The Egyptian government, in collaboration with the U.S. government, is
threatening to keep all the peace and justice activists from crossing the
border into Gaza from Egypt, and from even meeting together for political
discussions in Egypt. We urge everyone to call or write the Egyptian government
and its main financial and political backer, the U.S. government, to protest
this.
One year ago the Israeli military brutally invaded
the Gaza Strip, killing 1,409 Palestinians – including 355 children – and
wounding more than 5,300. The Israelis also destroyed or damaged more than
50,000 homes and 90% of private industry, and targeted schools,
hospitals, power stations and the UN food distribution center.
This was followed by a blockade of goods to Gaza so
that children go to school without notebooks or pencils and babies are
suffering nitrate poisoning from contaminated water. Over a million people
out of a population of 1.3 million are living in poverty. Little of the
extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, farms and businesses has been
repaired because importing materials like cement and glass is basically
prohibited.
The United Nations says the blockade or
siege amounts to collective punishment, which is in violation of international
law. More than 360 people have died since the siege first began in 2007 because
they don't have access to adequate medical care.
The massacre and blockade have been carried by an Israeli government that gets
$7 million per day in mostly military aid from the U.S. government. And the U.S.
government did not oppose the attack and massacre or the blockade of the
Palestinians in Gaza, has taken no action. After all, Israel is a client-state
of the U.S., and both try to stop any opposition to U.S. or Israeli
military-political-oil company domination in the Middle East, such as opposition
by the democratically elected Hamas government in the Gaza Strip. Collective
punishment, assassinations, home demolitions, and arbitrary seizure of land, all
illegal, are some of the methods used.
Most of the Egyptian government’s military budget and much of its other budgets
comes from the U.S. aid. It is the second largest recipient of U.S. tax dollars after Israel.
We must protest these actions of the U.S.
government and its client-states of Israel and Egypt. For the government of
Egypt, people can do the following -- call 312.828.9162, 9163, or 9164 or
fax 312.828.9167.
The blockade must end. The
flow of U.S. arms and dollars -- first and foremost to Israel -- but also to
Egypt, must stop.
A follow up action will occur Wednesday,
December 30: Chicago in Solidarity with Gaza, from 5:30-7:30 PM at Grace Place, 637
S. Dearborn, 2nd floor Sanctuary. Also, other protests against U.S. war
crimes will be to mark the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation
of Iraq -- March 13 in Chicago, time and place to be announced; and March
20 in Washington, DC, with affordable bus transportation to be available from
Chicago.
For more
information, please email
justi...@juno.com or
cc...@aol.com, or call
773.250.3335