Concerned Families of Westchester Newsletter
October 29, 2023
Hello All – As the war on Gaza enters its fourth week, the densely populated strip of land has endured a murderous bombardment and now faces a ground invasion by the Israeli army. Already 8,000 Gazans have been killed, including 3,000 children. Thousands more are buried under rubble. Israel has blockaded food, water, fuel, and medicine from Gaza, and Israel is targeting hospitals and schools for bombing. At immediate risk tonight is a hospital in Gaza City now giving refugee to some 14,000 displaced people, as well as many hundreds of medical patients. If Israel's cruel war is not stopped, tens of thousands more will die.
An important issue in both Israeli and US politics at this moment is the fact that 229 Israelis are held prisoner by Hamas (and other organizations) in Gaza. Support for the war, in order to free the hostages, is the watchword of the US leadership, most of Congress, and millions of Americans; and on this basis, the demand for an "immediate ceasefire" is rejected. However, this framing of the hostage situation is irrational and based on poor information: in Israel, the hostage families themselves have called for a ceasefire or "pause" in order to facilitate negotiations. They told Prime Minister Netanyahu today that they favored a "swap" of Israeli hostages for the thousands of Palestinians now in Israeli prisons. A Hamas spokesperson has indicated that this is a possible deal. Conversely, a continuation of the war will certainly kill most or all of the remaining Israeli hostages (50 are reported to have died under the bombing). Rejection of an "immediate ceasefire" in the name of freeing the hostages is simply a bad idea.
Much of the world is protesting Israel's war. Yesterday a million people in Turkey rallied in support of Gaza, and hundreds of thousands marched in London. On Friday it was a million people in Jordan. Most consumers of the US media are shielded from pictures of the enormous support given to the Palestinian cause by millions in the Arab world (and beyond); these images are seen by millions of viewers of Aljazeera and similar news outlets. The overwhelming call from all quarters is "cease fire" and "end the siege"; few American supporters of Israel's war realize that their views are not shared by a majority of the world's people.
Right now, only the United States has the clout with Israel to impose a ceasefire. And only President Biden is in a position to make the demand of Israel. The USA gives Israel $3.8 billion per year, and Biden is proposing an addition sum of $14 billion. The US also uses its veto at the UN to protect Israel from UN action. As the war escalates, the US has stationed 2 aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean, transferred tons of military equipment to Israel, and has thousands of US soldiers standing by. Despite denials, it appears that the United States is involved in military planning. Thus the USA has a lot of this influence in this situation, and is seen by many analysts as the only force that could persuade Israel halt its war on Gaza. With only a small contingent of congressional representatives sympathetic to the idea of an immediate ceasefire, it falls to the (extra)ordinary people of the United States to push for an end to this war, and to rescue the United States from the reputation as a collaborator in one of the great war crimes in recent history.
Featured Essays About the War on Gaza
(Video) Angela Davis: 'Palestine is a moral litmus test for the world'
From "UpFront," with Marc Lamont Hill, Aljazeera [October 27, 2023]
---- There has been a long history of solidarity between Palestinians and Black Americans, and these last few weeks have been no exception. While Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, numerous Black activists in the United States have come together to demonstrate their solidarity with Palestinians. These two places are more than 6,000 miles away from each other, with very different histories. So what's behind this common recognition of a shared struggle? On UpFront, renowned political activist Angela Davis speaks with Marc Lamont Hill on the history and meaning of Black American solidarity with the Palestinian cause. [See the Program] Also of interest is "Solidarity Between American Activists and Palestinians," by Charles M. Blow, New York Times [October 25, 2023] [Link].
Why Must Palestinians Audition for Your Empathy?
By Hala Alyan, New York Times [October 25, 2023]
---- I don't hesitate for a second to condemn the killing of any child, any massacre of civilians — this of course includes Jewish life. It is the easiest ask in the world. And it is not in spite of that but because of that I say: Condemn the brutalization of bodies. By all means, do. Condemn murder. Condemn violence, imprisonment, all forms of oppression. But if your shock and distress comes only at the sight of certain brutalized bodies? If you speak out but not when Palestinian bodies are besieged and murdered, abducted and imprisoned? Then it is worth asking yourself which brutalization is acceptable to you, even quietly, even subconsciously, and which is not. …There is nothing complicated about asking for freedom. Palestinians deserve equal rights, equal access to resources, equal access to fair elections and so forth. If this makes you uneasy, then you must ask yourself why. [Read More]
Many Killed in Gaza Were Buried Under the Rubble. They Died Slowly and Quietly
By Amira Hass, Haaretz [Israel] [October 23, 2023]
---- Hundreds of thousands, including infants, elderly, disabled, and the sick, flee for their lives due to the IDF attacks, yet nowhere in the Gaza Strip is truly safe. For the survivors, it's evident that if Israel's threats materialize in full, many will have no place to return to In the early morning hours of Saturday – a few hours after the release of Judith and Natalie Raanan, and a few hours before the Rafah crossing was opened for a drop in the needed sea of humanitarian aid – Israeli bombardments managed to kill some 60 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip, according to reports by Palestinian news agency Sama. … Over a thousand people are missing: Most are those the rescue teams failed to extract from under the rubble, and remain beneath them. Some were killed instantly, while others died slowly. Some are dying as I write these words. [Read More]
CFOW Nuts & Bolts
Please consider getting involved with Concerned Families of Westchester. Weather permitting we meet for a protest/rally each Saturday in Hastings, at 12 noon at the VFW Plaza (Warburton and Spring St.) A "Black Lives Matter/Say Their Names" vigil is held in Yonkers on Monday from 5:30 to 6:00 pm at the intersection of Warburton Ave. and Odell. Our newsletter is archived at https://cfow.blogspot.com/; and news of interest and coming events is posted on our CFOW Facebook page. Another Facebook page focuses on the climate crisis. If you would like to join one of our Zoom meetings, each Tuesday and Thursday at noon, please send a return email for the link. If you would like to support our work by making a contribution, please send your check to CFOW, PO Box 364, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706. Thanks!
Rewards!
Dear stalwart readers, I'm overwhelmed by sadness today, watching the news about the imminent/threatened bombing of the hospital in Gaza, now sheltering 14,000 people, and against the background of more than 8,000 deaths, including more than 3,000 children. In 1961 British composer premiered his "War Requiem," a meditation on war that incorporated the poetry of WWI antiwar poet Wilfred Owen. You can hear the Requiem here, and if you wish you can follow the words/translation here. Some years later, after the death of Benjamin Britten, the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt wrote a brief Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten, which for some reason seems appropriate amidst the frenzy of death in the world.
Best wishes,
Frank Brodhead
For CFOW
CFOW Weekly Reader – The War on Gaza
Democracy Now!
Once again, this week's programming from Democracy Now! has given us outstanding coverage and analysis of the Gaza War. Each day 3-4 excellent segments are offered at www.democracynow.org, broadcast live from 8 to 9 am, and then available via live streaming at anytime. Below I've pasted in a few segments broadcast this week.
