by Christian Wright
(origionally published on laughingfish.blogspot.com)
According to the Denver Post, which is not known for being a pro-Palestinian journal, the state of Israel had by January 3rd "killed more than 460 people and left 1,700 injured..." through air strikes alone. Deaths resulting from the ground invasion are as yet unclear, though it is obvious the above number is now outdated.
Less apparently newsworthy is the fact that by January 3rd, 2009, only FOUR Israelis had been killed by Palestinians' Quassam rockets. This is claimed by Israel to be sufficiently outrageous to justify unleashing one of the world's deadliest and best equipped militaries upon the people of Gaza, who reside in one of the most heavily populated areas on the globe.
Yet the proportion since the "cease fire" ended of 115 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military for every one Israeli killed by Hamas' generally ineffective, home made rockets does not even tell the whole story, as absurd and enraging as that statistic alone may be. Almost entirely missing from every American account of the conflict is the fact that residents of Gaza have been living under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade for years. There is no convenient way to tabulate the deaths, not the mention the far harder to measure emotional trauma, inflicted upon these people by Israel's methodical destruction of their economy and infrastructure. The Israel Navy's recent decision to ram and threaten to sink a private ship attempting to deliver medical supplies to the besieged gazans graphically illustrated the reality of this blockade. Were it not for that incident millions who heard about it on the news might very well not have known that a blockade even exists at all.
On January 3rd, for the second time in less than a week, Denverites of conscience added their voices and their solidarity to the wave of worldwide protest which erupted in response to Israel's recent escalation of aggression. Approximately 70 people assembled in front of the state capital from 2 to 4pm to make their voices heard. The crowd was about 60 percent persons of middle eastern and Palestinian descent, with the rest being made up by members of Denver's progressive and activist community. The political composition of the crowd was quite diverse. It seems every shade of ideological perspective, organization, and non organization was represented, from anarchist vegetarians, to liberals and pacifists holding UN flags, to toddlers barely young enough to walk unassisted and everything in between. Clearly the sign of a healthy and a broad movement, albeit of rather modest size.
The fact that snow flurried intermittently throughout the day, and the temperature was 25 degrees F at 2pm ("feels like: 18 degrees", according to weather.com), seemed only to harden their resolve, and emphasize the seriousness of the situation. As one clearly under dressed protester put it, "We're here to show solidarity with the people of Palestine. What's going on over there is really fucked up. Holding a sign isn't much but it does say something when you're out here in the cold."
The solemness of the occasion was broken by a series of chants projected from a megaphone obtained by Food Not Bombs. A young speaker in his teens led the crowd,
"Free Free Palestine/ End this Genocide"
"Shame Shame Israel / Shame on Arab Leaders"
"What do we want/ Peace - When do we want it / now"
Cars passed, several hoking their horns in support, to the welcome surprise of many protesters. While a video crew did show up to take pictures and conduct interviews, sadly neither of the city's major dailies felt compelled to cover the demonstration in their Sunday issues. This is of course not to say the crowd had nothing worthwhile to say, as I soon found out by taking the opportunity to speak with several of those demonstrating whom I did not recognize.
Adel, a Lybian by birth who has lived in Denver since 1983, took pains to express the fact that he was by no means an "activst", or even a generally "political" person. In his words, "This is the first time I come to something like this, in my whole life. I used to be a regular guy, keep to myself, and not get involved. But I saw on the news... Yesterday I went to the mosque to pray, and heard about [the protest]. Coming here to stand with the people is the least I can do."
Najah, a woman of Palestinian birth, who attended the rally with her husband, Hassan, and two children, was representative of much of the crowd. Not an "activist", she like many others heard about the demonstration by word of mouth, and was determined to add her voice to those assembled.
"I'm here to say end the war in Gaza... They kill people... and to demand protection for Palestinians in Gaza, especially for children and women, and to call for an intervention to stop [the war]."
After translating for me, her husband added, with approximately one hundred times the degree of intelligence evidenced by any of the commentators allowed on major new networks:
"I believe the US has the power to stop this. Unfortunately the American actions so far have been to support Israel, and to justify war crimes... It's a one sided, immoral, inhuman war. Even if we accept retaliation it should be in equitable amounts. So far Palestinian rockets have killed four Israelis. Israel retaliates by dropping "bunker buster", 2,000 lb bombs on a mosque and an orphanage. If this is the land of the free- all Palestinians have been supporting for years is their freedom. I wonder if Americans are truthful to their own principles, to their own moral imperatives. "
For further reading:
Israel's War of Terror
(Haidar Eid, Palestinian activist and Gaza City resident, discusses the airstrikes with Eric Ruder)
Molten Lead in Gaza
(Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist, discusses the road of the continued blockade in the collapse of the "ceasefire")
America Must Stop Shirking its Responsibility on Gaza
(Ralph Nader calls out the American Political Establishment)
CounterPunch.org
(has several good articles over the past few days)
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Comments
Great article, thanks for the
January 5, 2009 by ringokamens, 46 weeks 8 hours ago
Comment id: 3375
Great article, thanks for the original reporting!
