Despite Licht and Cohn’s efforts (Daily January 25) to put a positive spin on the medieval blockade of Gaza, the facts speak for themselves. Since its inception, Israel has driven out the indigenous people from their homes at the barrel of a gun. Their homes have been demolished and the basic source of income from their land has been destroyed. A million-and-a half refugees are now residing in Gaza and find themselves locked in a giant prison without food, electricity, medicine and are being subjected to a daily bombing barrage which has killed 30 (mainly civilians) in four days. To subject a population to such brutal collective punishment is a clear violation of international law and borders on genocide. The people of Gaza are on the point of starvation. Many civilians, including men, women and children have died at health clinics because of lack of medical supplies.
In an act of utter desperation, the wall separating Gaza and Egypt was breached allowing its citizens to replenish their household goods. As award winning Israeli journalist Gideon Levy (a fierce critic of Israel’s occupation), explained “when you try to make an experiment in human beings, putting them into a huge cage for months and months, you can’t expect that they will not do anything possible to find a way out.” It is time for all Americans to demand an immediate halt of our tax dollars which is funding Israel’s maniacal occupation and state sponsored terrorism.
Yonatan Shapira, Former Captain in the Israeli Air Force and Black Hawk pilot squadron. In
2003 he authored “The Pilots’ Letter,” refusing to participate in attacks in
the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Bassam Aramin, Former Fatah fighter, now a peace activist with Combatants for Peace.
Spent seven years in an Israeli prison. His ten-year-old daughter Abir was
killed on January 16, 2007, when an Israeli Border Police jeep fired rubber
bullets in a school zone. He is also the head of the Al Quds Association for
Democracy and Dialogue.
They are from a group called Combatants for Peace that’s made up of former fighters from both Israel and Palestine. Bassam Aramin spent seven years in an Israeli prison, was an armed member of Fatah, the Palestinian political faction once led by Yasser Arafat. Bassam’s ten-year-old daughter Abir died one year ago after being shot by Israeli soldiers while she was on her way home from school. Yonatan Shapira is a captain in the Israeli Air Force and Black Hawk pilot squadron—well, he was. In 2003, he authored the “Pilots’ Letter,” refusing to participate in attacks against Palestinians. The organization in 2005 by four Palestinians and seven Israelis. Now we are around 400 ex-combatants from both sides.
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