gaza

Israel, Gaza and the tragic justifications for war
By Binoy Kampmark, RMIT University
Gaza, ostracised, enclosed and pummelled, is being levelled – again. Israel’s case against Hamas, expressed both via air strikes and a social media war, is one of self-defence. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter affirms that right, one accepted in customary international law.
But [...]

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Embrace (formerly BibleLands) has an update from Gaza
“This morning, and for the third time since the beginning of the current war on Gaza on November 14, I have made phone calls to all our partners in Gaza to check on them and show our solidarity with them. The message I received was unanimous. There has [...]

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ABC Religion: Truth, Lies, and Gaza
In a world that celebrates the onward march of democracy, the Palestinian people have been left behind.
When the first free elections - which were internationally recognised as fair and transparent - were held in the Occupied Territories in 2006, the democratic victory of Hamas rapidly plunged the Palestinians into a [...]

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#IDF v #Hamas: the new Gaza war in 140 characters or less
By Mat Hardy, Deakin University
The hostilities between Israel and Hamas this week are just another sad exchange of munitions of no benefit for anyone, least of all the impoverished residents of Gaza. Rockets go one way, Hellfire missiles go the other. Targeted killing, random [...]

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I couldn’t believe the headline on readwrite social this morning: Unbelievable: The IDF Has Gamified Its War Blog
Yesterday, when I wrote about the social media campaign that Israel was waging alongside its attack on Hamas, I thought it was interesting. I thought it was a straightforward and effective way of presenting the cause behind the [...]

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The BBC, along with Sky, continue to refuse to broadcast an appeal for aid for Gaza from the Disasters Emergency Committee. The BBC are claiming that to broadcast the appeal would compromise their editorial impartiality. They further claim that there are no guarantees that aid given through DEC would reach those who most need it.
DEC [...]

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I wrote to my MP, Mark Tami, about the situation in Gaza and was very pleased with the response I got. I didn’t feel I could blog it without his permission, but I’ve had that (along with some very kind comments about the blog, which is always gratifying) so here’s an extract from his letter.
I [...]

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Thank God.
Now let’s pray for a just peace.

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Who broke the ceasefire in Gaza?
Israel.
Who says so?
The Israeli government.
Not in response to Hamas rockets, because there hadn’t been any. See this interesting video clip of an interview with Mark Regev, the Israeli government’s official spokesman. (H/T to Jill Evans MEP)

It’s looking more and more like the assault on Gaza has more to do [...]

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There’s a helpful analysis of the situation in Gaza at Thinking Faith: the online journal of the British Jesuits. I’ll cut straight to the conclusion
It is highly unlikely that the Israeli war against Hamas can completely destroy the movement. However much it may be possible to limit the paramilitary capabilities of the organisation, [...]

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This interview, first with ‘Special Envoy’ Tony Blair and then with diplomat Sir Jeremy Greenstock covers some useful ground.

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Paul Martin shares this article by an Israeli veteran
Gaza is a classic case of colonial exploitation in the post-colonial era. Jewish settlements in occupied territories are immoral, illegal and an insurmountable obstacle to peace. They are at once the instrument of exploitation and the symbol of the hated occupation. In Gaza, the Jewish settlers numbered [...]

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From Monastic Mumblings
Allah, whose name we call Elohim, who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life, send these children your angels. Save them, the children of this place, Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned.
In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war, seizes [...]

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If you do send a message to Gordon Brown via the Christian Aid campaign for a ceasefire in Gaza (and why wouldn’t you?), please also write to your MP to share your concern and get them to raise it with the Prime Minister. What Amnesty International say is true: our petitions are more powerful than [...]

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Continuing violence in Gaza will “exacerbate tensions and nurture hatred” say religious leaders.

Leaders of all major faiths in the UK have joined Christian Aid today in calling for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza..
In a joint call, faith leaders including the Bishop of Exeter the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, Rabbi Danny Rich [...]

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Enough is enough

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Robert Fisk is well worth a read today: Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask
Have we forgotten the 17,500 dead – almost all civilians, most of them children and women – in Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon; the 1,700 Palestinian civilian dead in the Sabra-Chatila massacre; the 1996 Qana massacre [...]

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Johan Hari in today’s Independent is well worth your time…
Johann Hari: The true story behind this war is not the one Israel is telling
The world isn’t just watching the Israeli government commit a crime in Gaza; we are watching it self-harm. This morning, and tomorrow morning, and every morning until this punishment beating ends, the [...]

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In light of the escalating conflict in Gaza over the last 24 hours, the Methodist Church is calling for international pressure on both Israel and Hamas to bring an end to the violence.
Steve Hucklesby, Public Issues Policy Advisor, said; “The devastating death toll resulting from Israeli air strikes has shocked many. Rather than improving security, [...]

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