Daily Archives: 17. November 2023
Editorial: Cease-fire now. The killing in Gaza must stop
It has become impossible to distinguish between Israel’s decidedly non-surgical operation against Hamas militants in Gaza and the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians. When so-called humanitarian pauses in the bombardment and ground operations are too brief to realistically permit innocents to flee, or when there is no place for non-combatants to go that is not also in the line of fire, such pauses are so deficient as to be meaningless.
It is time for a cease-fire. It is time for the Biden administration to assert strong and sustained pressure on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to stop attacks that have reportedly already killed more than 11,000 Gazans. The world cannot stand by to witness more slaughter of civilians.
The crisis in Gaza is growing. Israeli airstrikes are destroying residential buildings and public infrastructure. Restrictions on humanitarian aid make life even harder. Stop the bombing NOW.
Israeli spokesman @jconricus told BBC images of Israeli hostages found on laptops in Shifa hospital were taken after they were kidnapped on Oct 7. But in a now deleted video Conricus showed only one old photo of one hostage that was used in news reports.
24 Members of Congress Call on Biden Administration to Establish a Ceasefire, Protect Children in the Gaza Strip
(15.11.2023)
The letter is co-signed by Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, James McGovern, Mary Gay Scanlon, Raúl Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, Delia Ramirez, Henry Johnson, Greg Casar, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nydia Velázquez, Ayanna Pressley, Jonathan Jackson, Barbara Lee, André Carson, Jamaal Bowman, Summer Lee, Veronica Escobar, and Ilhan Omar.
The letter is endorsed by MoveOn, Amnesty International, Demand Progress, Center for International Policy, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Churches for Middle East Peace, CIVIC, Common Defense, Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL), MADRE, Oxfam America, Win Without War, POMED, Working Families Party, Action Corps, Adalah Justice Project, American Friends Service Committee, Americans Justice In Palestine, Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Democracy for Arab World Now, IfNotNow, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Migrant Roots Media, National Iranian American Council Action, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Peace Action Montgomery, The Duty Legacy, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency and the Yemeni Alliance Committee.
Protesters calling for ceasefire in Gaza block Boston traffic
The group, IfNotNow, blocked traffic on the Boston side of the Boston University bridge for more than two hours. Many of the protesters said they had recently traveled from Chicago, where they attended a similar protest.
NOW ON THE BAY BRIDGE Dozens are shutting the bridge down during commute hours, DEMANDING a ceasefire in Gaza while Biden is here in San Francisco. No Gaza genocide, no more bombing, stop killing children.
BREAKING: Bay Area residents have SHUT DOWN the Bay Bridge to demand ceasefire while @POTUS Biden visits San Francisco. #BayArea #CeasefireNow #BidenHarrisCeasefireNOW #APEC
NO GALA FOR GENOCIDE! Last night, as Biden visited San Francisco for the APEC Summit, attendees were forced to step over bodies symbolizing the 11,000+ Gazans who have been murdered by U.S. weapons recently. #No2APEC
Peace vigil demanding DNC call for ceasefire in Gaza violently attacked by police
(16.11.2023)
Washington, DC — Washington, D.C. police violently attacked nonviolent anti-war activists at a ceasefire vigil outside a fundraiser event held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Wednesday evening. Wielding pepper spray and pellet guns, the police rushed members of the interfaith vigil without warning, where some activists had blocked some of the doors of the Democratic DCCC’s candidate event, asking politicians to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The activists were joined by faith leaders in calling for a ceasefire to end the Israeli military’s massacre of Palestinians, to facilitate a hostage exchange, and to ensure that humanitarian and medical aid can reach Palestinians in besieged Gaza.
FAQs on Nov 15 Protest
What happened on November 15?
On November 15, a multi-faith group of nonviolent peace activists led a vigil to mourn the lives of Palestinians and Israelis killed since October 7, followed by a moral act of civil disobedience calling on Democrats to support a ceasefire to save lives, and to end our government’s funding of violence against Palestinian civilians by Netanyahu’s far-right government.
Police brutally attacked these nonviolent anti-war activists who were bringing their messaging for a ceasefire outside of a fundraiser event held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Without any warning or request to disperse, the police rushed members of the interfaith vigil and protest, wielding pepper spray and pellet guns. Police threw protesters down the stairs, sprayed pepper spray, and hit protesters with bikes. They knocked one protester to the ground, dragged them by their hair, and then knocked them back down the steps.
Over 11,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and siege since October 7, including over 4,600 children.
Wisst ihr wie es ist, auf jeden Schritt achten zu müssen? Damit man keine Liliputaner zertrampelt?
(kein spezifisches Datum)
Another Hadash MK Sanctioned Over Statements Against Gaza War
(15.11.2023)
Touma-Sliman, who the committee said did not apologize and did not recant her statements, is barred from Knesset committee and plenum sessions for two months, and also receives a two-week pay deduction.
On October 19, the Ethics Committee of the Knesset suspended another Communist lawmaker, MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), for what it deemed as “anti-Israel statements after the war in Gaza broke out.” Cassif has been suspended for 45 days.
‘They Are Behaving in a Fascist Way:’ An Israeli-Arab Lawmaker on the Stifling of Anti-War Voices
(November 11, 2023)
We told the police that we are going to have this protest, that it’s going to be only leadership, that it’s not going to be a massive demonstration or something like this. The next day, when Barakeh was heading to Nazareth, they arrested him.
How do you interpret these crackdowns? Is this an attempt by the Israeli government to effectively criminalize expressions of Palestinian identity and solidarity?
Not only the Palestinian identity. I think that whatever they couldn’t pass through the judicial overhaul, they are passing now under the cover of the war.