The carnage in Gaza continues.

Collaborative Arab regimes still talk while people of conscience take action. I noted that the vice president of the European Union Luisa Morgantini just entered Gaza (would Abbas, Mubarak or Abdullah please just go there?). I noted that Venezuela kicked out the Israeli ambassador (other Israeli ambassadors are everywhere including Egypt, Jordan, and Mauritania). The people in Turkey kicked out Israeli sports teams and unions, churches and others everywhere are boycotting American and Israeli products, engaging in divestment and sanction campaigns (while demonstrations in Ramallah were broken with tear gas and clubs by Palestinian police on the order of Mahmoud Abbas). And while millions demonstrate around the world, some breaking into Israeli consulates and embassies, the US congress bends over backward to please the Israel lobby (which has already ruined the US economy and made it into a paper tiger). Surprisingly I have never been more optimistic than now because I think there is more awareness now about the real nature of this rogue state and its intentions. Do not misunderstand me. In wars everyone loses. This is an obscenely unbalanced conflict (not war but a slaughter) with Israel using the most advanced military technologies and all weapons shy of nuclear weapons (white phosphorous chemical warfare was used already this week) with literally unprecedented massacres in very short periods of time (880 murdered so far). Yet, despite this imbalance, the Israeli war machine is still losing (even beyond the normal losses incurred in a war of choice (as Jimmy Carter clearly articulated in an op-ed in the Washington Post). Despite billions spent on armaments and billions spent on propaganda, Israel is not achieving its main objectives and will have soon to retreat due to other political deadline (January 20 and February 10). It has been two weeks and those resisting are still resisting with high determination. When Israel lost in Lebanon in 2006, we were told this was because Hezballah had direct and open line of supplies (presumably through “resistance-friendly” Syria). But now in an impoverished starved strip of desert land that is surrounded by Israel (and US client puppet dictatorial regime in Egypt), the example must stand in contrast to, say the six day war of 1967 (three Arab armies fleeing in front of advancing Israeli troops literally taking only the time of infantry to cross the territory they coveted). Violence solves nothing is a lesson people have to learn. I actually think all people of conscious who know the outcome of this unblanced conflict already (as every sober analyst can tell us) should work hard to end it now because the sooner it ends the more of its tattered image Israel can save and the more possibility would remain for a real negotiated settlement that would bring peace with justice. Below are relevant analytical articles and other links including action items you can do.

The Gaza Ghetto Uprising by Mazin Qumsiyeh

http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=14627

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/63109/the-gaza-ghetto-uprising.html

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11704

A foreigner in Gaza reports with pictures. No room for the dead, no room for the living

http://ingaza.wordpress.com/

Red Cross: Israel breaking Int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053877.html

Israeli speaks to the BBC and asks Obama to change (instead of being a “slave” of the lobby)

Video: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rfnPjzOGB5s

[In Arabic] Fatah: engage or end (of its movement)

http://www.ajras.org/print.php?page=show_details&Id=2854&table=articles

Khalid Meshal explains Hamas’s position

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/06/gaza-israel-hamas

Israel Rejected Hamas Ceasefire Offer in December http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45350

At the (?desperate) urging of Israeli leaders like Olmert, those who support Israeli apartheid will gather to show their solidarity and support for the continued massacre of the people of Gaza. Here is a list of where supporters of continued violence will gather http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=190976

Action: Sign Petition: 388,000 signatures so far..
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/?cl=168197397&v=2665

Action: How many of the 25 ways to do something for Gaza did you do?

http://qumsiyeh.org/rightsblog2008/

Action: Call and email about the trip of Free Gaza movement (see below)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.FreeGaza.org

For More Information, Please Contact:
(Cyprus) Huwaida Arraf, +357 96 723 999 or +357 99 081 767 huwaida.arraf@gmail.com
(Gaza) Ewa Jasiewicz, +972 598 700 497 freelance@mailworks.org
(Egypt) Caoimhe Butterly, +20 121 027 072 sahara78@hotmail.co.uk
(U.S.) Ramzi Kysia, +1 703 994 5422 rrkysia@yahoo.com

(Cyprus, 11 January 2009) - The Free Gaza Movement ship, "SPIRIT OF HUMANITY," will leave Larnaca Port at 12:00 noon, Monday, 12 January, on an emergency mission to besieged Gaza. The ship will carry desperately needed doctors, journalists, human rights workers, and members of several European parliaments as well as medical supplies. This voyage marks Free Gaza's second attempt to break through the blockade since Israel began attacking the Gaza Strip on 27 December. Between August and December 2008, the Free Gaza Movement successfully challenged the Israeli blockade five times, landing the first international ships in the port of Gaza since 1967.

