American among volunteer human shields at Gaza hospital

[bemildred]

A Gaza hospital director says foreign activists, including a US citizen, are working as human shields to try to protect patients in the facility from Israeli strikes.

Israeli airstrikes hit El Wafa Medical Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza City five times Friday, said executive director Basman Alashi. The hospital normally houses 30 patients in varying stages of occupational and physical therapy, Alashi said. During the current operation, he trained the families of 16 patients to help provide care at home. For those too incapacitated to move, he resorted to another tactic: asking foreign activists to act as a human shield.

“After the fifth hit we decided to go on air and declare our case,” Alashi said by telephone. “All hospitals in Gaza are extremely busy and there is no other space for our patients. We decided not to take them out. They need the care 24 hours. We can’t leave the building and leave the patients. They are helpless.”

Alashi said he held a press conference Friday evening at Gaza’s Shifa hospital and asked for help. Eight foreigners agreed to stay in shifts in the hospital, including American Joe Catron, a pro-Palestinian activist from Hopewell, Virginia. Catron, 33, said in a telephone interview he hoped the presence of activists from the US, England, Spain, Sweden and Venezuela could bring enough attention to the hospital to deter the Israeli army from striking it.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/13/233190/american-among-volunteer-human.html

[BillZBubb]

1. The American is a fool. Israel has no qualms about killing Americans.

If they want to attack a ship, bulldoze a building, beat up a kid, or bomb a hospital, they'll do it, American or not.

[Scootaloo]

2. sometimes a conscience cannot be denied, though

And there are very few ways to express one's conscience on this, when your own government fuels and funds hte fighting with what amounts to a paid bounty for dead Arabs.

[bemildred]

3. Actually this sort of thing does work, sometimes.

Non-violent resistance has a long history of success, where conditions are right. Gandhi in India, the Civil Rights movement, LGBT rights here recently, to name a few examples.

The problem is you can't rely on it. The Israelis have no qualms about bombing your ass, but they are very sensitive about how it looks, not unlike the USA. Nevertheless, if you want to have much moral credibility, sometimes you have to take risks. Ethics and morality don't amount to much unless you follow your conscience sometimes when it's not convenient.

And it can take a while. Exposure, and publicity, are essential, hence the rising noise level here. Everybody wants to control the narrative, squash their opponents story and promote their own. I never listen to people who try to provoke me or shut me up. They will say anything.

But plenty of people are willing to go out and die for causes, some violently, some not.

[ellenrr]

4. nobody is a fool who is trying to save lives. nt