The President-Elect and Gaza

(sent to the Hartford Courant 12/28/08)

Dear Editor:

What is happening in the Gaza Strip is a massacre. Nearly 300 people have been wantonly killed by Israeli bombing. Israel and Hamas had a five month truce that was broken by Israel on Nov. 4 when its forces killed five Palestinians. Hamas unfortunately responded with missiles which over the last month injured one Israeli and caused property damage. We oppose these attacks on civilian targets, but this in no way excuses the lethal bombardment by Israel on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

More important is understanding of the overall Palestinian treatment at the hands of Israelis over the last 60 years: hundreds of villages destroyed, the majority of the Palestinian people made refugees, settlers constantly taking new land, thousands of homes demolished, the remaining land divided and surrounded by walls, checkpoints, army bases and Jewish only roads. Gaza is a special case, at best a prison for a million and a half people and now under medieval siege where even UN food for refugees is barred. 80% of the population is living on less than two dollars a day, unemployment hovers at 60% and just 195 factories remain open out of 3,900 in 2005.

No doubt the Bush Administration shamefully gave the Israelis permission to launch the Gaza Massacre as it approved so many vile acts by the Israeli government in the past. Appeals to the President are useless.

So we call on President-elect Obama to speak out and condemn these attacks and demand their end. He should call for the suspension of all military and economic aid to Israel until it complies.

Stopping this spasm of violence is only a short run measure. We all know the attacks and counterattacks will end only if there is a fair peace settlement. The way to that settlement is plain. It must be based on full respect for Palestinian human rights. At minimum it must include full withdrawal from land taken by Israel in 1967, the return of the refugees and an end to the segregation and second class status of Palestinians who are Israeli citizens.

President-elect Obama, Palestinians in Gaza are dying by the hundreds. The time to speak up is now.

Stanley Heller
Chairperson
Middle East Crisis Committee
New Haven

David Amdur
Southbury
American Friends Service Committee

Mary Ann Davis
Green Party

Christopher Daniel Tholen
Middletown

Benjamin J. George
New Haven

Adam M. Helfgott
Substitute Teacher
Middletown, Connecticut

Fahd Rafiq
East Haddam,
graduate student, CCSU

Justine McCabe
New Milford

Stephen V. Kobasa
New Haven, CT

Liz Aaronsohn
New Britain
We Refuse to Be Enemies

Michael Winterfield,
West Hartford
We Refuse to be Enemies

Sally Joughin
New Haven CT
criminal justice reform activist

Lou Ann Villani
West Haven
nurse

Ioanna Gutas
New Haven
retired librarian

Brittany Kilburn
Southington, CT

Ruth B. Moynihan
Storrs

John Lanefski
New Haven

Frank O'Gorman,
Director, People of Faith CT
West Hartford

Leslie and Tim Craine
34 Chestnut Drive
Windsor, CT 06095.

Nina Sakun
Hartford

Liz Viering
Stonington