"Final" Casualty Count and Damage in Gaza

I encourage everyone to read the article below (live link). It comprehensively details the aftermath of the War on Gaza, including, casualty numbers and infrastructure damage. The statistics are startling.

PCHR Weekly Report: Nearly 1300 Palestinians killed in 3-week long Israeli assault

I also encourage everyone to take a look at the photos I have included as a slideshow on the right side of my blog (simply click on anyone of the photos in the slideshow and you will have access to the entire web album). The photos were taken during an Israeli phosphous bomb attack on a UN school in Gaza. International law prohibits the use of incendiary weapons (e.g. phosphorus bombs) against civilians or in civilian areas.

Barack Obama in the eyes of Palestinians

For people around the world the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States is a welcome change from a Bush administration that relied on military unilateralism to achieve its foreign policy aims. The implementation of “smart” power, a mix of diplomacy and military intervention, where dialogue is launched before missiles, opens the door for a new chapter in US and world history.

There is nowhere more in need of a change in US foreign policy than the Middle East. The War in Iraq has been a devastating blow to both the people of Iraq and the credibility of the United States and now the War on Gaza, in which over 1,300 Palestinians (400 children) were killed, and over 5,300 wounded (1,800 children), has focused the eyes of the world and the Palestinian people on Barack Obama. The question is how will he respond?

During my first month in Palestine, nearly all of my first encounters began with, “Where you from?” and I respond, “Amerika”, and they say “Bush bad!” or “Obama!”, which is accompanied by a huge smile and a thumbs up. Invariably, either phrase is followed by the other. While the contempt Palestinians have for George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice is not surprising given the Bush administration’s consistent acquiescence to and support of Israel’s agenda, the amount of hope Palestinians have for Barack Obama is staggering.

The feeling on the street in Palestine is that Barack Obama and Palestinians have a shared history; he is a man who grew up as a middle class, black male, in a society where segregation was once legal and is now a de facto reality in the today’s urban communities. They hope Obama’s past will allow him to understand and empathize with the Palestinian people who live within an occupation that denies them basic human rights, and in the case of Gaza, denies them simply the right to live.

There is also a religious component to the Palestinian-Obama connection. Because Islam is an integral part of Palestinian society and a centerpiece of the Palestinian identity, their belief that Obama’s father was a Muslim (in actuality he was an atheist from a Muslim family) is an important thread connecting them with the new US president. Further, Barack Hussein Obama’s middle name clearly displays his Arab-Muslim lineage, which is very important in a Palestinian society where family heritage is a cultural foundation.

In Palestinian intellectual and political circles, the buzz surrounding the new Obama administration is more tempered, particularly given Obama’s appointments of Rahm Emanuel, a pro-Israel hardliner, as chief of staff, and Hillary Clinton, an ardent supporter of Israel, as Secretary of State. While, people are hopeful for a shift in US foreign policy they are not necessary optimistic that significant change is on the horizon. Much of this feeling comes from a series of Republican and Democratic administrations (from Ronald Reagan through George W. Bush) that have been unable to successfully mediate a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, let alone understand or value the Palestinian narrative. Largely because of this history and the corresponding “special relationship” between the US and Israel, most believe the US administration will not enter the Middle East foray and make immediate policy changes, specifically in regards to the War on Gaza. The hope is that in the long-term, “smart” power will lead to honest and more even-handed mediation of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The hidden danger of the hope and optimism felt towards Barack Obama by the Palestinian populous is…….what will happen if there isn’t change? When people have nothing, they feel they have nothing to lose, which is the breeding ground for extremism and violence. Israel’s recent bombardment of Gaza, which went completely unchecked by the international community, has done much to sow seeds of hatred and radicalism and has placed even greater hope on the shoulders of President Obama. If a man Palestinians identify with and view as a last bastion of hope doesn’t save them, then where will they turn? In the end, let us all hope Obama is a man of actions, not just words.

