A large group of protestors
marched on the US embassy in Harare on Saturday, demanding that
Washington pressures Israel to end its genocide in Palestine where it
has massacred more than 15 000, mostly women and children, in cold bl00d
in less than two months.
The latest fighting, between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, broke out in
October after the militant Palestinian group raided parts of Israel,
k!lling over a thousand, and kidnapping hundreds.
Israel, vowing to annihilate Hamas, has since launched a massive aerial
and ground ass@ult on Gaza, k!lling over 15 000 people and destroying
homes and infrastructure.
Organised by the International Socialist Organisation in conjunction
with the Zimbabwe Labour Centre and Friends of Palestine Zimbabwe, the
protestors literally brought traffic along Lomagundi Road to a halt as
they marched for 2km to the imposing US embassy along Lorraine Drive
where they handed over a petition with their demands.
ISO’s Munyaradzi Gwisai, in an address to the crowd, said the march was
in solidarity with the people of Palestine and a follow up to a march to
the UN offices and those of Britain and the European Union in the
capital city a fortnight ago.
He said the solidarity marches were being held in support of similar
marches elsewhere by people outraged by the genocide in Palestine, and
were effective in as far as they have forced the Americans and Israelis
to a truce.
“It is America that is financing Israel. As we speak today, America
gives Israel US$3.8 billion every year to commit genocide in Palestine,
to be its lapdog in the Middle East. But as if that is not enough Cdes,
when we met two weeks ago, over 11 000 Palestinians had been m_rdered in
cold bl00d. Of these over 4 000 were little children. Just in two weeks
since we last met, over 15 000 are d3ad today, two thirds of them are
women and children.
So Cdes, we have to go and demand from the Americans
today that we do not want a truce of two days, we do not want a truce of
four days, we want a permanent ceasefire now. We just do not want a
permanent ceasefire now, we must address the root cause of this problem
and the root cause of this problem is the robbery, is the occupation of
Palestine by Israel.
We must have a free and independent Palestinian
state,” said Gwisai.
The Palestinian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tamer Almassri also addressed
the crowd and chronicled the apartheid Israeli regime’s atrocities
against the Palestinian people for more than 75 years.
The petition presented to the USA embassy demanded that the US
government stops its support of Israel in its genocidal war on Gaza and
the West Bank which has k!lled over 15 000 people – mainly children and
women – injured more than 38 000 and forcibly displaced 1.7 million
through the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, schools, residential
areas, water desalination facilities, mosques and churches and denied
Palestinians water, food, medicine and fuel.
Despite a resolution for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire of
hostilities by an overwhelming majority of nations in the UN General
Assembly, the group said it was alarmed that Israel backed by the USA,
UK and EU member states has escalated the war which is an affront to
international and humanitarian laws and constitute war crimes against
humanity.
It applauded the steadfastness of the Palestinian people for their
heroic resistance to the colonial apartheid Israeli occupation in order
to achieve their legitimate rights, including the establishment of a
free and independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital
according to international law.
“We fully condemn and denounce Israel’s indiscriminate military bombing
and attacks on Palestinian civilians and civilian areas, including
hospitals, schools, residential buildings in Gaza and attempted ethnic
cleansing and forced displacements of Palestinians which is against
international and humanitarian law,” read the protestors’ petition which
was received by the head of security at the US Embassy, Mathew Riley.
The petition called for the immediate and unconditional ceasefire by
Israel to allow humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza and ensure the
resumption of vital supplies including water, gas, fuel, electricity and
basic supplies and guarantee the safety of the press and relief
agencies.
It also demanded that Israel be held accountable for its violations of
international law, including collective punishment against civilians,
blocking humanitarian aid, forced displacements; the bombing of civilian
facilities, the use of white phosphorus bombs and the threats to use an
atomic bomb in Gaza.
The petition demanded that USA stops with immediate effect the export
and supply of military equipment to Israel which is being used to commit
war crimes against the Palestinian people.
Source New Ziana
