"African-Americans were suffering in the 1950s and they needed relief," continued Dr. Larudee, "but the civil rights movement didn't just cover up the results of years of segregation but addressed the problem itself. The people of Gaza are not suffering life-threatening danger as a result of an earthquake or a tsunami. Their situation is the result of human rights violations."
Then Dr. Larudee talked about the boat that his group plans to send in order to relieve the siege of Gaza and that the boat shouldn't have any resistance from Israel because they can no longer control access to Gaza by sea. "Oslo gave Israel the power to patrol the waters off of Gaza. But Ariel Sharon himself stated that Oslo isn't in effect any more so the Israelis have given up that right as well. We will be making two trips -- with food, medicine and books -- and it will take two days to get from Cyprus to Gaza. And we also hope to be escorted by other volunteer boats. The Mediterranean in August is like a big party, so there will be plenty of other boats around. We also plan to have our secret weapons on board -- little old ladies and clerics." Hey, I'm a little old lady! I could come too.
"The people on this boat will be going to Gaza unarmed -- and they will be facing the third most powerful army in the world." Hmmm. Does the Princess line or the Royal Caribbean offer an entertainment package like that? I think not!
Then Mohammed Raja spoke. "Before you can get away with committing genocide, you have to make the rest of the world think that your victim is an object of fear. And so you create conditions that lead to resistance in order to justify the suppression. Ariel Sharon used to say, 'Give us just one week of quiet and we will sit down at the negotiating table.' So the Palestinians gave him three weeks of quiet. And it got to be embarrassing for Sharon because he still hadn't negotiated. So he ordered the assassination of four Palestinian leaders in order to get resistance going again." Then we had baklava for dessert.
So. There is a moral dilemma here. Is it that the Israelis should stop turning Gaza into a post-modern Auschwitz? Or is it that I should start standing up for justice and stop hiding under the bed....
I think that I would chose to keep hiding under the bed forever if it weren't for one problem. It's getting sort of crowded under here -- what with most of America down here hiding under the bed with me.
PS: Good grief! I just got word from Baghdad that I AM gonna get embedded in Iraq! And that I should get over there ASAP! So I immediately bought a ticket, flew to Qatar, spent 12 hours with my wonderful friends Betsy and Cliff in Doha and am now at an unnamed airbase in Kuwait, about to toddle off to have lunch at the DFAC! I am totally amazed.
And what was more amazing still was that as my plane winged its way from California to Qatar, we passed right over Gaza.
****
From a friend who has been to Palestine lately: Overall, our friends in Palestine are really tired. The Christians still have "hope" in their vocabulary but even for them, many of the younger generation are looking for ways to leave and start a new life elsewhere. At last some church leaders are waking up to the fact that in a very short period of time the Holy Land will be just an amusement park, another "Disneyland" but with no remaining Christian community. But how long will it take them to act?
Thankfully there are spots where weekly non-violent resistance is demonstrated like in Bil'in and Al-Khader near Bethlehem. Locals are joined by Israelis and internationals in a wonderful sign of solidarity. But even then IDF aggression towards them is over-the-top with tear gas and rubber bullets being fired resulting in injuries, some serious.
All this is allowed to happen before our very eyes and that is what is so staggering. Palestinians are clinging on to life and repeately ask me where is the call for international law and universal human rights to be upheld?
But as Jeff says, injustice cannot be sustained in the long term. What breaks my heart is all the suffering and death in the meantime which is so unnecessary.
Stillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring Today's Middle East". According to Ms. Stillwater, "It's a fabulous and entertaining book. I loved writing it. And I hope that you will love reading it too." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Flak-Jacket/dp/0978615719 or you can special order it at any independent bookstore.
I sorta knew Dr. Larudee's name was spelled wrong -- but I do have trouble remembering names. Just ask my kids. So I went back and changed it. Thanks again. Dr. Larudee is an amzaing person and I wouldn't want to spell his name wrong. And, yes, I will try to avoid getting shot in Iraq. Anbar province is fairly safe. But you know that if I do, I'll still keep on blogging from Heaven!!
by
Jane Stillwater (459 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 65 comments)
on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 11:35:33 AM
Gaza is still deemed to be occupied territory with Israel the occupying power and therefore at law responsible. There is fault on all sides but by stating that this is all self inflicted you seem to be stating that Israel is blameless and right even when it might be wrong. It is difficult to engage in reasoned discussion with a person who appears to not to be prepared to consider things from the point of view of the other side.
My personal opinion is that if I can't persuade somebody else I'm right then perhaps I might be wrong. With respect to Israel and Gaza I have formed the view after considerable study and reflection that Israels' actions in Gaza amount to slow form of genocide. I am prepared to argue my case and stand ready to be corrected
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kwalsh (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 221 comments)
on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 9:26:15 PM
Some parents in India deliberately cripple their children. As they grow deformed, they offer a pitiful sight to the public. They encourage more passers-by to drop money into the beggar bowl.
The Palestinian beggar bowl philosophy is more ambitious. They have impressed three generations with hatred, religious fanaticism and the conqueror's zeal. They believe if they make enough commotion the suckers will give them what they want just to shut them up.
Prolonged suffering doesn't register with anybody outside of India.
by
Jason Paz (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 96 comments)
on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 6:10:48 AM
You really want to do something about the plight of self-inflicted, overcrowed living quarters with 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or more living in one room...get thee on a boat for Southern California or any of the southern border states.
Some are called garage conversions; some are called vans or trucks; others are called apartments or houses where humans are jammed into sardine can, one-toilet, unsanitary quarters.
The occupants of this squalor are illegal aliens from south of the border, encourage to come here by their own government and by Bush's open door, close a blind eye immigration policies.
Frequently these inhuman conditions don't bring the freedom and financial rewards these people are seeking, but death. If not death in the beginning, they are faced with poverty as bad as that at home and in constant fear of deportation, because they are here illegally in the first place.
Our government uses them to get dirt cheap labor and their own prey on them through blackmail, extortion and crime.
Some are virtually locked into those places for weeks until they can be relocated. It's not uncommon for them to be forgotten about and go without food and/or water. They are not limited to men, but include women and children.
We have displacement of humans here, too. We allow people to be herded like animals, too.
If you're inclined to cry over self-inflicted crises, home would be a good launching pad for we are as bad as anyone else.
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Sandy Sand (172 articles, 0 quicklinks, 222 diaries, 1497 comments)
on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 12:10:18 PM
I agree with everything you said,but do not understand your ditto to Shimshon,who apparently doesn't understand the Israeli/palestinian issues are much more complex, than Hamas
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GUY P. FRASER (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 64 comments)
on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 2:22:16 PM
After returning from an interfaith Compassionate Listening journey to Israel/Palestine that I coordinated I can tell you that we heard truths on both sides. While that is nothing new, I think it's not quite fair to harness Mr. Olmert with Sharon's policies even if he was his No. 2 once upon a time. I think that people on all sides have to reach beyond the history and the posture of revisting the case for victim hood and find common purpose in a new mission that offers boths sides security and the human rights necessary to live and prosper.
Shalom-Salaam-Peace,
Larry Snider
by
Larry Snider (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 10 comments)
on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 3:41:54 PM
9 comments
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