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"Never Again!" A Call For Justice For Jews Only?
By mickielynn on 2010-02-20 14:18:59
In a recent blog comment one of our readers used the slogan "never again" which refers to the holocaust and the inhuman
Nazi actions against the Jews in Germany and throughout much of Europe in the 1940's. As a Jewish American woman who
decries such actions I'm left with just one vital question: Is this cry against torture, ghettoization and other forms of torture
and deprival of human rights and life itself limited to Jewish people only? Can we defend and protect only people of one
religion or ethnicity?
Can we somehow excuse the deaths, starvation, lack of decent living conditions, inability to work and to move freely
throughout communities and nations, denial of jobs, medical care, and education, arbitrary attacks, imprisonment, and
torture by the military, seizure of property and destruction of farms and orchards that have taken place in the occupied
Palestinian lands? Is this any better than the Warsaw ghettos? Is it a prelude to worse to come?
Lately there have been worldwide calls to end the suffering in Gaza. In our country we don't hear much about this growing
call in our "mainstream media." However even here where AIPEC wields tremendous power and is quick to cry " anti-
Semitism" at any criticism of Israeli actions a new campaign is growing. In January, 54 members of Congress sent President
Obama a letter asking him to take immediate actions to end civilian suffering in Gaza. The call was for an end to the
blockade that prevents Gazans from getting the supplies that they need to rebuild their damaged homes, schools and medical
facilities and to repair infrastructure that was destroyed in the massive Israeli attacks of January 2009.
Now there is a call from the group Churches for Middle East Peace to sign a petition to President Obama to address these
urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza. http://cmep.org/Alerts/2010/2010feb12.html
This petition released on February 12, 2010 reads as follows:
One year after the Gaza war thousands of civilians are homeless and forced to rely on tents and mud brick
houses for shelter.
Children are among the most vulnerable and worst affected by the blockade policy that greatly restricts goods,
people, and commerce from crossing Gaza's borders.
Many children witnessed horrific events during last year's 23-day Israeli military operation. According to a local
NGO in Gaza, "73 percent of Gaza children are still suffering from psychological and behavioral disorders,
including psychological trauma, nightmares, involuntary urination, high blood pressure and diabetes." The
blockade has inhibited access to medical equipment and health professionals. Many children are not getting the
help they desperately need.
The dismal conditions in Gaza are counter to American humanitarian values and strategically unsound for
Israel's long term security.
A series of US and Israeli Jewish and other faith based groups have already sent a letter urging President Obama to demand
that Israel lift the blockade of Gaza. Here's part of an article from the JTA about the participating groups:
Jewish groups sign letter on lifting Gaza closure
February 10, 2010
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Jewish and Israeli groups have signed on to a letter urging President Obama to press
Israel to lift its closure of the Gaza Strip.
"Due to Israel’s policy of severely limiting passage of essential goods and materiel through its crossings, the
suffering in Gaza continues," said the letter sent to the White House last week and signed by Americans for
Peace Now, B'Tselem, J Street and Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. "We believe this policy is
strategically unsound, harms Israel’s security, and exacts an unacceptable toll on innocent Palestinians. It
offends American humanitarian values, and is collective punishment that violates international law."
Israel says the closure helps preserve security, pointing to the drop in rocket attacks since the end of last winter's
Gaza war. U.S. officials have said that some of Israel's strictures lack security justifications; a notable example
last year was Israel's allowance of rice, but not pasta, into Gaza.
The other signatories are the Arab American Institute, Churches for Middle East Peace and the Foundation for
Middle East Peace...
http://jta.org/news/article/2010/02/10/1010555/jewish-groups-sign-onto-open-gaza-urge
