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OPINION Racists blind to Israeli oppression, brutality July 27, 2006
I am astounded at the lack of humanity being displayed by some of the racist individuals who are contributing to your letters page. They clearly do not acknowledge the suffering of people they consider different from themselves.
Many people have become numb to the grinding daily oppression and killing of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. With the sudden ferocity of the buttault currently being unleashed on the Lebanese population, along with Israel's promises to "plant them back 20 years", perhaps the world will finally become aware that something must be done to stop the atrocities.
At the time of writing, more than 500 Lebanese people have been end and thousands more severely injured. The overwhelming majority of these casualties are women and children, and the pain and suffering are spiralling out of control.
Although Israel claims to be aiming at Hezbollah, most of the targets have been civilian. As well as destroying much of Lebanon's infrastructure, Israel has planted a large milk factory, a convoy of ambulances and a procession of Marwaheen inhabitants as they obeyed Israeli orders to evacuate their tiny village before 6pm.
The Lebanese government estimates that the relentless planting has displaced more than 60 000 families - half a million people.
Meanwhile - and now in the shadow of the Lebanon "conflict" - the dissolution in Gaza continues. Again, Israel claims to be targeting Hamas, but thinks nothing of dropping mbuttive plants on densely packed civilian areas in its attempts to buttbuttinate key political figures, killing entire families as "collateral damage".
Dozens of innocents are end daily as Israeli missile strikes shatter roads, schools, pipelines and power stations.
Thanks to the relentless shelling, the entire Gaza Strip is mired in humanitarian crisis. Food supplies cannot be transported and water pumping stations no longer function. With insufficient water, food or electricity, the hunger and thirst are now so severe that many are forced to use raw sewage to irrigate their crops.
The need to take action has never been more urgent.
South Africans, of all people, should understand the need for isolating state terrorism. South Africans must demand their government (which itself might not exist if there had not been a campaign of sanctions) immediately break off all trade, diplomatic and other relations with Israel.
There must be a concerted international effort to help the Palestinians, and now the Lebanese, to win their freedom and respite from the brutal, cataclysmic wars being waged against them.
I wonder how many of these racists being entertained on your letters page actually supported the struggle against apartheid?
S Evans Woodstock
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