Physicans for Human Rights - Guilty by Suspicion

Last Friday, myself and over 300 Israeli and international supporters of Physicians for Human Rights attempted to accompany a dispatch of medical supplies from Tel Aviv to the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza (three buses from Tel Aviv and additional buses from Jerusalem, Taybeh, and Beersheba). Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) then planned to hold a demonstration at Yad Mordechai, near the Kerem Shalom crossing, calling upon the government of Israel to cease fire, stop killing of civilians, stop targeting of medical teams and aid convoys, and stop preventing evacuation of the wounded.

However, the group's attempt to accompany the medical supplies and exercise their guaranteed right of freedom of speech in Israel was stopped shortly after our departure from Tel Aviv. Roughly 20 kilometers north of Erez Crossing into Gaza, at the southern edge of the Israeli city of Ashkelon, a large police force stopped the first three buses from Tel Aviv, took the drivers off the buses, locked the bus doors, confiscated the driving licenses and identify papers of all three drivers, and ordered them to turn around. The police threatened the drivers with legal action if they let anyone off the bus and did not turn immediately turn back to Tel Aviv.

One or two police vehicles accompanied each bus back to Tel Aviv, and the drivers' papers and licenses were not returned to them until after reaching Tel Aviv. However, The Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) leaders on my bus convinced our driver to stop at a gas station, so they could discuss the situation with our police escorts.

Following our arrival at the gas station, about five police vehicles and 15 police officers arrived, including one policeman who filmed all actions by PHR. During the ensuing 20 minute argument with police, officers claimed the buses had been stopped and diverted because they had "substantive reason to suspect the group of intention to carry out illegal action", despite the fact that PHR had expressed their intention to hold a peaceful vigil and had made previous contact with the police. We were then escorted back to Tel Aviv where PHR staged a peaceful demonstration at the Israeli Ministry for Defense.

Restriction of access and free speech because of ones "intent" sets a very dangerous precedent and clearly erodes the basic "foundations" of freedom and democracy in Israel, not only for Palestinians, but for any Israeli who questions the actions of their government.

In regards to the supply convoy, two trucks, bearing ICU beds, ICU equipment and supplies, medical equipment for operating rooms, and consumables, were allowed to unload at Kerem Shalom Crossing and all the supplies ($500,000) were sent to Gaza hospitals.

Personal video of Israeli police forcibly dispersing a demonstration in East Jerusalem

Suppression of "democracy" in Israel - Part III

FREEDOM OF POLITICAL EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION

In my previous blogs, I have shared some of my experiences in Jerusalem which challenge the commonly held perspective of universal democracy in Israel. Instead, liberal democracy exists only for Israelis and Palestinians are thus treated as second class citizens.

This week, the Central Elections Committee in the Knesset banned two Arab political parties (United Arab List-Ta'al and Balad) from running in the parliamentary elections on February 10th. These actions further eludicate the true reality of Palestinians in Israel and Jerusalem, who are denied a suite of fundamental rights afforded other Israelis, including that of political expression and association. The article below (live link), which I highly recommend reading, briefly describes this situation in the Knesset.

Israel bans Arab parties from participating in upcoming elections (Haaretz)

Contact President-elect Obama and your congressmen and women about the War on Gaza

The US Congress recently passed Senate Resolution 10 and House Resolution 34, which justify and support Israel's War on Gaza which has killed 854, including over 320 women and children

House Resolution 34 (Vote: 340-5) - http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hr111-34
Senate Resolution 10 (Vote: Unanimously approved)

For those of you in Wisconsin, Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold both voted for Senate Resolution 10 and Representatives Ron Kind and David Obey voted for House Resolution 34. However, Congresswoman Gwen Moore from Milwaukee was one of only five individuals in the House of Representatives that voted against the resolution.

If you believe that the US response to Israel's attacks on Gaza has been unbalanced and has ignored the plight of the people of Gaza, who are suffering immeasurably as a result of Israel's 18 month collective siege on Gaza and 15 days of continual Israeli bombardment, I strongly urge you to contact President-elect Obama and your representatives and senators via e-mail and/or phone to voice your concerns.

