Members of Independent Australian Jewish Voices condemn the current war as "inhuman, superfluous" and "abominable"
Source: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=13422207
IAJV condemns inhuman Gazan attack.
Gaza Media Statement
Posted on Friday, January 2, 2009 at 08:22PM by IAJV | Comments Off | Email
The following statement reflects only the views of those signatories whose names appear below. Signatories of other statements or authors of articles and blogs on our IAJV website are not to be taken as endorsing this statement.
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We are Australian Jews who join thousands in Israel and around the world condemning ongoing Israeli military attacks on Gaza. Together with Israeli peace group Gush Shalom, we condemn the current war as "inhuman, superfluous" and "abominable".
While Israel has the right to protect its citizens and to demand an end to the crime of Palestinian rockets that target civilians, this cannot be used as a pretext for the grossly disproportionate military assault on Gaza because it was Israel that violated the fragile truce on November 4, 2008. Furthermore, Israel ignored Hamas' diplomatic initiatives to re-establish the cease-fire since it expired on December 19.
The crude home-made rockets have caused relatively few Israeli casualties. By contrast, Israeli bombardment has caused around 400 deaths and 2,000 casualties including a large proportion of women and children. The bombardment has included civilian targets such as a university, television station, factories, mosques, ministry offices, parliament and refugee camps. Since Hamas is a legitimate, democratically elected political party that controls the government, security-related institutions are also civilian targets including police departments and uniformed officers.
History has demonstrated that military punishment has never broken the spirit of a people or produced peace. On the contrary, the assault on the population of Gaza will only inflame hatred of Jews and of the State of Israel while doing nothing to protect the lives of Israelis. Above all, it will undermine the prospects of joining with peace-seeking Palestinians to negotiate a lasting, just solution to the conflict.
The war on the population of Gaza comes after the Israeli blockade that had already created a severe humanitarian crisis under which the Palestinians suffered from lack of food, electricity, medicines, hospital equipment and other basic necessities of life. The blockade was condemned by the UN as a violation of international law and, like the massive Israeli air-strikes, constitutes illegal collective punishment prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.
We call for an immediate end to attacks on civilians by Palestinians and Israelis. However, since Palestinians have no means of self-defence against the most powerful military force in the Middle East, we particularly call on Israel to end its brutal assault on the vulnerable Palestinian people of Gaza and to reconsider its rejection of the UN Security Council's call for a cease-fire.
Israel has refused to accept Hamas' consistent offer of negotiations since its election win in 2006. There can be no solution to the conflict without Israel being a willing partner to dialogue.
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Current total = 131
1. Asoulin, Eran
2. Balint, Dr. Anthony
3. Bamberger, Judy
4. Beauchamp, Alice
5. Benjamin, Professor Andrew FAHA
6. Bersten, Bruce
7. Bersten, Robyn
8. Berzin, Pat
9. Bilander, Celina
10. Bilander, Berish
11. Bilander, Isy
12. Binder, Geoffrey
13. Birch, Bob
14. Blooman, Geoffrey
15. Bloustien, Dr Dave
16. Blustein, Shiffi
17. Bokor, Imre
18. Boniface, Harry
19. Braun, Leo
20. Briskman, Linda
21. Brull, Michael
22. Bush, Jenny
23. Carleton, Jenny
24. Carleton, Susie
25. Cass, Moss (former ALP)
26. Chaitman, Lynn
27. Clemens, R.
28. Cohen, Harry AM
29. Cohen, Ian MLC
30. Cowen, David
31. Cox, Eva
32. Crafti, Dr Naomi
33. D’Aprano, Leonie
34. Dean, Tamara
35. DeSaxe, Mannie
36. di Suvero, Henry
37. Dowse, Sara
38. Dryen, Fred
39. Dryen, Robyn
40. Dwyer, Joan
41. Elson, Shane
42. Faire, Shoshana
43. Faye, Dr. Esther
44. Fink, Michelle
45. Fox, Louise
46. Fox, Mim
47. Freadman, Anne
48. Fried, Nadia
49. Goldflam, Russell
50. Goldman, Arnold
51. Goodman, Professor David S G
52. Gordon, Michael
53. Grant, Dr Joan
54. Grossman, Associate Professor Michele
55. Harris, Marshall
56. Hermolin, David
57. Helfand, Sylvia
58. Horsburgh, Jennifer
59. Horsburgh, Maurice
60. Imber, Madelaine
61. Jaivin Linda
62. Kamerman, Sol
63. Kay, Hanna
64. Kaye, Dr. David
65. Kitching, Professor Gavin
66. Kosky, Jan
67. Lambert, John
68. Langsan, Vic
69. Legge, Bill
70. Leigh, Sue
71. Leonzini, Victor
72. Levy, Dr James
73. Levy, Valerie
74. Lindell, Geoffrey
75. Loewenstein, Antony
76. Loewenstein, Jeff
77. Loewenstein, Violet
78. Macredie, Rochelle
79. Midalia, Dan
80. Miller, Jamie
81. Moore, Stefan
82. Morris, Dr. Alan
83. Morris, Jenny
84. Munz, Martin
85. Mutta, Shari
86. Nahvi, Emma
87. Neering, Ian
88. Nimni, Ephraim
89. Nissen, Alex
90. Otterman, Michael
91. Pataki, Tamas Dr
92. Philips, Michael
93. Pogos, Abe
94. Porzsolt, Vivienne
95. Raber, Richard
96. Rantzen, Vicki
97. Reed, Ann
98. Rich, Dr Joe
99. Riemer, Andrew
100. Romer, Marta
101. Rothfield, Andrew
102. Rudner, Allan
103. Salom Margot
104. Samorzewski, Meika Loofs
105. Segall, David
106. Shapiro-Liu, Rosemary
107. Shimmin, Dr Nick
108. Silverstein, Jordy
109. Singerman, Deborah
110. Slezak, Dr Peter
111. Smit, Jack H
112. Sosnowski, Marika
113. Starfield, Sue
114. Stratton, Jon
115. Tambour, Anna
116. Tropp Fred
117. Urbinder, David
118. Varga, Susan
119. Vorsay, Avril
120. Walton, Peter Leman
121. Wand, Leslie
122. Wasowski, Vera
123. Weisser, David
124. Zilko, Julie
125. Zion, Deborah
126. Zion, Lawrie
127. Zyngier, David Dr