To wonder if there is anything I can for the people in Gaza?

[JakeBullet]

I know there is a long history of conflict.
I know there has been lots of tit for tat violence.

BUT

Today I saw an image of two women carrying their severely injured infants. Both babies had obviously lost limbs and the fear and panic in the faces of those mothers will stay with me forever I think.

I feel so helpless and just feel the need to DO something, anything to help.

I have made a donation to Islamic Relief UK who are very active in Gaza and are raising funds for supplies to hospitals in the region which are running low.
I chose them because they were literally the first aid agency which came up on Google.

Is there anything else I can do? Somewhere I can write in support of peaceful negotiations? Anything?

[chuffinbobbins]

Hi OP , I see you've already donated - in our town we 've started a solidarity campaigning group holding a weeekly demo / vigil , stall with material from groups such as

palestinecampaign.org/index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=106&Content_ID=2890s

[[http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/get-involved/2050-urgent-gaza-campaign
-appeal

Social media means it's become easier to link peace campaigners, socialists , Quakers/ different faith groups ,anarchists , anti-cuts groups, Occupy , UK Uncut , Anonymous all having members coming out to lend their help here .

Each group will have different aims but engaging with all the members of the public who approach the stall is very rewarding -- we find a lot of young people feeling overwhelmed by all the info & unsure which to trust , plus people with loved ones in the affected area -lots of good stuff starts in these simple groups

I like this company
www.zaytoun.org/home/zaytoun-story/

Also the Quaker UK site is brilliant for the conflict resolution stuff you want to help with - they have worked out there for many years youincluding being ecumenical accompaniers ...lots on the site that may not find immediately

Also very important to avoid settlement produce

www.quaker.org.uk/settlement-produce
and I should also mention Amnesty which you have no doubt looked up

[chuffinbobbins]

Sorry , one link didn't work- several ways to help suggested on the site

stopwar.org.uk/index.php/get-involved/2050-urgent-gaza-campaign
-appeal

There's also an emergency demo in London next Saturday a, the weekly one outside the Israeli embassy &weekly actions ain different parts of the country

[JakeBullet]

Thank you for those links, the Palestine one was particularly fab because it gives me some history. I can understand people feeling overwhelmed and not sure which facts to trust. It's an utter minefield.

[E320]

Look 100 years ago you wouldn't even know what is going on.
This is what I HATE about the information age, too much, too quickly.
Why not concentrate on your immediate area, there are surely good and deserving causes?

[difficultpickle]

E320 Children aren't being bombed and maimed in the UK.

[chuffinbobbins]

Gllad links useful , OP - yes , I thought afterwards I shouldn't have said "young poeple" are unsure where to find unbiased info - we all need decent sources & ways to contribute in the face of this outrage ...all the best

[JakeBullet]

E320, I already offer voluntary support to people in my local area...hospital visiting and offer volunteer driving too. Doesn't mean I cannot be affected by what I see on the news.

[chuffinbobbins]

Thanks TheJoyfulPuddleJumper- sorry I didn't see your post till now Found a couple more links on other things we can do , & a cheery one on the UK's sales of arms to Israel ...

www.caat.org.uk/issues/israel/

www.bdsmovement.net/2012/stop-a-new-israeli-massacre-in-gaza-b
oycott-israel-now-10030

www.indymedia.org.nz/articles/446

palestine.org.nz/phrc/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=558&Itemid=51

[Fakebook]

I'm pretty sure a pigeon/sailing ship/travellers would have brought us a letter telling us all about what is happening in Gaza by now, even 100 years ago. What a stupid thing to say.

[NameGotLostInCyberspace]

YANBU> I too ask myself what can I do. Reading links now.

[Latara]

On a similar topic - the media is very quiet on the situation (near Gaza) in Syria where 1000s of children & 100,000s of civillians have been killed by their own people!

[Latara]

YANBU & very good to help but please don't fall into the trap of only blaming Israelis for the violence in Gaza - Hamas have a LOT to answer for too.

[foreverondiet]

YANBU and its awful for anyone to be injured especially babies, and always good to help however spare a thought for the Israelis who live in Southern Israel who have had rockets fired at them for years, as Latara says Hamas have a lot to answer to.

[Slinkysista]

So understand what you are saying Op, I saw the pictures of dead children murdered by Israeli 'precision' strikes and I don't think I'll ever forget it.
Will check the links too, want to help any way I can.

[FoxSake]

Latara Hamas certainly have alot to answer for your statement is 100%, the palestinians have been opressed and blockaded by the Israelis for years, read MSFs report on children suffering severe burns because there parents are forced to use gas canisters because of the electricity supply being turned off read here.

In any country where you have oppression like this, Mandela once said it was worse than the apartheid suffered in SA, you will breed militant groups. Hamas are not supported by all Palestinians certainly not the innocent children and babies which are being so severly affected. In Gaza there are no air raid shelters it is densley populated and nowhere for people to escape to unlike southern Israel where most rockets are fired, I do not condone the firing of rockets. Israel are slaughtering civilians in Gaza, they are a superior military and the force does not not match the threat. They are at present commiting war crimes and inciting a far bigger war.

My Mum works in Gaza, thankfully she is at present at home however we are in touch with civilians there, this is a humanitarian crisis. A friends 4 year old Child asks every ten minutes for his mum to pray to Allah to keep them safe, is wetting himself every time yere is a drone strike and showing signs of post traumatic stress. This could be your child, do not support the massacre of a people, there is no justification for this level of violence against civilians.

[Dawndonna]

Interesting map
Disclaimer: I haven't read the text, just grabbed a map.

[FoxSake]

forever completely right, the people of Southern Israel suffer tremendously too, unnecessarily and their children too pay a heavy price. They however have freedom of movement when war is imminent they are not penned on all sides, their women and children can be evacuated they are able to seek medical care and food supplies unlike the palestinian children.

[picketywick]

Its the human race at its worst. I suspect they may be planning peace talks.
I hope it isnt just about coming election, as some say

[NameGotLostInCyberspace]

Most cities are holding protests. usually oganised by stop the war coilition or palestinian solidarity campaign.

I have attended protests before for Syria and Egypt but apart from publicity and getting the message across what good does protesting do, really? I only went to feel like I was doing something

[Sallyingforth]

Dawndonna's link to the maps is very relevant.
What it doesn't show is that the land taken is the best land. The remaining Palestinian settlements are on the poorest land and in many cases the water supplies have been diverted to supply Israeli settlements.
The Jewish people have suffered terribly, and it's so sad that they are now in turn mistreating another people.