Lebanon Civil Resistance. What will Israel do?
X | 12.08.2006 10:54 | Lebanon War 2006 | Anti-militarism | World
Adam Shapiro, Electronic Lebanon, 12 August 2006
Each day and night of the week I have been here, I have heard and felt the impact of Israel's advanced weaponry as it crashes into buildings, roads, bridges and other infrastructure of Beirut. But it is not only concrete and steel that is hit; it is also Lebanese men, women and children, such as the dozens who were killed in the Cheyyah neighborhood a few days ago.
This week, Lebanese, Palestinian and international activists here in Beirut have been meeting and planning a response to Israel's aggression against Lebanon. Not that we have military technology, or a huge force field to repel the missiles, at our disposal. What we who are unarmed, who believe in strategic nonviolence as a strategy to overcome brute military force, have at our disposal is determination, moral ground to stand on, and a fundamental belief that our human and political rights must be claimed and asserted. This is particularly so in the face of an aggressive force that destroys life and limb and shows no mercy for human rights, human dignity and the ability of people to live on their land.
In order to act, we have come together to bring a civilian convoy of relief aid to villages in the southern part of Lebanon. Some of the villages there have been virtually erased from the map, as Israeli planes and artillery bombard people’s homes, fields and crops. There are still civilians hiding from the daily pounding and remaining in their villages. They stay because they are old, or infirm, or poor, or because they refuse to leave their land. And Israel has prevented aid from reaching these people - international agencies that coordinate their aid relief with Israel have been told they will not be safe if they try to move. The whole area south of the Litani River has been declared a no-driving zone.
Our convoy, and other actions to follow, will challenge Israel's dictates to the Lebanese people as to what they can and cannot do on their own land. This challenge will be made by those who have nothing with them but food and medicine and by people who will say to the advancing and bombing Israeli army, "Leave our country and stop killing our children."
The choice is up to Israel. Will it bomb this convoy like it bombed convoys of civilians fleeing their homes in the south just a couple of weeks ago? Will it bomb the hundreds of civilians like it did those who were hiding in a building in Qana? Will it attack this aid effort the way that it has hit international and Lebanese aid agencies? Will it aim its fire at international citizens here to help as it did when it killed foreign UNIFIL observers despite knowing full well who they were?
This will be just the first of many such challenges to Israel. The choice of action is Israel's, but the world must watch. Because Israel cannot say it did not know, and the world cannot pretend this is not happening in Lebanon.
http://www.lebanonsolidarity.org
Each day and night of the week I have been here, I have heard and felt the impact of Israel's advanced weaponry as it crashes into buildings, roads, bridges and other infrastructure of Beirut. But it is not only concrete and steel that is hit; it is also Lebanese men, women and children, such as the dozens who were killed in the Cheyyah neighborhood a few days ago.
This week, Lebanese, Palestinian and international activists here in Beirut have been meeting and planning a response to Israel's aggression against Lebanon. Not that we have military technology, or a huge force field to repel the missiles, at our disposal. What we who are unarmed, who believe in strategic nonviolence as a strategy to overcome brute military force, have at our disposal is determination, moral ground to stand on, and a fundamental belief that our human and political rights must be claimed and asserted. This is particularly so in the face of an aggressive force that destroys life and limb and shows no mercy for human rights, human dignity and the ability of people to live on their land.
In order to act, we have come together to bring a civilian convoy of relief aid to villages in the southern part of Lebanon. Some of the villages there have been virtually erased from the map, as Israeli planes and artillery bombard people’s homes, fields and crops. There are still civilians hiding from the daily pounding and remaining in their villages. They stay because they are old, or infirm, or poor, or because they refuse to leave their land. And Israel has prevented aid from reaching these people - international agencies that coordinate their aid relief with Israel have been told they will not be safe if they try to move. The whole area south of the Litani River has been declared a no-driving zone.
Our convoy, and other actions to follow, will challenge Israel's dictates to the Lebanese people as to what they can and cannot do on their own land. This challenge will be made by those who have nothing with them but food and medicine and by people who will say to the advancing and bombing Israeli army, "Leave our country and stop killing our children."
The choice is up to Israel. Will it bomb this convoy like it bombed convoys of civilians fleeing their homes in the south just a couple of weeks ago? Will it bomb the hundreds of civilians like it did those who were hiding in a building in Qana? Will it attack this aid effort the way that it has hit international and Lebanese aid agencies? Will it aim its fire at international citizens here to help as it did when it killed foreign UNIFIL observers despite knowing full well who they were?
This will be just the first of many such challenges to Israel. The choice of action is Israel's, but the world must watch. Because Israel cannot say it did not know, and the world cannot pretend this is not happening in Lebanon.
http://www.lebanonsolidarity.org
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U.S. Citizens, Internationals and Lebanese risk safety to bring humanitarian aid
12.08.2006 12:53
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2006
On August 12, at 7 am, Lebanese from throughout the country and international supporters who have come to Lebanon to express solidarity will gather in Martyr’s Square in Beirut to form a civilian convoy to the south of Lebanon. Hundreds of Lebanese and international civilians will express their solidarity with the inhabitants of the heavily destroyed south who have been bravely withstanding the assault of the Israeli military. This campaign is endorsed by more than 200 Lebanese and international organizations. This growing coalition of national and international non-governmental organizations hereby launches a campaign of civil resistance for the purpose of challenging the cruel and ruthless use of massive military force by Israel, the regional superpower, upon the people of Lebanon.
August 12 marks the start of this Campaign of Resistance, declaring Lebanon an Open Country for Civil Resistance. August 12 also marks the international day of protest against the Israeli aggression.
“In the face of Israel’s systematic killing of our people, the indiscriminate bombing of our towns, the scorching of our villages, and the attempted destruction of our civil infrastructure, we say No! In the face of the forced expulsion of a quarter of our population from their homes throughout Lebanon, and the complicity of governments and international bodies, we re-affirm the acts of civil resistance that began from the first day of the Israeli assault, and we stress and add the urgent need to act!,” said Rasha Salti, one of the organizers of this national event.
After August 12, the campaign will continue with a series of civil actions, leading to an August 19 civilian march to reclaim the South. “Working together, in solidarity, we will overcome the complacency, inaction, and complicity of the international community and we will deny Israel its goal of removing Lebanese from their land and destroying the fabric of our country,” explained Samah Idriss, writer and co-organizer of this campaign.
“An international civilian presence in Lebanon is not only an act of solidarity with the Lebanese people in the face of unparalleled Israeli aggression, it is an act of moral courage to defy the will of those who would seek to alienate the West from the rest and create a new Middle East out of the rubble and blood of the region,” said Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and campaign co-organizer. “After having witnessed the wholesale destruction of villages by Israel’s air force and navy and having visited the victims (so-called displaced) of Israel’s policy of cleansing Lebanese civilians from their homes,” continued Arraf, “it is imperative to go south and reach those who have stayed behind to resist by steadfastly remaining on their land.”
Israel has been indsicrimately bombing civilian targets and the convoy recognizes that they place their life in peril by trying to bring aid to the thousands that are dying of hunger, thirst and lack of medical care in Southern Lebanon as a result of Israel’s relentless bombing campaign.
U.S. Press contact based in Lebanon:
Ali Tonak
961 70 150 247
(
Lebanon Contact:
Rasha Salti
+961 3 970855
Website:
lebanonsolidarity
Homepage:
http://www.lebanonsolidarity.org/