By TANIA ZIVKOVICH, Taos, New Mexico
As the Gaza genocide races forward—the casualty count of dead, wounded and missing exceeds 100,000. The unspeakable suffering of the Palestinians intensifies as does the sadism of the racist Israeli Defense Forces. A mass grave was recently discovered in a schoolyard with 30 bodies of Palestinian men, hands zip-tied behind them, blindfolded and executed. During IDF raids families are routinely separated, the women and children sent marching south. The men are stripped, bound, blindfolded and forced to kneel on the cold ground before being loaded onto trucks and being taken away or perhaps shot.
Forty-five Gazan doctors have been kidnapped by the IDF. The heroic head of Al-Shifa Hospital is still detained—no doubt being tortured, as was Dr. Maarouf—arrested in a raid on the Al-Ahli Hospital. He was held shackled and handcuffed for 45 days, severely tortured, losing 1/3rd of his body weight. Israeli soldiers are recorded dancing, singing, celebrating their slaughter of Amalak— the Israelites’ biblical enemy that God ordered them to slaughter mercilessly—often evoked by Netanyahu. This was presented as evidence in the genocide case. They’re taking selfies while destroying mosques and torching houses. Eventually these young IDF killers will return home to Israel, further degenerating the moral fabric of that society.
Currently Rafah is being bombed and a ground invasion appears imminent. Rafah, “a pressure-cooker of despair,” is the southern “safe zone” where the Israelis have concentrated the majority of Gaza’s population, including 600,000 children. This would be a deliberate, pre-meditated genocide, the culmination of the ethnic cleansing campaign started by Israel in 1947 as it was establishing its’ Zionist settler-colonial state right on top of historic Palestine. All of Israel is occupied Palestine. A Refugee speaks from a cemetery in Rafah where many are sheltering for safety as no buildings can collapse on them there: “The dead are the fortunate ones—we are living in fear, horror, pain, torture, suffering and confusion.” Another one cries out, “We die every day, every minute, every second.”
Simultaneously, Apartheid Israel’s military and heavily-armed illegal settlers are expanding their war on the occupied West Bank. Recently more assault weapons were distributed among these Zionist settlers. Since Oct. 7th, 26 Palestinian communities have been expelled from their land, 7,000 Palestinians arrested (including 400 children) and 380 killed. Very recently an IDF assassination team invaded a Jenin hospital disguised as doctors and Muslim women and executed 3 Palestinian men asleep in their beds with bullets to the head, claiming they were planning a terrorist attack, with no proof.
A huge rally in late January called for resettling Gaza with Zionist settlers. They danced and sang as they vowed to settle the length and breadth of “their land.” Last summer Netanyahu appeared at the U.N. showing a future map of Israel with no Palestine. Gaza was the largest district in historic Palestine with over 100 towns and villages, a beautiful seacoast and lush farmlands and orchards. And peace.
Biden, for his part, talks peace but makes war. “We don’t need a wider war in the Middle East,” he announces as he bombs Houthis in Yemen and orders 85 air strikes on Iraq and Syria, killing 40 in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three service-people at a secret U.S. base in Jordan. Now the U.S. has assassinated a senior militia leader in Iraq, stoking outrage. All of these Islamic Resistance groups are acting in solidarity with Palestine and promised to stop their attacks when Israel stops its assault on Gaza. “Iran is responsible,” Biden proclaims, “as they provide the weapons.” Of course the U.S. arms Israel, and Biden continues to push for $14 billion more in “emergency weapons” for their continuing genocide. Meanwhile, 80% of Democrats want a ceasefire. This is not Democracy.
The struggle to stop the genocide continues worldwide. On January 26th South Africa, steadfast comrade of the Palestinian people, sued Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). They asked for an immediate ceasefire ruling, in advance of the genocide decision which could take years. The ICJ swiftly returned its first 40 page ruling. While legally restrained from calling for a ceasefire, it was very moved by South Africa’s irrefutable case and found the charge of genocide plausible with an overwhelming majority vote. They essentially ordered Israel to cease and desist in its genocidal-type acts and report its compliance back to the court in one month. This ruling is hoped to dampen military support for Israel. South Africa will also return to present further evidence. This ruling will then go to the U.N. Security Council for implementation and if the U.S. vetoes it, as expected, it will go to an emergency General Assembly meeting. Meanwhile, starvation and disease accelerate as the stock market soars.
Also on January 26th the Center for Constitutional Rights and co-plaintiffs were in the Oakland Federal Courtroom representing Palestinians here and in Gaza suing Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for complicity in and failure to prevent genocide and asking for a preliminary injunction to block unfolding genocide and more weapons to Israel. [the case was dismissed with the argument that the courts lack authority over certain political decisions made by Congress and the executive branch].(In 1988, when the U.S. finally ratified the 1948 Genocide Convention, it exempted itself from being sued for genocide.) “Coincidentally,” on January 27th Israel accused 14 UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) employees (out of 13,000 in Gaza) of complicity in the Oct.7th Hamas attack. UNWRA compliantly fired 12 of these employees. The other two are dead—among the multitudes of U.N. workers murdered by Israel no doubt. Immediately the U.S. and twelve (now up to eighteen) of its subservient allies suspended all funding of UNWRA. A leaked Israeli dossier aired by British Channel 4 and others showed no substantiation of Israel’s claim, yet funding has not been restored and UNWRA may run out of funds by late February. (Belgium declined to cut funding and had its Aid offices bombed.) These actions are enabling genocide through starvation.
