Israelis demonstrate against Gaza siege

[ 03/01/2010 - 10:44 AM ]

TEL AVIV, (PIC)--

Hundreds of Israeli leftists and Arabs demonstrated Saturday night in Tel Aviv to mark the first anniversary of the Israeli war on Gaza Strip codenamed "Cast Lead".

The Hebrew radio reported that the demonstrators demanded an end to the siege on Gaza and an investigation into the Israeli army's war crimes during that operation.

Meanwhile, tens of foreign activists took part in Nablus on Saturday night in a sit-in organized by civil institutions in the city to mark the same anniversary and to denounce the Israeli occupation forces' (IOF) assassination of three Fatah activists.

The participants lit candles and shouted slogans against security coordination with the Israeli occupation authority (IOA).

They asked the Palestinian factions to unite and called on Hamas and Fatah to return to dialog and to sign national reconciliation to confront the IOA dangers.

The foreign activists delivered a statement declaring support for the Palestinian people, and described the IOF war on Gaza as a war on humanity.

Anti-Zionist Jews in Gaza Published

Ma'an, January 3, 2010

American members of Neturei Karta, an international organization of anti-Zionist Jews marched on the Erez crossing to Gaza on 31 December 2009, to protest against Israel's ongoing blockade against the Gaza Strip, which prevents 1.5 million Palestinians from receiving sufficient aid and stifles both economy and population.

The march coincides with the anniversary of Israel's deadly assault against the Gaza Strip last winter, which killed over 1,400 Palestinians. A delegation of 1,400 international activists were set to march towards the Erez crossing from Gaza on the same day but were prohibited from entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing by Egyptian authorities. Only 86 members of the group, organized by CODEPINK, were allowed entry.

The Erez crossing, between the north of Gaza and Israel, was closed in 2007 following Hamas' takeover of the coastal Strip. Now, only few Palestinians are allowed to transit via Erez, whereas prior to the Israeli closure, many Palestinians traveled through the border for work. Many Palestinians found their permits revoked by Israel, which has in turn grievously affected household incomes as the rate of unemployment in Gaza continues to soar.

Additionally, the Sufa crossing remains indefinitely closed, while the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings and the Nahal Oz fuel terminal are opened sporadically by Israeli authorities.

This has resulted not only in an overall shortage of basic necessities, but also a severe shortage in domestic gas needed for cooking and industrial diesel used for Gaza's only power plant. Palestinians now face a sever gas crisis, with frequent electricity cuts experienced particularly in the south.

The United Nations Office For the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that between 16 and 22 December "Entry of ... major essential goods, including materials for reconstruction ... remain either restricted to limited quantities, or barred from entry entirely" which has impaired the reconstruction effort following the war as many Palestinians still remain homeless during the winter months.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect enter Gaza to show support for Palestinians

Sunday January 03, 2010 09:32 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Members of the ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta Jewish sect celebrated the Jewish Sabbath in Gaza City on Saturday, after having entered the besieged Gaza Strip as part of a solidarity caravan in support of the Palestinian people suffering under Israeli occupation.

Neturei Karta is an Orthodox Jewish group that believes only the Messiah can create the state of Israel, and that the creation of the state on Palestinian land in 1948 was against Jewish holy law. The group is small, counting several thousand members, mainly in the US and Europe.

Members of the group were welcomed into the predominantly Muslim Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian government led by the Hamas party (which was elected to power in 2006) reiterated that they are not opposed to Jewish people, but to the policies of the state of Israel.

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of New York told reporters, "It's crucial that the people of Gaza understand the terrible tragedy here is not in the name of Judaism.”

He was referring to the 'tragedy' of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip one year ago which lasted for three weeks and resulted in over 1400 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces (the vast majority of whom were not involved in any resistance), and 5 Israeli civilians killed by Palestinian fighters.

The four members of Neturei Karta entered Gaza along with around 100 other international supporters of the people of Gaza to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Israeli invasion. Over 1200 others were prevented by the Egyptian government from entering Gaza.