Silent Candlelight Vigil in Support of the People of Gaza ~ Wednesday, January 7th, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ~ At Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles ~ Sponsored by AFSC & LA Jews for Peace
Please Join
American Friends Service Committee & LA Jews for Peace
In a
Silent Candlelight Vigil
In Support of the People of Gaza
Wednesday, January 7th
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
At
Israeli Consulate
6380 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Between Fairfax and La Cienega
READ SIGNS BEFORE YOU PARK – Side streets have restricted parking.
Signs should emphasize the humanitarian crisis and calls for a cease-fire and ending siege.
Palestinian civilians are continuing to suffer as the Israeli military attacks Gaza from the air, sea and sky. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed in the last 10 days and thousands have been injured, a great number of them children. Al-Jazeera reported that a family of seven from the Shati refugee camp were killed today, along with three siblings from another family. Emergency medical services have also come under attack, with Al-Awda hospital in Jabaliya being hit by two Israeli shells.
Sponsored by American Friends Service Committee: www.mepeacela.org
Co-sponsored by LA Jews for Peace: www.lajewsforpeace.org
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Below is AFSC Open Letter to President Bush and President-Elect Obama
Dear President Bush and President-Elect Obama,
As an organization with 60 years of experience working in the Gaza Strip and committed to a peaceful future between Palestinians and Israelis, we are saddened and distressed at the spiraling violence in Gaza over the past five days. As a Quaker organization that cares deeply about the life, dignity, and security of all people, we ask you to take immediate action to end this spiral of violence.
We urge you to take all steps necessary to end the Israeli attacks against Gaza, which have as of this writing taken more than 500 lives, injured thousands, and destroyed many homes and properties. The military strike is in addition to a two year-old siege imposed by the Israeli government, and supported by the U.S. government, that has severely restricted the importation of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods necessary to maintain the well-being of more than 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip.
The disproportionate Israeli siege and military assault continue a policy of collective punishment. The time has long-passed to end this policy.
At the same time, we recognize that Hamas’s decision to launch rocket attacks into Israel has threatened the safety of Israeli civilians and incurred tragic consequences for the people of Gaza. So the cycle of violence deepens. Even today, Hamas threatens to increase the number of rockets fired into Israel in retaliation for the Israeli siege and air strikes. Israel justifies the siege and the attacks because of the rocket attacks. It’s an untenable situation that need not continue.
Violence must be replaced with negotiations. Both the air strikes and the embargo should end immediately. Israel should engage in diplomacy with the Palestinians, including Hamas as elected leaders of the Palestinian legislature. And every effort should be made through the good offices of the Arab states to urge Hamas to re-establish the cease fire and put forth a good-faith effort to end the current violence.
Given its tremendous regional influence, the United States can move the parties toward a peaceful resolution. The U.S. supports Israel militarily, financially, and politically. You have the power to end weapon sales to Israel ; weapons that are often used against civilians. We urge that you also stop supporting the embargo on Gaza. The U.S. government has supported an Israeli militarist strategy that has not, and will not, lead to a lasting peace. Only a solution based in fairness, respect, and security for both Palestinians and Israelis will offer the peace that all so desperately seek and deserve. Only creative dialogue and negotiation, not military force, can lay the path to that solution. We urge you to use your power and influence well so that U.S. policy can move further along the path to peace. We hope that this New Year is a more peaceful one, in the Middle East, the U.S. , and throughout the world.
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary,
American Friends Service Committee
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Join LA Jews for Peace
In a Demonstration to Protest
Israel’s Attacks & Continued Siege of Gaza
Sunday, January 11th - 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM
The Federal Building in Westwood
11000 Wilshire Blvd.
Corner of Wilshire & Veteran
LA Jews will have signs and banners; bring your own; but no flags please
since our message is internationalism and humanism, not nationalism.
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This is a link to a Gush Shalom description of an Anti-war demonstration in Tel Aviv Saturday evening attended by 10,000 Israelis.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/events/1231029668
ACTION ALERT
Go to the Americans for Peace Now website to send a letter to your Senators and Representative demanding that they urge the Bush Administration to push for a cease-fire. You might want to remove the first paragraph, and the first word of the second paragraph, of the proposed letter - http://capwiz.com/peacenow/issues/alert/?alertid=12374481&type=CO
As you know, the situation is Gaza has been intolerable, but with full support of the U.S. government has gotten much worse. Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip continually since Sat., Dec. 27 with a massive air and naval attack that killed almost 500 people including at least 60 women and children. This attack was carried out using American supplied F-16s, Apache helicopters, and guided missiles. Now besides a blockade causing shortages of food, medicine, fuel, electric power, and commercial goods, there has been a massacre. The UN Secretary General, the Swiss government, and other groups have called the situation a humanitarian crisis and a violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. It is surely a violation of Jewish and international law. The massacre and blockade are not only cruel and inhumane, but also counter-productive in that they fuel violence against Israel and works to undermine efforts to achieve peace through negotiations throughout the region. LA Jews for Peace urges everyone to speak out against the attacks and blockade, including our own government’s support of it. We call for an immediate cease fire and a resumption of shipments of food and medical supplies to the people of Gaza, a hold of U.S. aid to Israel until the blockade is ended, and admittance of journalists to Gaza to report on the desperate conditions.
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