1. Israel’s indiscriminate
bombing and shooting
during its 22 day military
assault on the Gaza strip in
December/January left 1,434
people dead. Dozens of bodies
were discovered under rubble
following the declaration of a
ceasefire. The number killed
includes 446 children, 110
women, 108 elderly people,
and 14 medical personnel. This
assault has been described by
many as the worst brutality
inflicted upon the occupied
Palestinian people by Israel
since 1967.
5,320 Palestinians were
injured; amongst them were
1,855 children and 795
women. The Occupation
Forces also left 4,000 civilian
homes completely destroyed
and 1,600 homes are sitting
partially destroyed, many of
which are uninhabitable. Thus,
once again, Palestinians have
been made refugees, living
in makeshift camps using
tents until their homes can
be rebuilt. The UN estimates
that 35,500 civilians are now
being housed in shelters for
internally displaced civilians
and losses in the Palestinian
economy has reached 2 billion
USD according to Palestinian
sources.
Every aspect of Palestinian
life in Gaza has been affected
by the war, including its health
sector. twenty one health
facilities in the Gaza Strip
were partially or completely
destroyed. Attacks on medical
personnelwerewidelyreported,
including attacks on personnel
attempting to evacuate injured
civilians to hospitals. Several
ambulances were targeted by
direct gunfire as witnessed by
Physicians for Human Rights.
On another front, Amnesty
International has reported on
the near total unemployment
and bankruptcy within Gaza.
At present, 95% of industrial
operations are suspended due
to lack of materials and the
inability to export arising from
the border closures. 15,000
factories, shops, and markets
were damaged during the air,
land and sea bombardment.
The Aftermath
In the aftermath of the
attack, international efforts to
bring aid to the People of Gaza
have been impeded by border
closures. However, this has
not hindered efforts to raise
awareness about the situation
and the international collection
of aid. The UN efforts to bring
aid to the desperate population
have been ongoing and many
Palestinians in Gaza now rely
on this aid for their survival.
Israeli troops targeted
civilians
On 20th March, an article
appearing in the Independent
newspaper revealed how
Israeli troops had been allowed
to shoot civilians, and in some
cases, even ordered to do
so. These revelations pulled
into focus Israel’s claims that
the war was conducted with
great efforts to avoid civilian
casualties.
One soldier described an
incident where a Palestinian
mother and her children were
gunned down by an Israeli
sniper when they turned down
the wrong street. He described
an “atmosphere” among the
Israeli troops where Palestinian
lives were viewed as “very,
very less important than the
lives of [Israeli] soldiers.”
These confessions have
revealed that the Israeli army
is far from the most ‘moral
army in the world’ as claimed
by Israeli statesmen. Calls
for investigations into the
revelations of indiscriminate
killings have come from both
within Israel and human rights
organisations globally.
Gaza The Aftermath
UN staff & buildings
attacked by Israel
International Conference to
rebuild Gaza held in Egypt
Viva PalestinaSyria ready to talk to Israel
AQSANEWS
Quarterly | Issue 40 | April 2009
For Free Distribution

2. It is evidence of such attacks
that have prompted worldwide
calls for Israeli military leaders
to be investigated by the
International Criminal Court
on charges of War Crimes.
Following the end of hostilities
in January 2009, UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon visited
the UN compound on January
20th and witnessed the
devastated and smouldering
ruins for himself. He described
feeling ‘appalled’ by the scene,
and further stated: “I have
come to Gaza to see for myself
the extent of the damage
caused by the last three weeks
of fighting and to demonstrate
my solidarity to the population
of Gaza, and to assure you of
the United Nations’ and the
international community’s full
support to help you overcome
this difficulty.”
The Secretary General
professed to be “deeply
grieved” by the post war scenes
that he witnessed, feelings that
have been echoed by many
aid workers and human rights
activists in the area.
The United Nations Refugee
and Works Agency (UNRWA)
in Gaza suffered numerous
attacks during Israel’s
bombardment, affecting 80 of
its buildings. One of UNRWA’s
main compounds holding
essential food and medical
supplies was substantially
destroyed by heavy Israeli
shelling.TwoUNRWAworkers
were also killed when their aid
convoy was targeted by IDF.
In one of the worst offences
during the war, on January
5th and 6th, bombings of UN
Schools being used for shelter
resulted in over 100 civilian
deaths.
This was not the first
time that Israel targeted UN
workers/buildings. In June
2007, two UNRWA members
were killed in crossfire in
Khan Younis and Beach Camp.
In August 2006, an UNRWA
staff member was killed in the
Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp
in Saida. In November 2006,
two school children were shot
and wounded inside UNRWA’s
Beit Lahiya Elementary school
in northern Gaza strip, and in
December 2006, a 13 year old
schoolgirl and an UNRWA
teacher were injured by
gunfire.
UN staff and buildings attacked by Israel
Ban Ki-Moon addresses reporters outside the devastated UN compound in Gaza
The anti-settlement group
‘Peace Now’ has discovered
through the analysis of Israeli
government data that there are
plans to increase the number
of housing units in the West
Bank dramatically. According
to their report, “At least 15,000
housing units have already
been approved and plans for an
additional 58,000 housing units
are yet to be approved. Out of
the units already approved,
nearly 9,000 have been built.”
This will mean that after
implementation of the plans,
the number of Israeli settlers
living on stolen Palestinian
land will be doubled.
Israeli settlements violate
international humanitarian
law and infringe international
human rights law. An
occupying power under no
circumstances is allowed to
transfer its civilian population
to the occupied territory, as
stated in the Fourth Geneva
Convention.
Doubling the number of
settlers will clearly lead to more
angerandfrustrationamongthe
local Palestinian population,
whose land continues to be
stolen by Israel with impunity.
There is also concern about
the increase in settler violence
against Palestinians, which
has resulted in innocent
Palestinians being killed.
Despite Israel’s commitment
under the ‘roadmap for peace’
to dismantle all settlements
built since March 2001,
Israel continues to violate
international law and ignore
it’s responsibilities as an
occupying power.
Plans to
increase West
Bank settlers
discovered
Left: A View of the Qedumim settlement in
the West Bank built on stolen Palestinian land
near Qalqiliya.
AQSA NEWS
2
TESTIMONIES
FROM GAZA
Be part of Friends of Al-Aqsa.
Join our mailing list. To
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information about our events,
register your email on our
website www.aqsa.org.uk
Inside Palestine
We were hit. We fell down,
and I couldn’t see or hear
anything. Then I started
hearing again. I heard combat
helicopters and gunfire, and I
didn’t know where they were
firing…. My father and uncle came
there and took us to an ambulance.
