Madison Rafah Journal

As the end of 2010 approaches, we ask you to help us give the gift of

Clean WATER for Rafah’s Children

Children at the Tuyor Al-Jena Kindergarten in Rafah were excited to receive a Maia Project water desalination and filtration system provided by Madison-Rafah Sister City Project in memory of MRSCP member Ken Coffeen.

There is a growing water crisis in Palestine that affects the health of virtually every adult and child. In the Gaza Strip, poor sanitation and over-extraction have polluted the limited water supply. Israeli military attacks and the blockade have prevented repairs to water infrastructure. Water to Gaza is restricted and often too expensive for families to purchase from a safe source.

On July 28, 2010 the UN General Assembly declared that “Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights.” (Read on …)

Friends,

The Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign’s effort to publicize Israeli War Crimes support with U.S. tax dollars with ads on city buses is getting considerable attention. The story broke about this on Seattle King 5 TV Friday evening (prior to launch of the ads which were to coincide with the anniversary of Cast Lead). The Jewish Federation has put out a letter opposing the ads. If you haven’t taken the simple step of voting in The King 5 TV poll about the effort, please do! And please pass this request along to your lists and let others know. Seattle activists will need support this week. Over 13,000 have voted in the poll in just a couple days, and the story has been the first or second most read story since it posted – and the most frequently emailed. The total vote tally has gone back and forth between those who support the ads being placed and those who oppose – currently running about 50% for and 50% against. Thoughtful comments about U.S. funding of the Israeli military are welcome.

Thanks for help!

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Israeli-War-Crimes-signs-to-go-on-Metro-buses-112108154.html

Cindy

ROBERT WRIGHT, The New York Times, December 14, 2010

The blogger Andrew Sullivan has called America’s policy toward Israel “assisted suicide.” That may be an exaggeration, but on Friday it became less of one. The occasion was a speech by Hillary Clinton, much anticipated after the collapse of talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

The good news is that Clinton sees the peril that Israel is moving toward. “The ever-evolving technology of war” means that, in the absence of a peace deal, “it will be increasingly difficult to guarantee the security of Israeli families.” Further, “long-term population trends … are endangering the Zionist vision of a Jewish and democratic state.”

Translation (with embellishment): If there is no two-state solution, Israel can either (a) give Palestinians in the occupied territories the vote and watch as the Arab birth rate turns Israeli Jews into a minority; or (b) keep denying the vote to Arabs it has ruled for decades, thus incurring charges of apartheid, moving toward pariah status among nations, continuing to give propaganda fuel to regional troublemakers and raising the chances of disastrous war.

Sadly, here is the policy Clinton unveiled to avert this catastrophe: America will talk to the two sides about what they might say should they ever talk to each other. As The New York Times headline put it, “Clinton Says U.S. Is Committed to Mideast Peace but Reverting to Old Strategy.” You’re familiar with how well that strategy worked? (Read on …)

Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press, Dec 14, 2010

JERUSALEM – Israel barred a group of Palestinian firefighters who helped battle the country’s worst wildfire from attending a ceremony in their honor Tuesday, the latest in a series of embarrassments over Israel’s handling of the blaze.

Eleven Palestinians were invited to attend the event in northern Israel, where the fire raged earlier this month. (Read on …)

Food Security in Gaza at Greater Risk as Israeli Siege Continues

Al Mezan Center For Human Rights, 7 Dec 2010

The Israeli authorities have reduced the amounts of wheat allowed into the Gaza Strip. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), lower quantities of wheat grain and animal feed have been allowed to enter Gaza during the past few months. Between January and May 2010 the 64,237 tons were allowed to enter Gaza through a special conveyer belt at Karni Crossing. Since June 2010, the Israeli authorities allowed only 48,609 tons into Gaza.

Wheat is allowed to enter Gaza only through the Karni Crossing. This crossing operates for two days a week. The conveyer belt used to bring in wheat grain during the two days it opened. However, Israel has started to allocate only one day for wheat grain and animal feed while the other day has been allocated to bring in construction materials for approved housing projects implemented by UN agencies. Al Mezan is concerned by the ongoing decline in the amounts of wheat grain and animal feed allowed to enter Gaza under the siege conditions that continue to reflect insensitivity toward the needs and welfare of Gaza population.

The reduction of amounts of wheat and animal feed harms the direct humanitarian needs of Gaza population. During the past years, the Israeli continuous closures imposed on the Gaza Strip have prevented Palestinians from keeping any strategic stockpile of basic commodities; including wheat grain. Within a few days the signs of scarcity of wheat and animal feed started to appear in Gaza. Lines of people waiting for bread in front of bakeries have started to form around Gaza’s towns and refugee camps. The prices of meat and chicken; already expensive for most of Gaza’s impoverished population, have also started to increase.

Other human rights problems are also caused by the reduction of these two commodities; including an increase in poverty and unemployment. Many Palestinians have lost their jobs in work related these materials. According to information obtained by Al Mezan, Gaza’s six mills have run out of the wheat grain stocks and decreased their working hours by half. Livestock and animal breeders have also made plans to reduce their production in order to avoid dramatic losses due to death of their birds and animals or high prices of animal feed. (Read on …)