The War on Children

Palestinian children    avaaz.org

So many of us are heartsick at what is happening in Gaza. "The scale is far, far  greater than previous Gaza wars" (this the third in 5 1/2 years) according to William Booth, foreign correspondent of  the Washington Post. In recent days, a child has been killed every hour according to a UN report and more children than Hamas fighters have been killed.

Gaza Before and After                  @iFalasteen

Hamas is wrong to fire missiles at Israel and Israel is wrong to be bombing civilians who literally have no place to go. Even schools designated as shelters and hospitals (18 medical facilities, including 5 UN health clinics have been hit) are not safe from Israeli bombs. The IDF claims that they are targeting hospitals and schools because Hamas uses them to store missiles, but Israel is the occupier in Gaza and has an obligation to protect the civilians there. Nothing justifies the targeted killing of children and other innocent civilians- nothing. That is a war crime.

The IDF strike on a UN school July 24, the fourth shelling of a school in as many days, killed 15 and wounded 200, most of them children. They were sitting outside waiting to be evacuated (the UN was negotiating with the IDF to give the civilians time to evacuate) when the bombs rained down on them.

According to this report from Johnathon Miller of Channel 4 News in the UK, Israel's military operation in Gaza is looking more and more like a "war on children". http://www.channel4.com/news/gaza-shifa-hospital-israel-hamas-shajaiyah-jonathan-miller

The whole world is rising up to say no to the violence (see photos below). Israel must end its seven year siege of Gaza and the illegal settlements and occupation must end. All people, including the Palestinians, deserve freedom, dignity and opportunity in their lives. 

Both sides also need to stop calling for the destruction of the other! Most know that calling for the destruction of Israel is part of Hamas's charter, but might be surprised to know how many Israeli's are also calling for the extermination of the Palestinian people. The deputy speaker of Israel's parliament said "Gaza will become part of sovereign Israel and be populated by Jews. This will also serve to ease the housing crisis in Israel." Another member posted on FB that all Palestinians should be killed "including its elderly, women, its cities and its villages." It got 5,000 "likes".  Major Gilad Sharon, son of Ariel Sharon said "flatten all of Gaza" like "Hiroshima". Another member of the Knesset said, "There are no innocents in Gaza...mow them down." A rabbi said Palestinian children should be "hung from trees." Of course, there are many Israelis who would denounce such hate speech, but an extreme right wing faction advocating even greater violence is growing. Even Prime Minister Netanyahu in a speech in Hebrew that did not get much attention here- said there would never be a sovereign Palestine.

John Kerry warned the Israelis that failure to reach peace would cause a growth in the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement. For stating a reality, many nationalist Israelis are calling him anti-Semitic. Surely, world pressure in the form of BDS will ratchet up as more see the suffering this slaughter is creating.

This war is showing in tragic relief that women, children and innocent civilians are at the epicenter of modern warfare. Read this account of a Norwegian doctor helping in Gaza to get a sense of the horror. As Americans we are all complicit. This too is a sad reality.

On the day Obama called for peace, the US gave Israel $544 million for missiles to hit ground targets. We give over $3 billion a year, and this has allowed Israel over the years to buy 226 F-16 fighter jets, 700 M-60 tanks, 6,000 armored personnel carriers, attack helicopters, bombs and missiles.

"Militarism is like a lethal virus that takes as its first victim both historical memory and any sense of moral and social responsibility" says Henry Giroux in an excellent article, "Killing Machines and the Madness of Militarism: From Gaza to Afghanistan".

Over 100 million were killed in wars in the last century. As time goes on and with each passing war,  the percentage of civilians killed versus military killed continues to surge. In the 21st century, all wars are wars on women and children. For our very survival, physically and morally, we must find nonviolent solutions to conflict. We must end war before it ends us.

Local Protests Planned

     NP Women in Black Saturday, July 26        

Please join New Paltz Women in Black any Saturday on Main Street, in front of the Elting Library, from 12:45- 1:30 to stand in our 12 year old vigil for peace.

 We will make this current war our focus until it is ended. We stand for a safe and secure Israel and a free and safe Palestine.



There are also two demonstrations in front of Congressman Gibson's local offices this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.

PROTEST ISRAEL'S ATTACK ON GAZA

Tuesday, July 29, 3:30-5:30

at

Congressman Chris Gibson’s office

721 Broadway, Kingston

Make a sign to carry

Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid tax dollars which it uses to purchase weapons systems that are used against Palestinians, to build illegal settlements in Palestine and to make Palestinian lives as miserable as possible so that they will leave their country.

We are protesting to

Stop US funding of Israel

End the Violence in Gaza

End the Occupation of Palestine

 Contact: jrs@hvan.org

And on Wednesday, 4-5 End Attack on Gaza- Time for a Just Peace In front of Rep. Chris Gibson's Hyde Park district office on Rt. 9 (4328 Albany Post Road: 12538), NY Sign up https://www.facebook.com/events/509311795878899/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

Death toll as of July 26- 851 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, 36 Israelis dead, most of them soldiers (3 Israeli civilians dead).

