Yesterday rallies were held around the world in support of the Palestinian people of Gaza. The largest was in London, Great Britain, where at 300,000 marched peacefully as a witness to the thousands who have died as a result of the Israeli counter-offensive after the barbaric Hamas attacks of October 7th which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 11.000 with nearly 5,000 children who have perished. I have the sickening feeling that the body count in Gaza will climb above 15,000 before this is over, perhaps more. I'm haunted and enraged by how many innocent children have died, an average of one every ten minutes.
In many instances those who are protesting are calling for a ceasefire, which the United Church of Canada has asked for since the beginning. While I want a cessation of violence I am aware that Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel and has not released more than 200 hostages. Hamas leaders have spoken openly about the plan to bring the Palestinian plight back to the forefront of world attention through their acts of terror, and they have succeeded.
Gaza protest on the streets of London, GB
So, what is the answer? I don't have one. The first time I responded to the horrific attacks on Israeli citizens and the retaliation by the IDF I quoted Gandhi or MLK or whoever first said " an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind." This is a grim truth we witness playing out before us.
The United Church of Canada has invited its members and congregations to participate in this day of action calling for a ceasefire. Here is the news release:
To date, The United Church of Canada has signed on to several joint and ecumenical letters and statements calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East, in the war between Hamas and Israel.
About 230 donors have already contributed $36,000 in donations to the appeal to support humanitarian aid to Palestine. Your donation will be doubled by the federal government until Nov. 12.
Pan-Canadian Day of Action
Millions of people around the world have been marching in support of an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine and to end the unprecedented humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza.
It’s time for all of us to join them en masse. This Sunday, November 12, you can join a pan-Canadian day of action in every part of the country.
Continue this article by visiting November 12 Is a Day of Action across Canada | The United Church of Canada (united-church.ca)
2 comments:
I have made a donation, sent my letter to my MP, and posted this to facebook . Thanks for your very thorough research and concise summary of the situation, David.
I applaud your active responses, Judy, and appreciate your support. I admit that I am confounded by the complexity of this terrible situation, except for one thing -- its crystal clear that no innocent child should die because of the violence of adults. What is happening to these beloved children is obscene.
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