| Re: Slow Death in Gaza
Joint letter to George W. Bush on the situation in Gaza: Quote:
Dear President Bush,
We are writing to you on the occasion of your forthcoming visit to Israel to urge you to exercise your influence to reverse Israel’s closure policy towards the Gaza Strip and to disassociate the United States from that policy. Israel’s comprehensive restrictions on the movement of goods and people, including fuel and other civilian necessities, have produced a devastated economy and a severe humanitarian crisis there. These restrictions constitute collective punishment against the civilian population, a serious violation of international humanitarian law...
...Mr. President, we understand that Israel’s punitive measures are ostensibly directed at the Hamas de facto government in Gaza as well as other armed groups, but these measures have caused grave harm to the 1.5 million civilians who reside there. As a strong ally of Israel, you are in a unique position to urge Israel to cease the unlawful closure it has imposed on the Gaza Strip. We urge you in the strongest terms to make clear that the United States cannot support or in any way be party to such a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Yours sincerely,
/s/
Joe Stork
Deputy Director
Middle East and North Africa division
Human Rights Watch
/s/
Sari Bashi
Executive Director
Gisha
/s/
Hadas Ziv
Executive Director
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
| Joint Letter to President Bush on the Situation in Gaza (Human Rights Watch, 12-5-2008)
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When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always.---Mahatma Gandhi |