*Top media executives protest Israel's ban on journalists' entry to Gaza* By The Associated Press More at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1039255.html Tags: BBC <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/tags/index.jhtml?tag=BBC>, Gaza Strip <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/tags/index.jhtml?tag=Gaza+Strip>, Ehud Olmert <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/tags/index.jhtml?tag=Ehud+Olmert>
Leaders of the world's biggest media organizations filed a protest with Israel's prime minister Wednesday criticizing the government's decision to ban journalists from entering the Gaza Strip for the last two weeks. The protest was the latest in a chorus of international criticism of Israel's Gaza closure, tightened after a five-month truce began unraveling about two weeks ago in a flurry of Israeli airstrikes against militants and Palestinian rocket barrages targeting Israeli towns. Those signing the letter included Associated Press Chief Executive and President Tom Curley, Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger, New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, ABC News President David Westin, BBC News Director Helen Boaden and other top executives from CNN, the Canadian TV network CTV, the German broadcaster ZDF, and the French news service Agence France Presse. "We are gravely concerned about the prolonged and unprecedented denial of access to the Gaza Strip for the international media," they wrote in the letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "We would welcome an assurance that access to Gaza for international journalists will be restored immediately in the spirit of Israel's long-standing commitment to a free press," reads the letter. > >> <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1039255.html> *** From: "Karin Pally" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> War Crimes in Gaza - **Interview with Donna Wallach by Anis Hamadeh www.freegaza.org* Nov. 21, 2008 Donna Wallach was on the first Free Gaza boat that came from Cyprus in August 2008 and has stayed in Gaza since then. She comes from California and is of Eastern-European Jewish descent. Donna lived in occupied Palestine in the Tel Aviv area from 1981 to 1997 and experienced the impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinians living inside Israel as well as the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. She also was in Ramallah during its siege in 2002. / *How is the elecricity, food and medical situation in the Gaza Strip today?* The last shipment of fuel was 420,0000 liters, not even enough to power the Gaza Power Plant for one day. Electricity is off in many places at least 12 hours a day and in some places 20 hours a day. Some areas are without running water 12 hours a day. The last flour mill closed on Thursday 20th November, they ran out of wheat to mill, this will impact the bakeries which make the various types of bread. There were 72 bakeries in Gaza Strip and many of them had already closed, it could be they are now all closed. Access to food is a human right - Israel does not have the right to deny food, or water or medicine. The director of emergency ambulances said that 300 kinds of medicines are lacking here. *Were there any Palestinians killed by the Israeli forces? Eighteen Palestinians have been killed by invading Israeli occupation force soldiers in the past three weeks, the last one was yesterday, 20th November. *You have been out with the fishermen as an international observer. We heard that Israel shoots at them. What is the background? Fishermen can't fish - they are limited to a 6 mile limit - which has already been overfished. Every day the fishermen are shot at by the Israeli occupation force navy. I have witnessed it every time I go out with the fishermen. The Israeli occupation force Navy shoots at them with M16s, cannons, grenades and high powered water cannon. The high powered water cannon ALWAYS causes damage to the boats and fishermen and three of the international volunteers have been injured by the water cannon. Recently the Israeli occupation force Navy has been using the water cannon to shoot dirty water, which has a very bad smell and some of us think it is a form of chemical warfare. We are getting samples tested here in Gaza and in Cyprus. We are DEEPLY concerned because in the recent times the Navy has waited to use the dirty water after a netful of fish has been brought onto deck and then they spray it, contaminating the fish, the entire boat and deck and any and all fishermen who get hit with the water. I have heard that some of the fishermen were sick for three days after getting hit with the dirty water. Recently a 19-year-old fisherman from Rafah was very seriously wounded for fishing on a very small boat, using paddles because they had no money to buy fuel for the outboard motor. With no warning whatsoever, the Israeli occupation force Navy shot at his boat and he was wounded in the lower leg. The Israeli occupation force Navy was shining their very bright lights on him, so they could clearly see that he was a fisherman fishing in the sea. *According to Article 55 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea the Exclusive Economic Zone extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its coast. This is the zone where people may fish. On which legal grounds can it be only six miles for Gazans?* According to the Oslo accords the Palestinian fishermen have the right to fish out to 20 miles into the sea. The six mile limit is totally arbitrary and illegal by the Israeli occupation force navy. In fact, the fishermen in Rafah are kept to a four mile limit. *Are there similar arbitrary and unlawful restrictions on land? Farmers living along the "Buffer Zone" can't farm, they are shot at by the Israeli occupation force soldiers when they go to their farms. Some of them haven't been able to farm for five to fifteen years. The Israeli occupation force soldiers have created a desert in the agriculturally rich soil by destroying all the trees and crops, they also destroyed and killed the chicken farms, the sheep farms and the hot houses. Taking away the livelihood and the food from the Palestinian farmers, their families and the people who bought the locally grown food. Now many, if not most Palestinians, are totally dependent on food aid - flour, oil, sugar and salt. In addition, most of the fruit and vegetables in the stores are Israeli fruit and vegetables. *There also appear to be restrictions for education in Gaza. What can you tell us about this?* 500 students with scholarships can't get out to their universities, they are losing their scholarships. 3000 students who have been accepted to universities can't get out and are losing their ability to go study abroad. Education is a human right - Israel does not have the right to deny education. *We are, of course, talking about war crimes here, not just about some inconvenient restrictions.* Something MUST be done to stop these crimes, these War Crimes against an entire population of 1.5 million Palestinians. *** WHAT: Protest Gaza Siege WHEN: Today, Monday, Nov. 24, 3:30-6 PM WHERE: At the Israel Consulate at 6380 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (between Fairfax and La Cienega). The humanitarian situation in Gaza is intolerable as reported in major newspapers (e.g., NY Times Nov. 18). The situation drove the UN Secretary General to issue a plea for Israel to end its siege of Gaza. The 5 month truce between Israel and Hamas broke down on Nov. 4. Israel sealed the border with Gaza cutting off fuel supplies (which through the Gaza Strip into a blackout), and stopping food deliveries. The UN which feeds half the Gaza population of 1.5 million ran out of food and stopped deliveries. In the past few days Israel allowed just enough food to prevent mass starvation and small amounts of fuel. LA Jews for Peace urges everyone to speak out against the blockade, and call for a resumption of shipments of food and medical supplies to the people of Gaza, and admittance of journalists to Gaza to report on the desperate conditions. The blockade is not only cruel and inhumane, but also counter-productive in that it fuels violence against Israel and works to undermine efforts to achieve peace through negotiations. Join LA Jews for Peace in a protest Monday, Nov. 24, 3:30-6:00 PM At the Israel Consulate at 6380 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (between Fairfax and La Cienega). LA Jews will have signs and banners, bring your own. ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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