Gaza never gets a Fair shake
January 7, 2009 by phil, 45 weeks 5 days ago
Comment id: 3379
It's nice to see coverage that at least tries to tell the other side. I get so fatigued by the one sided coverage I see elsewhere. The embargo of the Gaza Strip has been part of the reason why many Palestinians feel betrayed by the West. The fact is we in the West have done to little to demand that our policies in that part of the world be fair and even handed.
Saturday Jan 10th Is International day of solidarity with Gaza
January 8, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 4 days ago
Comment id: 3386
Anyone know what is planned in Denver this Sat.? Cant get to DC.
Thanks
International Solidarity with Gaza
January 8, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 4 days ago
Comment id: 3390
What a great idea. I'm going to express my solidarity in the following way. I hope you will join me.
1. Drag my neighbor from him home and shoot him in the knees because he called code enforcement about my barking dog.
2. Teach my children to hate anyone who isn't like me (especially the evil joooos) and encourage them to take on a life a sacrifice that includes blowing themselves up among a crowd on infidels in a shopping mall.
3. Wrap my wife in a sheet from head to toe because I don't trust her around the neighborhood and kick her down the stairs if she doesn't do exactly what I say when I tell her to do it.
Please don't wait until Saturday. You can start these easy steps immediately and show solidarity with our Hamas brothers in Gaza
Wow.. some people are so
January 8, 2009 by ringokamens, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3391
Wow.. some people are so uneducated. Normally I would delete a racist post like this, but I'm just going to go ahead and leave it up so people can see how closed-minded and ignorant the poster is.
It isn't as much solidarity as....
January 10, 2009 by eurie shitbag, 45 weeks 2 days ago
Comment id: 3406
It isn't as much solidarity as it is, well, to just plain stop the us involvment in Isrial/Palistien conflict (or at least just let the world know that not all "Americans" are (for lack of better words) pieces of shit. Kind of like "WALKERIE" (VALKERIE) in World War 2. Stofenburg wanted to let the world know that just because you were a German in Hittlers rein weren't all Nazi's. they were just mierly doing thier job that they were most likely forced into. "long live sacred Germant"-Stofenburg, 1943. Well we are not in Germany but we do live in the 4th Riech, and like Stofeburg was trying to say (but most Mtv babies that the only thing they care about is"entertainment" (which might i add doesn't naturaly exist) don't really care about what he had to say they only care that "it could have been sumed up in 20 minutes"). So in sayingv that i say "long live sacred self".
To the Author of the racist
January 8, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3393
To the Author of the racist comment posted above.
Get educated, jackass. While your at it, seek treatment for you xeno and Islamophobia. I pity your fearful ass. You are too stupid to realize that while you attempt sick humor mocking what you believe Palestinians and most likely any Muslim, Arab, or brown skinned middle-easterner (I'm sure you have and use plenty of more derogatory terms) you have actually described yourself and the very thing this country, along with Israel feed their populations every day. Hence your idiocy. I'm sure you would deny the holocaust as well - if that were the line of bullshit the US propaganda machine was selling. Anyone denying the genocide taking place in Gaza right now, a result of US and Israeli policies and aggression, is on the same level of those who denied the Genocide in Europe Russia and China during World War 2. Fucking diseased bigot. Your mentality - "A-rab = terrorist." The mentality of normal humans, as opposed to soulless fuckwits like yourself - Genocide = WRONG, period.
Red Cross finds starving children with 12 corpses in Gaza ’house of horrors’
google it.
Racism is Ugly
January 9, 2009 by phil, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3397
The racist comments of the author of "International Solidarity with Gaza" should serve as a stark reminder that hate is a powerful force. It is true that for those of us who operate from a place of reason and compassion that this mans comments are seen for what they are. It is also sadly true that for many of our fellows who do not question their world and are ruled by fear, hate and xenophobic tendencies these comments resonate.
