Remember The HolocaustWe remember the Holocaust as one of the most monstrous crimes against humanity in history. We remember this act of genocide - 6 million Jews who perished in death camps and extermination camps in Europe. We remember the silence of an unknowing and knowing world while this was taking place. We remember the other hundreds of thousands of victims of the Nazi regime in these same camps – Romanies, Poles, Russians, Gays... We remember other crimes against humanity – slavery and the genocide of the Native Americans and, more recently; genocide in Rwanda, mass murder in Cambodia, ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. We remember in order not to forget - because to forget diminishes the victims and carries the danger of further crimes. Speak Out On PalestineToday the Palestinian people are the victims. Today they are the victims of ethnic cleansing. Today they are the victims of the silence of world leaders to their suffering. Gaza Today Gaza is being blockaded by the Israeli army as an act of collective punishment, a war crime under the Geneva Convention, adopted in the wake of World War 2. Commerce in and out is blocked leading to the collapse of the economy. Sufficient food cannot be brought in leading to malnutrition and permanent damage to a whole generation of children. Medical services cannot bring in necessary medical supplies. Cancer sufferers are not allowed to seek medical treatment elsewhere, and die as a consequence. The constant attacks by Israeli aircraft, helicopters, tanks, missiles and soldiers have resulted in numerous massacres. According to the Israeli daily, Haaretz, nearly half of the Palestinians killed in Gaza in 2006 and 2007 were civilians not affiliated with any military organizations. According to the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, of those killed 152 were minors, including 48 under the age of 14. West Bank In the West Bank there is occupation and theft of Palestinian land on which illegal settlements are constantly being built. This continues the colonization and the ethnic cleansing of half the Palestinian population in 1948 which lead to the founding of Israel. The ‘separation wall’, declared illegal by the World Court but in reality accepted by George Bush, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, ensures that this process is permanent. Nearly 600 ‘checkpoints’, perhaps the most obvious feature of the continuing occupation, are a daily humiliation and a barrier to any sort of normal life for the Palestinians. World Bank reports have repeatedly singled out these features of the occupation as responsible for the catastrophic decline of the Palestinian economy and the poverty of its people. Whilst these crimes continue, world leaders refuse to speak out against them. Indeed George Bush, during his recent visit to the Middle East repudiated United Nations resolutions, particularly the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and the illegality of Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem. He also implicitly endorsed annexations of major Jewish settlements into Israel. Britain and Europe follow the American lead which allows Israel to behave with complete impunity. We ask people to join Liverpool Friends of Palestine in trying to break this barrier of silence and complicity. We say: Remember the Holocaust
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