I have included below three websites where you can easily access the e-mail and phone numbers of President-elect Obama and your congressmen and women.

Obama Transition Team - http://change.gov/page/content/contact/
U.S. Senate - http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
U.S. House of Representatives - https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

If you are interested in a template e-mail, please let me know, and I will provide it for you. Thank you.

Suppression of "democracy" in Israel - Part II

FREEDOM OF RELIGION

In a previous blog, Suppression of “democracy” in Israel – Part I, I discuss one example of the severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of speech and assembly I have observed in Israel and Palestine. Ironically, a few days after witnessing the forceful dispersion of that peace demonstration, I watched Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli Knesset member, espouse on Al-Jazeera the merits of democracy in Israel and the ability of all people to openly express their disagreements with the government. His statement is in complete contradiction with what I have personally observed at several demonstrations in East Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, two days ago in Old City of Jerusalem, I witnessed the complete corruption of freedom of religion in the “democratic” Israel. Every Friday, thousands of Muslims from East Jerusalem come to the Temple Mount (Haram ash-Sharif) in the Old City, the third holiest site in Islam, to pray. Typically, this holy day is a colorful and joyous occasion in the Old City, but last Friday, it was quite the opposite.

The police presence in East Jerusalem and the Old City was staggering. There were literally five to seven different sets of police checkpoints people had to pass through before they could enter the Temple Mount. At each checkpoint everyone had to show his or her ID or passport to pass with the police were generally restricting access to the Temple Mount to those older than 50. However, at which checkpoint Palestinians were denied entry, was arbitrary. Literally at every checkpoint, I saw Palestinians being harassed, often physically, and denied entrance to the next “stage.” As I got closer to the Temple Mount, every road or alley directly accessing it contained a physical checkpoint to severely restrict access. It was at these locations where tensions between police and worshipers were incredibly high.

About 100m from the Temple Mount on Bab Hutta Rd., I had my most difficult and eye-opening experience thus far in Palestine and Israel. Here there were five-six Israeli policemen checking IDs and blocking access to the Temple Mount. After about 15 minutes, roughly 20-25 men were backed up behind the police and the total continued to grow. Finally, the call to prayer came and because these men could not pass this checkpoint they had to pray on the street at the feet of the soldiers who were denying them access to the Temple Mount.

At this point, an altercation erupted between a couple of policemen and a roughly 50 year old man after he was denied passage. The man then sat at the front of the group of praying men and began praying himself. Immediately, the police grabbed him, lifted him off the ground, and pushed him back into the crowd and into those who were still praying.

A huge melee broke out between those attempting to pray and the police, who began driving the Palestinians up the narrow (10 ft.) Bab Hutta Rd. The police then threw a percussion grenade into the crowd, which increased their panic level. Meanwhile, I was attempting to take photographs/video and a young Palestinian approached, yelling at me to stop taking pictures and leave, shoving me in the opposite direction of the confrontation. Palestinians are very, very weary to have their pictures taken in these types of situations, including at protests and demonstrations, because of Israeli reprisal, which can result in imprisonment (> 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails) and death. As I walked up Bab Hutta Rd. towards Herod’s gate, awestruck by the previous events, several Israeli soldiers were running in the opposite direction towards the confrontation.

To clear my mind, I went for a walk in the Christian quarter of the Old City (comprised of the Muslim, Christian, Armenian, and Jewish quarters; see the map at the top of the blog), where the church of the Holy Sepulcher is located. However, instead of clarity, sadness arose. The Christian quarter was filled with tourists and their guides exploring the historical sites connected with Jesus’ crucifixion, completely oblivious to the humiliation and persecution of Muslims occurring literally 200 meters away. These pilgrims, mostly from the United States and Europe, are generally oblivious to the fact that their governments are funding this religious oppression. The world conscious needs to awaken to this reality and the impacts of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, which includes the suppression of basic rights, such as the freedoms of speech and religion, which we take for granted in the United States.