UNWRA was founded by the U.N. in 1949 as a vital life-line for the multitudes of Palestinians made refugees by the formation of the state of Israel. They have provided food, education, shelter, etc., and are the main coordinating and support entity for all the other aid groups. They are essential for the survival of the Palestinians, trapped under the heel of Apartheid Israel and Palestinian refugees in surrounding countries. Netanyahu hates UNWRA and vows to destroy it.
Now our personal aid donations are extremely vital and fundraising efforts like events, tabling, and donation jars. There is a benefit poetry reading in Santa Fe on Friday, Feb. 16th at 6:30 pm at Hecho a Mano Gallery, 129 West Palace Ave. for MECA (Middle East Children’s Alliance). They are on the ground in Gaza distributing food, water and hot meals. I donated and then received a beautiful newsletter from them. Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) brings children to the U.S. for special medical procedures like artificial limbs. Every day in Gaza 10 children are losing one or both legs!
We recently heard testimony on Democracy Now! From American pediatrician Dr. Jalani, including recordings from inside Al-Axsa Hospital (and bombers overhead) where she was volunteering with the International Rescue Committee. She said it was the honor of her lifetime to serve her patients and work alongside such courageous colleagues. Also Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP.org.uk), Doctors Without Borders, and International Red Cross (IRC) are good for donation jars as they are both known and trusted. Check them all out and donate, please.
We heard recent heart-rending testimony from Palestinian-American doctor Tariq Haddad who lost 100 relatives in Gaza where he grew up. Every day when he can reach them he talks with family and every day there is more tragic news. He was one of eight Palestinians invited to join a half-hour roundtable with photo ops with Blinken before his recent Mideast mission. He declined. He told us stories of his beautiful martyred relatives. What courageous, caring, amazing people the Gazans are, how much they love their families—the whole neighborhood is like family. I’ve heard that during Israeli bombing campaigns “mowing the lawn in Gaza,” doors are always left unlocked so neighbors can take refuge. We must stop this slaughter now!
Chicago and San Francisco are two of the latest city councils to call for immediate ceasefire and the AFL-CIO the latest of multiple Unions to do so. France’s new Prime Minister went to Israel to call for a ceasefire. Dearborn, Michigan’s Mayor Abdullah Hammond refused to meet with Biden’s campaign manager. In retaliation the Wall Street Journal ran a vicious opinion piece titled “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital” and in the New York Times a verbally murderous attack on Muslim countries. The Times also just published graphic Israeli abuse photos.
In Washington D.C, highways are blocked by protesters, in Canada’s vast seaports, and ongoing demonstrations in NYC. Many are on hunger strike. In Harrisburg, PA, the Capitol building was occupied by protesters led by Jewish Voice for Peace and Philly Palestine Coalition. The International Arab/Jewish Alliances are an inspiration.
In Israel the Free the Hostages Movement is exploding. Opposition is growing within Israel’s war cabinet, but what is lacking is game-changing pressure from the U.S. by withholding weapons. For this reason, after weeks of Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. working to put together a plan, Netanyahu felt free to offer Hamas a deal they couldn’t accept and rejected their counter offer. He vows to fight on and orders more assaults on Rafah. Blinken headed back to D.C. and negotiations continue in Egypt with more possibilities. Now Netanyahu has called for the evacuation of Rafah. Biden has called this “over the top” and Jordan’s King Abdullah, Biden’s guest, denounced it.
The Senate has voted to pass the military aid package that includes $14 billion for weapons for Israel in a 70 to 29 vote. Both New Mexico senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan voted for and only Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Jeff Merkley voted against. Here in NM our three U.S. House Representatives, including Teresa Leger Fernandez, have all called for a ceasefire independently. Ask them to please sign on to Ceasefire Resolution 786 and to vote against more military aid to Israel.
All five of our Congress people, Biden, and many others are calling for a two-state solution. This is either political posturing or naiveté. Have they even looked at a map of the occupied West Bank and seen the illegal Zionist settlements peppering it? They are housing 800,000 illegal Israeli settlers. They would have to be removed to Israel for the Palestinians to have their little state on a fraction of their original lands. Are politicians willing to support that?
Here in New Mexico our state Democratic Party, under the leadership of Senator Bobby Gonzales, has strongly demanded a ceasefire, as have the Taos Town Council and Mayor Maestas. These victories are the fruit of much effort. We need to continue mobilizing so we can realize many more victories and stop this genocide. This is our historic responsibility.
I will close with a historic quote from David Ben-Gurion, founder and first Prime Minister of Israel: “If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal. We have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our god is not theirs. There has been anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing. We have come and stolen their country. Why would they accept that?”
Free Palestine. End the occupation. Stop the genocide now.
Addendum:
Senator Heinrich (DC# 202-224-5521) and Lujan (DC# 202-224-6621) have already voted for the $14 billion in weapons for Israel. Contact and shame them but especially focus on our U.S. House Representatives who have not yet voted on this military aid package. Contact Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (DC# 202-225-6190), Representative Gabe Vasquez (DC#202-225-2365), Representative Melanie Stansbury (DC# 202-225-6316) and President Biden (at comments line 202-456-1111 Tues through Thurs, 11-3pm) or via text message at 302-4040-880, available 24/7. (Remember DC time is 2 hours later.) Demand no more military aid to Israel! No $14 billion in more weapons as Israel commits genocide against the Palestinians! Immediate ceasefire. Call immediately and often and get your friends to also call. Call now before a House vote. This could be crucial. Thank you, Tania Z.
La Jicarita 
Thank you for publishing this.