(Ideas for actions below)
(News/Analysis/Opinion/Editorials here)
Israeli bomber and helicopter gunship attacks on the Gaza strip on the morning of Saturday 27th December killed more than 200 people in the first wave of 60 aircraft, and injured hundreds more. Police stations, Khan Younis and Rafah refugee camps, the Gaza City port as well as numerous civilian buildings were all targeted and hit by the Israeli bombers, after being given the go-ahead on Christmas Day by Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak. The death toll on the third day of the bombing campaign has risen to at least 345, with 1,450 injured.
This latest Israeli atrocity comes after 18 months of the Israeli siege and blockade of Gaza, which has crippled the Gazan economy and caused starvation and malnourishment throughout Gaze. The Israeli blockade has brought to a virtual halt food, fuel, medical supplies and other necessities and prevented UN and medical personnel from entering Gaza. Journalists have been barred by Israel, preventing outside reporting of the situation.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has said of this siege “This is in direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law. It must end now.” Adding that “By function of this blockade, 1.5 million Palestinian men, women and children have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months.” In December 2008 Israel restricted the average number of trucks into Gaza to less than 5 a day, while in December 2005 more than 500 trucks were able to pass into Gaza. According to UNRWA reports, the daily need for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents is 400-600 truckloads.
The slaughter does not stop there, with the IDF threatening further escalation and that the attacks “will be continued, expanded and intensified as much as required”
The response from Western governments has been silence or at most a call for “restraint” by Israel, while in contrast, the British FCO spokesman called on “militants in the Gaza strip immediately cease rocket attacks on Israel” . Since September 2005, 9 Israelis have been killed by rocket attacks and in the same period at least 1400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
We must do something to stop this now! Grassroots movements have worked before and CAN WORK AGAIN.
The demonstrations, vigils and actions taking place now must be the start of an invigorated and relentless campaign that lasts past the shock and anger. Every action, however small, is an important contribution. Vital to this movement is coordination; both organising effective action locally and building nationally.
Below is a list of things that YOU can do (please contact us with more ideas, if you can):
1. Send this information and ideas for actions to all your contacts.
2. Attend the demonstrations happening around you. For a list of demonstrations/vigils/stunts/actions please visit: http://www.actionpalestine.org/home/demonstrations/
If there is no demonstration/actions happening near you, coordinate with others people/groups to organise one (please, get in touch if you want any advice on this). Send us the information so we can advertise it on the website and our mailing lists.
3. Bring your ideas to the movement. Attend your local palestine group’s organising meeting, and if there is none, organise a meeting for every one who is interested to plan a campaign. This is a has to be a grassroots movement, the more people involved the bigger the potential.
4. Watch the media and contact them to ask them to improve their coverage (Please see below, for a list of media contacts, and tips on what to say)
5. Contact your MP and ask pressingly for urgent action, don’t take any diplomatic answers, this is a life or death matter and they need to know you care!! (Please see below, for ideas and contacts)
6. Call and email your government representatives (Please see below, for contact information for governments officials and sample emails)
7. Donate to Interpal, (they are a charity that do a lot of important work in Gaza) http://www.interpal.org/donate/donate.html
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Media:
Watch the reports on the news, read the reports in the papers and online. Keep an eye out for biased reporting or inadequate coverage on the current events in Gaza and write in, ring in, or fill out online response/feedback forms to make your voice heard to let the media outlets know you will not let biased reporting go unquestioned!
BBC complaint line: 03700 100 222
Complain about the lack of Palestinian voice, and the framing of the story and being a response from Israeli to Palestinian fire!
See here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7801662.stm
and here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm
More contact information to follow, but the BBC is the most important one to target for now.
MPs and government:
(a sample letter below)
Below is a list of contact details you can use:
1. Write to your MP
You can find your MPs details on this site http://www.writetothem.com/ just enter your postcode.
2. Write to the Labour Party
You can send a message to the Labour Party using this online form
http://www.labour.org.uk/contact
4. British Consulate Jerusalem
00972 02 541 4100
British Embassy Tel Aviv
02 3510 1167 / 03 527 1572
Call them asking what the British government is doing about the attacks on Gaza.
5. Prime Minister – Gordon Brown
Fax PM’s office on +442079250918
6. Foreign Secretary – David Miliband
private.office@fco.gov.uk
Here is a sample letter, please personalise if possible – personalised letters are more effective.
Dear
I am writing to you to urge you to immediately call on Israel to cease its attacks on Gaza. I am horrified to learn that over 200 people have been killed in Gaza in the last few hours and many more will be killed if Israel does not cease its attacks immediately.
I also urge you to call for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The response of the international community in urging Israel to minimise civilian casualties is entirely unacceptable when over 200 people, many of whom are women, children and innocent civilians, have been killed in the past few hours. Israel must be pushed to immediately cease all its attacks.
The international community must accept that it has a moral imperative to bring an end to the violence unfolding in Gaza. The UN Security Council should meet straight away, call for a ceasefire and impose an arms embargo on Israel.
Yours sincerely
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