It is important to note that it is illegal for Palestinians from the West Bank to travel to Jerusalem. Therefore millions of Muslims who live in the West Bank and are not permanent residents of Israel cannot at anytime visit or pray at the Temple Mount, a place they consider sacred.

The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Past, Present, and Future

The Israeli government declared the entire Gaza Strip “a hostile entity” on September 19^th 2007, citing the threats posed by a Hamas rule, who were democratically elected in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, and continued Palestinian rocket attacks. Israel’s goal in using the terminology “hostile entity” was to reduce their responsibility for the safety and well being of Gaza’s civilian population, though the United Nations (UN) and others in the international community promptly rejected this assertion. Yet additional restrictions on Gaza followed, including the complete closure of all border crossings, de facto sealing the strip from the rest of the world, disruption of power supplies and fuel shipments, increased monitoring of funds, a cessation of visits to political prisoners, and the allowing of only essential food and medicine to be brought into Gaza.

Because Israel retains control of all land borders, air space, and sea access and consequently the supply all goods and services to the Gaza Strip, it is under occupation according to international law. Further, international law clearly forbids the targeting of civilians. “Collective punishment” – enacting punitive measures against a population because of the actions of a few – is expressly forbidden by international law and also is prohibited by Israel’s own laws. Moreover, the “general welfare” of the civilian population is the responsibility of the occupying power. In both cases, Israel has abandoned and ignored their obligations.

Humanitarian Impacts of the Siege on Gaza

Food & Nutrition

• Over 80% of Gazans now rely on humanitarian assistance from international sources, with over 1.1 million people getting their daily nourishment from food aid (total population of Gaza – 1.5 million)
• 50% of Gaza households are short of fresh drinking water
• 50% of the children of Gaza are malnourished, 32% are suffering 2^nd degree malnourishment, and 16% 3^rd degree malnutrition
• 10.7% of the children in Gaza under five are suffering stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition

Health & Sanitation

• Entire hospitals are left without electricity for 8-12 hours per day
• 25-30% of Gazans have no running water
• 40-50 million liters of sewage flow untreated into the sea each day
• Gaza lacks the tools and cement to make any significant repairs to its infrastructure
• From December 2006-December 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 20 patients, including 5 children, died because they were not allowed to cross the border into Israel in order to receive medical treatment
• In December 2007, over one-third of patients who applied a temporary permit to leave the Strip were denied
• In January 2008, 19% of necessary medicines and 31% of vital medical equipment were lacking in Gaza and many departments in emergency medical centers and ambulances have ceased operation due to lack of fuel

Education

• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported in late 2007 that nearly 80% of children in grades four through nine failed to pass their classes
• Over 2,000 children dropped out of school during the 2007 academic year
• In September 2007, UNRWA reported that 30% of their students were without textbooks, which the Israeli army prevented from entering Gaza

As a result of 11 consecutive days of Israeli shelling, the humanitarian conditions in Gaza have deteriorated sharply. Not only is the amount of aid crossing into Gaza insufficient to sustain the population, the fighting inside Gaza has made it extremelty difficult to distribute the resources that are available. According to UN humanitarian coordinator Max Gaylard, "Large numbers of people, including many children, are hungry, they are cold and without ready access to medical facilities, without access to electricity and running water, above all they are terrified - that by any measure is a humanitarian crisis."

Currently, over one million people are without electricity and hospitals are running on emergency generators. Five of UNRWA's medical clinics have closed because of the fighting and a number of emergency workers have died while trying to reach the wounded.

Seventy percent of Gazans are without water and face dire food shortages with only enough supplies for the next 48 hours. According to the UN, 23 of Gaza's 47 bakeries have been forced to close due to shortages of cooking gas, and another 14 are operating sporadically.

Sewage is flowing into populated areas, farmland and the sea, as five of Gaza's 37 wastewater pumping stations have shut down because of power cuts.

To prevent an even further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, it is imperative that Israel immediately accept a cease-fire agreement and indefinitely open all border crossings to allow for the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza.