We, as South Africans of Jewish descent, strongly condemn the
Israeli bombing of the Palestinian Gaza Strip which has already resulted in
over 200 fatalities (including over 40 children) and thousands injured. This
operation is in gross violation of international law, including international
humanitarian law and the relevant provisions on the protection of civilians in
armed conflict, and of the prohibition of reprisals and collective punishment
of a civilian population under occupation.
Israeli attacks, with the stated objective of halting Palestinian rocket fire and destroying the military infrastructure of Hamas, have included heavy aerial, navy and tank bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This aggression is in the context of a seven-year Israeli blockade of Gaza which has severely damaged Gaza’s health and sanitary infrastructure, destroyed employment opportunities and led to a severe shortage of basic necessities.
The Israeli attacks on Gaza have been preceded by Israeli
killings of Palestinians in the West Bank, violent Israeli home invasions,
arbitrary civilian arrests, rearrests of freed Palestinian political prisoners,
and a free hand given to Israeli settler violence. There is incontrovertible
evidence that Israel has targeted Palestinian civilians, including many
children and even killed two persons with disabilities in a Palestinian rehabilitation
centre. Israel justifies the current operations using the deaths of three young
Israelis in the Israeli Occupied Palestinian West Bank, whose brutal murders we
deplore, but which cannot be a justification for state sanctioned civilian
punishment.
We deplore the continuing rocket fire aimed at Israel.
However, there is virtual unanimity that the scale of the Israeli assault is completely
disproportionate. The impunity with which Israel behaves cannot be tolerated
any longer. We believe the time has come for the South African Government to
sever all links with Israel, including trade and investment, and to expel
Israel’s Ambassador and recall ours.
·
David
Sanders
·
Leslie
London
·
Judy
Favish
·
Shereen
Usdin
·
Neil
Coleman
·
Raymond
Suttner
·
Zapiro
·
Laurie
Nathan
·
Max
Ozinsky
·
Melanie
Judge
·
Ronnie
Kasrils
·
Jane
Alexander
·
Julian
Reistein
·
Sharon
Fonn
·
Jeff
Rudin
·
Suzanne
Rudin
·
Ed
Wethli
·
Brian
Hotz
·
Nathan
Geffen
·
Bradley
Bordiss
·
Robyn
Patz
·
Alan
Fine
·
Jared
Sacks
·
Merle
Dietrich
·
Dana
Labe
·
Alison
Swartz
·
Sue
Goldstein
·
Leonard
Shapiro
·
Heidi
Grunebaum
·
Lorraine
Purkey
·
Richard
Hainebach
·
Marian
Nell
·
Janet
Shapiro
·
Tehillah
Niselow
·
Ben
Fogel
·
Robert
Krause
·
Aliza
Levi
·
Karla
Green
·
Mark
Kaplan
·
Zandi
Sherman
·
Steven
Robins
·
Meghan
Finn
·
Ingrid
Hurwitz
·
Paul
Hendler
·
Audrey
Blecher
·
Tali
Cassidy
·
Mitchell
Joffe Hunter
·
Renee
Usdin
·
Linda
Cooper
·
Melanie
Alperstein
·
Lynne
Lomofsky
·
Michael
Moss
·
Jon
Marc Seimon
·
Josh
Budlender
·
David
Fine
·
Jessica
Sherman
·
Tony
Tabatznik
·
Karen
Lazar
·
Sheila
Barsel
·
Laurel
Baldwin-Ragaven
·
Mark
Orkin
·
Vanessa
Barlosky
·
Sheila
Cohen
·
Laurine
Platzky
·
Clive
Emdon
·
Mark
Feldman
·
Brenda
Liebowitz
·
Laura
Phillips
