Support Israeli Relief Convoy To Gaza Now!

[Tom Joad]

http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1426
SUPPORT ISRAELI RELIEF CONVOY TO GAZA NOW!

From www.jewishpeacenews.net:

As most of you already know, this is a time of tremendous humanitarian and medical crisis for the 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. A link to a December 19, 2007 Sky News video provides powerful insight into daily life, especially for Gaza's children, under the Israeli-created blockade, whereby the most basic necessities of life—including hearing aid batteries and spare parts for medical equipment—are denied entry:


A group of Israeli organizations is planning a major action for Saturday, January 26, to bring a relief convoy of desperately needed water filters to be distributed in Gaza by their Palestinian partner there, the End the Siege Campaign. To date, the Israeli organizations include Gush Shalom, Coalition of Women for Peace, Combatants for Peace, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, New Profile, Hadash, Balad, Adalah, Tarabut/Hitahbrut, Alternative Information Center, Bat Shalom, Anarchists Against the Wall, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Follow-Up Committee of the Arab Population in Israel, and Psychoactive.

The sharp restrictions on fuel and electricity have severely damaged the provision of safe drinking water, forcing people to make do with extremely poor quality water which is dangerous to their health. For more information on the water problem resulting from Israel's blockade, see Amira Hass article attached and pasted in at bottom. It was written over two months ago, and the problem has only worsened since then. Most recently, the Israeli High Court has rejected a petition by human rights groups for an injunction against fuel cuts to the Gaza Strip.

(snip)

By going to Gaza on January 26 with truckloads of such a basic necessity as water filters AND many Israeli citizens AND (hopefully) a lot of media AND with Palestinian partners waiting on the other side of the checkpoint -- the groups think they have a good chance of being let in. If not, however, they will continue to campaign, with the hope that all international donors will then protest—by phone and fax and regular mail and through embassies worldwide—until the convoy is let through. And in the meantime, they will have raised awareness about the Gaza plight. For this they need and deserve our help.
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Looking forward to hearing of the results of this action for peace and justice in the Middle East. Supporters of human rights and those of us who oppose denying people basic necessities know this siege cannot be allowed to continue, it is a flagrant violation of international law. People are not to be used as pawns to advance political goals.

Already 20-30% of the children of Gaza suffer from malnutrition, and that number is certain to rise. When will Bush/Olmert be content that the people of Gaza have suffered enough? When the number is 50% are malnourished? When its 75%?

Do they think these are children of a lesser god?

Be sure to take action. You can also join Progressive Democrats of America action alert to end the siege. Sign their "Justice in Gaza" alert that will be sent to your Representatives.
http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=10668241