They told me that Husam had been
killed and Mahmoud was wounded.
My eyes were hurt, and I don’t
know if I’ll be able to see again.
Lu’ai Osama Rajab Subuh,
pupil and resident of Beit
Lahiya in northern Gaza Strip
We heard the sound of
bombings and gunfire. Around
4 P.M., there was a huge
explosion next to us, and smoke
covered the yard. I couldn’t
see my brothers or their
children. My body hurt all over.
Hussein Shafiq ‘Abd
al-Hamid, resident of
Jabaliya refugee camp
The army started to shell our
area. A few minutes later, shells
landed on our house. Fire broke
out in the house and several
members of the family burned to
death: my father-in-law, his baby
daughter Shahd, and three of
his sons.
Ghada Riad Rajab Abu
Halima, resident of Beit Lahiya
She thought that maybe if we
lifted white flags they might have
some mercy on us and not kill us.
She said the white flag represents
peace so they won’t harm us ... But
they didn’t respect the white flag.
Nasser al Najar from the village
of Khuza’a talking about his
wife who was shot by an Israeli
soldier as she carried her baby
and a white flag
My name is Aseel and I am 8
years old, I have the right to
live, study and play, the Israeli’s
took all of that away from me.
Aseel was asked to write a letter
to children around the world.

3. Israel fails to open Gaza borders
Israel accused of War Crimes in Gaza
Movement in and out
of Gaza has been severely
restricted since June 2007.
The result has been a lack of
even basic necessities such
as food, medical supplies
and electricity from getting
through.Followingthecollapse
of Gaza’s economy, food prices
shot up and many became aid
dependent even before Israel
launched its war in December
2008. The tightened blockade
meant that humanitarian
essentials were not getting
through, and even with the
disastrous post-war situation,
aid is being restricted.
The international aid group
Mercy Corps tried to send
ninety tons of macaroni to
the Gaza strip to help the 1.4
million Palestinians in need,
however Israel repeatedly
refused entry. Israel has also
preventedotheraidgroupsfrom
sending in supplies including
paper, crayons, and lentils.
Mark Regev, spokesman for
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert said: “We want to make
sure that the reconstruction for
Gaza is not the reconstruction
for Hamas.” US state
department spokesman Robert
Wood said on 25 February that
“aid should never be used as a
political weapon. We will try
and push to get in as much aid
as possible.”
Following the cessation of
hostilitiesinGaza,international
humanrightsorganisationswere
quick to begin investigating
the scene in order to ascertain
whether Israel had committed
war crimes during its 22 day
offensive against a largely
civilian population. However,
further efforts to enter Gaza
have been resisted by Israel.
An application made by
Human Rights Watch for
investigators to enter Gaza
was refused by Israel on trivial
grounds. “Israel’s refusal to
allow human rights groups
access to Gaza raises a strong
suspicion that there are things
it doesn’t want us to see or
the world to know about its
military operation there,” said
Some of the other
accusations being investigated
include alleged breaches of the
Geneva Conventions (1949),
including wilful killing and
extensive destruction of homes
and other civilian property not
justified by military necessity
and carried out unlawfully and
wantonly.
Israel’s lack of regard for
Internationallawwasalsomade
apparent when 13 days into
the conflict, the UN Security
Council passed Resolution
1860 on January 8th, calling
for “an immediate ceasefire in
Gaza leading to a full Israeli
withdrawal, through the lack
of food, fuel and medical
treatment, and intensified
international arrangements to
prevent arms and ammunition
smuggling.” Despite Article 25
of the United Nations Charter
which requires all Member
states to “agree, accept and
carry out the decisions of
the Security Council,” Israel
ignored the Resolution and
continued its bombing.
On March 16, Human Rights
Watch addressed a letter to EU
Foreign Ministers calling for
accountabilityfortheviolations
of Humanitarian Laws in Gaza.
Theletterpresentedthefindings
of Human Rights Watch
into violations committed
by both sides. Regarding
Israel, Human Rights Watch’s
primary concerns were said
to be the ongoing closure of
Gaza, amounting to collective
punishment; the use of
high-explosive heavy artillery
as well as of air-burst white
phosphorus munitions in
densely populated areas; the
shooting of unarmed civilians
holding white flags; the
targeting of civilian structures;
inadequate warnings to
civilians of impending attack;
and the wanton destruction of
civilian property.
Regarding Hamas,
Human Rights Watch’s key
concerns were the firing
of rockets deliberately and
indiscriminately into civilian
areas of Israel and the shooting
of rockets and the conduct
of military operations from
within populated areas in Gaza.
Palestinians have called
for Gaza’s borders to be
opened to allow free passage
of goods, especially medical
supplies and other essentials,
and free movement of medical
patients. However, Israel is
still controlling borders and
continues to refuse to allow
open access to Gaza. The recent
convoy of humanitarian goods
to enter Gaza was the Viva
Palestina convoy which left
the UK on 14 February 2009
and travelled via Europe and
Africa, to Gaza. The 200 strong
convoy encountered immense
difficulties in crossing into
Gaza, although after 3 days of
wrangling, most of the vehicles
were allowed to enter.
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle
East director at Human Rights
Watch. “If Israel has nothing to
hide, why is it refusing to allow
us in?”
Human Rights Watch senior
military analyst Marc Garlasco
managed to access Gaza in
late January, but was forced
to leave on 5 February due to
border closures. He inspected
the remains of Israeli weapons
used in the war in on-going
investigations. There was
supportfortheallegationsmade
against Israel for unlawfully
using white phosphorous
chemical weapons in civilian
areas.
Human Rights Watch Analyst Marc Garlasco inspects remains of Israeli weapons in Gaza
Palestinians waiting at the Rafah border crossing linking Gaza to Egypt
AQSA NEWS
3
TESTIMONIES
FROM GAZA
After the Israeli attack began, I was
at the school I teach in. Someone
called me and said that Khaled, my
14-year-old son, had been injured
and was in hospital. I went to the
hospital, and when I arrived,
they told me he was dead. I
couldn’t do anything but cry. He
was hit directly, and his body
was torn apart. They didn’t even
let me see him and hug him.
Sami al-Astal, teacher and
resident of Khan Yunis
Suddenly, I heard a loud
explosion and saw white smoke
and lots of dust in the air.
Gradually they cleared a bit and
I was totally confused. At first, I
didn’t see the children, but a few
secondslaterIgotovertheshockand
began to call to them. I ran toward
where they had been and couldn’t
believe what I saw. The three
children were lying on the ground,
next to each other, not moving. The
bomb had been aimed right at them.
