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.

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1773

B'Tselem published a video clip documenting an Israeli soldier firing a rubber coated steel bullet, from extremely close range, at a cuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee. The shooting took place in the presence of a lieutenant colonel, who was holing the Palestinian's arm when the shot was fired. The incident took place on 7 July, in Nil'in, a village in the West Bank. A Palestinian demonstrator, Ashraf Abu Rahma, 27, was stopped by soldiers, who cuffed and blindfolded him for about thirty minutes, during which time they beat him. Afterwards, a group of soldiers and border policemen led him to an army jeep. The video clip shows a soldier aim his weapon at the demonstrator's legs, from about 1.5 meters away, and fire a rubber coated steel bullet at him. The video was yesterday on Youtube, but today it was removed.

Here is the B’Tselem link to the video:

http://www.btselem.org/english/Press_Releases/20080720.asp

and Aljazeera link to the video:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/07/200872019223738901.html

Also, please sign the following petition to support the Nilin popular struggle, your solidarity is needed.

http://www.petitiononline.com/nilin/petition.html

Call to Action July 19-21: No War With Iran

Responding to the renewed threats of a U.S./Israeli attack on Iran before President Bush leaves office, United for Peace and Justice calls for coordinated Days of Action across the United States on July 19-21. Now is the time to speak out against any U.S./Israeli military attack on Iran.

U.S. officials say Israel is mounting a "full court press" to get the Bush administration to strike Iran's nuclear complex, CBS News reports. In The New Yorker, Seymour Hersh reports that congressional leaders agreed last year to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran. New York Newsday and the Seattle-Post Intelligencer warn that Congress is considering a resolution promoted by AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) that would effectively endorse a naval blockade of Iran, an act of war.

Voices in the U.S. calling for real diplomacy and negotiations with Iran are being silenced. Few people in this country know Iran has an offer on the table for comprehensive negotiations with the United States that could resolve the nuclear stand-off and other issues. Nor do they know that talks with Iran without preconditions are supported by independent experts like Thomas Pickering, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN during the first Bush administration.

To counter the renewed threats of military action, we are calling for National Days of Coordinated Action against war with Iran on July 19-21, including:

Apparently, 92 Republicans and 77 Democrats in the House have agreed to co-sponsor a resolution that would enforce a land, sea and air blockade of Iran.  This measure does not call for UN approval, meaning it could be construed as an act of war. 

House Congressional Resolution 362.  Demand opposition from your Represenative.

http://capwiz.com/justforeignpolicy/issues/alert/?alertid=11518951

I couldn't find the list of (co)sponsors.  Sigh...  there's just too many moles to whack.

Petition to End Israel’s Restrictions on Freedom of Movement and the Press

To: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

We, the undersigned, condemn Israel’s appalling treatment of Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Gaza correspondent and author of the magazine’s regular feature, “Gaza on the Ground.” The 24-year-old Palestinian journalist was brutally assaulted by Israeli Shin Bet security officials at the Allenby Bridge border crossing on his way home to Gaza on June 26. He had just received the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, which he shared with independent American journalist Dahr Jamail. Omer’s award citation reads, “Every day, he reports from a war zone, where he is also a prisoner. His homeland, Gaza, is surrounded, starved, attacked, forgotten. He is a profoundly humane witness to one of the great injustices of our time. He is the voice of the voiceless.” (see John Pilger’s July 2 article, “From Triumph to Torture,” in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/israelandthepalestinians.civilliberties)

This is not an isolated incident, Pilger points out, but part of a terrible pattern. Israel gives its border guards and Shin Bet agents free rein to regularly harass Palestinians (as well as Palestinian Americans and American peace activists and academics) traveling to and from the occupied territories. Israel randomly abuses, searches, interrogates and humiliates travelers of every age—men and women—and frequently refuses to let them pass through Israeli-controlled borders to their homes in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. We just don’t hear their voices.

Israel simply doesn’t want Palestinian voices to be heard abroad. Palestinians are routinely prevented from accepting invitations to speak in Europe or North America. Students with scholarships to study overseas are not permitted to leave. Israel is now preventing Palestinians from returning home, even for a visit, once they have left to work or study abroad. (Israel recently revoked Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison’s travel documents, and will not renew her Jerusalem ID card. She is not allowed to return home to visit her father and mother, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi.)

We, the undersigned, also urge the Israeli government to end its efforts to censor international reports from the occupied territories. The government prefers stories to be filed from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, where they are subject to censorship, and allows few, if any, international journalists to enter the West Bank and Gaza. Israel censors, harasses and even kills Palestinian journalists who are trying to report on conditions in the occupied territories.

We call on the Israeli government to protect journalists who are trying to work in the occupied territories. At least eight journalists have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza since 2001, seven of them in attacks by Israel Defense Forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists research.*

We call on the Israeli government to end its harassment of travelers and journalists. When Israel targets journalists it infringes on a basic pillar of democracy, freedom of the press. Human beings, even those ruled for decades by an occupying power, have the right to leave home and return safely, without interference, and the right to freedom of speech.

Sincerely,

Please note Kathleens article here. And those of you who can, please call. All needed info can be found in her article.

...

from Gush Shalom's page: Peace is with enemies - speak with Hamas

I think that is realistic - peace is the way, talks are necessary...

Gush Shalom has penned a petition for demanding ceasefire NOW - the petition is for both Israelis and Palestinians, while others can sign their names in a support petition - please note and read this for more information and links
http://www.care2.com/news/member/498527144/670654?saved=1

Click Here To Help Stop Military Aid to Israel
President Bush's FY2009 budget request for $2.55 billion in military aid for Israel, a proposed increase of 9% over actual spending in 2007, now rests with the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
http://www.jewishvo iceforpeace. org/publish/ article_976. shtml

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/release-11000-palestinians-in-israeli-jails'

No introduction needed really love n peace

See a map of proposed permanent bases
in Iraq.

For years now the president has insisted the U.S. has no intention of building permanent bases in Iraq. In response to FCNL's STEP campaign, Congress has repeatedly passed legislation, which the president has signed, prohibiting the U.S. from building permanent military bases in Iraq.

Yet in late January, just before signing the military authorization bill that was on his desk, the president declared that as commander in chief he could ignore the provision that would ban the U.S. from spending any money this year "To establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq.".

Urge the Senate to require Congressional action of any decision to maintain a longterm U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Action item for today:

Only pressure will lift Gaza medical siege

This is link to actual petition.

See Kneights link for background info on activists, some currently in jail or facing trail.

*pleasesign*

http://www.we-change.org/spip.php?article19

Many of the women are thrown into jail just for working for human rights and anti-discrimination measures.

HRW Issues Statement Demanding Release of Women’s Rights Defenders

Human Rights Watch, the leading international human rights organization, has issued a statement demanding the immediate release of women’s rights activists involved in the Campaign, Jelve Javaheri and Maryam Hosseinkhah who were arrested on charges related to their writings in support of women and remain in Evin prison as well as Hana Abdi and Ronak Safarzadeh, arrested on unknown charges after collection of signatures and who remain in prison in Kurdistan Province. The statement issued (...) read more

Shalom, Leiah.

Try this link:

http://www.we4change.info/english/

Dear Zahra,

I couldn't get through on that link.

If anyone else is having that problem, maybe this link will work:

http://www.care2.com/news/member/198234727/353684

This post was modified from its original form on 19 Dec, 0:34

Delara Delrabi is about to be hanged. It may be too late to save her but perhaps we can sign this petition to help implement a change in current policies so no more of this type of this unnecessary killing will happen in the future...

"One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws”