Wednesday, August 9, 2006

"More than 900 lives ago, we asked for an immediate ceasefire. More than 3,000 injured civilians ago, we asked for an immediate ceasefire.
"We asked for a ceasefire when the 1 million Lebanese now sleeping on the floors of our schools and public buildings and welcoming homes were still sleeping in their own homes - homes that for many no longer exist."
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The head of Médecins Sans Frontières' (MSF) mission in Lebanon, Chris topher Stokes, described Israeli assurances of protected aid corridors as delusional. "For many days, the concept of humanitarian corridors has been used to mask the reality," The Independent
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Doctors Without Borders have details of what it takes to get aid through:
"Four tonnes of supplies were carried by hand on a distance of 500 metres thanks to a huge human chain. A tree trunk spanning across the river was used as a makeshift bridge..."
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"Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Tyre yesterday morning, warning people not to use vehicles south of the Litani river....The travel ban had no time limit and mentioned no exceptions, even for ambulances and humanitarian convoys"...
.."it said: "Read this carefully and follow its instructions. The Israeli Defence Forces will escalate their operations and will strike with force against terrorist elements who are using you as human shields and firing rockets from inside your homes against Israel..." All vehicles would be bombed the letter said. It was signed "State of Israel". Guardian
Imagine that letter fell from the sky in London, Boston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Sydney, Paris, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Salmiya, Tel Aviv...or anywhere else you call home...How would it feel? How terrorized would you feel picking that up and reading it?
Let alone how you would feel about the bombs and missiles that come with it...Monsters of fire that dwarf the katyushas that we know are also condemnable murderous weapons.
How must it feel to be told that the enemy they are aiming for is 'inside your home', and so your home is fair game...despite the fact that you look around and see your children, your pictures your glass of water, your bed and your breakfast table...the everyday things that make up your life inside your home...The people you love...but someone is convinced, against any protestation, that your home is a viable target, as is any escape from your home. Despite the fact that they have no problem understanding that when Israeli homes are hit, it is a war crime, it is a tragedy, people are lost, lives are damaged, belongings and sacred objects are extinguished forever...
From Y. Amichai again there are simple words that might reach across this abyss we form between our suffering and our enemy's..
הגאולה תבוא רק אם יגידו להם
"Redemption will only come if they tell them"
You see that house of your enemy? You see the rubble, the loss the hatred?
"Next to that, a little to the left and below it, sits
A man who has bought fruits and vegetables for his family"
לידה, קצת שמאלה ולמטה ממנה,יושב
אדם שקנה פֵּרות וירקות לבית
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...but who now must bury his dead...
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2 comments:

Fuzzy said...

one of the Free news services that i like, you might like it, although i dont know which industry you're in, but i read their various briefs smartbrief

kwtia said...

Thanks Fuzzy, the UN brief has good stuff :)