The open letter originated in late June, after a long permanence in Gaza. The devastating impact of Egyptian blockade on top of the Israeli’s occupation and control was already so biting in spring that prompted us to look for rapid and effective means to stop the blockade and allow for people freedom of movement, commerce, study and cure. Gaza was already a sinking economy then. The call was started by Italian people and associations, aiming to bring it rapidly to the Italian presidency of the European Parliament and is presently extending to the other EU countries.
On 27 June, BEFORE the start of the escalation and massive attack of July 7 by Israel, we had posted the open letter here resubmitted, called “Palestine is under attack”, signed by some 200 organizations, communities and people . We demanded that Europe urgently put in place arrangements for surveillance of the border which has existed since 2005, with an appropriate European instrument, the EUBAM (European border surveillance at Rafa) still in force, and vigorously promotes the opening and rehabilitation of the port of Gaza. In the first week, the signatures of associations and people in Italy become 700, a sign that many understood what was going to happen. We did not get answers to our letter and request of consideration from any of the members of the Italian Parliament; the Vatican secretariat of state sent a polite letter of solidarity referring to the appeal from the Pope to promote peace in the Holy Land at the end of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, July 13. Today, August 2nd, we decided to ask that Majors of the main town in Italy would join us to pressure the Institutions in Italy, as now Italy has the temporary Presidence of EU. In so doing, we actualized our previous open letter. Our concerns were well founded on 27 June, including the considering false the “reasons” for attacks in the West Bank and the for initial bombing of Gaza, that the kidnapping was not attributable to Hamas is now accepted. What we could not imagine, however, was targeted killings even of children, destruction under pretexts, never proved true, of hospitals and universities. It was unimaginable that entire neighborhoods of civilian homes could be destroyed with a few minutes’ notice, with the excuse to destroy from within Gaza a network of tunnels that are easily dug in the sandy soil (as was already the case when Gaza was besieged by Alexander the Great in 335 BC) and have ensured the survival of the Gaza people during this new long siege; destruction of these under the territory is impossible. More realistically, as taught by the Egyptians who have done so efficiently, it would have made sense to destroy their outputs in Israeli territory. To state for more than two weeks that the ground mission of IOF was to destroy the tunnels from Gaza was just yet another provocation and tested, successful, the idiocy and prejudices of the Israeli Allies, was a falsehood for the use of propaganda. In fact, today, it was stated that in spite of the destruction of tunnels is over (sic) Israel will continue the actions of war. We could not imagine that we would hear again and again that the Israeli army is the most moral in the world, it is highly technological, it knows who to shoot and does not EVER intentionally attack civilians, let alone children. Regardless of the fact that 80% or more of the victims are civilians (UN). We could not imagine that we would hear again and again that all of them have been, together with 1,800,000 inhabitants of Gaza, all “human shields,” and that it was their fault if Israel has slaughtered them in their sleep, at home, or that this is because Hamas plays hide and seek and puts weapons in UNRWA shelters, playgrounds, in hospitals, even under the University and the Centers for people with disabilities, under and inside too many Mosques (80), and even churches which were destroyed, and ALL the houses in Sulhaja, Rafah, Kanyunes, and even in the containers of reserve fuel and in the engine of the only power plant, and in the only slaughterhouse, in the treatment plants of sewage, cement factory etc….. We believe that with this list we have only alluded to the indiscriminate death of a people, not just the individual victims of these days, the dead and serious injuried, but those who survive them, and that they have nothing else to do but to accept the food and electricity and water directly and indirectly from the hands of the executioners, including European states that arm, favor economically, in military alliances and research and development, Israel. And all the Arab countries that have abandoned Gaza or even have made possible or encouraged the massacre. Perhaps the real mission of Israeli in Gaza is the promise made in November 2012: “We will reduce Gaza to the Middle Ages; only then will there be peace for 30 years.” A mission like this cannot be “mentioned, is unspeakable” and contrary to all international laws and conventions, but it corresponds well to the fact that the official justification of the attack keeps changing: the punishment of Hamas for a kidnapping that it did not, punishment of Hamas for answering to Israeli attacks with missiles, which at the beginning were not launched by Hamas but by other factions, destruction of weapons of Hamas, destruction of the tunnel of Hamas (or Alexander the Great?), and yesterday’s punishment because Hamas has taken a captive soldier (but Hamas denied and turned out dead in battle), until today that says that they will stop when they deem it appropriate. … but may be Hamas is an EXCUSE for a genocide desired, managed and programmed with silent consent of the allies, and that the propaganda of that Israeli is “good” toward children and was studied theoretically and published in a booklet, serves to get Israeli hands free on and to throw dust in the eyes of public opinion? This propaganda is taken for good even by those who should know better, and more, those who abstain voting motions condemning Israeli at the UN, but cry and cry, but only “humanitarian cries” about children victims. The same subjects, the Europeans, make appeals for peace, but do not do what they can and should do, as parliamentary representatives, to preserve the freedom and autonomy of the Palestinian people, with simple actions, binding and concrete, in order to take a step after an other, to help them to exist, free. More than ever today, with the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the opening of the border with Egypt becomes essential, and it is imperative for Europe to honor the agreements already signed in 2005 and proceed with the Gaza Harbor project.Genoa, June 27, 2014 Open letter to Institutions of the Italian Government, to the President of the Republic and prime Minister, Minister of Exterior Affairs, Governmental commissions, Vatican and Catholic personalities, Valdese church and Islam personalities. And to the people of many associations for solidarity with Palestine and human rights. This open letter reaches you at a time when Italy takes on the responsibility of President for the semester in Europe and in a moment when Europe has the opportunity to implement virtuous actions to liberate Gaza from the complete block to which it is subjected, by putting in place the arrangements of surveillance of the border that was deliberated since 2005 with an appropriate European instrument, the EUBAM (European border surveillance at Rafa) and could vigorously promote the opening and rehabilitation of the port of Gaza as seaborne commerce and trade window on the world, also this an European project, approved and funded in 2000 and never implemented. Even just implement these projects that have already been approved, “automatically” would make possible the communication between the two parts of Palestine. Freedom of movement, of ministers, of people, of goods between the two parts of the Palestinian state would be a lifeline to grow in its economic autonomy and dignity. The strong support that the Christian and Muslims personalities have for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Middle East indices us to send to representatives of these Faiths our request for continued attention and support for people who suffer and should be sustained in continuing to defend against aggression and collective punishment in the most constructive possible, supporting the possibility of being released from occupation, fragmentation, and blockades. For our part, we will support our open letter by opening an online petition *, and especially supporting the ongoing debate and factual information. In the attempt to make to become the Palestinian liberation a central issue for Italy, Europe and that the attention of the Faiths will not be extinguished. – For signatures please write a mail to palestinasottoattacco@outlook.it https://www.facebook.com/events/608445575929498/