Artist’s Comments
As if putting 1.5 million people at risk of starvation was not enough, Israel weighed a brutal attack on Gaza, killing more than 1000 people, including women and children. Once again I beg you reader, my brothers and sisters-in-arts, to spread these cartoons. Reproduce them in posters, newspapers, magazines, zines, blogs, everywhere. Let’s make the voice of the Gaza people to be heard all around the world. Thank you, in the name of the Palestinians of Gaza.
CAIRO, April 16 (KUNA) — Israeli troops manning the land Al-Ojah checkpoint in Central Sinai sent back 13 truckloads of 250 tons of flour dispatched by the Egyptian Red Crescent to Gaza Strip on Thursday.
The official Egyptian news agency, the Middle East News Agency, quoted a source in the association as saying that the Israeli authorities have hampered dispatch of aid to the Palestinians in Gaza Strip through this checkpoint.
The source indicated that Egyptian authorities, had in the past, coordinated with the Israeli side for the dispatch of the humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Up to 315 tons of food aid were sent to the strip through the land passageways on Monday.
He indicated that the quality of returned food materials would be affected due to hard weather conditions.
About 10,000 tons of food dispatched by Egyptians, Arabs and foreigners, have been kept in warehouses in Egypt since they were dispatched last December. He warned that they would expire soon, before delivery to the Gazans. (end) rg.hs KUNA 161817 Apr 09NNNN
Please forward widely….
Dear Everyone:
Please take a few minutes to read the call-out below from a broad Gaza-based prisoner solidarity campaign made up of a coalition of prisoner rights groups, local and international activists, prisoner families and Ministry of Detainees representatives in Gaza.
Friday April 17th is the international day of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. Just over 11,000 are behind bars in occupation prisons inside the apartheid lines and outside the ghetto walls of the West Bank and Gaza.
Prisoners are a community under siege which represents every faction in Palestine. Solidarity between prisoners inside Israeli jails crosses all political borders. They have sacrificed their individual freedom for collective freedom.
From taking direct action to symbolic gestures (in the case if prisoner campaigns, simple visual solidarity gestures drawing public attention to the struggle of prisoners is always effective in keeping memories, spirit and solidarity alive). Please take action this week! And email us about it…
April 17th is the international day of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. These over 11,000 men, women and children are ghost prisoners, forgotten by the international community and media which has focused on the systematic and physical psychological torture of prisoners in high profile camps such as Guantanamo Bay but has largely ignored the network of Israel’s ‘Guantanamos’ inside ‘Israel’.
“Its not very comfortable in there is it?” said the stony faced official, cigarette smoke forming a haze around his gleaming oval head.
“Its OK. We’re fine” I replied wearily, delirious after being awake for a straight period of 30 hours.
“You could be in there for days you know. For weeks. Indefinitely. “So, tell me, you are taking a plane tomorrow morning to the US?”
****
It was our journey home that began with the standard packing frenzy: squeezing everything precious and dear and useful into two suitcases that would be our sustenance for the course of 3 months.
The trips to the outdoor recreation store- in preparation for what I anticipated to be a long and tortuous journey across Rafah Crossing to Gaza. The inspect repellent; the mosquito netting; the water purifier; the potty toppers for my kids and the dried fruit and granola bars and portion sized peanut butter cups. This time, I wanted to be ready, I thought to myself-just in case I got stuck at the Crossing. The Crossing. My presumptuousness is like a dull hit to the back of my head now.
READ ON
Fresh from the success of the Viva Palestina aid convoy which took over 100 vehicles to Gaza from Britain, George Galloway MP has linked up on his US tour with the Vietnam veteran and peace campaigner Ron Kovic to launch a similar, but bigger venture from the States.
Galloway announced the initiative at a 1000-strong meeting in Anaheim, South California, rounding off a packed-out, coast to coast speaking tour highlighting the Palestinian cause. (You can watch youtube video at www.vivapalestina.org )
“There’s a new atmosphere in the US over Palestine,” says Galloway, “the phenomenal response to this tour demonstrates that.”
Ron Kovic, whose story was immortalised in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, will be the co-leader of the convoy, which will form up in Egypt and make its way to the Rafah crossing and into Gaza.
Organisers are aiming for 500 vehicles and $10 million of aid.
“And what better day to head off,” says Galloway, “Than July 4 – Independence Day!”
For further information contact Kevin Ovenden: 07983 360 874
Email Alert from www.vivapalestina.org .
By Inter Press Service and The Daily Star
Thursday, April 02, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The Israeli Army’s Advocate General has summarily closed an internal investigation into allegations stemming from accounts by soldiers of abuses against Palestinian civilians committed during Israel’s recent war on Hamas in Gaza.
It took the military investigators just half the duration of the 22-day war in Gaza to bulldoze the accounts and to dismiss completely the serious allegations made by soldiers who had themselves taken part in the fighting.
In a public statement Monday, Brigadier General Avihai Mendelblit said the military police investigation revealed the testimonies “were based on hearsay and not on first-hand experience.”
AlJazeera.net
Focus on Gaza revisited one family in the territory who have had their lives torn apart by Israel’s use of white phosphorous.
March 27, 2009
Three months have passed since the war on Gaza and for many people life is regaining some form of normality.
For others however, the fallout from the conflict continues to affect their daily lives.
Sabah Abu Halima has weekly physiotherapy sessions and regular visits to the Shiba hospital for treatment on her injuries from white phosphorous sustained during the war.
“I was burnt from head to toe, my face, my legs, my back were burnt,” she says.
“I am still in pain, I have not recovered yet, I massage my arm where they operated it on it but it’s still stiff.
“I can’t even pick up a cup of tea now, my life will never be the same.”
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