OneWorld.net (U.S.)

OneWorld.net note:  The Israeli blockade of Gaza is not only killing the spirit -- and in some cases the lives -- of Gazans, it is sowing the seeds of hatred and violence, says Dr. Eyad el-Sarraj, who is urging international support -- particularly from Jewish people worldwide -- for nonviolent efforts to circumvent the siege and protect the health of the people of Gaza.

• Dr. Eyad el-Sarraj asks for people to help raise money for the International Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza. © Jewish Voice for Peace"The tightening of the Israeli blockade since June 2007 has left the population, 1.5 million Palestinians, trapped and with few resources. They are surviving, but only just. Some 80 percent depend on the trickle of international aid that the Israeli government allows in," says human rights watchdog Amnesty International. Click here [pdf] to read more about the blockade's impact on health care, education, the economy, and daily life in Palestine.
• On Aug. 23, a group of human rights activists from various countries sailed from Cyprus to Gaza, breaking the Israeli blockade for the first time in 41 years and "bringing with them a powerful message of commitment to human rights for the Palestinian people," according to Grassroots International, one of the groups supporting Dr. el-Sarraj's call to end the siege of Gaza.
• Dr. Eyad el-Sarraj is a psychiatrist, resident of Gaza, and leader of the nonviolent movement to end the blockade of Gaza. He has been imprisoned by both Palestinians and Israelis for his work promoting human rights, but continues to dedicate his life to ensuring freedom for ordinary Palestinian people.

An Open Letter to Americans of Conscience

From: Grassroots International, Jewish Voices for Peace, Global Exchange, and CODEPINK

September 9, 2008

From Eyad el-Sarraj, founder and president of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP); leader of the International Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza

In late August, hope came to Gaza in the form of two small wooden boats and their 40 passengers who had sailed from Cyprus to break the 14-month-old Israeli siege. They had answered our call and after months of preparation, it was a triumphant moment when they entered our waters.

Opening a crack in the blockade of Gaza? © Grassroots InternationalThe passengers on the "Free Gaza" and "Liberty" wanted Gazans to know that the entire world would not stand passively by while they remain locked in a huge prison. They would not be quiet while more than a million people the majority of them children are being deliberately deprived of urgent medical care and medicines, of electricity and fuel to run hospitals and sewage systems, of potable water and supplies of food, clothing and raw materials.

I hope that you will not stand silently by while the people of Gaza are deprived of their dignity and all the basic requirements for a decent life. I hope that you will understand that the kind of collective punishment that Gazans have endured since June 2007 is morally wrong and a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The siege is not just killing the spirit and in some cases the lives of Gazans. It is also sowing seeds of violence, hatred and extremism and destroying all hopes for a peaceful future in the region.

Studies carried out by the GCMHP show a frightening rise in trauma, as children fall victim to night terrors, loss of appetite, insomnia, and symptoms of panic and aggression. Adults are also suffering from panic disorders, depression and psychosomatic disorders as they struggle to cope with the deeply inhuman situation. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was right to call the siege "an atrocity, a crime, an abomination."

In the summer of 2007, GCMHP took the initiative to create a humanitarian, non-political campaign aimed at raising international awareness of Gaza's deteriorating life conditions in order to pressure the Israeli government into lifting the devastating siege.

We thought that within a year we would have achieved our aim. We were wrong. The siege continues, and so must the campaign. We are working to bring another boat to Gaza by the end of September. In October, mental health workers and other medical professionals will travel to Palestine for a conference called "Siege and Mental Health: Walls versus Bridges."

Through other "break the siege" solidarity meetings, cultural activities and demonstrations, we hope to nurture non-violent approaches that can peacefully transform the brutal reality of caged lives. The message to end the siege is a message of peace and an appeal for justice.

If you believe in freedom, human dignity and peace, we ask you to support our efforts by making a donation to end the siege. We particularly call for the support of Jewish people, whose history of trauma, discrimination and suffering should guide them to stand up today to help bring an end to the suffering of others.

The International Campaign to end the Siege in Gaza is being organized by CODEPINK, Global Exchange, Grassroots International, and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Visit the JVP Web site for more on the campaign and how you can get involved.