Here is a final follow-up and update to my previous two entries.
Ann Wright is a 29-year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and was a US diplomat. She resigned her diplomatic post in March 2003 in opposition to the war in Iraq. She is now associated with CODEPINK: Women for Peace and has been with the CODEPINK delegations to Gaza. She has had two recent articles on those delegations posted on Common Dreams.
The one published on June 15 was entitled, Israeli Police and Military Brutalize Peaceful Protesters at Netanyahu’s Speech. There she detailed the treatment CODEPINK delegation members received when they unfurled several pink banners that read "Free Gaza" and "End the Occupation " outside of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent foreign policy speech at Tel Aviv University. She wrote of Tighe Barry, a male activist with CODEPINK, who ended up in the hospital from injuries and an asthma attack. Barry himself wrote in e-mail to CODEPINK members, “During my short visit, I was tear gassed by Israeli soldiers while joining a Palestinian protest against the apartheid wall in the West Bank town of Bi'lin. I was beaten with an M-16 by soldiers when we were peacefully protesting Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Ann Wright’s article of June 18 was entitled, President Carter and Citizen Activists Witness Destruction in Gaza. Here are some excerpts of that article:
I was in Gaza the week before President Carter arrived, my third trip to Gaza in three months. Organized by CODEPINK: Women for Peace, we took 66 persons from ten nations and 18 American states to Gaza through the Rafah, Egypt border crossing in late May. Three additional groups totaling 73 persons led by delegates from CODEPINK's March, 2009 International Women's Day 60 person delegation also entered Gaza in late May through the Rafah, Egypt crossing. CODEPINK also took 45 persons in early June from three nations to Israel, in an unsuccessful attempt to cross into Gaza via the Erez, Israel border crossing.
…
Carter said, "Last week, a group of Israelis and Americans tried to cross into Gaza through Erez, bringing toys and children's playground equipment - slides, swings, kites, and magic castles for your children. They were stopped at the gate and prevented from coming. I understand even paper and crayons are treated as 'security hazards' and not permitted to enter Gaza. I sought an explanation for this policy in Israel, but did not receive a satisfactory answer - because there is none...."
CODEPINK's delegation in late May that entered Gaza through the Rafah, Egypt crossing was successful in breaking the blockade and brought three sets of playground equipment and toys and a variety of educational materials to the kids of Gaza.
On the governmental diplomatic front there has been a bit of good news. The Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz, revealed, on June 18, that the United States is putting pressure on Israel to end its Gaza blockade:
The United States has stepped up pressure on Israel regarding the Gaza Strip: Three weeks ago it sent Jerusalem a diplomatic note officially protesting Gaza policy and demanding a more liberal opening of the border crossings to facilitate reconstruction.
U.S. and Israeli sources say the note was followed by a verbal communication clarifying that the Obama administration thinks Israel's linkage of the case of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit and the opening of the crossings was not constructive.
The note was delivered to Israel after a decision by senior U.S. officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and special Mideast envoy George Mitchell. The latter discussed the contents of the note during his visit to Israel last week.
U.S. demands on Israel's Gaza policy were also raised Wednesday during talks between Clinton and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who is on an official visit to Washington.
It seems that the U.S. is demanding improvements in the import of food and medicine, the transfer of cash through banks, and the import and export of goods.
No comments:
Post a Comment