Sri Lanka said refusing IDF aid team... refusing aid???

[arabie]

There couldn't be a more important time to see past politics.

[ QUOTE ]
A 150-member Israeli aid delegation canceled its mission to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, after the country - one of the hardest hit in the Asian tsunami disaster - apparently refused to accept the Israeli team, Israel Defense Forces officials said.

[/ QUOTE ]


Sri Lanka said refusing IDF aid team

[ACPlayer]

Did you read the report:

However, the Sri Lankan president's military secretary sent a notice to the country's foreign and defense ministries Tuesday expressing support for the arrival of a 50-member Israeli delegation.

"We are not opposed to a plane loaded with medical supplies, food and blankets that will be accompanied by a medical team comprised of 50 IDF people, as the Israeli Foreign Ministry requested in a letter," the military secretary said in the notice.


It is asking for the aid it wants and accepting it apparently -- this according to the report in your link.

[arabie]

Yes, but this is after the fact. There is no justification for refusing the original proposal.

[lastchance]

Still, reading through the whole article, you have to wonder why the hell Sri Lanka would deny having a relief team, almost any relief team sent.

[ACPlayer]

There could be many reasons, not for us to speculate.

I discount Jewish discrimination or politics as a cause, it is my recollection that the Sri Lanka govt has previously used Israeli assistance to help in training on how to fight the Tamil Tigers.

[TorontoCFE]

The story I have heard is that the most affected regions are 25-40% Muslim.

No matter what the situation, politicians will never forget politics.

[zaxx19]

AC player would you care too speculate on why Omar Sharif was castigated after kissing a jewess in film..or why a Pakistani national cannot visit Israel...Im sure we all hate to specualte but I think even you could probably figure these ones out.

[ACPlayer]

Without commenting on the makeup of that particular area as I dont know, I can offer the following:

The religious makeup of the country according to the CIA fact book is -- and apparently a fairly large geographic area (the east coast of the country and parts of colombo) have been effected:

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

CIA Factbook Sri Lanka

I am led to suspect that the knee jerk reaction of some when someone says NO to Israel is to feel that this is an attack on Jews.

I have no idea, as usual, what Jaxx is upto in this thread.

[ACPlayer]

Further research on this subject reveals that Israel and Sri Lanka have had diplomatic relations off and on over the past 30 odd years. Last established in 2000. However, there have, apparently, always been generally friendly back channel contacts between the countries. Sri Lanka has had strong ties with the Islamic Middle East Countries and the PLO and along with a number of other (supposedly non-aligned) Asian countries has been slow in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

There has been a history of arms sales from Israel to Sri Lanka and the use of advisors in the use of these arms.

I still cannot speculate on the reasons of the initial refusal to accept aid. Of course politics may have played a role.

[TorontoCFE]

I spoke again to a customer who travels frequently to this area.
His opinion, which I defer to, is that since those particular areas have the highest concentration of Muslims, the prime minister did not wish to risk his shaky minority government for some very visible aid that may or may not be useful.

While material and money is always useful and hepful, it is possible that they honestly felt they did not need the extra manpower (and cramming too many people in the region would detract from the rescue).

He felt, and I agree, that Israel is considered one of their closest friends (he says some have great affection there for the military aid) and it had nothing to do with overall discrimination but rather internal politics and a careful measure of what was really needed and would be beneficial.