UK Government Support of Israel
This is a copy of a letter sent to my MP today:
Doubtless you've read and seen reports of the latest Palestinian deaths in Gaza. At least 18 people killed and 40 wounded in the town of Beit Hanoun when Israeli forces shelled their homes as they slept. This brings the total to more than 60 dead in this town alone in the last week. Figures vary slightly but the number of Palestinians killed since the start of July is reported to be about 380, versus 5 Israelis killed. Add to this loss of life the continued economic blockade and the ongoing seizure of Palestinian land. In Gaza, which is effectively under siege, malnutrition is widespread. To any impartial observer this looks like ethnic cleansing. Nelson Mandela has observed that the Israeli government exercises an apartheid regime far worse than South Africa's ever was.
How can our government support that of Israel as it inflicts such suffering? Our government continues to supply military materiel to Israel, it supports the economic sanctions against the Palestinians and offers political support to the Israeli government.
Maybe they would say that the sanctions are justified because the Palestinians voted a terrorist organisation into power, but if by “terrorist” they mean those who use violence to further their political aims, the Israeli government would fall into the same category, most especially as it kills and injures far more people and at least half of those killed are civilians. Also, at the time of the election Hamas had held a ceasefire for 18 months, whilst the Israeli government has held no such ceasefire. Why should the Palestinians be punished for exercising their democratic rights?
Perhaps our government would complain that Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel. This too is disingenuous. What Hamas has actually said is that they don't accept Israel in its current form, since it illegally occupies Palestinian land seized in the 1967 war. This is undeniably true and is the subject of one of the many UN resolutions which the Israeli government ignores with impunity.
Whatever argument our government may offer I can see no reason to support the Israeli government which metes out such death and suffering upon innocent people. I would be grateful if you would raise this issue with our government on my behalf.
Doubtless you've read and seen reports of the latest Palestinian deaths in Gaza. At least 18 people killed and 40 wounded in the town of Beit Hanoun when Israeli forces shelled their homes as they slept. This brings the total to more than 60 dead in this town alone in the last week. Figures vary slightly but the number of Palestinians killed since the start of July is reported to be about 380, versus 5 Israelis killed. Add to this loss of life the continued economic blockade and the ongoing seizure of Palestinian land. In Gaza, which is effectively under siege, malnutrition is widespread. To any impartial observer this looks like ethnic cleansing. Nelson Mandela has observed that the Israeli government exercises an apartheid regime far worse than South Africa's ever was.
How can our government support that of Israel as it inflicts such suffering? Our government continues to supply military materiel to Israel, it supports the economic sanctions against the Palestinians and offers political support to the Israeli government.
Maybe they would say that the sanctions are justified because the Palestinians voted a terrorist organisation into power, but if by “terrorist” they mean those who use violence to further their political aims, the Israeli government would fall into the same category, most especially as it kills and injures far more people and at least half of those killed are civilians. Also, at the time of the election Hamas had held a ceasefire for 18 months, whilst the Israeli government has held no such ceasefire. Why should the Palestinians be punished for exercising their democratic rights?
Perhaps our government would complain that Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel. This too is disingenuous. What Hamas has actually said is that they don't accept Israel in its current form, since it illegally occupies Palestinian land seized in the 1967 war. This is undeniably true and is the subject of one of the many UN resolutions which the Israeli government ignores with impunity.
Whatever argument our government may offer I can see no reason to support the Israeli government which metes out such death and suffering upon innocent people. I would be grateful if you would raise this issue with our government on my behalf.
posted by Jonathan Le Vallois at 5:35 AM
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