Israeli Massacre in Gaza

I have not written anything since leaving Palestine but I feel compelled to write about the Israeli massacre in Gaza, if only to ensure that people have a chance to hear a different point of view than the one being aired by our glorious government and ‘unbiased’ media.

The death toll currently stands at 345 Palestinians and 2 Israelis, with 1450 Palestinians injured. The UN has confirmed that at least 57 of the 345 Palestinians killed are women and children. Most of the ‘non-civilian’ deaths are policemen, apparently legitimate targets because they belong to the security forces of a democratically elected government that the West doesn’t like.

The rest of the world seems willing to stand by and let Israel continue this massacre to stop Hamas firing rockets into Israel. These rockets, in weaponry terms, are pathetic. Hamas know that they are not going to destroy the Israeli state by firing them but it is the only voice they have left. Without these rockets the world would not hear about Gaza. The media have not responded to the human suffering in the Gaza Strip but they have responded to the rockets. The last 2 months have seen the worst humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the Israeli occupation began in 1967. People are starving because there is not enough food, they are freezing because they have no fuel to heat their homes, they are living most of the day in blackouts with intermittent sewage and water systems because there is no electricity, they are dying because there is no medicine.

The Israelis have systematically strangled the whole population of Gaza because they elected a government that wants to stand up to Israel and defend its people against a brutal occupation that has lasted over forty years. People cannot get in and out of Gaza to bear witness to what is happening, the only things that can leave Gaza are these rockets, flying crudely into derelict buildings to remind us that there are 1.5 million people struggling to survive the completely manmade suffering brought upon them.

Our government knows this but they are still blaming Hamas for breaking a truce which saw the suffering of the Palestinian people reach its worst level in forty years, a truce which saw Israel kill scores of Palestinian ‘militants’ while claiming to the rest of the world that they were observing the ceasefire. While they blame Hamas, Israel is continuing to bombard the most densely populated piece of land on earth with hundreds of tons of the most crude and deadly weapons known to man.

The west labels Hamas terrorists but for forty years the Israeli army has attacked the civilian population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip indiscriminately. Since the illegal occupation began in 1967, there have been 5 Palestinians killed for every Israeli killed. Over the last 3 days there have been 177 Palestinians killed for every Israeli killed. Why is the West still blaming Hamas? Do the oppressed not have the right to defend themselves against the oppressor and tell the world what is happening to them, especially when the oppressor has unleashed the full force of its army – one of the most well equipped armies in the world – on the civilian population it is illegally imprisoning and besieging?

We cannot stand by and listen to Western governments point the finger at Hamas while the Israelis continue to slaughter innocent men, women and children.

Please join the protests and demonstrations over the next few days (please check www.palestinecampaign.org for latest events):

LONDON
Tuesday 30 December, 2 - 4pm outside Israeli Embassy, Kensington High Street, London, W4. Nearest tube Kensingston High Street (turn right out of tube station and walk along the main road.
Wednesday 31 December, 2 - 4pm outside Israeli Embassy
Thursday 1 January 2 - 4pm outside Israeli Embassy
Friday 2 January 2 - 4 pm. Outside the Egyptian Embassy, . 26 South Street, London, W1K 1DW. Call for Egypt to open the border immediately.
SATURDAY 3 JANUARY. DEMONSTRATION AND RALLY. Assemble 2pm Parliament Square, W1. Nearest tube Westminster

GLASGOW
Saturday 3 January 12 noon. Outside Lloyds TSB St Vincent Street then assemble for demo at Blytheswood Square 2pm

EDINBURGH
Saturday 3 January 12 noon. Foot of the Mound, Princes Street

BRISTOL
Centre, opposite the Hippodrome, Tuesday - Friday 5.00 - 6.00 and Saturday 3.00 - 4.00.

CARDIFF
Tuesday 30 December 12 to 1pm. outside Cardiff Market/ St John's Church, the Hayes
Wednesday 31 December New Year Vigil. Nye Bevan Statue, Queen Street

NOTTINGHAM
Tuesday 30 December 12 noon, Market Square

SOUTHAMPTON
Tuesday 30 December 12 to 2pm, West Quay Entrance, High Street

PORTSMOUTH
Saturday 3 January 11am, Guildhall Square
Organised by Portsmouth Network for a Just Settlement of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and Portsmouth Stop the War Coalition

HULL
Saturday 3 January, 11am. Queen Victoria Square.

Write to your MP urging them to insist that Prime Minister Gordon Brown acts to ensure:
• An immediate end to Israel's military assault on Gaza
• An immediate end to the blockade and siege on Gaza
• An end to Israel's violations of international law
• An end to Israeli occupation

Boycott Israeli Goods

Join the protests

www.palestinecampaign.org