Even before the present Israeli blitzkrieg, Karen Koning Abu Zayd, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), asserted that, “Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution, with the knowledge, acquiescence and – some would say – encouragement of the international community.”
The news is mixed: Israel opened the borders with Gaza for one day, Friday, allowing in humanitarian aid. They followed that with widespread missile attacks allegedly killing thousands. Israel claims this is in response to continuing rocket and mortar attacks by Gaza militants. One of the Gazan mortars fell on a house in Gaza, killing and injuring Palestinians. I’m including today’s Google alerts for Gaza which because of timing perhaps do not include the recent Israeli attacks. These I learned about only minutes ago from a dear friend in Gaza, Yusef. I’ll include some of our conversation.
I deplore all the violence, no matter how various parties try to justify it. And feel it is suicidal for all parties, locked in by wretchedly primitive thinking. As Martin Luther King Jr famously said in his Nobel prize acceptance speech (largely unheeded, by the US government as well, including our newly elected president who favors increased military action in Afghanistan),
“Violence as a way of achieving … justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones. Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.”
Friends, I’ve written my congressional people, a feeble response admittedly, and continue with more verve and dedication my mission to photograph and portray lives in Israel and Palestine. I pray we can all find suitable means of action and expression.
| Israel Reopens Gaza Crossings New York Times – United States By REUTERS Israel reopened border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned militants there to stop firing … See all stories on this topic |
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| ‘Iran Red Crescent vessel heads to Gaza‘ Jerusalem Post – Israel COM STAFF AND YAAKOV LAPPIN An Iranian Red Crescent vessel laden with humanitarian supplies is due to set sail for the Gaza Strip on Saturday, AFP reported, … See all stories on this topic |
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| Egyptian aid convoy enters Gaza Xinhua – China 26 (Xinhua) — A convoy of Egyptian aid offered to the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip entered the costal enclave on Friday, the official MENA news … See all stories on this topic |
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| Report: Iran to send humanitarian aid ship to Gaza Strip Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel By Haaretz Service An Iranian freighter carrying tons of humanitarian equipment destined for the Gaza Strip will set sail from the Islamic Republic on … See all stories on this topic |
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| Two Children Dead In Apparent Gaza Mortar Misfire EasyBourse.com – Paris,France GAZA CITY (AFP)–Two young girls were killed in northern Gaza Friday when their house was hit by a mortar round apparently fired by Palestinian gunmen who … See all stories on this topic |
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Gaza braces for Israeli offensive |
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Gaza bracing for Israeli military strike |
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| Israel allows aid into Gaza Jewish Telegraphic Agency – New York,NY,USA By Eric Fingerhut · December 26, 2008 (JTA) — Israel has reopened its border with Gaza to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Israeli military said … See all stories on this topic |
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| Palestinian rocket causes Gaza casualties -medics Reuters – USA GAZA, Dec 26 (Reuters) – A rocket fired by Palestinians in Gaza toward Israel on Friday accidentally struck a house in the coastal territory, … See all stories on this topic |
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Iran to send aid ship to Gaza |
Google Blogs Alert for: gaza
Here are concrete and constructive actions you can take regarding Israel’s barbaric attacks on Gaza.
The following is a BBC report which includes a graphic video of the suffering. I’ve been thru many of the hospitals in front of which bodies are now being piled.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7801662.stm
Thanks for taking whatever action seems appropriate to you. My friend Yusef who I quoted in an earlier message (he warned me to expect no further emails for some time because of an impending power cutoff), as well as other friends of mine, and I’m sure the 1.5 million people imprisoned in Gaza, will appreciate your action.
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tJFnD6JiwWTkomPUBJK30kBGvYVGC1Ep>
Emergency Alert: Take Action to End
December 27th, 2008
As of this writing, Israeli Air Force attacks today on the occupied Gaza Strip killed an estimated 200 or more people and injured hundreds more. These Israeli attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip, which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and other necessities of life.
While the scope of civilian casualties in today’s attacks is not yet clear, it is unmistakable that Israel carried out these attacks with F16 fighter jets and missiles provided by the taxpayers of this country. From 2001-2006, the United States transferred to Israel more than $200 million worth of spare parts to fly its fleet of F16′s. In July 2008, the United States gave Israel 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel. Last year, the United States signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer to Israel thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and “bunker buster” missiles. In short, Israel’s lethal attack today on the Gaza Strip could not have happened without the active military and political support of the United States. Therefore, we need to take action to protest this attack and demand an immediate cease-fire.
TAKE ACTION 1. Contact the White House to protest the attack and demand an immediate cease-fire. Call 202-456-1111 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov.
2. Contact the State Department at 202-647-6575 or send an email by clicking here <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mQqbyH%2BOehflRNIJzzK3JkBGvYVGC1Ep> .
3. Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress at 202-224-3121 or find contact info for your Members of Congress by clicking here <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=UI2KulxDTPywgSaMbtldZkBGvYVGC1Ep> .
4. Contact your local media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor. To find contact info for your local media, click here <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=46Rj06lSQvjp%2BuOD7cmF%2BEBGvYVGC1Ep> .
5. Organize a local protest or vigil and tell us about it by clicking here <mailto:congress@endtheoccupation.org> .
6. Sign our open letter to President-Elect Obama calling for a new U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine and find out other steps you can take to influence the incoming Administration by clicking here <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4sLlCGoEEl0yT8HWl8%2Br3EBGvYVGC1Ep> .
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Dear Sirs, why do you always take the side of the palestinians, after thousands of rockets fired by palestinians into israeli civilian areas you put the blame on the israelis. if anyone should be brought to book it should be the palestinian terrorists. I was a soldier in the british army for 12 years but right now i wish i could join the israeli forces, they are trying to protect their people and always get a bad press, what do you suggest they do ? If this was happening in any european country the palestinians would have been wiped out by a coalition by now, i am not jewish but i respect their faith, its not radical like the people who always attack them.
The world should support israel and try to educate the palestinians, if they stop firing rockets nobody need be killed.
For once i wish israel will not listen to all the negative press, just go ahead and sort this problem to your satisfaction, it may seem harsh but you will stop the terrorists eventually, God bless all Israeli peoples in this struggle for defence of their citizens.
The rocket attacks, that i deplore as do many Palestinians, are themselves in response to the 60 year old occupation of Palestine. This occupation is particularly painful for Gazans who are frequently cut off from medicines, spare parts for machinery, fuel used for heating, lighting, and cooking, infrastructure repair and renovation (water and sewage, roads, electricity, etc) and intercourse with the wider world. The siege does not differentiate civilian from militant, thus is a terrorist act.
You must know Israel controls Gaza’s land and sea borders as well as its air space. What justifies this? How would Jews respond? Didn’t they attack the Nazis when about to be annihilated in the Warsaw ghetto? Didn’t they blow up a major part of the King David Hotel while trying to rid themselves of British rule? This attack killed many civilians. I reject violence as a solution to conflict, but I understand that oppressed people have a right to defend themselves, as does Israel, as Israel and its supporters repeat as mantra.
Rocket attacks from Gaza kill innocents, sometimes by intention—a terror tactic. I feel Israel’s rockets and bombs likewise indiscriminately injure and attack civilians—a terror tactic. Both are criminal acts and must stop.
I support Palestinians fighting for a just settlement of the conflict, as i do Israelis. Unfortunately extremists from both camps are directing the program, with most of the rest of the world idling, silent, inert, therefore complicit.
Thanks for your comment and for reading my blog.