Update-  As of July 28, the UN reports that a  total of 1,030 Palestinians and 43 Israelis have been killed and more than 6,000 Palestinians injured.

More You Can Do

From Avaaz.org
"As a new round of violence kicks off in Israel-Palestine and more children are killed, it's not enough just to call for another ceasefire. It’s time to take definitive non-violent action to end this decades long nightmare"  Join over a million people in signing their petition- https://secure.avaaz.org/en/israel_palestine_this_is_how_it_ends_rb/?bCzJdab&v=42735

This petition is from a man who works at a small NGO in California called Oasis for Peace to promote peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians - a few days ago five members of his family were killed in Gaza including two small children. Lift the economic blockade in Gaza- end the war- http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-whitehouse-johnkerry?source=c.em&r_by=1135580

Stay informed. Much more information at the Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter- http://activistnewsletter.blogspot.com/2014/07/07-27-14-gaza-special-issue-2.html

Here is a video of an American Jew speaking out in Israel- what happens next is shocking. I thought Israel was a democracy. (I have since learned this video is from 2 years ago- but it is as relevant as ever.)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=680935605323935&set=vb.153633174720850&type=2&theater

In Photos: Worldwide protest against Israeli attack on Gaza (and this was from over a week ago- the outrage continues to grow- how many of these protests do you see on American media?

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/worldwide-protest-israeli.html

Annie Robbins on July 15, 2014 
 

Chicago

Cape Town, South Africa

Rabat, Morocco

London

Bethlehem, Palestine

Auckland, New Zealand

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Maldives

Valparaiso, Chile

Amman, Jordan

Madrid, Spain

Dublin

Tunisia

Philadelphia

Metz, France

Haifa

Washington D.C.

South Korea

San Francisco, USA

Ottawa, Canada

Santiago, Chile

Stockholm, Sweden

Chicago,USA

Paris, France

Glasgow, Scotland

Lebanon (photo:AP)

Tokyo, ,Japan

London

Greece

Columbus, Ohio

Norway

Edinburgh, Scotland

Iceland

Amman, Jordan

Columbus, Ohio

Milan, Italy

Seattle

Seattle

Tunisia

Seattle

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sydney, Australia

Italy

San Francisco

Bogota, Colombia

Chicago, USA

Germany

Frankfurt, Germany

France

Houston, Texas

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Dublin, Ireland

Rome, Italy

Los Angeles

Copenhagen, Denmark

Vienna, Austria

Montreal, Canada. Photo courtesy of Under the Olive Tree which airs on CKUT 90.3 FM every Thursday from 11am – 12 noon. Learn more at http://www.mixcloud.com/UnderTheOliveTree/

New York

Montreal, Canada. Photo courtesy of Under the Olive Tree which airs on CKUT 90.3 FM every Thursday from 11am – 12 noon. Learn more at http://www.mixcloud.com/UnderTheOliveTree/

Lastly, here is an article a friend sent me that gives you a better understanding of the humiliation, degradation and destruction Palestinians have been facing on a daily basis. It also offers a nonviolent solution based on the ultimate goodness of our shared humanity. It may seem light years from reality right now- but ultimately, it is the way forward. http://zenpeacemakers.org/2014/07/the-peace-activists-demons-israeli-engaged-dharma-report-summer-2014/

Shalom, Salaam, Peace.

The Cowboy Indian Alliance to Save Our Earth

Hudson Valley for No GMOs: Jeffrey Smith Wows the Hudson Valley!

Hudson Valley for No GMOs: Jeffrey Smith Wows the Hudson Valley!:                       A nearly packed house of about 400 gave a warm welcome to one of the leading experts on the dangers of GMOs...

The New York State Water Supply: We Can't Become Another West Virginia

                                                                     Hudson Valley photo copyright Carolyn Odell Photography

Thank you to The Catskill Mountainkeeper for permission to reblog

The New York State Water Supply: We Can't Become Another West Virginia

By Ramsay Adams

Most of New York's drinking water comes from right here in the Catskills, and it is renowned for its taste and purity.

Our water is simply amazing, and we need to protect it for all of us who live here, and the 19 million people in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that rely on water from our Delaware and Catskill wathersheds. 

Our Catskill water is so pure, it reaches the taps of New York City unfiltered. Sadly, for the most part, we take it for granted that its purity and supply is being protected with vigilence by governmental regulatory agencies

.

In our everyday lives, we just trust the water from our wells or municipal sources is safe and pure.  We also trust that our regulatory agencies are doing their most to protect us from pollution and spills into our water supply.

The truth is that we should be much more watchful and cautious in making sure our water supply is protected.

Case in point: There's an ongoing environmental disaster involving the water supply of hundreds of thousands of residents in West Virginia that we in the Catskills should be paying very close attention to in terms of protecting our own H2O.

Earlier this month, over 7,500 gallons of a clear, licorice-smelling chemical used to process coal leaked from an old storage tank and spilled into the Elk River.  The accident took place near the largest water treatment plant in the state.

Life came to a halt there with the resulting prohibition on using tap water. Over 300,000 residents of West Virginia were ordered not to drink the tap water. That chemical, Crude MCHM, which is primarily composed of a chemical named 4-methylcyclohexane methanol is very toxic, and there were immediate reports of rashes, stomach aches, and other ailments.

