VIGIL RE GAZA MONDAY 29 DEC 1700 OUTSIDE ZAVVI - WATERSTONES, HIGH
STREET, BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE (near the bull in the Bull Ring Centre)

Dear All,
you are urged to attend this vigil on Monday to call for an
end to Israel's attacks on Gaza and to show support to the
Palestinians. The vigil is called by the Midlands Palestine Community
Association (see press release below)and West Midlands PSC.

You will all have been shocked by the attacks which, even by the
standards of Israel's oppression of Gaza and the West Bank, are
horrific. The indiscriminate slaughter, with the promise of more to
follow, have caused even the passive leaders of many European
countries to condemn Israel for this action. Unfortunately this is as
far as they go – the EU and the US speak out only when Israel's
actions as occupier causes widespread outrage among ordinary
citizens, to which politicians feel obliged to respond. Otherwise
Israel is allowed a free hand to continue ignoring the long list of
UN resolutions in support of Palestine's rights under international
law. This makes it vital that we ensure a sustained protest against
not only this action but the occupation itself.

Points which have been made by many in the wake of these attacks
include :

i) the attacks have more to do with the Israeli election campaign
than with security

ii) Israel is committing atrocities which it knows will be tolerated
by the Bush government before Obama takes over

iii) if any other country used jet fighters to strafe what is the
most crowded refugee camp in the world there would be calls for UN/EU
troops to be sent in.

Many of you will have noticed that when Ehud Barak, Israel's defence
minister, was shown on Sunday night's TV news bulletins stating that
an Israeli invasion of Gaza was imminent, there, standing smiling and
supportively by his side was our Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.
This makes it all the more essential that we in this country show our
support for Gaza and condemnation of Israel's action and our
Government's support for them.

So please turn out on Monday.

WMPSC