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www.jvp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sydney Levy, cell: 415-994-4854 sydney@jvp.org American Jewish group with 65,000 online supporters opposes war on Gaza, calls for immediate ceasefire Almost three weeks into "Operation Cast Lead," American group Jewish Voice for Peace continues to condemn Israel's assault on Gaza, and calls on Jews and others of conscience to speak out against the siege. We echo the report [http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20090114.asp] issued several days ago by 9 Israeli human rights organizations: Israel's military operations in Gaza pose a "clear and present danger to the lives and well-being of tens of thousands of civilians." In Gaza, "the level of harm to the civilian population is unprecedented" while "military forces are making wanton use of lethal force." We support their call for investigations into suspected war crimes by Israeli officials. As of yesterday, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli assault, including 335 children and many more civilians. Nearly 5,000 have been wounded, many paralyzed for life. [http://gazaeng.blogspot.com/] Tens of thousands have fled their homes - but Gaza is entirely sealed off, so there is nowhere to hide, no safe haven for civilians, no escape corridor for civilians to flee the air, sea and land attacks. Electricity and running water are scarce, the health system has collapsed and sewage is running through the streets in some areas. Inside of Israel, rockets continue to rain down, hitting population centers like Beer Sheba and Ashkelon and causing widespread fear. We condemn these ongoing rocket attacks, which indiscriminately target civilians. 13 Israelis have been killed, 3 of them civilians, with over 82 civilians injured. Jewish Voice for Peace: * Calls on all Americans to support Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution calling for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" and "unrestricted humanitarian access" to Gaza. Call your congressperson [http://capwiz.com/justforeignpolicy/callalert/index.tt?alertid= 12384741] or write them [http://capwiz.com/justforeignpolicy/issues/alert/?alertid= 12361911] * Joins the call from Human Rights Watch (and others) for Israel to stop using white phosphorous, an incendiary tool permissible in the laws of war as an "obscurant" - but when used in densely populated Gaza, causes widespread, horrific burning of the skin. [http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/01/10/israel-stop-unlawful-use-white-phosphorus- gaza-0] * Demands an end to the vicious siege on Gaza, which brought the population to the brink of humanitarian disaster with extreme shortages of food, water, fuel and medical supplies. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-israel-palestine ) * Calls for an end to the 41 years of occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, including an immediate end to the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Only when Palestinians and Israelis are both equally free to decide their own sovereignty will there be peace. One bright spot in the midst of this terrible darkness is the explosion of dissent in all corners of the globe. We are especially moved by the Israelis who refuse to fall in line with the drumbeat of war: those like Nomika Zion in southern Gaza who, despite living terrified under rocket fire, stand up to say "Not in my name...The bloodbath in Gaza is not in my name nor for my security." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nomika-zion/war- diary-from-sderot_b_157497.html) or the group "Other Voice" (http:// www.othervoice.org/welcome-eng.htm), made up of Israelis living under the threat of qassams, who call for Israel to end the attack and strike a truce with Hamas (http://www.othervoice.org/cgi-bin/petition1.pl). We are inspired by those Israeli soldiers who refuse to fight this civilian population (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cMs0nai4JQ), some of whom are already in jail for their refusal (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054861.html); those Israelis who gather every week to demand their country halt its assault and end the siege (photos here: http://things.co.il/, video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC-nYroSgAc), or protest everyday at countless intersections throughout the country; and especially those Israelis who stand outside Sde Dov air force base in Tel Aviv every morning to remind the pilots that they every day they drop their bombs on civilians (http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/4560/1416660). In North America, we are inspired by the thousands of people who have gone into the streets for protests, like in New York (link to photos?), Los Angeles (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/jewish-activist.html), San Francisco (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewishvoiceforpeace/sets/72157612617494504/), and especially the Jewish women who held a sit-in the Israeli consulate in Toronto, telling the Israeli authorities that "we'll end our occupation when you end yours." (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/563126) JVP supporters, now numbering 65,000, have sent tens of thousands of letters to Congress, Israel's Minister of Defense, and even Jon Stewart, thanking him for his coverage of Gaza on the Daily Show (www.thankyoujonstewart.com). We are hopeful that more journalists and op-ed page editors will tell the truth about Gaza and Israel. (like the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123002661.html and the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123154826952369919.html). And we are grateful to our friends at Jewish Peace News (http:// jewishpeacenews.blogspot.com) for bringing us insightful analysis and timely reports on dissent against the war. _____________________________________________________________________ About Jewish Voice for Peace: Jewish Voice for Peace is one of America's largest national grassroots groups dedicated to reaching a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians based on the principles of international human rights law. Our advisory board includes some of America's top artists and thinkers including Tony Kushner, Adrienne Rich and Howard Zinn. We work with activists in Palestine and Israel, and in broad coalition with other Jewish, Arab-American, faith-based, and peace and social justice organizations to support the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for justice, security and self-determination. # # # # |
