[syndicate] Press Alert

[A. G-C]

Press Alert
Wednesday 8th November 2006
10am
 
The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition is appalled by the
inaction of the ANC government with regards to the
current massacres taking place in the Gaza Strip,
Occupied Palestine. We have offered several times
since 2003 to be sent as volunteer human shields to
Gaza, if the SA government could facilitate our entry
into the Strip (which is closed to all foreigners) but
the Department of Foreign Affairs has never replied.
 
Since November 1st 2006 (in just a week) 73
Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) and 300 injured. This includes
three women who were killed when a tank opened fire on
a group of women who were marching to a mosque.
 
What makes things worse is that the injured are not
even allowed to travel five minutes outside Beit
Hanoun village to the Al Awda hospital, let alone to
better resourced hospitals in Gaza City. The Israeli
Occupation Forces have sealed off the town, literally
leaving people to die on the ground. Medics from the
Palestinian Red Crescent Ambulance Services have had
to break through the siege under heavy fire to try and
treat people with horrific gunshot injuries as they
lie on the ground. This is no substitute for hospital
treatment and indeed, two medics were killed by the
Israeli army while attempting to treat the wounded.
 
Yesterday, it was widely reported that the IOF had
"pulled out" of the Gaza Strip but yet early this
morning another massacre took place in Beit Hanoun. 18
Palestinians were killed instantly ( 7 of them
children!) and another one has since died. 60 people
are lying injured on the ground, according to
Palestinian doctors that the Anti-War Coalition is in
daily contact with.
 
The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition hereby calls on the
South African ANC government to implement sanctions
against Israel. We have called on the government
several times to do this, or at least to do something,
but they have done absolutely nothing except sit back
and watch Palestinians being slaughtered.
 
The South African government could easily stop De
Beers R5.5 billion annual diamond trade with Israel
since the Israeli Trade Ministry has admitted that the
diamond trade is an important factor in propping up
their economy. These blood diamonds are enabling the
Israeli state to keep killing the Palestinians. Yet
yesterday there was an international conference in
Botswana talking about blood diamonds, and the
question of Israel was not even mentioned. This is an
indictment on the post-apartheid ANC government which
was helped to freedom by the Palestinian Liberation
Organisation (PLO) while the state of Israel broke
sanctions on the apartheid regime and continued to
sell weapons to the apartheid government all through
the years. 
 
For comment, call:
 
Shaheed Mahomed, Cape Town Anti-War - 082 2020617

Dr Mona Elfaraa, Doctor at AlAwda Hospital in Beit
Hanoun. Tel: +972 599 410 741 and +970 82846602

Dr Abu Ala'a, Professor at Gaza University. Tel: + 972
 599441766


Dr Asad A. Shark, Gaza Strip, + 972 599 322636

Dr Ayoub Othman, + 972 599 412 826


Dr. Haidar Eid
Ph.D English Literature