Starpluck;27263947]Actually the Yahoo! article (AFP) says it was high-ranking Israeli official[B]s[/B].
[editline]8th January 2011[/editline]
Because "heading a corruption ring" means one official?[/QUOTE]
Yahoo! article also says this:
"in a scheme largely run by a high-level Israeli official with the help of others, including two soldiers."
Still doesn't provide the high-level government conspiracy people are looking for.
As for the second point, it means that's the highest it goes - a high-level official at this checkpoint. What this gives you is a bog-standard case of corruption - never good, but hardly some sort of metaphor for Israel as a nation.
Looks like the US companies even told them to eat a dick.
[QUOTE=BANNED USER;27264347]Looks like the US companies even told them to eat a dick.[/QUOTE]
At the cost of not getting supplies into Gaza.
Well you know what, it's principle. Giving in to bribes is a great way to fuck over your company.
Wouldn't have the companies reported this to other govt. officials and should I assume the government didn't care? They did report it didn't they?
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