5 Ways to Help Gaza and More, from Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, Barrister and human rights activist: (if you have questions for Mary, post them in the comments below) 1) See this “Five things you can do about Gaza” from Defence for Children International. https://dci-palestine.org/documents/five-things-you-can-do-about-gaza For more in terms of giving contributions: https://unrwausa.org/ - Unrwa is doing an incredible job and use the money well https://mecaforpeace.org/ - Barbara Lubin is great and has dedicated most of her life to this; Dr. Mona El-Farra who you have mentioned is incredible in her dedication and work and maintaining sanity under horrific conditions. ANERA does good work and can get the money in - https://anera.org/ 2) I really believe that this is a moment to focus on BDS campaigns. I don’t know how much you know or how you feel about BDS – but I think it is very important – I’m happy to talk more about it. Depending on the context, people should also be encouraged to boycott Israel Bonds, Israeli products, as well as academic and cultural institutions. This is most important in further undermining the brand Israel, which is essential for growing the financial and economic boycotts against it. Here’s the BNC list of things people can do to stand with Gaza: https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved And here’s a round-up of the most important BDS-related developments in response to the Gaza carnage, as of July 31: https://bdsmovement.net/2014/gaza-sanctions-and-boycott-action-12410 It may encourage people to see how much is actually happening everywhere, including in the belly of the beast—the US! Many people belong to unions, professional associations, community organizations, where they can push for BDS measures, from divesting any pension funds from companies that are most implicated in the current massacres in Gaza to boycotting collectively a particular company or set of companies or a supermarket that refuses to de-shelve products of Israeli companies producing in the colonies, say. Endorsing the Palestinian call for a full military embargo on Israel (as you did) is also crucial, regardless what other BDS-related campaigns people get involved in. Divesting from Israeli and US military corporations that are directly involved in the Israeli war crimes committed in Gaza is also high priority. AFSC have put together the attached list of the most complicit military manufacturers. Israeli economist (and BDS activist) Shir Hever explains how Israeli military companies absolutely need wars such as the aggression on Gaza to market their products and systems. See this interview: https://therealnews/t2/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=12175 3) A priority should be to push governments – Americans should be demanding that the US government, Obama administration and congress, stop sending military aid, and support a real ceasefire - which means including an actual opening of the border crossings. Did you see the members of the House who voted against additional funding for the Dome? They should be supported. https://elpasotimes/news/ci_26267118/orourke-votes-against-iron-dome-fundingBeto In terms of humanitarian aid - I think shifting it first (after the ceasefire) to protection, makes more sense to keep the demand on keeping people safe, rather than the humanitarian aid in isolation. It was Kofi Annan’s call years ago, to move for a Chapter VII resolution to provide protection for Palestinians. This of course is dependent on political will more than anything else. 4) In terms of Israel’s legal obligation to the Gazan people – Israel has a duty to PROTECT Palestinians! See the first section of this article: https://jadaliyya/pages/index/8799/no-israel-does-not-have-the-right-to-self-defense-
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:39:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015