It's been two weeks since the Israeli government imposed a complete closure on the Gaza Strip. While the Israeli authorities seem to be trying to conceal the reality of life under siege by preventing journalists from entering the region, pressure for action is growing internationally.

In the U.S. it's barely a story. We're way too absorbed in our own crisis. With the economy in free fall, there is fear that the number of Americans living below the poverty line will spike from 12.5 percent in 2007 to much higher this year, and economists are warning that official unemployment will approach 10 percent by the end of 2009.

Numbers like that have finally gotten people worried. President-elect Barack Obama, in his radio and video address this weekend, said that when people are in trouble action is not easy but it's necessary.

"What's not negotiable is the need for immediate action," said Obama. "Right now, there are millions of mothers and fathers who are lying awake at night wondering if next week's paycheck will cover next month's bills."

Not to diminish the crisis here, but by way of a reality check: in Gaza, 80 percent of the population is living on UN Aid. They have no other food. Unemployment among Palestinians in Gaza is approaching 50 percent. Out of a total of 47 bakeries, 27 have closed, while others are working part time because of power shortages. There is no flour, electricity is in short supply.

At last we have a president elect who says that action is not negotiable here at home. That's great. But why is it so endlessly negotiable for Palestinians?