Footage from PeaceStrike.org
This morning PeaceStrike organiser Maria Gallestegui harangued politicians at Downing Street and threw cards with the words ‘White Phosphorus’ across the pavement. She was protesting the UK’s support for Israel despite the international war crimes it currently appears to be committing.
Later, PeaceStrike issued the following statement.
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PEACESTRIKE STATEMENT ON ISRAEL / GAZA WAR
17th October 2023
We call on Israel for an immediate ceasefire and a restoration of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Stop all hostilities before it escalates across the region and potentially becomes another Vietnam, Korea or Afghanistan.
Remember, you can’t rewind history. What happens now will affect all our futures.
We call for a calming of the situation in order to clear the way forward for peace talks.
The unannounced attack in Israel on the evening of the 7th October by the merciless Hamas Palestinian gunmen was a shock to all nations as the news travelled around the world.
The global reaction was shock and fear, then anger.
What followed was mass hysteria fuelled by alarming claims of ‘beheaded babies’ that was not, and has still not been officially verified.
Due to this, there was one giant leap forward into war. Israel declared war on Gaza and the UK, USA and EU dutifully proclaimed full support.
US and UK navy ships have been sent to the area.
There was no room for debate, or Parliament reconvening, to discuss this very severe declaration by the UK government to the UK citizens on our military commitment.
IN WAR TRUTH IS THE FIRST VICTIM
The truth does matter, without the truth we have no democracy.
Hamas terrorists beheaded soldiers and raped women, claims Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (msn.com)
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that toddlers and babies were found in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel, with their “heads decapitated“, after Hamas’ attack over the weekend.
Later, an Israeli official said that the government could not confirm that the babies were beheaded by Hamas.
Joe Biden stated ”I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve never really thought that I would see, have confirmed, pictures of terrorists ‘beheading babies‘”.
The Whitehouse later stated that Joe Biden had not seen confirmation on this claim, but had picked it up from the media.
The MailOnline 10th and 11th October claimed: Babies beheaded, 40 children shot dead in a single settlement by Hamas
The Sun newspaper headline was: ‘Savages’ beheaded babies in massacre and claimed online that Hamas went on a 2-day rampage in an Israeli village beheading kids and burning families alive.
The Times said: ‘Babies had their throats cut’
And the Telegraph: ”They chopped heads off women and children”
All this stems from X (Twitter) i24 reporter, Nicole Zedeck, stating that ‘one of the commanders told her‘ – Deputy Commander David Ben Zion IDF
LBC Radio Online reported that after the ”Slaughter of the Innocents”, Israel vows to ‘Wipe Out’ Hamas.
On Saturday 14th October, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that ”We stand with Israel, not just today, not just tomorrow, but always”.
Surely we can’t stand by any country unconditionally? This is a folly.
What we do know is that statements made must be officially verified. History reminds us of the folly of ignoring past mistakes and the rush to war.
Leading up to the Iraq war in 2023, uncorroborated claims were made concerning Ricin and Anthrax about to be used on civilians in the UK and elsewhere. This story eventually just vanished but the fear remained.
Iraq had ‘chemical weapons’ that were never found, because they weren’t there. Tony Blair’s government declared in the British Parliament that ‘Saddam Hussain had weapons that could be launched in 45 minutes and could reach Europe’. Again, this was not true.
On 12th October, Human Rights Watch confirmed the use of illegal White Phosphorus by Israel on Gaza.
The use of White Phosphorus against civilians is illegal under International law and amounts to a war crime.
Collective Punishment
What happened in Israel and to the Israelis affects us all and we feel the pain. That said we cannot put all 1.1 million Palestinians under threat in Gaza city by denying them their basic human rights. We must not be a party to their mass slaughter, starvation and death by lack of water. We must remember our history and we must remember the holocaust.
Zionism does not represent Judaism.
The UK government must speak out now to prevent an unstoppable escalation which we will not be able to control.
Our government will be complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity and genocide if we do not act NOW and do all we can to call a ceasefire , calm the waters and open up dialogue.
Yesterday’s Sun newspaper headline claimed ‘Fury and Fear’ – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ‘exterminate the bloody monsters’ of Hamas and demolish their homes
This is dangerous language. If this happens it will endanger the peaceful Jewish and Muslim communities and cause a backlash.
We need urgent restraint, and for grown up responsible politicians to do their job.
Maria Gallastegui – Peace Strike
17th October 2023