After 10 days, restrictions on using tap water were lifted for most of those affected by the disaster, even though the licorice smell remained. Pregnant women are still being advised not to drink the water, while Governor Earl Ray Tomblin emphasized that tests indicated the water is safe under guidelines set by the US Centers for Disease Control, he also told a press conference he was not aware of a recommendation for home owners to flush their pipes until the smell is not present.

He was not too reassuring when he told residents: "If you do not feel comfortable drinking or cooking in this water, then use bottled water...I'm not going to say absolutely, 100 percent that everything is safe. But what I can say is if you do not feel comfortable, don't use it."

Now as West Virginia officials, who are no strangers to environmental spills and lax regulation, scurry to deal with the health disaster, serious questions are being raised as to why there's so little regulation of the storage of these chemicals-and even worse, why there's so little knowledge by the Federal government and the medical field about the potential toxicity of chemicals like the one spilled into the Elk River.

What stands out the most from the WV spill is how the Federal and state governments throughout the nation fail to monitor chemicals and their use in terms of protecting our water supplies.

A recent article in the Washington Post's Health and Science section stated that "It has been 38 years since Congress passed a major piece of legislation regulating toxic chemicals, even though there is no disagreement that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA, or Tosca) needs an overhaul" and that ""Chemicals in the United States are generally treated as innocent until proven guilty. A company does not have to prove that a chemical does not pose a health hazard in order to introduce it in the commercial market."

Much like West Virginia, our state is way too lax in regulating chemicals. 

Here in New York State, the controversy surrounding Fracking already highlights the dangerous nature of chemicals used and released in the fracking process, particularly to the water supply, and serves as a reminder of how lax the regulation of chemicals are in our own backyard.  In fact, several of the chemicals identified in the West Virginia spill are manufactured for fracking operations.

In a report issued by Environmental Advocates in May, 2012, a dire warning was issued about the lack of regulation of the oil and drilling process and the flawed exemption of chemicals from being deemed hazardous waste:

"Existing state laws and regulations do not require oil and gas companies to report with any specificity how much waste is being created, its chemical components, or how drilling waste is being disposed. We also discovered that much of fracking's waste would likely be classified as hazardous waste if it were not exempt under flawed state regulations."

The lessons of the recent chemical spill in West Virginia need to be learned well, and implemented quickly, here in upstate New York.

It's just not about potential fracking here in the Catskills, but about a broader, rudimentary need to protect our water supply from chemicals on a day-to-day basis.

Right now, our water supply is woefully underregulated in terms of chemical storage and transportation, and with the boom going on right now in transmission pipes servicing the needs of the oil and gas industries in neighboring states, updated studies and regulations should be mandated immediately.

The time to take action is now, at both the local and state levels of government, before it is too late.  To find out what you can do to help, email us or visit Catskill Mountainkeeper today.

New Yorkers Demand A Safe & Healthy Future- Ban Fracking!

New Yorkers Demanding a Frack-Free Future!                                                                        Photo by Jodiah Jacobs

On January 8, over 1,000 New Yorkers braved the cold to send yet another message to Gov Cuomo - Do Not Frack New York!  And as he has in the past, the governor ignored the massive gathering just outside his door and said not one word on hydraulic fracturing in his State of the State address

Thanks to all the patriotic citizens who went out of their way, some traveling hours, to passionately argue for a sustainable, renewable future. They represent the position of millions of voters in our state (a Nov 2013 poll showed 47% of New Yorkers were against fracking- up 8% from March).

Kudos to all the organizers, to photographer Jodiah Jacobs for giving permission to share the great photos you see here from his album "New York Crossroads; No Fracking, Yes Renewables", to the over 100 sponsors and to NYagainstFracking.org. I thought their summary of what lies before us to be excellent. 

from NYagainstfracking.org: 
This is the critical crossroads – on the fate of New York and the nation – where we remain. In one direction is fracking, leading to further catastrophic dependence on fossil fuels. That path is lined with drill rigs, contaminated rivers and water wells, smog and toxic air, dangerous pipelines, compressor stations, and other infrastructure, and poisoned farms. It leads to a future with worse climate change, super storms and public health disasters. 

 In the other direction – Governor Cuomo and the people of New York say no to fracking and instead embrace renewable energy. That path leads to good jobs, healthy families, and sustainable homes and communities. New York can step up and show the nation and the world a place where people can live, work and thrive without dirty and dangerous extreme energy. We can take a stand for public health and clean water. We can champion and support our jobs in agriculture and tourism and continue to develop more jobs in efficiency and renewable energy like wind and solar.

To see more go to "New York Crossroads; No Fracking, Yes Renewables" and thanks again to Jodiah  for bringing the spirit of the day alive with these photos.

New Yorkers have accomplished something of great significance- a fracking moratorium has been in place in NY since 2008. But the governor has said he will make a decision as to whether to ban fracking permanently by Election Day of next year. Get involved! http://nyagainstfracking.org/take-action/  Call Gov Cuomo 866 584-6799. Tell him to protect our health and safety from fracking.