Muhammad Hassan Musa
al-Astal, resident of
al-Qarareh in Khan Yunis
district
When the missile struck, I lay
down with my daughter under me.
Everything filled up with smoke and
dust,andIheardscreamsandcrying.
After the smoke and dust cleared
a bit, I looked around and saw
20-30 people who were dead, and
about twenty who were wounded.
Maysa’ Fawzia-Samuni, resident
of Gaza City
Living in Gaza became so difficult
and complicated, and I believe that
if the situation continues like this,
the Palestinian economy in Gaza
will completely collapse and pov-
erty will hurt every individual.
Palestinian economist Omer
Sha’ban talking about the siege
I have been working on that pro-
fession for long years. I have been
growing my business by all ef-
forts. Israelis came then left caus-
ing an earthquake in the area. They
have killed these chickens, they
are equal to human souls. They
were suffocated and died due to
hunger. I wonder why the Israe-
lis killed these chickens? Were
they firing rockets into Israel?
Abu Ahmed al-Sawafari, owner
of a chicken farm.

4. Syria’s President Bashar
Al-Assad has said that he is
willing to hold negotiations
with Israel provided the US
acts as a mediator. Al-Assad
stressed that Syria wants a
full Israeli withdrawal from
the Golan Heights, an area
captured during the Six-Day
War in 1967. But this is a
strategic occupation for Israel,
as the Golan Heights provides
direct access to the Sea of
Galilee; Israel’s main source
of fresh water. The Syrian
President is also wary about
the new Israeli government,
which may hinder the progress
of any negotiations. He also
mentioned that peace with
Israel would be very unlikely as
long as the issue of Palestinian
refugees and their right to
return to their homes remains
unresolved.
Syria’s request for US
mediation in direct talks with
Israel also comes after US
President Barack Obama’s
new administration launched
an attempt to mend ties with
Syria by sending envoys and
US senators to the country
for meetings. Under the
Bush administration relations
between the two countries
deteriorated with America
accusing Syria of supporting
terrorists, and Syria’s criticisms
of the Afghanistan and Iraq
wars. The Syrian president
also said that in order to
achieve regional peace major
parties including Hamas and
Hezbollah must be included in
the talks.
Syria ready to talk to Israel
The sea of Galilee in the shadow of the Golan Heights.
Israeli elections creates right-wing
government
The parliamentary elections
held in February to determine
the next Israeli Prime Minister
resulted in no clear victory
for any one party. A minimum
of 61 seats were needed to
form a Government. Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni’s Kadima
party gained 28 seats while
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud
party won 27 Knesset seats.
Following meetings with both
leaders, President Shimon
Peres chose the latter to form
a new Israeli government, but
rivals Kadima said they would
not join a coalition but run as
an opposition party instead.
The decision was made
following the endorsement
of Netanyahu by Avigdor
Lieberman, who heads the
far-right extremist Yisrael
Beiteinu (Israel Our Home)
party. Lieberman based his
campaign on requiring Israeli
Arabs to swear allegiance
to the Jewish state or lose
their citizenship. It was then
Netanyahu’s job to form what
was predicted be a hard-line
government with factions
opposed to peacemaking with
the Palestinians and Israel’s
other Arab neighbours.
Netanyahu’s right-wing
policies do not emphasise the
creation of a Palestinian State,
which he has said should not
be the guaranteed outcome of
any negotiations.
Forming such a far-right
Israeli government was likely
to sour relations with the US
which has vowed to make
Middle East peace a priority.
In late March, Netanyahu
announced that he had
persuaded Ehud Barak to join
the new government, which
would ensure an element of
moderation.
Left: Likud Party leader
Benjamin Netanyahu
AQSA NEWS
4
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Global News
Israeli Apartheid Week
The 1st to 8th of March marked
this year’s annual and global Is-
raeli Apartheid Week. It was first
launched in Toronto in 2005, and
last year more than 25 cities par-
ticipated in the week’s activities.
The aim of the week is to build
upon and strengthen the growing
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanc-
tions (BDS) movement at a global
level. Activities included hold-
ing talks about the realities of the
Palestinian cause, film showings
and musical concerts. It has been
successful in creating awareness
of the human rights abuses com-
mitted by Israel and that the latest
massacres in Gaza further confirm
the true nature of Israeli apartheid.
Marriage in Gaza tent
The newly erected al-Rayyan refu-
gee camp, in the northern Gaza
Strip town of Jabaliya witnessed an
unusual celebration for such condi-
tions. Ahmad al-Hersh and Eman
held their wedding celebrations in
a small tent in the camp, after Is-
raeli warplanes destroyed Ahmad’s
home and newly furnished apart-
ment. The tent where the newly
married Palestinian couple will
live has a bed, table, cupboard
and a small bathroom. Although
not ideal, the couple had the help
from family and friends to make
the event a special one. Ahmad ex-
plained; “I look forward to the re-
construction of Gaza soon, so I and
many others like myself get relief.
I am a victim of the Israeli war.”
Interpal cleared of allegations
The Charity Commission has
published a report in response to
the allegations made by the BBC
against the charity Interpal. The
Panorama programme Faith, Hate
and Charity made an allegation in
July 2006 that Interpal has links
with the so-called ‘terrorist’ group
Hamas operating in the occupied
territories. The report concluded
that there was insufficient evidence
to back the allegations and that the
charity had maintained “clear fi-
nancial audit trails in their delivery
of aid for humanitarian purposes”.
NEWS IN
BRIEF

5. Global boycott achieving success
International Conference to rebuild Gaza
held in Egypt
Since October 2003, the call
for Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) against Israel,
supported by many solidarity
movements, has gained
momentum and attained some
success. A global solidarity
movement has been created
through the call for BDS in
the fields of academia, sports,
arts and economics; being
joined by lawyers, trade
unionists, doctors, academics
and students. Some of the
recent successes include the
cancellation of an investment
of several billion euros by
Stockholm into the company
Veolia Transport, on the basis
of its involvement in the
Jerusalem light-rail project.
Academic boycotts have
beentakingplaceatuniversities
around the UK involving
students occupying halls or
lecture theatres until demands
to boycott Israel are met. Other
achievementsincludeobtaining
sponsorship for Palestinian
students to study in the UK
and sending old IT equipment
to the occupied territories.
Therehavealsobeencallsfor
international investigations of
warcrimesfromtheUNSpecial
Rapporteur for the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, the
UN Human Rights Council,
the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, the head of
UNRWA (the UN agency for
Palestine refugees) and the UN
Secretary General.This call has
been echoed by scores of high-
profile international lawyers
around the world. The pressure
now needs to build in order
for human rights advocates
to seize the opportunity to do
what they can to ensure Israel
is held accountable for its
human rights abuses.
Information on the boycott
of Israel is widely available.
An international donor
conference to rebuild Gaza
after the 22 day Israeli war on
the besieged Strip was held in
the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-
Sheikh in Egypt in early March.
International donors including
the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia
and the European Commission
pledged 4.481 billion dollars
for the reconstruction of
the battered Strip, and for
the Palestinian economy.
The Egyptian Foreign
Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit
saidthedonationswouldbepaid
over a period of two years. The
much needed aid is intended to
be used to repair the thousands
of homes which were damaged
and destroyed by Israel, as
well as factories, government
buildings, mosques and water
and sewage pipes. Hamas has
however accused some of
the international donors such
as the US of politicising the
donations by stating that the
money would only be funneled
through Hamas’ rival president
Mahmoud Abbas’ government.
The Foreign Minister
also called for the opening
of the borders, stating that:
“Participantsattheinternational
conference to rebuild Gaza
called for the immediate, total
and unconditional opening
of all of Gaza’s borders with
Israel.” It was emphasised
that the opening of the borders
is vital to ensuring the flow
of aid into Gaza, especially
construction materials and
spare parts if the donations
are to be put to good use.
One concern which many
fear could be an obstacle
to the rebuilding of Gaza is
the differences between the
rival Palestinian factions.
Political construction was
called for, hand in hand with
physical re-construction; with
David Miliband stressing
the importance of a single
unified government across the
occupiedPalestinianterritories.
Israel labelled as Apartheid State by
University Students’ Union
The SOAS (School of
Oriental and African Studies)
university in London passed
a motion last month to label
Israel as an Apartheid State.
The Students’ Union noted
six points which led to the
conclusion that Israeli actions
in Palestine amounted to
apartheid policies and continue
to do so.
The first issue was Israel’s
responsibility for ethnically
cleansing 750,000 Palestinians
in 1948, on whose lands and
properties the state of Israel
was later established. Next,
in 1967, Israel occupied the
West Bank, East Jerusalem
and the Gaza Strip; the
occupation of which remains
until today. Israel continues
to build an eight meter high
wall on Palestinian land inside
the post-1967 occupied West
Bank, contravening the July
2004 ruling by the International
Court of Justice. Within the
occupied West Bank and East
Jerusalem, Israel continues a
policy of settlement expansion
in direct violation of the fourth
Geneva Convention. Finally,
the official ideology of the
state of Israel is Zionism,
embodied in the state’s laws
which grant special rights to
Jews and thereby structurally
discriminating against its
Palestinian citizens.
The Union also mentioned a
statement made by Archbishop
Desmond Tutu where he
stated “I’ve been very deeply
distressed in my visit to the
Holy Land; it reminded me so
much of what happened to us
black people in South Africa .”
In consideration of these
issues, SOAS Student’s
Union declared Israel to be an
apartheid state which should
be opposed as it is based
on the ideology of racism.
SOAS strongly condemns the
occupation, to which it calls
an end, and supports the right
of return of the Palestinian
people. This step forward by a
prominent university is likely
to set a precedent for other
universities to consider taking
similar action.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
A Family in Gaza keeps warm by an open fire in a make-shift home
AQSA NEWS
5
NEWS IN
BRIEF
Gaza Waste Management causes
health risks
Increased pollution due to the lack
of means to dispose of solid waste
in Gaza has led to further deterio-
ration in health, especially among
children. The problem has occurred
due to the inability to transport the
waste to the main waste station near
theGaza-Israeliborder,asthereisno
means to do so.As a result, the sew-
age lies in rubbish dumps near peo-
ple’s homes, attracting insects and
causing serious health risks. Many
people have developed breathing
problems because of the stench.
Al-Haq awarded human rights
award
The Palestinian human rights organ-
isation Al-Haq, together with the
Israeli human rights organisation
B’Tselem have been awarded the
prestigious Dutch Geuzenpenning
award for human rights defenders.
In February, Al-Haq, in cooperation
with solicitor Phil Shiner of Public
InterestLawyers,challengedtheUK
government over its failure to fulfill
its obligations under international
law with respect to Israel’s activi-
ties in the OPT. Both organisations
have been working to defend Pales-
tinian human rights for many years.
Mauritania severs ties with Israel
Mauritania’s military ruler Gen-
eral Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz an-
nounced in January their decision to
freeze relations with Tel Aviv due
to the siege being imposed upon
the people of Gaza. Following the
decision, in March the Israeli em-
bassy in Nouakchott was closed
and staff were ordered to leave the
country. Venezuela and Bolivia
had earlier severed diplomatic ties
with Tel Aviv expelling the Israeli
ambassadors to their countries.
Short film made on Gaza siege
One of the creators of the Oscar-
nominated animation Waltz with
Bashir has released a short film
about the recent Israeli war on Gaza.
Yoni Goodman from Israel shows
in the 90-second Closed Zone a
Palestinian boy trying to chase a
bird but being prevented by a huge
hand. The message signals the tight
blockade which Israel has imposed
on the people of Gaza. Good-
man commented “I’m very much
against the Israeli blockade policy,
and the last war was just a mistake.”
The video for the Gaza siege
is available on YouTube.com.

6. 6
ThedrivefromMoroccotoAlgeriaonSaturdaywasnotan
ordinarypassage.Thetwocountriesdecidedtoopentheir
landcrossingforthefirsttimein15yearsforthesake
ofPalestine;somethingwhichevenCondoleezaRicewas
unabletopullthroughbeforesheleftoffice.
8
Theactivists,however,refusedtogiveintoEgypt’sdemandsandtried
toremainasasingleconvoy.Riotpolicewerethendeployedtothescene.
Severalactivistswereinjuredaftertheattackers-claimingtobemem-
bersofthePalestinianFatahfaction-vandalisedsomeofthecarsinthe
convoy,includingthemediavanandsatellitecable(preventingtheimages
ofthescenebeingbroadcastthroughPressTV).Someofthepeaceactiv-
istsweretakentohospitaltobetreatedforminorheadinjuries.Angered
bytheturnofeventsandlackofsecurityfromtheEgyptianauthorities,
GeorgeGallowaysaid“Theyareblockingusinside,buttheydon’tprotect
us.”
DespitetheseeffortstopreventtheconvoyreachingthedesperatepeopleofGaza,itsucceededincrossingtheRafah
borderonMonday9March.TheactivistsweremetbyacrowdofcheeringPalestinians.Themembersoftheconvoy
weretreatedasheroesandaspecialtripwasplannedforthemtovisitmanyofthedamagedanddestroyedsitesasa
resultofIsrael’saggression.TheaidwastransferredviatheEgyptianRedCrescentaswellasdirecttransportbythe
volunteersthemselves.
9
10
AQSA NEWS
6 Viva Palestina
George Galloway MP and journalist Yvonne Ridley arrive in Gaza
OnSaturday14thFebruaryarecord-breakingaidconvoyofover100donatedvehiclespacked
withpracticalaidforthepeopleofGazaleftfromtheHousesofParliamentinLondon,makingit
thelargestBritishlandconvoytocrossEuropeandNorthAfricasincetheSecondWorldWar.
MPGeorgeGallowayandYvonne
Ridleywereamongthevolunteers
whomadeupaconvoyofvehicles
overamilelongcarryinginexcess
of£1millionworthofaidforthe
peopleofGaza.
Theconvoyincludedafireengine,25
ambulances,aboatand120trucks
filledwithmedicines,tools,clothes,
blankets,andshoe-boxesfilledwith
giftsforchildren.Allthisandmore
wasdonatedbycommunitiesacross
thecountry.
Thenearly5,000milejourneytookthevolunteersthrough
France,Spain,Morocco,Algeria,andmanyothernorthAfrican
countries.Afteraday’sstopinEgyptwithmuchtensionand
someviolence,theconvoycrossedtheborderatRafahintoGaza
onMonday9March.Herewewilltakeyouthroughthisspectacu-
larjourneyofthe‘lifeline’fromLondontoGaza.
1
2
3
Viva Palestina vehicles which entered Gaza loaded
with desperately needed aid.
FromLondontoDover,thehistoricjourneyturnedfroma
dreamintoarealityasitmadeitswayviaafreightferryto
FranceonSunday15February.Thenightjourneywasagood
timeforallthevolunteerstogettoknoweachother.The
volunteerscamefromallwalksoflife;studentstoaccount-
ants,engineers,mechanicsandhousewives,allonthesame
missionofmercytoGaza.Astheconvoysetoff,moneywas
stillbeingdonatedonlinebackinEnglandthroughTVappeals
fromcharitieslikeIslamicHelpandtheAlKhairFoundation.
4
DrivingfromBordeauxinFrancetoMadridviaSanSebastianinSpainwasinthewordsofYvonne
Ridley“back-breaking”.Someofthevehiclesevenbrokedown,buttoolkitsandspareparts
wereathand,andeveryonewasreadytohelpgetthingsupandrunningagain.DespitetheGPS
systemgoingdownmomentarily,andtheconvoyrelyingontheirmapskills,theyarrivedonthe
outskirtsofMadridat3amGMTonTuesday17February.5
Justafewdaysintothejourneythevolunteersrealised
thatthiswasnotgoingtobeeasy.Butitwasthemotiva-
tionandaltruismtheyhadforthepeopleofGazathat
spurredthemon.
TheconvoyarrivedattheTarifaferryterminalinSouth-
ernSpainearlyWednesdaymorningreadyforthejourney
toMorocco.
OnFriday20Februarytheconvoymadeitswaythrough
Morocco.Thegroupgainedanextraboostofenergywhen
theyreceivedthenewsthatthethreemenfromBurnley
whowerearrestedbyManchesterpolicebeforethey
couldsetoff,werereleasedandweresettingofftojoin
theconvoy.Aslightsetbackoccurredwhentheleadfire
enginebrokedown.
Viva Palestina convoy volunteers celebrate in Gaza
7
AfterpassingthroughTunisiaandthenontoLibyaon
Monday2March,theconvoyarrivedinEgyptonSaturday
7March.However,fouroftheactivistsweredeniedentry
toEgyptduetoIsrael’spressureontheEgyptiangovern-
mentandwereconsequentlysentbacktoLibyaandforced
toreturntoLondon.TheyarrivedatManchesterairport
toaHeroes’welcomeonSunday8March.Moreaidand
man-powerwasawaitingtheconvoyinEgypt.
AstheconvoyheadedtowardstheRafahcrossingtoreachits
finaldestination,tensionbegantorise.OnSunday8Marcha
roweruptedbetweenriotpoliceandVivaPalestinamembersin
theportcityofal-ArishafterEgyptianauthoritiesstartedto
dividetheconvoyintotwopartstoforceonepartintopassing
throughanIsraelicheckpoint.Israeliofficialswereinsisting
thatsomeoftheconvoy’strucksshouldpassthroughthe
occupiedterritoriestobeinspectedbyIsraelitroops.Yvonne
Ridleycommentedthat“Israelisputtinghugepressureon
Egypttoforcetheconvoywhichisnowdoubledinsize,a
British-Libyanventure,throughIsraeliterritory.”

7. AQSA NEWS
7Comment and Opinion
Peace Now’s revelation
that Israel plans to build more
than 70,000 homes in the
West Bank is the latest in a
string of troubling disclosures
about settlement expansion.
The plans were released with
a transparent goal in mind:
embarrassing the Israeli
leadership as Hillary Clinton,
the US secretary of state,
arrived on her first visit to the
region since her appointment.
According to the report,
about 73,000 homes, most
still on the drawing board but
9,000 of them already built,
would double the current
population of nearly 300,000
settlers in the West Bank (an
additional 220,000 are in East
Jerusalem).
Of those homes, nearly
20,000 would be built beyond
the limits of the steel and
concrete barrier Israel is
erecting mostly inside the West
Bank and which is widely
assumed to be Israel’s vision of
its future political border with
a Palestinian state. Another
3,000 would be built in a
corridor of land known as E1
that would seal off Palestinian
access to East Jerusalem, and
about 6,000 are planned for
East Jerusalem itself, the only
viable capital for a future
Palestinian state.
Mrs Clinton has made
clear that she wants to
push negotiations with the
Palestinians “vigorously” in
the direction of a two-state
solution, despite the expected
establishment of one of the
most rightwing governments
in Israel’s history, led by
Benjamin Netanyahu, the
Likud leader.
The Israeli media have
already reported that panicked
officials are worried US
President Barack Obama’s
envoy to the Middle East,
George Mitchell, will threaten
a Netanyahu government
with economic sanctions if
it further undermines hopes
of Palestinian statehood by
expanding the settlements. Mr
Netanyahu, concerned about
his standing in Washington,
has suggested vaguely that he
will restrict settlements to what
is called “natural growth”, or
expansion to cope with the
housing needs of the existing
settler population. But he is
publicly opposed to a two-state
solution.
