One Year on from Operation Cast Lead: Greens call for Justice for War Crimes in Gaza

With a deafening silence coming from the 3 main parties about the appalling situation in Gaza, I am proud to be a member of a party which gives a damn:

One Year on from Operation Cast Lead: Greens call for Justice for War Crimes in Gaza

The 6th January marked the 1st anniversary of the Israeli airforce bombing of al-Fakhora school in Jabaliya refugee Camp in Gaza. The assault was part of ‘Operation Cast Lead’ which included airstrikes and a land invasion of the Gaza Strip killing more than 1,300 Gazans, including more than 300 children over the course of 22 days. Caroline Lucas MEP and Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion added: “One year on from the bombardment, we demand justice for the war crimes committed on the people of Gaza. “Israel must be subject to the Geneva Convention concerning the rights of individuals and communities, in the same way that other states are.. The resort to ‘collective punishment’ in defiance of those requirements is completely unacceptable. While we condemn the actions of the Israeli Defence Force, we also condemn the Hamas qassam rocket attacks: Greens firmly believe that there cannot be a resolution based on the use of violence.”

Phelim Mac Cafferty joint International Coordinator of the Green Party stated: “One year on from the start of Operation Cast Lead, it is clear that the Israeli Defence Force believes it can act with impunity, committing what the UN described as war crimes in the bombing of the United Nations school in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp.[1] Over 40 died in the attack on the school which was packed with hundreds of people who had been ordered out of their homes with Israeli Defence Force leaflet drops and loudspeakers, in what the UN described a 'complete absence of accountability.' The Israeli action has been completely counterproductive to the prospects for peace.
“Throughout Operation Cast Lead: --Israel refused to act on the instructions of the UN Council which requested that it stop its bombardment; --The explicitly illegal bombing of built-up areas with white phosphorous was wide spread; --Such significant damage was caused to the infrastructure of Gaza, that Green MEPs, Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas, wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK calling on the Israeli Government to refund the EU for its investment in the Gazan infrastructure. “Gaza is a country where the poverty rate stands at 76% and the unemployment rate at 45%.[2] Geographically, it’s about the size of the Isle of Man except with a population of 1.5million where over half are aged under 15. Phelim concluded: “The Green Party demands an immediate lifting of the blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel which has caused a humanitarian crisis with food, fuel and medicine being blocked now since June 2007.[3] There is no military solution to the Middle East conflict. Peace is the common need of all people in the region but will only be sustained when there is justice felt by both Palestine and Israel.”

[1]http://www.palestinecampaign.org/files/4MayGltrtoSCBrd.pdf
[2]http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_weekly_briefing_note_2008_11_25_english.pdf
[3]Israel has issued a written list of goods banned from import into Gaza. The list, which has baffled UN officials, includes spices, kitchenware, glassware, yarn and paper. John Ging, director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, The Washington Post 15 November 2008 said:

Viva Palestina convoy crosses in to Gaza

You will be pleased to hear that the Viva Palestina convoy has finally passed through the Rafah crossing into Gaza.



The convoy of nearly 200 vehicles, which started their journey at the beginning of December has had every possible obsticle and diversion thrown in its path by Egypt and Israel. The activists deserve our upmost thanks for taking this long and at times dangerous journey. They have not only helped deliver much needed aid to the people of Gaza but helped remind people that the blockade imposed by Israel is still in place.

Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur stated last month that 'two urgent priorities must be stressed on this dismal anniversary: first, Israel 's allies must demand, with a commitment reinforced by a credible threat of economic sanctions, that Israel immediately end its illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip. Second, the Goldstone Report's recommendations, having confirmed the commission of war crimes possibly amounting to Crimes Against Humanity, by Israel and Hamas, must be fully and swiftly implemented.'

Tabloid stupidity

If you look at the cover of the Daily Express today you will see the most ridiculous headlines of the year so far - SNOW CHAOS: AND THEY STILL CLAIM IT'S GLOBAL WARMING



It is unbelievable that despite the overwhelming evidence you still end up with headlines like this.

Unfortunately the readership of such right wing tabloids believe this rubbish. A poll in the Daily Mail last week asked - 'Do you believe global warming is caused by man?'. Disturbingly only 20% answered yes!

You have to ask what hope there is for us with this level of ignorance in the country and some of the right wing media.

Convoy to Gaza at crisis point

The following is from Viva Palestina convoy:

To all friends of Palestine

Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish.

This late afternoon we were negotiating with a senior official from Cairo who left negotiations some two hours ago and did not return. Our negotiations with the official was regarding taking our aid vehicles into Gaza.

He left two hours ago and did not come back. Egyptian authorities called over 2,000 riot police who then moved towards our camp at the port.

We have now blocked the entrance to the port and we are now faced with riot police and water cannons and are determined to defend our vehicles and aid.

The Egyptian authorities have by their stubbornness and hostility towards the convoy, brought us to a crisis point.

We are now calling upon all friends of palestine to mount protests in person where possible, but by any means available to Egyptian representatives, consulates and Embassy's and demand that the convoy are allowed a safe passage into Gaza tomorrow!


Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina Convoy Leader

Follow the York contingent at http://twitter.com/yorktogaza and http://www.yorktogaza.blogspot.com/

and the main Viva Palestina feed at http://www.twitter.com/viva_palestina and http://vivapalestina.org/

Support the campaign to get Lowkey's 'Long Live Palestine - Pt 2' into the charts

Getting this song into the charts will reach a whole new audience who do not follow the news too closely or are aware of the suffering in Palestine:

Lowkey - 'Long Live Palestine part 2'

DOWNLOAD IT NOW

PLACES TO DOWNLOAD FROM:

http://bit.ly/7AILEC - Amazon (UK)

http://bit.ly/52cmcw - Play


***LOWKEY HAS JUST OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT 50% OF MONIES RAISED FROM THIS SINGLE WILL GO TO INTERPAL, THE OTHER 50% WILL GO TO ISLAMIC RELIEF'S PALESTINE GAZA STRIP AID APPEAL .***

With all this talk about protest songs and the like, we thought it was time to make a group in Support of a fantastic rapper who goes by the name of Low-Key.
This group was set up with the intention of publicising his new single, Long Live Palestine Pt 2 which will be released to download on the 1st of January 2010.
**In order to get this in the charts, we should start downloading it on the 3rd of January**

The timing of this release is significant, as it will be released exactly one year after Israel devastated the Gaza strip with countless bombing raids and ground infantry attacks, leaving thousands of civilians dead, wounded or homeless.

**We have chosen Families Relief as our charity if you wish to make a donation along side purchasing Lowkey's track. One of the reasons we have chosen Families Relief is because they give 100% of their donations to charity

Please take the time to donate:

http://www.justgiving.com/lowkey4charts **

More about Lowkey:
Lowkey (born Kareem Dennis, 23 May 1986) is a British musician, poet, playwright and political activist of English and Iraqi descent. He first came to fame through a series of mix tapes he released before he was 18, before taking a hiatus from the music business. He would return in 2008 with wider music coverage, featured on BBC Radio and appearing at various festivals and concerts including the Electric Proms, Glastonbury, T in the Park and Oxygen in the build up to his first solo album, as well as collaborating with other famous British musicians to form the group known as Mongrel.

Families Relief do a lot of good work around the world in places such as Palestine, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq and many more places - helping out families and orphans.
If you can't afford to make a donation, then just make dua for all of our brothers and sisters struggling to survive around the world. Please just pray for them.

It's been a year now since the last Israeli massacre in Palestine. Insha'Allah we can get Lowkey into the charts and raise awareness once more and bring Palestine back into people's minds. The media may have gotten bored of it, but the people of Palestine are still struggling long after the bombs have been dropped.

http://www.justgiving.com/lowkey4charts




Available: 1st January 2010 (Start downloading on the 3rd)
Artist: Lowkey
Title: Long Live Palestine pt. 2
Download Via: iTunes

*When this song becomes available to buy and download, we will post all relevant details here.

PREVIEW OF SONG:

URGENT ISRAELI NAVY BLOCK VIVA PALESTINA AID CONVOY

The following is from the Irish4Palestine blog:

URGENT ISRAELI NAVY BLOCK VIVA PALESTINA AID CONVOY
I just got am urgent report from the Derry to Gaza team on the Viva Palestina convoy in Syria with the latest developments which are not very good for the Convoy or Gaza:

The boats were loaded with aid today and ready to leave for AL Arish, the plan was that we would meet them there, as we would fly to Al Arish and arrive before the boats.

However, the update is that the Israelis have just announced that they will be performing military operations in these waters and therefore the aid has no way of passing through these waters. So there is no point getting flights to Al Arish tomorrow as the aid wont be arriving. Of course, it now seems highly unlikely that we will get to the Rafah crossing between the 3rd and 6th when Egypt said the gates would be open to us. The Convoy is now brought to a total standstill. The Israelis have pulled a very dirty tactic here if what we are hearing is true. For now this is all we are hearing. More updates when we get them.

Derry to Gaza Team

Leopards and Tories cannot change their spots

I just want to scream at the radio every time I hear David Cameron using the word 'change'. The Tories think that by putting the word change into every speech will help repeat the success which Obama saw.

The cynical use of the word change is plastered across their website and used a total of 8780 times. His New Year speech uses the word change or changes 23 times.

The only change we will see from a Tory government is a change back to the selfish individualist policies we saw from Thatcher in the 80s. Giving tax breaks to the rich, running down public services and giving the toffs back their barbaric hunting practices.



[The original cartoon by Martin Rowson can be found on the Guardian website]