We are a group of Israeli citizens, active against our government's policies of racism, occupation and apartheid.
In view of our government's criminal, inhumane and murderous onslaught on the entire population of the Gaza strip, we would like to support Peter Pilz for
daring to speak the truth. We strongly disagree with the current Austrian government's policy in our region, and we believe it is misguided and unfair. We would like to remind the Austrian public of the Austrian foreign policy in the times of the late Bruno Kreisky. We are certain Mr. Kreisky would not have kept silent in the face of Israel's mass killing of civilians in Gaza!
Israel, our country, has turned the lives of 1.8 million human beings in the Gaza strip into hell on earth. These people are living in an open air prison, under a brutal siege, with little land and water resources, and hardly any access to the outside world.
Israel has committed its crimes in Gaza for a reason: to isolate its inhabitants from their compatriots in the West Bank and in the outside world, thwart any chance of a Palestinian unity government, and evade the need to negotiate a comprehensive peace treaty with the Palestinian people, based on the principles of international law and human rights.
Israel, our state, is so strong militarily that it believes it can break the will of the Palestinian people, and force them into submission or exile. Any Palestinian attempt to resist brings about indiscriminate destruction and death by the most advanced and devastating American and Israeli arsenal.
While we regard any indiscriminate attack on civilians as a war crime, we must add that Israel does NOT have the moral high ground in its Gaza operation: Israel has killed, even murdered, hundreds of children in Gaza. As we write these words, the Israeli army is admitting that on Friday 1.8.2014, it attacked and killed tens, if not more than 100 civilians indiscriminately in order to kill its own officer who had been taken captive in Rafah. This appalling crime is only one example of Israel's conduct in Gaza. Israel had demolished thousands of buildings, wiped out entire neighborhoods, forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes and more.
In particular, we would like to address one shallow claim being used by Israel and its supporters in Austria: While we do not endorse the Hamas charter in any way, it should be noted that Likkud, Israel's ruling party, has officially decided to reject any Palestinian state in its resolution in 2002, supported by no other than Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel under Likkud is destroying the Palestinian society, taking its land, terrorizing its children, and denying it any chance of statehood. We find that there is a great deal of hypocrisy on this subject.
Not only do we thank Peter Pilz for his courageous and humanistic statements, we also expect to see more Austrian public figures address the situation in our region in an honest matter. Austrian governments have been complicit in Israeli crimes by various means, including diplomatic support for Israeli governments during their onslaughts on Gaza. This has got to stop!
Israeli actions in Gaza violate international law and EU principles
of human rights in every possible way. Israel should receive no preferential treatment by the Austrian government and the EU. Moreover, we expect the Austrian government to impose sanctions on the Israeli government. In particular, we expect the government to:
-Take action to terminate Israel's Association Agreement with the EU.
- Ban all companies which are involved in the occupation of the Palestinian territories from the Austrian markets.
-Stop protecting Israel from criticism of its crimes at international forums.
The Israeli government is committing a massacre in Gaza. The time has come to act. European leaders who choose to be complicit in our government's policies will have blood on their hands.
Sincerely
Boycott ! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call From Within
http://boycottisrael.info/