KC Star editorial makes an unfair distinction

By admin - Posted on 05 August 2009

KC Star "Hamas terrorism, violence bring chaos to Gaza Strip" editorial leaves out important details of the settlement withdrawal in Gaza (full article)
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The Issue:

The July 7 editorial in the Kansas City Star implies that Palestinians rejected a monumentally generous concession from Israel during the Gaza "disengagement". The author would have you believe that the only thing standing between Palestinians and prosperity is their own government.

Even before Hamas was elected, Israel prevented workers in Gaza from traveling to the West Bank or Israel, farmers were unable to get food to market and the West Bank experienced long periods of complete closure.

When Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, the entire Gaza population is punished through the destruction of infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, severing access to clean water and sanitation.

	<!--mstheme-->Please write a letter to the editor of the Kansas City Star. Send letters to letters@kcstar.com or leave a comment for Voices in the Kansas City Star, call (816) 234-4493. Letters must be 150 words or less. Send an email to info@cjme.org mentioning if you followed up otherwise, either by sending your own draft of a letter or phoning the Star.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->Remember: The Star does pay attention to the quality and quantity of letters on significant issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Please spend some time to write a letter.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

BACKGROUND - Points you can make in a letter or call:

The "disengagement" from Gaza was not the generous concession this article implies.

	<!--mstheme-->Gaza itself is only 5% of all of the Occupied Palestinian Territories - and 95% still remains occupied. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->Israel remained in control of Gaza's borders and airspace and confined 1.3 million Palestinians to a prison-like existence. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->Israel retained control of the movement of all goods and people into and out of Gaza. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->Gaza settlers were relocated to land inside Israel that was expropriated from Palestinian and Bedouin citizens for the purposes of Jewish only development. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->Israel reserved the right to invade Gaza at any time. The plan also allowed for a "buffer zone" on the Gaza-Egypt border. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->It would allow for further demolition of Palestinian homes. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->In the two weeks prior to the capture of the Israeli soldier, 35 Palestinians were killed including 10 children, 120 wounded including 44 children. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
	<!--mstheme-->The US-backed "Roadmap to Peace" outlines steps for improving both Palestinian and Israeli lives, starting with a reduction in violence and freezing settlements. The US should press Israel and Palestinians to negotiate a resolution to the conflict. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

- Background provided by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

What You Can Do:

1. Write a letter to the Kansas City Star responding to the content of the editorial appearing in the July 7, 2006 issue.

Kansas City Star -- E-mail: letters@kcstar.com

Readers' Representative Phone: (816) 234-4487

2. Make a donation to support humanitarian efforts to provision the Gaza Strip with much-needed medical supplies for Palestinian children. The Middle East Children's Alliance, a member organization of the US Campaign, is accepting tax-deductible donations to send medical supplies. Click here to donate: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/GazaMeds.html

3. Send an email to info@cjme.org and let us know that you responded to this alert.

Submit Date:

07/12/2006