People Against Tanks in Gaza
   By Charles E. Carlson
   With a Plea From The Palestine Monitor

Everyone I met in Israel wanted me to come as a tourist, but no one wanted me to go a place called the Gaza Strip in occupied Palestine. Israel claims the Gaza Strip and its million plus inhabitants as a part of Israel. Thanks to my friends, who encouraged me, I went, without them I would not have gone. God helped overcome the obstacles such as closed gates and the propaganda resistance of all those who did not want me to meet the people in Gaza and write about them.

After five wonderful, but sometimes-painful days I have no doubt that Israel’s attacks on the people there are simply the executions of prisoners in an open-air jail. It is done with powerful, high-tech military machines provided by the US taxpayers. The Palestinian people that have nothing with which to fight back except rocks and an occasional smuggled rifle or a backpack full of explosives and commitment and courage. The Palestinians must use human bodies to deliver their scarce explosives against targets. Israel spends uncounted millions crushing the rubble that was once schools, jails or office buildings. I saw the rubble and I saw and photographed the bombardment! Apaches and F-16s missiles are awful to behold and terrifying to the survivors. The Palestinians fight back with guerilla tactics, often by teen-age warriors. It is not a fair fight. Amazingly, there are signs that Israel is not winning.

The American taxpayers are fully responsible for unneeded misery and for the deaths in spite of any weak excuse that we can claim innocence by virtue of government and media-enforced ignorance. There is no excuse for men of logic and intellect not to know what I have seen…it is too easy to get to Gaza. Yes, if you choose to believe me you can go there, and without going the answers are also readily available on your Internet.

When I opened my e-mail upon returning home from Gaza yesterday, I found the following appeal from "Samia." in Ramallah, a part of the Gulag, or chain of prisons in the West bank near Jerusalem. This appeal makes perfect logic; I know it is true from what I have learned about the occupied Gulag within Israel. The attack on Ramallah is confirmed in today’s Washington Post.

People in Gaza were expecting an attack on the Jabalia Refugee Camp when I was there. My host cancelled a lunch they had planned for me in the home of a resident mother living in that camp because they thought it unsafe for me. Now it is under attack, and while I am perfectly safe, is that mother safe?

Though I do not know Samia, I confirmed her appeal to be substantially true with a phone call to Gaza. The Jerusalem Post also confirmed this morning that tanks have occupied Gaza, and at 700 AM today one was destroyed by a hand made, manually detonated land mine, killing three Israelis. This will surely bring vicious reprisals against the Palestinian population. The Post account said The Israelis immediately bulldozed eight houses were without allowing the owners to even remove their property. This is only the start.

I am sharing Samia’s appeal because it is timely, and we will continue our own series on Gaza Saturday, sharing what I have learned about how peace can be brought to the Middle East without spending a dime of the taxpayer’s money. We will answer the questions that are most asked by Americans about Israel and the Arabs. Yours are welcome.

Samia writes:

March 13, 2001

"We need your help... totally occupied in Ramallah, shelling and shooting, the battle of Amari has started last night. And the PNGO People are unable to get to their work. Please help circulate this Appeal, especially first to the media and then others on your list.

Thanks Rita (someone in Ramallah)

The Palestine Monitor A PNGO Information Clearinghouse

We are unable to reach our contact lists, so we would greatly appreciate you circulating this as widely as possible.

Sharon continues his massacre Israeli troops occupy completely Ramallah

The Israeli army has entered Ramallah and has completely occupied and imposed a curfew on the whole city, the center of the Palestinian Authority and all humanitarian organizations.

The Israeli army invaded with tanks and military, under the cover of apache helicopters, and bombarding several areas of the city. The Israeli army refuses to allow all but one ambulance to move, thereby freezing medical care, leaving many injured people left untreated. Three Palestinians have been reported dead in Ramallah, and tens injured. Many buildings throughout the city have been occupied, and in many apartment blocks soldiers are forcing all families in the building into one flat, occupying the b Last night the Israeli army also invaded Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip; 18 Palestinians have been killed so far.

Over the last week, Sharon has been conducting a gradual massacre of the Palestinian people, killing approximately 160 Palestinians since the beginning of this month in aggressive attacks on Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Gaza and now Ramallah, and injuring more than 1000 people.

The Palestinian civilian population has no way of protecting itself from Sharon's aggressive attacks. Sharon - the war criminal of Sabra and Shatila will continue his attacks on Palestinians unless international intervention forces him otherwise. We all urgently on the international community to

Intervene and provide international protection for the Palestinian people."

-End

Editor returns In Part III we will share a day in the Gaza Strip, not far from Jabalya Camp upward to 600,000 persons make their homes. We will explain how Gaza is a part of a prison or gulag called Palestine, how well over a million people came to live in this unknown 80 square mile island within Israel, and why they cannot leave even if they wanted to.

Order and read "Sherry’s War", why some Christians support war in Palestine, and where they err.

"The People and The Land" documentary Video filmed in occupied Palestine, the truth on film.

C. E. Carlson