Enough

 

I am not going to post yet more photos of destruction in Gaza, of childrens’ ruined bodies in the rubble, of Israeli troops mocking their slaughtered victims. As a lifelong anti-fascist I am going to say ‘Enough’, ‘Suficiente’, Ya basta!,كافٍ’ , ‘מספיק’ ‘. If it is enough for you too, what do we do?

This is a moment of truth

 

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Reem Alsalem, the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls and Pedro Arrojo Agudo, the special rapporteur on human rights, have warned that Gazans now account for 80 per cent of all people facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide. 

“Currently, every single person in Gaza is hungry, a quarter of the population are starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent. It is unprecedented to make an entire civilian population go hungry this completely and quickly. Israel is destroying Gaza’s food system and using food as a weapon against the Palestinian people.”

“Israeli forces have destroyed more than 60 percent of Palestinian homes in Gazam causing domicide through the mass destruction of dwellings, making the territory uninhabitable. 

"A lack of sufficient nutrition and healthcare is endangering the lives of pregnant women and their unborn children and all children under the age of five, about 335,000 in total, are highly susceptible to the effects of severe malnutrition as the threat of famine continues to grow.”

“We have raised the alarm of the risk of genocide several times, reminding all governments they have a duty to prevent genocide. Our alarm for the unfolding genocide does not only refer to the ongoing bombardment of Gaza but also concerns the slow suffering and death caused by Israel’s long-standing occupation, blockade and current civic destruction, since genocide advances through an ongoing process and is not a singular event.”

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General adds that “The humanitarian system in Gaza is facing a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians. Misery is growing by the minute. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. This is a moment of truth. History will judge us.”

How will history judge you? At the very least contact your friends, repost this, make sure you attend the next Palestine Solidarity demonstration, donate to Medical Aid for Palestine, write a poem, write what you think about the situation. Talk with your neighbours. Write to your MP. Raise the issues in your trade union. Join the Boycott campaign. 

You are not powerless.

STOP PRESS: 3 months ago there were 36 hospitals in Gaza. Today there are none

Blocs and Balance

 

I went on the London Gaza/Palestine march on Saturday 13 January. It was the biggest yet. When I reached Trafalgar Square it was full and Whitehall was at a standstill with marchers unable to reach the also packed Parliament Square at the far end. I made my way back to the Embankment using side streets and it too was now at a standstill. I went up onto Hungerford bridge and saw the crowd reached at least as far back east as Waterloo bridge. Many hundreds of thousands.

As important as the size was the ‘spirit’. Multi-everything and the loudest and most militant there were the women. It also felt more like a new movement rather than a march and demonstration.

The next day a few thousand Zionists half-filled Trafalgar Square. Thee BBC reported both days as having been similar Saturday was, “Thousands protest for Palestine” and Sunday was “Thousands protest for Israel”. I guess that counts for media ‘balance.

The Israeli Ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, ("every school. every 2nd house is a legitimate target") spoke and thanked King Charles, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer for supporting her state and speaking out for the UK’s Jewish ‘community’. I took this photo on Saturday and the Jewish bloc there might disagree with that lie.

A number of people are finding their FB links not getting spread out to their contacts and it seems likely that the algorithms are picking out words like ‘genocide, ‘Palestine’. ‘Gaza’. With mine too judging by the fewer ‘likes’ I get so am going to start posting mine on my website.

Message from the Gaza Music School

As first director of the Pavarotti Music Centre in Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina, I have received an update about the Gaza Music School.

"After three months, Khamis Abushaban, Administrative Assistant of the ESNCM branch in Gaza and a guitarist, finally reached it. Located at the Red Crescent Society emergency services building, Khamis discovered the door bombed open, with more than half of the structure burnt and heavily damaged. Musical instruments, equipment, and teaching tools were either burnt or damaged. 

These instruments and rooms had brought joy to countless boys, girls, families, and the wider community in Gaza. The impact of all this remains etched in their hearts and minds. The sole grand piano in Gaza survives, serving as a witness to this destruction and eagerly awaiting the chance to be played again.

We are committed to continuing to enrich people's lives through music."

Sima Khoury Odeh

Executive Director

Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Zionists or Bundists

 

"What fuels antisemitism is murdering children by the thousands under the banner of the Star of David while insisting that your actions are inseparable from all Jews and the totally of Judaism.” Caitlin Johnstone

Zionists claim that Israel represents world Jewry. That is a lie. It is a political ideology that has represented Western imperialist interests from the start. The founder of Zionism at the end of the 19th century, Theodor Herzl, wrote to Cecil Rhodes, founder of the white settler colony named after him and said, “You are being invited to help make history. It does not involve Africa but a piece of Asia Minor, not Englishmen but Jews … I turn to you … because it is something colonial ..” Chaim Weizmann, who succeeded Herzl added that “Should Palestine fall within the British sphere of influence and should they encourage Jewish settlement … we could develop the country, bring back civilisation and form a very effective guard for the Suez Canal.”

There has always been Jewish opposition to Zionism amongst both religious and secular Jews. The main theological opposition to Zionism stems from the Hasidic community and the smaller Haredi organisation. Secular opposition was first organised as part of the Jewish Bund in Russia and Poland. Today their descendants are at the forefront of Jewish resistance to Zionism and its genocidal policy of ethnically cleansing occupied Palestine of Palestinians. In The USA Jewish Voice for Peace have been at the forefront of actions in support of Gaza and the Palestinians, closing bridges, occupying Congress. snd filling the NYC streets. In the UK Jewish Voice for Labour and Jews for Justice for Palestinians have been joined on demonstrations by the recently formed Black Jewish Alliance.

You can find out more about Zionism v The Bund here.

The Gaza Music School

 

I received this email from Sima Khoury Odeh on behalf of the Gaza Music School (simakhoury@ncm.birzeit.edu) after I wrote to them about the murdered violinist, Lubna Alyan.

Dear Mr. Wilson,

On behalf of our colleagues in Gaza, I am replying to your email because they can not reply to you. Thank you for your email and for your feelings. It seems that the word "human" can be used for some people but must not be used for many who take part, approve and support the genocide on Gaza killing innocent people including babies, children and people like Lubna and Dr. Alareer who simply tried to help their community and live a "normal" life.

Our branch in Gaza - the Gaza Music School, was established in 2008 and since then it has been affecting the lives of thousands of Gazans under siege specially children and youth through music education, community outreach programs, festivals, concerts seasons and music activities. Since October 2023, we have been in contact with our teachers, students and their families as well as all musicians in Gaza. A lot of them have lost family members, friends, neighbours, homes and a lot of things they loved and cherished. Most of them are displaced now, lacking basic needs.

While we appreciate the power of the people who have been requesting the governments to pressure Israel for ceasefire with no success until now, we hope support from friends like you to influence your community showcasing the massacres and the genocide through human stories would have a stronger effect on the peoples and their governments. Check out what a previous colleague wrote about Lubna and her story with music.

https://mondoweiss.net/2023/12/remembering-lubna-alyaan-the-aspiring-violinist-martyred-in-gaza/

The conservatory also launched a campaign in support of the music community in Gaza hoping to collect funds to support them as the needs in Gaza are immense and the support Gazans get is scarce and not enough to meet the needs. Hence, the music community needs direct support.

As the level of destruction and killing is unprecedented, people are displaced with hundreds of thousands living in tents, UNRWA schools or probably in the streets in Rafah (South), the genocide is still not stopping. It has not been easy to plan any activities while we are sure that music would definitely help traumatised children and families. If and when the situation allows, some musicians might conduct interactive music activities for children in schools and shelters. Some areas are very dangerous. Other areas allow a person to move in the vicinity of two kilometers which is not safe either.

We pray the genocide and bombardment on Gaza stops immediately. The needs will be immense but the most important is to stop the genocide and then we all need to work together with our friends and partners to try to bring back music to Gaza or what is left of it.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of young Palestinians through music specially in Gaza which needs us now more than ever.

Gaza in our minds,

Sima Khoury Odeh

simakhoury@ncm.birzeit.edu

******

If you are a musician, music teacher or just want to help the Gaza Music School in the future, please contact me at david@davidwilson.org.uk

David Wilson, former director Pavarotti Music Centre, Mostar

Killing musicians and poets

 

 

To the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music – Gaza branch

ncmgaza@ncm.birzeit.edu

Dear Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

So many thousands are being murdered in Gaza and in occupied Palestine. I have read that on the 21st November 2023, a  14 year old student of yours, violinist, Lubna Alyaan, was killed along with 45 members of her family. 

.

She joins Refaat Alareer, a writer, poet, and professor, also killed with all his family.He taught literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and cofounded the organisation ‘We Are Not Numbers’, which connected experienced authors with young writers.

“My heart is broken, my friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed with his family,” Gazan poet Mosab Abu Toha wrote on Facebook. “I don’t want to believe this. We both loved to pick strawberries together.”

Alareer had said  that he refused to leave northern Gaza as it was his home. Now, along with Lubna and so many others, it is his grave.

All victims of this genocide are in my thoughts, but as a writer with experience of what it means to try and continue with culture in the middle of barbarism , your student and Refaat Alareer are central to my sorrow and anger .

David Wilson, former director, Pavarotti Music Centre, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Refaat Alareer's last poem published only days before he was killed