The Israeli military violently attacked an earlier attempt by the Free Gaza Movement to send an emergency boat filled with doctors and medical supplies to Gaza. In the early hours of Tuesday, 30 December, the Israeli navy deliberately, repeatedly, and without warning rammed the unarmed ship, the DIGNITY, causing significant structural damage and endangering the lives of its passengers and crew. The ship found safe harbor in Lebanon, and is currently awaiting repairs.

Fouad Ahidar, a member of the Belgian Parliament sailing to Gaza aboard the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, responded to concerns that Israel may attack the unarmed mercy ship by saying, "I have five children that are very worried about me, but I told them, you can sit on your couch and watch these atrocities on the television, or you can choose to take action to make them stop."

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have injured thousands of civilians and killed over 800 people, including scores of women and children. This ongoing Israeli massacre severely and massively violates international humanitarian law defined by the Geneva Conventions, especially the obligations of an Occupying Power and the requirements of the laws of war.

The United Nations has failed to protect the Palestinian civilian population from Israel's massive violations of international humanitarian law. Israel has closed off Gaza from the international community and demanded that all foreigners leave. But Huwaida Arraf, an organizer with the Free Gaza Movements, stated that, "We cannot just sit by and wait for Israel to decide to stop the killing and open the borders for relief workers to pick up the pieces. We are coming in. There is an urgent need for this mission as Palestinian civilians in Gaza are being terrorized and slaughtered by Israel, and access to humanitarian relief denied to them. When states and the international bodies responsible for taking action to stop such atrocities chose to be impotent, then we--the citizens of the world--must act. Our common humanity demands nothing less."

Israel has been notified that we are coming. A copy of the notification to the Israeli Authorities is below.
The media is invited to the Larnaca Port at 10:00am, Monday, January 12 for final preparations and a press conference before departure.

###

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Take Action! CALL the Israeli Government and let them know that the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY is coming to Gaza. DEMAND that Israel immediately STOP slaughtering civilians in Gaza and STOP using violence to prevent human rights and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

CALL
Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's office:
+972 2670 5354 or +972 5 0620 3264
mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il

Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence:
+972 3697 5339 or +972 50629 8148
mediasar@mod.gov.il

Major Liebovitz from the Israeli Navy:
+ 972 5 781 86248

Official Notification of Intent to Enter
January 11, 2009

To: The Israeli Ministry of Defense, Fax: 972-3-697-6717
To: The Israeli Navy
To: The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax 972-2-5303367

From: The Free Gaza Movement

This letter serves as a formal notification to you as the Occupying Power and belligerent force in the Gaza Strip that on Monday, January 12 we are navigating the motor vessel, Spirit of Humanity, from the Port of Larnaca to the port of Gaza City. Our vessel will be flying the Greek flag, and, as such, falls under the jurisdiction Greece.

We will be sailing from Cypriot waters into international waters, then directly into the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip without entering or nearing Israeli territorial waters. We expect to arrive at the Gaza Port on Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

We will be carrying urgently needed medical supplies in sealed boxes, cleared by customs at the Larnaca International Airport and the Port of Larnaca. There will be a total of 30 passengers and crew on board, among them members of various European Parliaments and several physicians. Our boat and cargo will also have received security clearance from the Port Authorities in Cyprus before we depart.

As it will be confirmed that neither we, the cargo, any of the boat's contents, nor the boat itself constitute any threat to the security of Israel or its armed forces, we do not expect any interference with our voyage by Israel's authorities.

On Tuesday, December 30, an Israeli Navy vessel violently, and without warning, attacked our motor vessel Dignity, disabling the vessel and endangering the lives of the 16 civilians on board. This notice serves as clear notification to you of our approach. Any attack on the motor vessel, Spirit of Humanity, will be premeditated and any harm inflicted on the 30 civilians on board will be considered the result of a deliberate attack on unarmed civilians.

The Steering Committee of the Free Gaza Movement
Contact: Huwaida Arraf, Free Gaza Movement, 357 96 723 999

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD