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