[ Tuesday April 11, Tel-Aviv:
Gush Shalom joined the action called by the Women's Coalition for Peace.
Activists of different groups protested the ongoing Gaza bombardments by the
Israeli army, which the day before claimed the life of a nine-year old girl.
Hadil Ghaban was hit while inside her home (*). The route of the march included
several embassies in front of which was spread out the
slogan:
'Et Tu,
Europa!'
Here follows the text of a paid ad
which Gush Shalom publishes in different Israeli papers on the day before
Pesach/Passover (when Jews celebrate liberation). ]
A CALL TO
EUROPE
We, Israeli patriots concerned about the future of
our state, hereby call upon you, the leaders of the European Union and the heads
of European governments:
Stop the blockade on the Palestinian government!
Don't
starve a whole people in order to overthrow its elected
government!
Only three months ago, European monitors supervised
the Palestinian elections. They confirmed Palestine as the first democracy in
the Arab world (holding its second democratic elections, the first having been
won by the Fatah movement.)
This time, a Parliament with a Hamas majority was
elected. Now you are giving the Palestinians a lesson in democracy: you are
telling them that, unless they overthrow the government they have just elected,
there will be no milk for their children, no medicines for their sick, no work
for their unemployed, no salaries for their doctors and teachers.
You are fulfilling the cynical prescription of the
advisor to our Prime Minister: "We need to make them lose weight, but not to
die."
This is not only a barbaric policy, it is also a
terrible mistake: no people in the world would submit to such brutal and
humiliating pressure from outside. The inevitable result will be a further
radicalization of Palestinian opinion, and a deepening of the hatred for Israel
and the West in the whole of the Arab and Muslim world.
That will make the prospect of peace even remoter,
the peace we all need like air to breathe. It will lead to a bloodbath, which
will cost the lives of thousands - Israelis, Palestinians, Europeans and
Americans.
Talk to the Palestinian
government!
Start a dialogue with
Hamas!
Certainly, they must recognize the State of
Israel's right to exist, just as Israel must recognize the right of the State of
Palestine to exist. But such recognition will grow out of negotiations, not the
other way round.
Certainly, they have to stop violence, just as Israel
must do so. But even at this stage a prolonged armistice can be
achieved.
Certainly, they must accept the Two-State solution,
and so must Israel. But their leaders have already hinted that they are ready
for it - and this must be put to the test of negotiations.
We call
upon you, leaders of Europe:
It is in the interest of Europe, as it is in the
interest of Israel and Palestine, to achieve peace. Don't succumb to pressure
from outside interests, whose policy has already led to several recent disasters
in the Middle East.
For the sake of all of us: follow an independent
line, guided by wisdom and morality!
GUSH SHALOM
The
Israeli Peace Bloc
(*) See also the Yediot Aharonot article 'War on Qassams not
kosher', by Aviad Kleinberg
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3238797,00.html
61033 p.o.b. 3322 Tel Aviv GUSH SHALOM
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