Stop the War in GAZA

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Comment by philip lewis on January 12, 2009 at 9:43pm

Comment by philip lewis on January 12, 2009 at 9:41pm

Comment by philip lewis on January 12, 2009 at 9:40pm

Comment by luisella valeri on January 12, 2009 at 9:04pm

Majed is an heroe of courage and peace will!
I'm honored to be her friend!

Comment by Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva on January 12, 2009 at 8:23pm

with majed writting seem that tehre is a hope like a light tunel in the dark nught of this time of life in israel and palestin.Hope so because the anger for power and gold of the leaders behiond the leaders is heavy

Comment by Majed Abusalama on January 12, 2009 at 9:20am

Tel Aviv rally decries Gaza assault




Israel's left-wing residents gather to add their voice against the assault on Gaza [AFP]

Amid cries of "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies!" and banners reading, "Enough!" thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest against the country's war on Gaza.

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Protesters called for an immediate end to the Israeli attacks, in which more than 450 Palestinians have been killed and around 2,100 injured since air assaults on Gaza began last Saturday.

Organisers, a coalition of groups such as Gush Shalom, the Hadash party and the Coalition of Women for Peace, were encouraged by the turnout.

"We have experience from the last war, in Lebanon, and this time the public outcry is much quicker and much bigger," said veteran Gush Shalom campaigner Uri Avnery.

"It is a cynical war, for political reasons and people are very much aware of that."

Palestinian-Israelis who demonstrated alongside Jewish co-nationalists waved the Palestinian flag, as police attempt to ban such a practice before the protest was overruled by the Israeli high court.

Earlier on Saturday, about 10,000 demonstrators, predominantly Palestinian-Israelis, protested in the northern Galilee village of Sakhnin.

Many of the demonstrators expressed a desire show another side of the Israeli equation amid overwhelming public support for the current attacks.

"There are people who think differently," said 24-year-old Iya Michlin, from Tel Aviv.

"It is important that the world, and especially the Arab world, sees that."

Others were clear in their requirements from the Israeli government.

"I want them to start talking," said Raquel Mendelson, 65, from the central Israeli town, Rehovot.

"You can't continue to believe that you can fight attacks with more attacks. It's time to talk, not to die - not here and not there."

Balance sought

Some demonstrators were critical of the Hamas government in Gaza, but argued for a sense of balance.

"It is pathetic that Hamas provoked Israel," said Ada Bilu, 46, from Jerusalem.

"But there is no proportion and no equality in the power relations, of what Israelis can do and what Palestinians can do. Gaza is a terrible place to live and Israel has a lot more responsibility for that than it would like to take."

A group of counter-demonstrators also attended the event and were cordoned off from the main demonstrations by police on numerous occasions.

The event sporadically turned into a contest of slogans, as counter-demonstrators shouted "Shame on you!" and "Let the Israeli army win!" while anti-war protesters responding with "The army is a terror organisation!" and "Children in Gaza and in Sderot want to live!"

Such demonstrations by the Israeli left-wing are typically dismissed as unrepresentative within Israeli society. According to a poll commissioned by Haaretz newspaper days ago, 53 per cent of Israelis believe that the air force should continue its assaults on Gaza, and only 19 per cent thought the government should negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible.


Israeli police arrest a demonstrator [AFP]

The poll also showed low support – 19 per cent – for a ground invasion of Gaza.

Analysts suggest that this figure reflects public sentiment about the defence forces, which are more at risk in ground attacks.

"The value of a soldier’s life is perceived as worth more than a civilian," says professor Tamara Hermann, co-author of a monthly peace poll monitoring Israeli public opinion.

"There is an understanding in the public discourse that Israeli soldiers are all our children – that is why they are so dear to us."

But it is concern over residents in southern Israel, 700,000 of whom are now within range of rocket attacks from Gaza, that has kept some left-wing groups silent over the current Israeli assaults on the strip.

"There is a lot of solidarity and empathy with the people in Gaza and all the talk is of Israeli action being disproportionate," says Yael Patir, Israeli co-ordinator of the Peace NGO forum, a Palestinian-Israeli affiliation group established to campaign against the current war.

"But there have been internal arguments inside our camp, because some say that, if Qassams [rockets] are falling on residents in the south, we can’t claim that Israel shouldn’t attack Hamas at any price.

Israelis don't want to see other Israelis bombarded by Hamas and this is causing a serious dilemma."

Comment by Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva on January 12, 2009 at 6:09am

athst´s right jeff thanks.

Comment by Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva on January 12, 2009 at 4:46am

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU AT EVERY COMMENT,MY HOPE IS OF COURSE THAT THIS STOPS RIGHT NOW,BUT TO ASSURE IT TO STAY THAT WAY WE MUST TECH CHILDREN, THAT IS MY IDEA. MUST SRTOP RIGHT KNOW TRUTH, BUT THEY ARE VERY STUBURN AND VERY AMBICIOUS THEY WNAT THE GAS GOLDEN IN THE PALESTIN SOIL AND A DO NOT THINK THEY WILL STOP JUST THAT
HAMMAS WILL ATTACK SO THE ISRAEL ARMY CAN HAVE THE REASON IN THEIR SIDE TO DO THE SAME SO BOTH AHMMAS AND ISRAEL ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME GANG OF KILLERS.

Comment by Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva on January 12, 2009 at 4:17am

Jeff, no I didnot know that but I imagine, I ask in one of my first writting swhy this war, now I understand, so, they want the gas in palestin but again if this is so, nothing will stpo them,, tou know we are having our oun fight in small maner to say .They want our oil and do not let goverment to have a good result ,I believe that this "economic breakdown" this crash of our sistem is nothong but that? so the goverments taht rule their oil resources canot grow like brazil, venezuela, etc.But so if it is this way and we have not the force to fight no matter tjhe reasons, the only hope is the future, and it is no doubt about it LOVE sorry fot being a dreamer.

Comment by Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva on January 11, 2009 at 10:15pm

thats right Jeff but tell how many years is this war in Gaza? and the only things that children there and every where learn is Hate remember that the soldiers today were thew childrens of yesterday and that is what they learned then so if we pretend to change the mind of man of more than 20 years old NEVER but NEVER you will get anythiong at all,That is why I do believe that if we teach children in no more than 10 years peace will reign all over the earth so what about if we could ask the UN to put as a copromise to their associated memebers to teach good relationship brotherhood frienship and love as the main legal, moral and ethical principals of life and when they became leaders of their countries they wil act as it should be- Do you think this is a bad dream? Do you think that thiosd could not be accomplsihed? do you think that you can change the mind of the soldier taht killed the young woman in Gaza withj his tractor? sorry I am a dreamer but beleiver strong in good feelings

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