While Mr Netanyahu and
his officials are the ones
discomfited by revelations of a
West Bank construction boom,
it should be remembered that
these plans were drawn up
while the Likud leader was
sitting in the opposition. It was
Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni,
the leaders of the centrist
Kadima party, backed by
Ehud Barak, the leader of the
Labor party and their powerful
defence minister, who either
sanctioned or turned a blind
eye to much of this planned
orgy of illegal construction.
British newspapers,
meanwhile, reported that
Israeli companies were selling
cut-price homes in West Bank
settlements at London property
exhibitions.
There has been barely a
pause in the drip-drip of such
revelations since.
Mr Barak has personally
overseenthefailuretodismantle
even the most patently
problematic settlements of all,
about 100 so-called “outposts”
that are illegal under Israeli law
but which are used by settlers
to take up yet more land for
their benefit.
Far less has been achieved
withthe120officialsettlements
which, rather than fighting for
survival, are growing at a rate
not seen since the Oslo process
of the late 1990s.
Last week another human
rights group, B’Tselem,
revealed that Israel’s military
government in the West Bank,
known misleadingly as the civil
administration, was preparing
the infrastructure, including
water and sewage lines, to cope
with thousands of new settler
homes in the West Bank.
At the same time, reports
surfaced that Israel had
seized some 330 acres near
Bethlehem, declaring it state
land, to build a new settlement
eventually expected to house
10,000 settlers.
Details of an internal
defence ministry database of
the settlements were leaked in
January showing that officials
had been allowing settlers
to build on vast areas of land
not confiscated by the state
but ostensibly still in private
Palestinian hands.
The consequences, as
Mr Etkes pointed out, are
that, whereas 97 per cent of
Palestinian building permits
were approved by Israel in
1972, early in the occupation,
today that figure has fallen
to just five per cent. There
is no “natural growth” for
Palestinians, even when it is on
their own land.
Allowed a free hand, Mr
Netanyahu would probably
advocate a policy on West
Bank settlement not much
different from that pursued by
his immediate predecessors.
But paradoxically, it is likely
to be Mr Netanyahu’s very
hawkishness that offers
Washington a pretext to finally
crack down on the settlements.
The question is whether
such intervention has arrived
too late to salvage the two-state
solution.
US might have delayed in salvaging a two-state solution
Jonathan Cook
Democratically elected governments should be respected
Zeenat Ghumra
Gaza is still recovering from
the devastation left by Israel
after its three-week offensive.
However, it is not just the
aggression from Israel that the
people of Gaza and the West
Bank have to deal with but
also the divisions and tensions
arising from within. The
lack of a united Palestinian
government means that there
is no single unified voice for
the Palestinians from which
to negotiate their rights and
freedom.
Hopes were raised for an
end to the internal conflicts
when talks were held in late
February between Palestinian
factions, chaired by Egyptian
intelligence chief Omar
Suleiman. An announcement
followed detailing a framework
for reconciliation, through the
formation of a national unity
government and reformation
of the Palestine Liberation
Organisation (PLO).
However, it was not
long before these hopes of
reconciliation were shattered,
little by little, by conjecture and
criticisms acting as blows to the
fragile Palestinian body politic.
The main attack came from
US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, who was questioned
by Voice ofAmerica just before
she boarded her plane to attend
the Gaza summit in Sharm
al-Sheikh to pledge billions
in aid to rebuild the battered
strip. She was asked whether
she was encouraged by the
Cairo unity talks to which she
responded that Hamas “must
renounce violence, recognise
Israel, and abide by previous
commitments”, otherwise, she
stated, “I don’t think it will
result in the kind of positive
step forward either for the
Palestinian people or as a
vehicle for a reinvigorated
effort to obtain peace that leads
to a Palestinian state.”
Her comments were clearly
politicising the distribution of
aid, wanting to keep Hamas
out of the picture; “We want to
strengthen a Palestinian partner
willing to accept the conditions
outlined by the Quartet,” and,
“our aid dollars will flow based
on these principles.” Clinton
was patently referring to her
support for Fatah and its leader
Mahmoud Abbas. Statements
made by the latter didn’t help
the situation either, with Abbas
insisting that any humanitarian
aid should be channelled
through the Western-backed,
but financially bankrupt
Palestinian Authority.
Beforeanyreconciliationcan
even begin, Clinton has already
set out the rules of engagement
which exclude Hamas, as they
have stated “Hamas will not
recognizeIsraelortheQuartet’s
conditions.”Arejection of such
demands by Hamas will clearly
reinforce the beliefs that they
are an extremist organisation
and anti-peace.
However, an assessment of
the context of these comments
beliesadifferingreality.Despite
the acts of aggression from
the state of Israel during and
after the 22 day war, Western
diplomats are still calling on
Hamas to renounce violence
without invoking similar hard-
line demands on Israel. Israel
has not been asked to renounce
violence (despite killing over
1,300 Palestinians in a 3 week
period) nor are they required to
recognise the democratically
electedPalestiniangovernment.
Most pertinent of all, they
have not been asked to make a
commitment to peace.
Hamas raises the issue of the
hypocrisy of such demands on
them, especially in light of the
fact that many of the weapons
used by Israel, (some of which
were illegal under international
law), were supplied by
countries such as the US.
Despite the civilian death toll
on the Palestinian side, there
was no hint of disapproval to
the degrees of that witnessed
against Hamas.
Hamas views renouncing
violence at the current time as
equating to giving up the fight
to defend the Palestinians and
relinquishing all hopes for a
future Palestinian state.
Quartet envoy Tony Blair
recently stated, “[w]e have to
work with whoever the Israeli
people elect, let’s test it out not
justassumeitwon’twork.”This
principle must also be applied
to the Palestinians, whomever
they elect into government.
The demands set upon
Hamas are exceedingly biased.
Hamas and their supporters
are being asked to recognise
the entity that has stolen their
land, that has exiled thousands
of their people and that has
continued to oppress them for
over 40 years. In effect, these
demands mean the Palestinian
people are being told to accept
that they are being occupied
and to quietly get on with their
lives as best they can. Any
struggle for freedom, they are
told, is illegitimate.
If peace is the real agenda,
then we must respect the
democratically elected parties
from both sides of this conflict.
Most of all, humanitarian
aid should not be politically
exploited to rally support for,
or undermine, any Palestinian
faction.

