Thursday, July 31, 2014

Actions in response to Gaza

From: Wartimes/Tiempo de Guerras

Take Action to Stop Collective Punishment by Massacre

Friends,

Each hour the crisis in Gaza gets worse.

Children killed in their sleep… "Today the world stands disgraced," declared Pierre Krähenbühl, commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Rashid Khalidi cut to the heart of what's occurring in the New Yorker:

"Three days after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the current war in Gaza, he held a press conference in Tel Aviv during which he said, in Hebrew, according to the Times of Israel, 'I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan.'

"It’s worth listening carefully when Netanyahu speaks to the Israeli people. What is going on in Palestine today is not really about Hamas. It is not about rockets. It is not about “human shields” or terrorism or tunnels. It is about Israel’s permanent control over Palestinian land and Palestinian lives. That is what Netanyahu is really saying, and that is what he now admits he has “always” talked about. It is about an unswerving, decades-long Israeli policy of denying Palestine self-determination, freedom, and sovereignty.

"What Israel is doing in Gaza now is collective punishment. It is punishment for Gaza’s refusal to be a docile ghetto. It is punishment for the gall of Palestinians in unifying, and of Hamas and other factions in responding to Israel’s siege and its provocations with resistance, armed or otherwise, after Israel repeatedly reacted to unarmed protest with crushing force. Despite years of ceasefires and truces, the siege of Gaza has never been lifted.

"As Netanyahu's own words show, however, Israel will accept nothing short of the acquiescence of Palestinians to their own subordination. It will accept only a Palestinian “state” that is stripped of all the attributes of a real state: control over security, borders, airspace, maritime limits, contiguity, and, therefore, sovereignty. The twenty-three-year charade of the “peace process” has shown that this is all Israel is offering, with the full approval of Washington. Whenever the Palestinians have resisted that pathetic fate (as any nation would), Israel has punished them for their insolence…"

That these truths could make into the New Yorker shows how much U.S. public debate over Israel-Palestine is shifting. But it will require a lot more to start impacting actual U.S. policy. A host of actions and education initiatives are underway. Among them are the efforts listed below. Take a look, break the silence, add your voice to the millions around the world who are demanding an end to the massacre, an end to the blockade of Gaza, an end to occupation and inequality: Freedom for Palestine, Freedom for All! Peace!

Raise Your Voice! Take Action:

#GazaNames project: A diverse group of celebrities, artists, and activists that includes American Jews and Palestinians are speaking out for Palestinian human rights in a video released online July 28. The video is a first of its kind expression of support for Palestinian freedom, equality and justice and features celebrities such as Chuck D, Jonathan Demme, Gloria Steinem, Wallace Shawn, Tony Kushner, Mira Nair, Roger Waters, Brian Eno, and others holding signs with the names and ages of Palestinian civilians recently killed by the Israeli military in Gaza. The full list of participants is here. You can submit your photo to #GazaNames as well. The information is here.

Jewish Voice for Peace #GAZANAMES: Choose Freedom for All Action Page is here.

#GazaUnderAttack: Action Alerts, Resources and updates can be found here.

Nine Ways to Support Gaza through Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions are listed here.

Information about the Aug. 2 National March on the White House to Stop the Massacre in Gaza is here.

Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) has become the first Congressperson to publicly call for an end to the blockade as essential to achieving a ceasefire; demand that other Representatives and Senators – starting with those who claim to be progressive – adopt the same stance here.

Coming Monday August 3 from War Times: Rami El-Amine on Gaza and the horrors – and resistance – of July 2014.

By War Times/Tiempo de Guerras

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