Let us all hope that one day people like the author above will come to see how shameful comments like the one above are. No one that holds views like the ones expressed above comes to a site like COIMC to validate their world outlook. To me, it is obvious that this author came here to COIMC to spread hate and incite those who do not think like him, or her.
Why call "me" a racist?
January 9, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3398
Hey you peace-loving radicals,
Why are you calling me a racist? If you'll read my post, you'll notice I didn't refer to race, religion. or color. Just the need to show solidarity with the poor misunderstood people of Gaza in a rather tounge in cheek manner. I find it odd, however, that you all decided I was talking about Arab Muslims. Is that because the traits I described are known to be associated with these people?
Oh and thanks to your moderator <>
Why would you normally delete a post like mine. Does your community have a problem with dissenting opinion? I find many of the opinions on this site loathsome in the extreme, but I don't seek to censor them. I posted here because I support the free and open exchange of ideas. How about you?
You are a Racist
January 9, 2009 by phil, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3400
You are a racist! COIMC does support dissenting opinions, having said that, COIMC does not support hate speech and or hurtful opinions that are hateful. I would point out that your post was left up for all to see. If you can't see that your comments are racist then that says a lot about you. If you can't understand that, as you say, "the free and open exchange of ideas" requires that there is respect given to the people on both sides of the exchange then that to says a lot about you.
I believe that you want to inflame peoples passions rather then there thoughts. Perhaps you find so much of what you read here loathsome because it challenges your own short sited view of the world.
Why do you post here if so much of what you read is loathsome to you? What bothers you so much about the opinions of other with whom you disagree? Why would you choose to post comments that, are on the face, seemed designed to insult rather then persuade?
re: moderation
January 9, 2009 by ringokamens, 45 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 3401
This is the moderator you're talking about. I would normally delete your post because it's promoting racial stereotypes and islamophobia, contains what would be classified by the average person as "hate speech", etc. The reason I left it up is because I think that nobody's going to come to a reasonable conclusion if we don't push our boundaries a little. In general, it's true that the person who gets the most upset during an argument/debate is usually also the person who learns the most from it. In this case, that includes quite a few people on both sides of the little flame war we've got going on here, including yourself.
Denver schedule?
January 9, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 2 days ago
Comment id: 3403
Anyone have any info on The International day of solidarity with Gaza in Denver? Times or Place? Thank You!
Protest Israel support demo
January 10, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 2 days ago
Comment id: 3409
Are we organizing to counter the Israel demo Sun Jan 11 2 pm State Capitol?
5 out of 4 Progressives Say I'm A Racist
January 10, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 3416
Hey, what can I say. I am what I eat? After all, I've lived on a steady diet of hateful talk from the Religion of Peace (I don't want to say anything that might be hurtful to any minorities) who have been telling the world that if they don't convert they'll be killed. The talk's not new, it's been going on since the seventh century. You know what, if I'm a racist for not wanting to join a medievil religion that thinks butchering innocent women and children is OK, that thinks throwing acid in the face of girls just because they want to go to school is religiously sanctioned, that glorifies the torture and defilement of people who believe differently...well OK you got me. I admit it, I hate the haters.
On the other hand, your bloggers have little credibility and I can't help but wonder if there is a wide straek of Jew hatered running in this community. I haven't seen much in the way of criticism of Hamas here. Why not? Their stated goal is the destruction of Israel. Is that OK with you? Is it OK they build hundreds of miles of tunnels for their guns and bombs and leaders but not a single bomb shelter for their people? Is it OK to shoot hundreds of their fellow Arabs simply because they belong to another political party? Is it OK they use schools and highly populated civilann areas to shoot their guns and missiles knowing any respose from Israel will result in civilian casualties?
I feel bad about the women and children in the crossfire (except the ones who've been on the news talking about how they want to become martyrs) I really do. But elections have consequences and in war things get broken. The people of Gaza elected Hamas who started a war with Israel (because they want to destroy Israel right?) What we see today should come as no surprise but I am baffled by your community's decision to come down squarely on the side of the Barbarians.
See you tomorrow. I'll be the guy up front wearing a yarmulka. Say hi will ya?
Re: Bin Laden's Logic
January 10, 2009 by Anonymous, 45 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 3417
Normally I try to not get involved in shouting matches but my curiosity has gotten the best of me this time around. It looks to me like we've got two parties here: pro-palistinians and pro-israelis. Sounds pretty simple. People from both parties are upset because people in the other party don't hold the same view as them. Fair enough. When people get upset, the part of their brain that interprets emotions becomes much louder than the part that uses logic. It's a varation on fight or flight.
