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End the Criminal
Israeli Siege of Gaza NOW!
Stop the Collective Punishment of the Palestinian People!
(Gaza, Palestine
January 22,
2008 Ceegaag Online)
Coalition Calls for
Emergency Protests Jan. 25-26 in
Washington,
San Francisco,
Anaheim and other cities
The A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism)
Coalition, joins with the National Council of Arab
Americans, Free Palestine Alliance, Muslim American Society
Freedom Foundation, Palestinian American Women’s
Association, Al-Awda Palestine Right of Return Coalition and
other anti-war and progressive organizations in calling for
emergency protests demanding an immediate end to the Israeli
blockade and siege of
Gaza. Protests will take place on January 25-26 at
Israeli embassies, consulates, U.S. federal buildings and
other locations.
More than 1.5 million Palestinian people living are
suffering from life-threatening shortages of food,
medicines, fuel and other vital necessities, caused by the
Israeli military’s sealing-off of one of the most densely
populated areas of the world.
Gaza City is blacked-out at night, including
hospitals. Doctors must examine patients by candlelight.
The crisis is growing more severe by the day. The
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and
the World Food Programme, which together supply food to more
than two-thirds of the population, have stated that unless
the blockade is lifted they will be forced to stop
operations by this weekend. A cut-off in aid would threaten
an already food-deprived population with mass starvation.
The great majority of
Gaza residents are from refugee families, driven out
of other parts of
Palestine when the state of Israel was created in
1948.
The Israeli government imposed a blockade on
Gaza after the
Hamas party was democratically elected in January
2006. The Bush administration backed Israel’s action. Last
week,
Israel tightened the blockade, sealing off
Gaza, supposedly because of Palestinian attacks by
the military wing of
Hamas. Yet, on December 23, 2007,
Israel rejected
Hamas call for ceasefire negotiations. Since then,
Israeli air and ground attacks have killed dozens of
Palestinians and wounded hundreds more in
Gaza, most of them civilians. In 2007, 373
Palestinians were killed in
Gaza and the
West Bank, compared to just 13 Israeli deaths.
The Israeli blockade is in clear violation of
international law, which strictly forbids collective
punishment and labels it a war crime. Article 33 of the
Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) states in part: “No
protected person may be punished for an offence he or she
has not personally committed. Collective penalties and
likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are
prohibited.”
Collective punishment is a war crime. Imposing a blockade
on the population in
Gaza is undeniably a form of collective punishment.
The U.S. government, which gives billions of dollars in
military and economic aid to
Israel every year, shares the guilt for this war
crime.
We cannot sustain our work without generous donations of
people who share our commitment to end the Iraq war and to
defend the people of
Palestine.
Please click
this link to make an urgently needed donation today.
Among the cities where emergency protests will
take place are:
Washington DC: Friday, Jan. 25 (time tba), at the Israeli
Embassy,
3514 International Dr. N.W.
San Francisco, CA: Friday, Jan. 25, 4 6 p.m.,
Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St. (near
California)
Anaheim, CA: Saturday, Jan. 26, 1 p.m. 512 S.
Brookhurst St. (Bet. Orange Ave. & Broadway)
New York, NY: Saturday, Jan. 26, 1 p.m., at the
Israeli Embassy, 43rd St. and 2nd Ave.
Chicago, IL: Tues., Jan. 29, 5pm at the Lakeshore
Theater, 3175 North Broadway (at benefit for the Friends of
the Israeli Defense Force). Initiated by ISM, endorsed by
ANSWER and others. Call
773-463-0311 for more information.
Seattle Demo: Friday, January 25, 4 p.m.,
Westlake Park, 4th & Pine Sts.
If you are planning your own protest,
please let us
know so we can post information about
your event on the ANSWER website.
Please click
this link to make an urgently needed donation today.
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
http://www.answercoalition.org/
info@internationalanswer.org
National Office in
Washington DC:
202-544-3389
New York City:
212-694-8720
Los Angeles:
323-464-1636
San Francisco:
415-821-6545
Chicago:
773-463-0311
Seattle:
206-568-1661
Bal eega dhibka dadkan haysta
oo ka daran ka ina haysta Soomaali ahaan
                          
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