8. AQSA NEWS
8
Merchandise
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Tel: 07711 823 524, (0116) 2125441, Email: info@aqsa.org.uk, Web: www.aqsa.org.uk
Leaflets
Books
Forty Ahadith Concerning Masjid Al-Aqsa
Dome of the Rock -
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Palestine Beginners Guide
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Palestine Colouring Book features beautiful
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NEW
Message from Friends of Al-Aqsa
The war on Gaza has ended after three weeks of
bloodshed and destruction, but the fighting has not
stopped despite the apparent ceasefire. Israeli heli-
copters still fly over the coastal strip, occasionally
dropping bombs and injuring civilians. Rockets
continue to be fired in retaliation into Southern
Israel.
But a ray of hope did arrive for the Gazans on
Monday 9 March when the Viva Palestina convoy
of trucks over a mile long broke the siege and
entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
It is not just our Government who speaks for us,
but the ordinary people who unite for the cause of
humanity can send a powerful message under the
banner of truth and justice. This is a clear example
of putting our words into action, which is what the
Palestinian people are in need of from the interna-
tional community. Let’s hope this is the beginning
of the end of the siege on Gaza.
The momentum is high for Israeli war criminals
to be brought to justice. Various human rights
groups as well as world leaders are continuing the
pressure for Israel to be brought to account for
countless violations of international law and hu-
man rights in Gaza. It is time to speak out against
Israel and treat its military leaders with the same
yardstick as other war criminals.
But hopes from within the region seem doubt-
ful. The recent Israeli elections have put the right-
wing Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party in the
position of forming a new government for whom
the formation of a Palestinian State is not top of
the agenda.
Dialogue between Jews, Christians and Mus-
lims around the world is hugely important at this
time in order to facilitate a just and lasting peace
in the region. For this reason, Friends of Al-Aqsa
has been involved in many inter-faith discussions
and events.
Here in the UK, We continue to raise aware-
ness and bring political pressure for a real change.
In March, we hosted two remarkable figures
from Palestine. Sheikh Raed Salah (pictured
above), Mayor of Umm al-Fahm visited the UK
after years of being denied passage out of Israel.
Secondly, Bishop Riah Abu El-Assel, the former
Bishop of Jerusalem visited the UK and used the
opportunity to raise much needed funds for Gaza.
Both of these figures, representing Christians and
Muslims in the Holy Land, were a welcome guest
and the message they took back with them was
one of solidarity from the people of Britain.
Ismail Patel was also the key-note speaker at
the Jewish-Muslim Forum in Helsinki to facilitate
much needed dialogue (pictured above). The way
forward lies with open discussions and respect for
each other.
Al Nakba Week
Friends of Al Aqsa are pleased to announce
Al Nakba Week
11th - 17th May 2009
Al Nakba means the ‘catastrophe’ and marks
the anniversary of destruction of Palestine and
the establishment of the state of Israel.
For more info contact: shamiul@aqsa.org.uk

9. Friends of Al-Aqsa had the
special privilege of hosting
former Bishop of Jerusalem,
Bishop Riah Hanna Abu El-
Assal on Tuesday 24th March
2009. Three events were held
in Leicester for the Bishop’s
visit to the city, including a
meeting with local dignitaries,
an open public meeting and a
fundraising dinner. All of the
events drew sizeable crowds
and the Bishop’s visit to the
city was celebrated by a cross-
section of the community.
At a reception held in the
Friends of Al-Aqsa offices and
attended by local councillors,
religious leaders and other
dignitaries, Vice Chairman
of the County Council Roger
Wilson stated that the gathering
was “one of the best” he had
ever attended. He referred
to the multi faith gathering
of 50 people, and stated that
it reflected how Leicester as
a community could claim
to be “one.” This integrated
community together welcomed
Bishop Riah.
Lord Mayor of Leicester,
Councillor Manjula Sood
followed by thanking Friends
of Al-Aqsa for hosting an
event which reflected diversity
throughspirituality.Inaddition,
Canon Barry Naylor added a
welcome address to Bishop
Riah, reflecting in his view
that we are all the children of
Abraham, and that our common
understandings and values help
us to work for peace.
Bishop Riah used the
gathering as an opportunity
to bring a message from
Palestine; that of ‘salaam’ or
‘peace’ from a people who
wish that ‘salaam’ will come
to them. Bishop Riah stated his
belief that once peace comes to
Jerusalem, it will allow peace
to come to the whole world.
His resounding message was
that Muslims, Christians and
Jews have lived in Palestine in
peace for centuries. They have
more in common than separates
them and their energies should
be put to living with each other,
not against each other.
The events were a show of
cross-community solidarity
with the Palestinians from the
people of Leicester, and they
presented the opportunity to
forge greater links with the
people of Palestine.
AQSA NEWS
9
Bishop Riah visits Friends of Al-Aqsa
Lord Mayor of Leicester Manjula Sood, Roger Wilson, Ismail Patel, Bishop Riah Hanna and Canon Barry Naylor
Day Intensive Course on Palestine taught by
Ismail Adam Patel
FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA
Topics include:
The Balfour Declaration
The History of Palestine
The true picture of the
Israeli Occupation
and much more!
Date:
Sunday 5th April 2009
2pm - 8pm
Venue:
As-Suffa Institute
Free Entry - Sisters Welcome
AS-SUFFA INSTITUTE
Presents

10. AQSA NEWS
10 ...Quiz
Although our school is destroyed we still
want to learn, so outdoor schools have been
set up.
There isn’t enough food or water in Gaza
so we share what we have with each
other.
Some of us live in outdoor shelters that we
have made. But there is no electricity, so
we use candles and lanterns.
Other people who have nothing at all, have
to sleep outside in the darkness and cold.
Life in Gaza After the Bombing .
After the Israelis left Gaza, we went
back to our house and it was completely
destroyed by the bombs.
We searched through our damaged homes
and schools to find things that could still
be used.
By Ghazala Caratella
FOLLOW THE MAZE AND FIND OUT
WHICH PROPHETS ARE MENTIONED IN
THE QURAN
COMPETITIONWIN!£20ArgosGiftVoucher!!
Under 12 years old? Answer these questions and send us
your replies for a chance to win!
1. Did Prophet Muhammad (SAW) visit Jerusalem?
Yes No
2. Who first built Masjid Al-Aqsa?
Adam (AS) Sulaiman (AS) Muhammad (SAW)
3. What was the name of the son of Daud (AS) who
was also a prophet?
Sulaiman (AS) Yahya (AS) Ishaq (AS)
4. Which direction is Jerusalem from Makaah and
Medina?
North South East West
5. Which sea borders the Gaza Strip?
The Mediterranean The Red Sea
13 – 18 years old?? Answer these questions and send us
your replies for a chance to win!