(Video) Palestinian American Journalist Rami Khouri on Israel's Gaza Bombardment & Risk of a Regional War
From Democracy Now! [October 24, 2023]
---- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning if Hezbollah joins the fray in Israel's escalating war on the Palestinian territories, Israel will wage a second war in Lebanon. This comes as Israel exchanged fire with Hezbollah on the southern border of Lebanon and struck airports in Syria. We discuss the latest developments with Rami Khouri, Palestinian American journalist and columnist with 50 years' experience in the Middle East. [See the Program]
(Video) Palestinian Diplomat Hanan Ashrawi: The U.S. Is Israel's "Partner in Crime" in Deadly Assault on Gaza
From Democracy Now! [October 26, 2023]
---- Palestinian diplomat and scholar Hanan Ashrawi joins us from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and says the unfolding catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli bombardment has killed over 7,000 people so far, is equally the fault of the United States. "The U.S. is certainly a partner in crime with Israel," says Ashrawi. [See the Program]
(Video) Palestinian Lives Matter Too: Jewish Scholar Judith Butler Condemns Israel's "Genocide" in Gaza
From Democracy Now! [October 26, 2023]
---- We speak with philosopher Judith Butler, one of dozens of Jewish American writers and artists who signed an open letter to President Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "We should all be standing up and objecting and calling for an end to genocide," says Butler of the Israeli assault. "Until Palestine is free … we will continue to see violence. We will continue to see this structural violence producing this kind of resistance." [See the Program]
(Video) "Gaza Is Being Strangled": UNRWA Calls for Immediate Ceasefire as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
From Democracy Now! [October 27, 2023]
----- UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestine refugees, says it is close to running out of supplies in Gaza, where it is sheltering over 600,000 displaced Palestinians. Israel has claimed that they cannot allow fuel to enter the besieged territory because of the supposed risk of it being appropriated by Hamas. We hear from UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai about the dire humanitarian crisis and the critical lack of food, water, medicine and especially fuel available for the millions "stranded" in Gaza. [See the Program] Also useful/of interest is "What is UNRWA? Here's what to know about the largest aid organization in Gaza," by Monika Pronczuk, New York Times [October 26, 2023] [Link].
(Video) "The Day After Tomorrow": Israeli Hostage Negotiator on Freeing Captives & Building Lasting Peace
From Democracy Now! [October 27, 2023]
----- According to the latest update from the Israeli military, Hamas is still holding at least 229 hostages captured during its October 7 incursion into southern Israel. The group has stated that they will not release all hostages until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. To discuss the release thus far of four hostages and prospects for future releases, we speak to Gershon Baskin, who helped negotiate a critical hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas in 2011. [See the Program]
The Media and the War
The framing of the war is critical for understanding what it going on, and the US media has played a significant role in amplifying the Biden administration's pro-Israel spin on what's happening in the war. (Despite this, more than 50 percent of Americans – according to two polls – support an immediate ceasefire.) – The best, most-consistent reporting on the US media is by www.fair.org, Fairness and Accuracy in the Media. Two of their recent reports are pasted in below. The report from Aljazeera is also useful.
Western coverage of Israel's war on Gaza – bias or unprofessionalism?
By Mat Nashed, Aljazeera [October 29, 2023]
---- Publishing unsubstantiated claims, telling only one side of the story, and painting Palestinians as nothing more than objects in Hamas's hands are all unprofessional mistakes Western media makes while covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas, media experts and Arab journalists say. Experts and journalists who spoke to Al Jazeera said the systemic "bias in favour of Israel" is "irreparably damaging" the credibility of news agencies considered "mainstream" in the eyes of Arabs and others. [Read More]
In Hours of Israel/Gaza Crisis Coverage, a Word You'll Seldom Hear: 'Ceasefire'
By Julie Hollar, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting [FAIR] [October 24, 2023]
---- Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, and the subsequent, ongoing Israeli airstrikes, US TV news has offered extensive coverage of Israel and Gaza. But as casualties mount, most outlets have paid scant attention to the growing calls for a ceasefire. … The Biden administration has actively tried to suppress discussion of de-escalation. US television news outlets appear largely to be following the administration's lead, minimizing any talk of ceasefire or de-escalation on the air. [Read More]
Unconfirmed 'Beheaded Babies' Report Helped Justify Israeli Slaughter
By Saurav Sarkar, FAIR [October 20, 2023]
---- There's perhaps no more serious a time for journalists to do their jobs responsibly than during a war. But corporate media have not been, as evidenced by their repetition of the shocking, unsubstantiated claim that Hamas had beheaded 40 babies in its violent attack on a kibbutz in southern Israel on October 7. It all started with television reporting by journalist Nicole Zedek, who works for the 24-hour Israeli cable news channel i24, now embedded with the Israeli Defense Forces…. [Read More]
The Invasion Begins – Analysis and Prospects
Fanatics vs generals: The strange Israeli rift over Gaza
By Marwan Bishara, Aljazeera [October 27, 2023]
---- Disagreements over the war's endgame have further complicated the already complicated calculations about the invasion and the ensuing urban warfare, which is bound to cause tens if not hundreds of thousands of casualties, and may also open up another front in the north against the Lebanese Hezbollah, pushing Israel towards an apocalyptical scenario. … The deepening rift between its formidable military establishment and its far-right and fanatical religious camp will have far-reaching implications for Israeli society and polity. But for the Palestinians, there is not real difference between Israel's warmongering generals who call the Palestinians "human animals" and its racist fanatics, who call for their expulsion, especially for those at the receiving end of Israel's sadistic bombing and siege. [Read More] Also of interest is an article from a few days ago, "Analysis: Why hasn't Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza yet?" Aljazeera [October 25, 2023] [Link].
'It will be slow, very hard': can Israel achieve its aims in Gaza invasion?
By Julian Borger, The Guardian [October 27, 2023]
---- Israel has had a full invasion force massed on Gaza's borders for over a week. Its military leaders insist they are ready, and Benjamin Netanyahu has his finger on the trigger, but so far he has not pulled it. … The plight of the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza does not seem to have been a factor behind the pause. Only a thin dribble of aid has been allowed in so far, the small relief convoys have brought no fuel to power hospitals or the water system, and the bombardment of Gaza, north and south, has been maintained. [Read More] Also of interest – "Israel's war cabinet has learned nothing from its failures," by Menachem Klein, +972 Magazine [Israel/Palestine] [October 26, 2023] [Link]; and "How Israel's ground invasion of Gaza would play out – and why it will fail," by Paul Rogers, The Guardian [October 25, 2023] [Link].
Additional Commentary on the War
Israel is clear about its intentions in Gaza – world leaders cannot plead ignorance of what is coming
By Owen Jones, The Guardian [UK] [October 24, 2023]
---- If I knew then what I know now. For many of the guilty men and women who plunged Iraq into blood and chaos, this became something of a stock phrase. … Prepare yourself for the revival of this phrase. As the calamity of Israel's onslaught against Gaza becomes apparent, those who cheered it on will panic about reputational damage and plead their earlier ignorance. Do not let them get away with it this time. [Read More]
The pending crisis for the Israel lobby
By Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss [October 26, 2023]
---- As Israel experiences its greatest crisis in 50 years, the American Israel lobby has risen to the occasion. Jewish organizations have consolidated their support for the Israeli military, with even liberals like J Street joining the cry that there must not be a ceasefire. Jews who heard their parents' stories about the crises for Israel in 1948 and 1967 and 1973 are demonstrating that they will show up for the Jewish state in its hour of need, politically in the West. But despite the lobby's best efforts, there is a new political map in the U.S., and the lobby is approaching a crisis. Today, it is up against foes it has never had before and that, in the long run, will defeat it. [Read More]
Some Gaza War Notes
The Antiwar Occupation of Grand Central Station
---- Protesters, mostly from Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, shut down Grand Central Station last week. It even became a story for The New York Times. Here is another useful report, and highly recommended is this terrific video by David Lippman.
Biden's War
By Michael Arria, Mondoweiss [October 26, 2023]
---- Yesterday, The House overwhelmingly passed (412-10) a pro-Israel resolution that condemned Hamas's attack, but didn't mention what's been done to Gaza or call for an end to the violence. Nearly every member backed the measure. The no votes included Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and 9 Democrats. The Democrats were Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI) Cori Bush (MO), Jamaal Bowman (NY), André Carson (IN), Al Green (TX), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Summer Lee (PA), Delia Ramirez (IL) and Ilham Omar (MN). [Read More]
How the US has used its veto power at the UN in support of Israel
By Shakeeb Asrar and Mohammed Hussein, Aljazeera [October 26, 2023]
---- Since 1945, a total of 36 UNSC draft resolutions related to Israel-Palestine have been vetoed by one of the five permanent members – the US, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France. Out of these, 34 were vetoed by the US and two by Russia and China. The majority of these resolutions were drafted to provide a framework for peace in the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict, including asking Israel to adhere to international laws, calling for self-determination for Palestinian statehood, or condemning Israel for the displacement of Palestinians or settlement building in occupied Palestinian territories. [Read More]
