Free Gaza Movement activist, Derek Graham, appeals for funds in Galway to buy Gaza relief ship

by TD - FPC Mon Feb 09, 2009 18:52

One!

Sello, the noted Galway busker graced our info table with his sweet music for a while

by Mohamed Mon Feb 09, 2009 23:20

It was great to hear what Derek and Thresa had to say about Gaza and the suffering of the Palestenians there. It was clear that what the Zionists did is absolute war crimes and genocide againist the civilians in Gaza. Goodluck Derek in your efforts and please take care.

by tom - cork palestine action Tue Feb 10, 2009 05:47

hello we are a group working in cork it would be good yo keep in touch with each other,
my email adress is tomartyc@hotmail.com
if possible perhaps send your details ,i will forward them to the group,
would be great to have some of the speackers you had.
all the best

by TD - Free Palestine Campaign Tue Feb 10, 2009 15:04

Whilst Gaza is littered with soiled baby nappies discarded by Israeli tank crews too shit-scared, as it were, to emerge from their metal cocoons and do the business in decent fashion, at least some IDF soldiers as documented by a recent delegation of 8 American lawyers to Gaza (to "assess the effects of the recent attacks on the people, and to determine what, if any, violations of international law occurred and whether U.S. domestic law has been violated as a consequence") eschewed their relative safety to: We spoke to Khaled Abed Rabbo, who witnessed an Israeli soldier execute his 2-year-old and 7-year-old daughters, and critically injure a third daughter, Samar, 4-years old, on a sunny afternoon outside his home. Two other Israeli soldiers were standing nearby eating chips and chocolates at the time on January 7, 2009. Abed Rabbo recounts standing in front of the Israeli soldiers with his mother, wife and daughters for 5 – 7 minutes before one of the soldiers opened fire on his family. We spoke to Ibtisam al-Sammouni, 31, and a resident of Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. On January 4th, the Israeli army forced approximately 110 of Zaytoun’s residents into Ibtisam's home. At approximately 7 am on January 5th, the Israeli military launched two tank shells at the house without warning killing two of Ibtisam’s children: Rizka, 14 and Faris, 12. When the survivors attempted to flee Israeli forces shot at them. Her son Abdullah, 7, was injured in the shelling and remained in the home among his deceased siblings for four days before Israeli forces permitted medical personnel into Zaytoun to rescue them. After medical personnel removed the injured persons, an Israeli war plane destroyed the house and it crumbled over the lifeless bodies. The dead remained beneath the rubble for 17 days before the Israeli Army permitted medical personnel to remove their bodies for burial.

Our findings overwhelmingly point to the use of conventional weapons in a prohibited manner.

by Alternating currents Tue Feb 10, 2009 16:47

A reminder that there is a benefit gig for the people of Gaza being held in the Belvedere Hotel (just off Parnell Sq) this thursday the 12th of February. All proceeds of which will be going directly to aid the humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Please show your support by attending. Gig starts at 8.30p.m. till 02.30a.m.

by Alwyn L'hoir Wed Feb 11, 2009 20:21

Is anyone else as aghast as I am, reading about ISRAEL in charge of the money for the reconstruction of Palestine? Since when do the idiots who bombed the bejesus out of innocent civilians get to decide what aid comes in or not? This cancerous state of Israel has blockaded Gaza for the last couple of years. Who on earth is giving them this money, and why? Is there a link or any other backstory to this?

by Israel supporter Wed Feb 11, 2009 21:43

No, I am not "aghast". This "cancerous state" is a legitamate state recognised by the UN, contributer of technology, medical advances and the most talented people in the world.

Perhaps if the Palestinians proved themselves capable of managing money without pouring it into terrorism then they might be let take charge of their own money.

Egypt had to stop a Hamas official from entering Gaza because he had 11 million dollars in cash in his luggage. We all know that that money would not have been spent on the population!

by gazasympathiser Wed Feb 11, 2009 23:53

The "most talented people in the world" at what exactly?

Mass murder?

Propaganda and deception?

Ethnic cleansing?

BTW before you come back with some shite about your scientists etc. the majority of "your" engineers and scientists are imports from the Eastern block and they outnumber those graduated by your universities in the entire history of your pathetic racist state.

In any case when you are subsidised to the tune of 10-15% of your GDP by the US it's hardly surprising you have money to develop technology.

Any fool knows that science follows the money.

Means you don't even qualify as a fool I guess.

Pouring money into terrorism, $11M?

Get real!

Israel gets this kind of money in each day of the year, year on year for decades from the US.

It would pay for 2 Merkava tanks with some small change to pay for pampers for the crew to shit in!

If the Palestinians were really pouring money into arms as you claim why are they making Quassams out of bits of old piping, sugar and fertiliser?

Hardly the first weapons of choice against F16s and Merkava tanks!

by Israel supporter Thu Feb 12, 2009 17:21

"gazasympathiser"

The "imports from the Eastern Block" as you call them are Jewish people who have chosen to make Israel their permanent home. The Jewish people are the most talented people in the world. If you don't believe that, then check out the proportion of Nobel Prize winners, medical experts, musicians, artists, writers etc etc etc who are Jewish. Israel is a Jewish state hence why they are the most talrnted people in the world.

Yes science does follow money, but money follows talent. Money also follows peace agreaments as Egypt and Jordan well know. Together they received just as much American money in 2008 as Israel did.

Hamas has thouands of Quassam missiles. It doesn't take too much brain power to work out that this requires full time employment to assemble so much "bits of old pipng, sugar and fertiliser". 11 million dollars goes a long way to fund these aswell as Jihadist bombs and purchase some Katyushas. It certainly won't go into convincing Western businesses to invest in Gaza which could have been a veritable paradise by now but for Hamas.

