Stop the Seige of Gaza

Several hundred people gathered today in front of the Israeli consulate in San Francisco to demand an end to the siege of Gaza and the new attacks on Lebanon.

From a press release from ADC-SF (the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee)


“Bay Area Arab-Americans Demand an End to the Israeli Siege on Gaza and an End to U.S. Support of Israel”

On early Wednesday morning, July 12, a U.S.-made Israeli F-16 dropped two-quarter ton bombs on the home of Dr. Nabeel Abu-Selmeya, killing him, his wife, and seven of their children, ages 7-19, while they slept.

The attack on the Abu-Selmeya home is nothing new. Israel has a long-standing policy of attacking civilians both in Gaza and the Middle East. Since the start of Israel’s “Operation Summer Rain,” the Israeli occupation army has wantonly destroyed hundreds of acres of Palestinian farmland and demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes. In the three months preceding this latest Israeli operation, the Israeli army indiscriminately fired over 6,000 shells at the Gaza Strip from land, sea and air, resulting in the deaths of several dozens of civilians and ending a unilateral Palestinian cease-fire.

Meanwhile in Lebanon, Israeli leaders have vowed to continue attacking Lebanese civilian targets in response to an attack on the Israeli military. Several bridges and a power plant have already been destroyed. Innocent civilian deaths will follow if Israel is allowed to act without impunity.

“Israel has used U.S.-supplied Apache helicopters, F-16s, bullets and bombs to take Palestinian lives, destroy school buildings, bridges, homes, Gaza’s only power plant, and numerous other civilian targets,” said Ramiz Rafeedie, President of the American Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee-San Francisco. “The Israeli offensive and siege has only exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with no food, medicine or electricity reaching nearly 1.4 million Palestinians.”

Lebanese-American activist Rayan Elamine said, “Lebanese are bracing themselves for an all-out assault by the invading Israeli army. At least two civilians have been killed already, and the death toll is sure to rise given Israel’s propensity for targeting civilians.”

The US government, Israel’s closest ally and supplier of military equipment, is complicit in these war crimes if it does not act to stop Israeli aggression.”