Jan 3, 2009

yes, the international accompaniers are staying in Gaza

Foreign passport holders were allowed to leave, but there are 8 activists with the International Solidarity Movement that are staying. They are

Alberto Arce - Spain
Ewa Jasie
wicz - Poland/Britain
Dr. Haider Eid - South Africa

Sharon Lock - Australia

Vittorio
Arrigoni - Italy
Jenny Linnel - Britain
Natalie Abu Shakra - Lebano
n
Eva Bartlett - Canada

Their powerful statements about why they are staying are here.

They include:

"As international observers, we have the responsibility to ensure that the international community has access to the reality of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.” Vittorio Arrigoni

"Our lives are no more important than theirs and we will stay during their suffering in solidarity and to document what Israel is preventing foreign journalists from revealing.” Eva Bartlett

Well no, their lives may be no more important (though of course, geopolitically they are treated as if they are), but then, they are choosing to put their lives on the line when they could leave. There is a real chance that in this chaos some of them will die. Especially now that they are accompanying ambulances (which, yes, have been targeted by Israelis), and since the Israeli's have been bombing places a second time once rescue crews are there trying to get people out of the rubble (this I learned from the reports from these accompaniers).

Let us honor their chosen risk by at least reading their reports - a much easier way of doing solidarity.

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