As for tank crews wearing pampers, a juvenile taunt which I won't comment on any more.

by Brightfirelight Thu Feb 12, 2009 19:16

Funny you should mention the Nobel Prize considering the Israelis Occupation Forces shot Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mairead Corrigan in the westbank village of Bil'in in April 2007.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3390314,00.html

by gazasympathiser Thu Feb 12, 2009 23:30

as you cannot spell "talrnted" or "agreaments" or even use a spell-checker before posting!

The "imports" largely have the most tenuous links with Israel of Judaism and are the product of superior education systems in Eastern Europe not the kind of genetic superiority you suggest.

Were it a question of genetic superiority you would be able to spell correctly!

Science plainly does follow money and only a fool or racial supremacist would suggest otherwise.

If you can build missiles out of scrap that is freely available then you obviously need $11M for something else, try food, medicines etc. which are embargoed by Israel.

Western money will flow into Gaza and the beginnings can be seen in the import of carnations for Valentines day!

Israeli tank crews are clearly chicken shit as was seen in Lebanon and again in Gaza .... the most pampered soldiers in the world.

by gazasympathiser Thu Feb 12, 2009 23:52

Israel with 8 nobel prize winners is a long way off the pace when compared with the US 309.

In fact the best you can do is to match Ireland's 8 winners!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_laureates_by_country

by Claudius Fri Feb 13, 2009 05:06

This is the age of deception and Israel is the monster created by England to help the Empire prosper. The days of the Empire are counted but not yet. There is more to suffer but know this: there is a God Almighty, we are God's children watching, there is a Judgment and God's truth will prevail. Be afraid you fake Israel, be afraid you Christian Zionist, be afraid you hopeless atheist and capitalist and you who hide under names that sound important because you are all the same. A time has been given to you to deceive and attract the fallen away. Once the time is over your time will be over.

Sobering thoughts.

by Joseph Loughnane - Palestine Solidarity Society NUIG Sun Feb 15, 2009 09:17 palestinesolidarity at socs dot nuigalway dot ie

The Palestine Solidarity Society in NUIG is having a meeting at 7pm this Tuesday in Room AC204 on the NUIG concourse to put forward plans to raise money on campus for the people of Gaza. Please, anyone who wants to help us come down and suggest ideas or events. The money raised can go directly to Gaza or help to fund boats or trucks carrying aid to Palestine.

by Geraldine Mon Feb 16, 2009 21:38

To anyone reading this who really believes that Israel should be censured or boycotted or even treated as an international pariah state---the most effective action would be to put pressure on politicians in order that the EU will halt its almost-finalised special trade agreement with Israel.

About 80% of Israel's exports come into the EU. I believe that this should stop. Only economic pressure will mean anything to Israel.. So write or email all the Irish MEPs, and urge them to vote against the renewing of this special trade agreement. Also it would be good to write to your local newspaper, national newspaper and to TDs. Talk to radio talk showalso if you feel confident about it.

I know that economic boycotts or sanctions are extreme measures, but Israel needs to be restrained and shocked by the international community. The Israeli war on Gaza was a long catalogue of illegality, war crimes and murders. If the world could have seen half of what was done there it would not turn its head away in selfish denial.

When Israel begins to pay some slight attention to international opinion, and to international condemnation, and to UN resolutions, and to rebukes by the International Red Cross, then I will try to respect israel again. But alas, Israeli politicians, and the ruthless IDF, and the hard or uncaring or callous or ignorant Israeli population have shamed themselves and placed themselves outside the area of common decency. The world must act.

by Delilah Mon Feb 16, 2009 22:03

I've been wondering how it can be that so many Israelis and Israeli supporters can coldly say " They fired rockets at us so we had to retaliate"........."Any other country would have done the same".........
The Palestinians forced us to kill them"...."It is all the fault of the Palestinians for electing Hamas".

Are Israelis this stupid ? Are they this cruel ? Or is this a way of trying to smother their conscience, their humanity ?

If Israel HAD to retaliate ( and I reject the idea that a military attack or invasion was necessary ), but if they HAD to attack, they should have waged that attack in a humane way, not in the blind, murderous indiscriminate fury which slaughtered anything that moved, and targeted homes, hospitals, mosques, schools, killing over 1,000 innocent men, women and children, and horribly injuring over 4,000.
How could they murder the children...especially the children.....

Israel, how could you ?

by Fred Johnston Tue Feb 17, 2009 13:54

The Israelis are very much aware of world opinion and especially opinion in the US and have to find a way to 'spin' what happened in Gaza so that their hitherto untouchable moral highground is not assailed. The idea of victimhood, of being surrounded by 'enemies,' is vitally important to the Israeli military and political mind-set; even a cursory glance at the size of the Israeli army and the fact that they are the only nuclear power in the Middle East shows all this is nonsense, but nonetheless it must remain in place. The Israeli army, therefore, is not named the Israeli Defence Force by accident. Gaza eradicated whatever shine there was left on this idea, and the Israelis themselves wrecked their own image by putting a ban on the naming of the officers in charge in Gaza in case they could then be named later in trials for war crimes. Now even the IDF no longer believes the mythology. So we may hear even more more bellicose rhetoric against the Palestinians, now that the mask is off.

by Shane Tue Feb 17, 2009 19:59

But Fred the opinion in the US accounts for nothing, as the US government will do what it always does. Put their own spin on it, brainwash the majority of their population to show the Israelis as being the victims who need their big brother's help and continue to back Israel to the hilt and supply them with weapons in order to maintain the US stranglehold on the Middle East