Ceasefire NOW! – joint Israeli-Palestinian call<\/p>\n
Israelis and Palestinians invited to sign \/ Others: sign the support petition<\/p>\n
The escalation in and around the Gaza Strip is causing terrible suffering to people – to men, women, elderly and children, Palestinian as well as Israeli civilians. The military offensive conducted by the Israeli armed forces has so far caused hundreds of Palestinian casualties; many of them were unarmed civilians. The siege and economic blockade have reduced most of the Gaza Strip’s population to abject poverty, devastated its economy, and caused the death of critically ill patients, denied access to vital treatment. The Palestinian attacks on Sderot have severely traumatized its population, far beyond the physical casualties caused among them.
\n<\/p>\n
This is not a conflict between two equal forces. The most powerful army in the Middle East, backed by the world’s single remaining super-power, is daily using tanks, fighter planes, helicopters and gunships against the lightly-armed militias and overcrowded population of a small area whose people have lived under occupation and in poverty long before the present siege.
\nYet the individuals caught in the fighting are all suffering – on both sides of the fighting, among both peoples. The pain of living in daily fear, of being wounded and mutilated for life, of grieving for the loss of loved ones, is the same pain – whether one’s country be oppressed or oppressor, occupied or occupier, rich or poor, powerful or powerless.
\nThe attacks on both sides of the border feed on each other and intensify each other. Palestinians in Gaza, rightly feeling themselves still living under occupation despite the Israeli ‘disengagement’, seek to resist occupation, but when some use launching of rockets against civilians, they manage only to provide an additional justification for tightening the siege on Gaza and the escalation of Israeli violence.
\nThe cycle of violence and bloodshed goes on and on, and the threat of an overall invasion and re-conquest of the Gaza Strip is openly and repeatedly made by the Israeli military and political leaders – with the cost estimated at hundreds or thousands of casualties.
\nWe, the undersigned – Israelis and Palestinians – do not accept this grim reality as inevitable. There is a clear and obvious alternative to bloody escalation and strangulating siege, an alternative providing hope: an end to the siege of Gaza, and a ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities.
\nThe siege of Gaza and the collective punishment of its population are totally unacceptable. It is a medieval form of war which is in utter contradiction to the present norms of human rights and international law – which Israel, as an occupying power, is bound to respect. There should be an immediate end to the siege, unconnected with any other issue, and the Gaza Strip must have free access to the outside world, for the free passage of persons and goods.
\nIt has already been clearly seen that the suffering inflicted on Palestinian civilians in Gaza did not and cannot solve the problem of Sderot. The only solution is a complete and mutual ceasefire, an end to all armed attacks by the Israeli occupation on Palestinians, including all shootings by infantry, tanks, artillery, aircraft and gunboats, and all targeted killings, armed incursions and arrests across the border, and an end to launching of rockets by Palestinians on Israelis. In addition, this should involve a reopening of the prisoners issue, starting with negotiations on the exchange of Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit with Palestinian prisoners.
\nWe regard such a ceasefire as an entirely realistic, achievable and desirable act, which would save lives, alleviate misery and create better conditions for any attempt to achieve peace between the two peoples – while understanding that no long-lasting solution is possible while the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem continue to live under occupation.
\nSee the full text in three languages including how to sign
\nThis is an initiative of the Israeli and Palestinian coalitions which worked together for the January 26 convoy and simultaneous demonstrations against the siege.<\/p>\n
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Ceasefire Now<\/p>\n
The escalation in and around the Gaza Strip is causing terrible suffering to people – to men, women, elderly and children, Palestinian\u00c2 as well as Israeli civilians.
\nThe military offensive conducted by the Israeli armed forces has so\u00c2 far caused hundreds of Palestinian casualties; many of them were\u00c2 unarmed civilians. The siege and economic blockade have reduced most\u00c2 of the Gaza Strip’s population to abject poverty, devastated its\u00c2 economy, and caused the death of critically ill patients, denied\u00c2 access to vital treatment. The Palestinian attacks on Sderot have\u00c2 severely traumatized its population, far beyond the physical\u00c2 casualties caused among them.\u00c2
\n\u00c2
\nThis is not a conflict between two equal forces. The most powerful\u00c2 army in the Middle East, backed by the world’s single remaining super-power, is daily using tanks, fighter planes, helicopters and gunships\u00c2 against the lightly-armed militias and overcrowded population of a\u00c2 small area whose people have lived under occupation and in poverty\u00c2 long before the present siege.
\n\u00c2
\nYet the individuals caught in the fighting are all suffering – on both sides of the fighting, among both peoples. The pain of living in daily fear, of being wounded and mutilated for life, of grieving for\u00c2 the loss of loved ones, is the same pain – whether one’s country be oppressed or oppressor, occupied or occupier, rich or poor, powerful or powerless.
\n\u00c2
\nThe attacks on both sides of the border feed on each other and intensify each other. Palestinians in Gaza, rightly feeling\u00c2 themselves still living under occupation despite the Israeli\u00c2 ‘disengagement’, seek to resist occupation, but when some use launching of rockets against civilians, they manage only to provide\u00c2 an additional justification for tightening the siege on Gaza and the\u00c2 escalation of Israeli violence.
\n\u00c2
\nThe cycle of violence and bloodshed goes on and on, and the threat of\u00c2 an overall invasion and re-conquest of the Gaza Strip is openly and\u00c2 repeatedly made by the Israeli military and political leaders – with\u00c2 the cost estimated at hundreds or thousands of casualties.
\n\u00c2
\n\u00c2 We, the undersigned – Israelis and Palestinians – do not accept this\u00c2 grim reality as inevitable. There is a clear and obvious alternative\u00c2 to bloody escalation and strangulating siege, an alternative\u00c2 providing hope: an end to the siege of Gaza, and a ceasefire and\u00c2 cessation of all hostilities.
\n\u00c2
\n\u00c2 The siege of Gaza and the collective punishment of its population are\u00c2 totally unacceptable. It is a medieval form of war which is in utter\u00c2 contradiction to the present norms of human rights and international\u00c2 law – which Israel, as an occupying power, is bound to respect. There should be an immediate end to the siege, unconnected with any\u00c2 other issue, and the Gaza Strip must have free access to the outside\u00c2 world, for the free passage of persons and goods.
\n\u00c2
\n\u00c2 It has already been clearly seen that the suffering inflicted on\u00c2 Palestinian civilians in Gaza did not and cannot solve the problem of\u00c2 Sderot. The only solution is a complete and mutual ceasefire, an end\u00c2 to all armed attacks by the Israeli occupation on Palestinians,\u00c2 including all shootings by infantry, tanks, artillery, aircraft and\u00c2 gunboats, and all targeted killings, armed incursions and arrests\u00c2 across the border, and an end to launching of rockets by Palestinians\u00c2 on Israelis. In addition, this should involve a reopening of the prisoners issue,\u00c2 starting with negotiations on the exchange of Israeli soldier Gilead\u00c2 Shalit with Palestinian prisoners.<\/p>\n
We regard such a ceasefire as an entirely realistic, achievable and\u00c2 desirable act, which would save lives, alleviate misery and create\u00c2 better conditions for any attempt to achieve peace between the two\u00c2 peoples – while understanding that no long-lasting solution is\u00c2 possible while the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East\u00c2 Jerusalem continue to live under occupation.
\n\u00c2 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ceasefire NOW! – joint Israeli-Palestinian call Israelis and Palestinians invited to sign \/ Others: sign the support petition The escalation in and around the Gaza Strip is causing terrible suffering to people – to men, women, elderly and children, Palestinian … Lees verder