"Hey, what can I say. I am what I eat? After all, I've lived on a steady diet of hateful talk from the Religion of Peace (I don't want to say anything that might be hurtful to any minorities) who have been telling the world that if they don't convert they'll be killed. The talk's not new, it's been going on since the seventh century. "
It's been going on for longer than that, and I don't think anybody here in particular is denying that. The 'convert or kill' modality has been characteristic of most religions on the world, particularly of monotheistic ones (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.) In every movement, there are those who are more radical than others. We've seen people killed because they're not christian, because they're not jewish, and because their not islamic. I don't think that anybody here is advocating that either of the above three things occur.
"You know what, if I'm a racist for not wanting to join a medievil religion that thinks butchering innocent women and children is OK, that thinks throwing acid in the face of girls just because they want to go to school is religiously sanctioned, that glorifies the torture and defilement of people who believe differently...well OK you got me. I admit it, I hate the haters."
Again, you're basing the views of an entire population (the fastest growing religion in the world) off of a few individuals who have been more or less ostracised from their own religious group. I grew up in the UAE, a country that's right next to Saudi Arabia. I knew lots of believers of Islam and even now in the states I still do. Of all of the people I've met, none of them even got close to having sympathy towards or believing in the actions of Bin Laden and the various other people you've mentioned. For the most part, followers of Islam are a peace-loving group, many of them approaching Pacifism as Pathology. I encourage you to look at the five pillars of Islam, the five founding statements that define most the basis for Islamic ethics.
"On the other hand, your bloggers have little credibility and I can't help but wonder if there is a wide straek of Jew hatered running in this community. I haven't seen much in the way of criticism of Hamas here. Why not? Their stated goal is the destruction of Israel. Is that OK with you? Is it OK they build hundreds of miles of tunnels for their guns and bombs and leaders but not a single bomb shelter for their people? Is it OK to shoot hundreds of their fellow Arabs simply because they belong to another political party? Is it OK they use schools and highly populated civilann areas to shoot their guns and missiles knowing any respose from Israel will result in civilian casualties?"
I don't think anybody here has said that they hate Jewish people or that they would like to see them all killed or anything of that order. Denouncing Israeli attacks on Gaza do not automatically mean support for Hamas, but that's your logic. It's easy to denounce an entire population of people (Islam) based on the actions of a few (Bin Laden). What's much more difficult, mature, and reasonable is to look at the motivations of said select individuals and find some way to relate to them. Imagine that you, your family, and your entire ethnicity had been living somewhere for thousands of years. One day, something happened that killed off most of your family and relatives. Sounds like the Holocaust doesn't it? Also sounds like life for those living in Palestine. The Jewish people, after the Holocaust, rightfully noted that they should have their own safe-haven to prevent something like that from happening again. I don't have any problem with that. They picked Israel because it was given to them by somebody else and for its religious significance. Instead of integrating with the community they moved into, they bombed the hell out of it until everybody left. And they're still doing it.
Granted, suicide bombings are fucked up. Killing civillians is fucked up. People don't just do that kind of stuff, they have to be really pushed to the edge to be so desperate that they believe it's the right thing to do. There has to be no other option. This is the situation in Gaza.
"I feel bad about the women and children in the crossfire (except the ones who've been on the news talking about how they want to become martyrs) I really do. But elections have consequences and in war things get broken. The people of Gaza elected Hamas who started a war with Israel (because they want to destroy Israel right?) What we see today should come as no surprise but I am baffled by your community's decision to come down squarely on the side of the Barbarians."
That's Bin Laden's logic right there. A government is doing bad things to my homeland, it was elected, and therefore everybody who elected it deserved to die. That's 9/11 for you. The residents of Palestine elected Hamas. Hamas did some fucked up shit. Everybody who elected Hamas deserves to die. That's what you're saying. I agree, there's a lot of people getting hurt in the cross-fire. In terms of lives taken, Israel has absolutely nothing to complain about. We're talking 90% or more lives being taken from Palestinian residents, and 10% or less from Israeli residents. In my perfect world, no lives would be taken. I'm sure you would say the same for yours. What makes us different is how we want that vision to come about. You want to (forcibly if needed) take over the Gaza strip and I want Israel to let the Palestinian people live in peace. I don't care who runs the government or where it's run from, just that the agression stops. And if we're talking aggression, we're talking about 90% of it coming from Israel.
See you tomorrow. I'll be the guy up front wearing a yarmulka. Say hi will ya?
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