The US Palestinian Community Network strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli massacres against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, which have today killed 8 Palestinians and wounded scores more. USPCN expresses its deepest solidarity and mourning for our sisters and brothers in Gaza struggling to survive Israel’s brutal siege. Today’s aggression is a part of the ongoing Israeli war against the Palestinian people.
On Monday, March 21, the UN Human Rights Council heard a report noting the ongoing impunity of Israeli war criminals for their 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, which killed over 1400 Palestinians and left Palestinian infrastructure in Gaza devastated. Recent attacks only prove once more that Israel is firmly convinced of its utter impunity for its ongoing crimes against Palestinians, which include murder, political assassinations, military occupation, land theft and confiscation, settlement-building, political imprisonment and denial of Palestinian refugees’ right to return.
We demand, once more, that the U.S. government end all forms of economic, military and political support for Israel, and that U.S. President Barack Obama immediately issue a condemnation of these ongoing killings and support the referral of Israeli war crimes for prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
Furthermore, we are appalled yet unsurprised by the official U.S. silence regarding the declaration by Israeli Military Intelligence that it is spying on international groups – including U.S. organizations – involved in the Palestine solidarity movement, the movement to break the siege on Gaza including the upcoming U.S. Boat to Gaza and Second Freedom Flotilla, and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which is making great headway internationally in exposing and isolating Israel for its ongoing apartheid, colonial-settler nature. This silence goes hand in hand with the ongoing persecution of Palestinian, Arab and solidarity activists by U.S. authorities, specifically the FBI raids and subpoenas against Palestinian and solidarity activists in Chicago, Minneapolis and Michigan, and the attempt to silence student activism through the prosecution of the Irvine 11 for civil disobedience in California.
Israel’s espionage against Palestinian and Palestine-solidarity activists only reveal the increasing desperation of Israel and the Zionist movement in the face of overwhelming and increasing international rejection of Israeli crimes and support for Palestinian rights.
Bombs and missiles fired on Gaza have completely failed to quash the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom and determination to resist occupation and oppression. We note that these actions come as Palestinians around the world plan to mark Land Day, March 30, the commemoration and continuation of the struggle for our land. We, the US Palestinian Community Network, pledge to stand by our people and call upon all to join us in protest and condemnation of the ongoing Israeli assaults on Gaza.
