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OUR MEMBERS WRITE: A RESPONSE TO MEDIA BIAS
Dear CBS Ombudsman,
I am amazed and dismayed at the bigotry of Bob Schieffer, who compared
the Palestinians in Gaza to scorpions, going on to suggest that the
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was what "the Palestinians supposedly
wanted."
The unilateral withdrawal of Israel from the tiny overcrowded strip was
not a generous move, or an effort to improve life for the Palestinians.
It was a way for Israel to escape from the costs of maintaining forces
in Gaza while it strengthened its hold on the far more desirable West
Bank. It did not give the Palestinians what they want, which is an end
to the occupation and Israeli control.
The unilateral withdrawal did not even give the Gazans a day of peace.
The IDF continued to fly over, even purposely creating sonic booms
during nighttime hours, to remind the population of their helpless
condition. Israel reneged on agreements made during a visit to the area
by Secretary Condoleeza Rice, and prevented the export of nearly all the
millions of dollars worth of perishable produce the Gazans counted on to
help alleviate their economic woes. After the election of Hamas, which
did NOT get a plurality of the votes - an election which in any case
represented more of an outcry against the corruption of Fatah than
anything else - Israel unilaterally and illegally stopped refunding the
taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinians, began to prevent banks
from making cash transfers, and generally contributed to plunging Gaza
into a situation of near humanitarian disaster.
Nor did the killing of Palestinian civilians stop. Already by the end of
February, 9 unarmed Palestinians, including a 5-year old, had been shot
dead for being in the vicinity of the perimeter fence. For 5 of the
victims "in the vicinity" meant being 100 to 500 meters away! The other
4 were trying to sneak into Israel to make some money to feed their
families.
Leaving aside the killing of 7 members of a family picnicking on the
beach that galvanized the entire world, subsequently, on June 13, the
IDF air force fired missiles into a densely populated neighborhood and
killed 10 civilians, 2 of them children. On July 12 they dropped a bomb
that killed 9 members of one family, including 7 children. Gazans never
know when a "targeted assassination" will make them and their children
into collateral damage. I wonder what Mr Schieffer would do if he and
his family were stuck in hot hopeless overcrowded starving Gaza.
Of course Israel has a right to respond to the Qassam rocket fire that
makes life frightening and dangerous in Sderot and other border
communities, but the response - up to 200 or 300 artillery rounds a day
- is totally disproportionate. And if the Palestinian government is to
be held responsible for controlling extremist elements, Israel should be
held equally responsible for rogue soldiers and settler extremists who
make life unbearable, dangerous, and short for manyinnocent
Palestinians.
Presenting the situation in Israel-Palestine as a moral tale of "good
guys" and "bad guys" does a disservice to the American public. There is
right (and wrong) on both sides. Suggesting that one side can be
compared to a disgusting, stinging arthropod goes far beyond the bounds
of responsible journalism. I expect to hear about the implementation of
some standards.
Susan Hussein
Classics and General Humanities
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ 07043
UPCOMING EVENTS
TONIGHT: Organizing
Meeting and March Across the Brooklyn Bridge
-End Israel's brutal assault on the Lebanese and Palestinian people.
-Release all Lebanese and Palestinian political prisoners.
MARCH ACROSS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Saturday, July 29
2 PM
Meeting Location: TBA (SEE ORGANIZING MEETING BELOW)
Called by the Ad-Hoc Coalition for Justice in the Middle East which was
formed in response to Israel's attacks on the people of Palestine and
Lebanon. We organized a petition, signed by more than 1000 organizations
and individuals, that we delivered to the office of UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan. We have also organized several actions against Israel's
brutal assaults, including, most recently, a demonstration of 1,500
people infront of the Israeli mission to the UN. Come help us organize!
For more information e-mail:
protectpalestine@gmail.com
Organizing Meeting
Come to an open organizing meeting to help us and many others organize a
march of thousands on Saturday and further actions and events in
solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Palestine. Thousands of
people have participated in solidarity actions in NYC. Thousands and
thousands more are looking for opportunities to come out. Get involved
in the organizing!!
Monday, July 24
7:30 PM
Alwan for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor
http://www.alwanforthearts.org/directions.html
Trains:
4,5 Bowling Green
N,R Whitehall
1,2 Wall Street
J,M Broad Street
A,C Broadway
Demonstration
Friday, July 28
3:30PM
Location: Israeli Mission to the UN (42nd St. & 2nd Ave.)
Israel out of Gaza! Israel out of Lebanon! Justice for the people of
the Middle East!
WEDNESDAY 7/26: PROTEST ZIONIST
WAR CRIMES IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON
Wednesday, July 26th
6:00 p.m.
Union Square South
14th St at Broadway
New York, NY
With the full backing of the U.S. government, Israel continues to
unleash its U.S. funded military might on the civilian and refugee
populations of Lebanon and Palestine. Israel has killed hundreds,
wounded thousands and displaced over half a million people, while
intentionally targeting the infrastructure of Lebanon and Gaza with
missiles and bombs. With their propaganda, the U.S. and Israel also
demonize Iran and Syria, in a bloodthirsty attempt to expand their war
crimes further throughout the region. All the while the U.S. continues
to occupy Iraq. The onslaught against the Arab world expands and
continues, and we stand up to say no more!
Join Al-Awda New York on Wednesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m. in Union
Square at 14th St. to rally against the war crimes in Palestine and
Lebanon!
Stop the War on Lebanon and Palestine!!
Freedom for All Arab Political Prisoners in Zionist and U.S. Jails!!
End US Aid to Israel Now!!
The People of Palestine Have the Right to Return!!
Download and distribute flyers:
http://www.al-awdany.org/flyers/20060726/Awda_UnionSq726Arabic.pdf
http://www.al-awdany.org/flyers/20060726/Awda_UnionSq726Arabic.jpg
http://www.al-awdany.org/flyers/20060726/Awda_UnionSq726.pdf
Join Awda NY and other Arab and community organizations again on Friday,
July 28th at 3:30 p.m. at the Zionist Consulate at 42nd St. and 2nd
Ave. More details to come.
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