Hi All – Before getting to an analysis of the possible ceasefire in Gaza, here is a brief word from our sponsor: Please join us on Saturday, January 18, where we will hold a “People’s Rally” in Hastings. We are (so far) the only Westchester host for Saturday’s nationwide “People’s March,” an extension of the Women’s March against Fascism. We will meet at noon at the VFW Plaza in Hastings (Warburton Ave. and Spring St.) for a speak-out and rally against war and fascism, FOR peace and freedom. We will have speakers from JVP, WESPAC, the NAACP, and other organizations, some good music, and an “open-mic’ so that all can speak about what they want and what they will resist as we move into the Trump Era. Now back to our program. What does the Gaza “ceasefire’ agreement mean, what is holding it up (as of this morning), and what can we expect going forward. Here is some useful reading and viewing: Yesterday, Jeremy Scahill & Drop Site News held a 50-minute analysis of the ceasefire agreement, “The Gaza “Ceasefire” Deal and the Loopholes Netanyahu Could Exploit.” The agreement “will halt — at least temporarily — Israel’s 15-month long genocidal assault on Gaza was announced on Wednesday to scenes of celebration by Palestinians in Gaza. The agreement is divided into three phases, each spanning 42 days, and outlines specifics on the first phase, including prisoner swaps, Israeli troop withdrawals, allowances for displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, while leaving the details of the ensuing two phases to be determined through future negotiations.” [Read More] Today’s Democracy Now! “Daniel Levy, Muhammad Shehada, Jeremy Scahill on Ceasefire Deal, Trump’s Role & Palestine’s Future” ALSO USEFUL Did Donald Trump force the ceasefire deal the Biden administration refused to? The Gaza ceasefire will not cure the wounds of genocide Ceasefire in Gaza: A fragile calm amid unending struggle First ceasefire, then Palestinian liberation. A Statement by Jewish Voice for Peace The coming days and weeks during this fragile ceasefire will be critical for the Palestine solidarity movement to turn this temporary agreement into a full halt of the genocide, including the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid and an end to the Israeli military occupation and siege of Gaza. Since the Israeli government’s genocide began, over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military — a severe undercount, with some estimations as high as hundreds of thousands. The Israeli military has devastated entire neighborhoods and cities, and has razed the centuries-old infrastructure of Palestinian life, decimating Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, water supplies, electricity grid, schools, universities and cultural institutions. We mourn each and every precious life lost. As Jews, we know that the trauma of this campaign of annihilation will unfold for generations. As Americans, we understand that the Israeli genocide has been carried out with U.S. bombs, U.S. funds, and U.S.-facilitated impunity — we continue to demand a full weapons embargo now. We also demand an end to the complicity of corporations that profit from genocide. Left in the hands of the U.S. and Israeli governments, weapons manufacturers, and warmongering institutions, this fragile respite will not mean an end to Israeli genocide or to the violent status quo of Israeli apartheid. It is up to all of us to ensure that this temporary agreement is only a beginning. Every day of the last 467 days, millions of people around the world have come together to demand an end to the genocide and Palestinian freedom. Together, we must ensure this agreement becomes a step on the path toward Palestinian liberation — the only way to achieve a just peace for all. [Link to JVP] The day after ceasefire: Escalate pressure to cease the genocide and help us dismantle apartheid
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Ceasefire in Gaza?
