Public Comment

The occupation and blockade of Gaza (which forces Palestinians to live in conditions where malnutrition among children is rampant) are crimes. Collective punishment and house demolitions (like the one that resulted in Rachel Corrie’s murder) are a crime, as are the mass killings of civilians. And despite the huge media censorship campaign and the very successful use of the word anti-Semitic to silence critics or even discussion of Israel, the world is increasingly aware of Israel’s war crimes. 

Israel's most recent attacks have killed, 2,114 (1,628 civilians) and 10,529 wounded. Hamas has killed 64 soldiers and 4 civilians killed, 450 soldiers and 80 civilians wounded. So who's targeting civilians in this conflict? You have the right to make up your own opinion but you don't have the right to make up your facts. 

In 2009 Israel’s 22-day invasion of Gaza, Israeli military killed 1,330 Palestinians, of whom 437 were children (the wounded included 1,890 children). In comparison, 13 Israelis were killed (of which at least four were soldiers killed by friendly fire). I am neither Jewish nor Palestinian, but I think these numbers speak for themselves. 

To be clear one side has aircraft carriers lobbing missiles at a caged-in population over half of which are women and children. F 15s, apache helicopters, drones , M109 howitzers, the best stuff American tax dollars can buy, the other homemade rockets and some rifles. 

I ask, if you illegally occupy a people, lock them in, prevent them from leaving (oppress them,steal their land, their water, bulldoze their homes, detain and torture their youth etc.) can you claim self defense? President Obama recently said no people would stand by while rockets were fired at their country. But what people would stand by while their children go hungry and their land is stolen (more settlements every day).Youth detained tortured, shot, bulldozed homes, on and on. As Americans should we not support Palestine's right to self defense? 

As an Irish American I know about the crime of occupation and how the occupiers lie and blame the victims while they kill torture, incarcerate, and humiliate a people so they can rob them and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Shame on Israel; and anyone that thinks supporting them is in America’s interest is ill-informed.(U.S. aid is now incredibly over 8$ billion a year). Violence will perpetuate more violence. People must be allowed to be free. Free Gaza now, lift the blockade!