1. When was the West Bank and Gaza Strip occupied
by Israel?
1948 1967 1997
2. How many UN Security Council Resolutions has
Israel Ignored?
10 45 Over 100
3. How many settlers does Israel have in the West Bank
and Jerusalem?
100,000 250,000 over 500,000
4. What does the Arabic term ‘Al-Nakba’ mean?
The Invasion The Catastrophe The War
5. How many Palestinians has Israel killed since the
year 2000?
100 1,000 over 5,000
Deadline for both competitions: 29th May 2009.
Send your answers with your name, age and address to: Friends
of Al-Aqsa, PO Box 5127, Leicester LE2 0WU.
Or email us on info@aqsa.org.uk

11. AQSA NEWS
11
100 metres, £100, 100% for the Children of Gaza!
Join 4,000 people in a Record Breaking Relay Run at the
Mile End Stadium to raise money for Save the Children’s
Gaza Appeal. Make history, make a difference!
MDUKM E D I A
Saturday 23 May 2009, 12 noon
at Mile End Stadium, London E14
To join in you simply need to raise a minimum of £100 sponsorship and be able to run 100 metres
in or around 20 seconds. For registration and further information, please visit www.ifcharity.com
Email: info@ifcharity.com / Tel: 020 8963 9262 / Media Enquiries: 07956 398739 or ruhul@ifcharity.com
A group of 16 of the world’s leading
war crimes investigators and judges,
backed by Amnesty International, has
urged the United Nations to launch a
fullinquiryintoallegedgrossviolations
of the laws of war committed by both
sides during the recent conflict in Gaza
and southern Israel.
An open letter, entitled ‘Find the
truth about Gaza war,’ was sent to the
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
on Monday. The letter’s signatories
include Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
former UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights Mary Robinson and
Judge Richard Goldstone, formerly
Chief Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Tribunals for the former
Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.
A UN inquiry is currently
investigating attacks which were
carried out against UN facilities and
personnel in Gaza during the three-
week conflict.
“The UN investigation is not
sufficient as a response to the grave
violations that were committed during
the conflict. Hundreds of civilians were
killed or injured, and it is vital that
the circumstances in which they were
attacked are fully investigated,” said
Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty
International’s Middle East and North
Africa Programme.
“Thoseresponsibleforwarcrimesor
other serious violations of international
humanitarian law and human rights
abuses must be held to account.”
“What is needed is a comprehensive
international investigation that looks at
all alleged violations of international
law, by Israel, by Hamas and by other
Palestinian armed groups involved in
the conflict.”
The letter’s signatories - who have
led investigations of crimes committed
in former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Darfur,
Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa,
East Timor, Lebanon and Peru - say
that they have been “shocked to the
core” by events in Gaza.
Prof. William A. Schabas, former
member of the Sierra Leone Truth
and Reconciliation Commission, said:
“The international community must
apply the same standard to Gaza as it
does to other conflicts and investigate
all abuses of the laws of war and
human rights.”
UN urged to ‘find truth’ about Gaza conflict

12. The Britain-Palestine all
party parliamentary group
visited the Gaza Strip and West
Bank in February after Israel’s
military assault and reported
back on the devastation they
witnessed. At an event which
coincided with a national lobby
day on 9th March supported
by Friends of Al-Aqsa and the
PSC amongst others, the MPs
made statements in the House
of Commons drawing attention
to the suffering in Gaza.
Gaza’s tented cities housing
thousands of refugees were
discussed, and Richard Burden
MP spoke of the need for Israel
to be held to account for what
had happened as the only
way to prevent a repeat of the
massacres. The MPs described
the Palestinian psyche after the
devastating attack and stated
that Palestinian politicians
felt the state of Israel was too
extreme for them to deal with
any further.
Sarah Teather MP described
seeing whole villages razed
to the ground and total
destruction “as far as the eye
could see.” She viewed the
refugee crisis as comparable to
the one that occurred in 1948.
She confirmed that the Liberal
Democrat policy is now to
impose an arms embargo on
Israel and a suspension of
the EU-Israel Association
agreement if Israel does not
allow rebuilding materials in
to Gaza.
Jamal el Khoudary, an
Independent MP from Gaza
addressed the meeting to
draw attention to the facts of
the war, namely, that the term
‘war’ suggests a fight between
two armies, and that what had
happened in December 2008
and January 2009 was not
war, but a “massacre of the
innocent.” He also described
the tremendous spirit of the
people of Gaza, and the fact
that after the bombing, the first
relief provided for the destitute
was from the people of Gaza
themselves, who showed their
“steadfastness”bysharingwhat
they could to try to survive.
Jamal reiterated the fact
that Rebuilding Gaza requires
the borders to be opened, the
end of the Israeli siege and
aid promised for rebuilding by
international donors to be sent
as a matter of urgency.
Martin Linton MP also
focussed on the West Bank,
describing the cantons and
settler only roads criss-crossing
Palestinian land, and the issue
of the ever expanding Israeli
settlements. The residents of
the West Bank were not spared
Israeli violence and numerous
young Palestinian men and
women have been killed for
peacefully protesting against
the expansion of settlements
and the building of the wall.
The clear and resounding
message from the meeting
was that Palestinians require
help now more than ever, in
their struggle for freedom from
Israeli occupation.
Manchester day Conference
Organisers: Olive Cooperative
Date: 4 April
Time: 10.15am-3.45pm
Venue: Denton Methodist
Church, Manchester
Details: An event to present
fair trade from the producer’s
perspective
Palestine Conference
Organisers: Kettering New
Muslims in Association with
Muslim Poverty Relief
Date: 26 April
Time: 2.30 – 4.30 pm
Venue: Melton Community
Centre, Kettering, Northants,
NN16 9DS
Details: A conference with
stalls, aimed at creating
awareness about the Palestinian
issue, speakers include Ismail
Patel (Friends of Al Aqsa),
Ibrahim Hewitt (Interpal, to
be confirmed). Refreshments
provided.
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Challenge - Sponsored Walk
Peak District
15km Walk (Approx. 4-6 hours)
24th May 2009
(for more info please see advert
on page 9)
British MPs speak of Gaza devastation
AQSA NEWS
Join the Gaza 100 World
Record Run
Friends of Al-Aqsa have
pledged to bring 100
participants to the Gaza 100
event (see advert on page 11).
If you would like to join on
behalf of FoA, and run a 100
metre relay and pass the baton
to help break the world record
for the number of batons
passed in 24 hours, please
contact
Shamiul@aqsa.org.uk