Amy Goodman's show, Democracy Now is devoting the full hour to this issue, with interviews in Gaza, Israel and elsewhere. Very powerful. Hear and/or see it on Pacifica, some NPR, PBS, indie radio and tv. In California, kpfk 90.7, Bay area kpfa 94.7, at 6 & 9 AM.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3238615.ece Hamas 'spent months cutting through Gaza wall in secret operation' >From The Times: January 24, 2008 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00270/Gaza385x185_270943a.jpg A view of the destroyed border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt (Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty) The wall had already been sliced through before the explosions brought it down James Hider at the Rafah border crossing As tens of thousands of Palestinians clambered back and forth between the Gaza strip and Egypt today, details emerged of the audacious operation that brought down a hated border wall and handed the Islamist group Hamas what might be its greatest propaganda coup. Hamas, which took control of the coastal territory last June after a stand-off with Fatah, has denied that its men set off the explosions that brought down as much as two-thirds of the 12-km wall in the early hours. But a Hamas border guard interviewed by The Times at the border admitted that the Islamist group was responsible and had been involved for months in slicing through the heavy metal wall using oxy-acetylene cutting torches. That meant that when the explosive charges were set off in 17 different locations between midnight and 1am the 40ft wall came tumbling down, leaving it lying like a broken concertina down the middle of no-man's land as an estimated 350,000 Gazans flooded into Egypt. The guard, Lieutenant Abu Usama of the Palestinian National Security, said of the cutting operation: "I've seen this happening over the last few months. It happened in the daytime but was covered up so that nobody would see." Asked whether he had reported it to the government, he replied: "It was the government that was doing this. Who would I report it to?" Abu Usama, who normally works from a small guard cabin in no-man's land, added: "Last night we were told to keep away from the wall. We were ordered to stay away because they were going to break the blockade." As Gazans flooded into Egypt, the strip's Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, called for an urgent meeting with his rivals in Fatah and with the Egyptian authorities to work a new border arrangement. Mr Haniya called for the border crossing to be reopened "on the basis of national participation," meaning that Hamas would be prepared to cede some control to President Abbas and his Fatah-led government in the West Bank. "We don't want to be the only ones in control of these matters," Mr Haniya said, speaking from his Gaza City office live on Hamas TV. "Everything Haniya is saying is simply to exploit this situation to win political gains. ... It is a part of the problem, not the solution," said Ashraf Ajramim, a Cabinet minister in Mr Abbas's government. Israel refused to comment on the developments in Gaza. The skill of the Hamas demolition operation was clear to see along the border, although The Times could not visit the entire length of the border. Where the charges had been laid, the wall was heavily damaged. Elsewhere it appeared to be clearly cut. The destruction of the wall prompted hundreds of thousands to cross into Egypt – and Egyptian border guards did not try to stem the tide of humanity. Instead Rafah became a huge Middle Eastern bazaar. Thousands of people were herding back cows, sheep and even camels from Egypt into the Gaza strip. Others brought back motorbikes while many women lugged back cans of olive oil and men could be seen weighed down with jerry-cans full of fuel. Moneychangers flocked to the border, offering Egyptian pounds and American dollars for the Gazans' Israeli shekels. The shops soon began to run out, however, and those returning were complaining of sky-rocketing prices. Instead, many people jumped into taxis - or even on the roofs of taxis - to take themselves to El Arish, 45km away, the nearest town with shops. In no-man's land, along the stretch that the Israelis used to call Philadelphia Road before their disengagement in 2005, Hamas gunmen raced along in pick-up trucks flying the group's green flag. Egyptian riot police waited by the gates of the old border crossing, leaning with nonchalance against their riot shields. Among those returning were Osama Hassan, 25, who went shopping with his 17-year-old fiancee Sarah for their wedding essentials. He bought a special mattress for his injured back; she brought kitchen supplies. "I'm Fatah, but today, I wish I could see (Hamas prime minister Ismail) Haniya and kiss his forehead, because without the gunmen doing this, we would have been stuck in the Gaza Strip," he said. Egyptian shopkeepers swiftly raised prices of milk, taxi rides and cigarettes, but that did not deter the Gazans, for many of whom it was their first trip out of the territory. Some staggered back into Gaza carrying televisions, and others sported brand-new mobile phones. In Gaza City, prices of cigarettes - which had skyrocketed during the total blockade of the past week - fell by 70 per cent in a few hours. Rami al-Shawwa, a 23-year old falafel vendor, said he planned to head to Egypt in the afternoon, after his brothers returned from there. He was going to buy waterpipe tobacco and just "smell some new air". "We have been living in darkness for days, and closure before," he said, adding that he is not concerned about getting stuck in Egypt. "For my 23 years in Gaza, a year in Egypt will make up for it." _______________________________________________ Rad-Green mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] = = **Join LA Jews for Peace** Friday, Jan. 25, 4 - 6 PM Protest Israel's Fuel Blockade of Gaza Demonstrate in front of the Israeli Consulate 6380 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90048 Speak out now. Call your lawmaker: 202-224-3121 Though we do not condone violence perpetrated by either side of the conflict, we recognize that the Palestinians in Gaza offered to negotiate a truce recently, only to be rebuffed because Israel refuses to negotiate with Hamas. Collective punishment - blocking fuel shipments, cutting off clean water, and denying medical care to over a million people - will only create more hatred and terror. We call on the people of the governments of the world, and in particular those represented by the U.S. government and the European Parliament, to push to censure Israel's action and end support for Israeli aggression. We call on all sides to negotiate. Call your lawmaker: 202-224-3121 Israel has broken Jewish and international law in tightening its siege of Gaza, where 1.5 million Palestinians are suffering in freezing darkness. Only when the world community condemned these actions did Israel partially lift the blockade. Gaza has become the largest open air prison on the planet with no ingress or egress - no fuel for heat, no food to eat, no medicine for the sick, limited electricity, and no agricultural or commercial goods to sustain the economy. The U.S. must support diplomacy, not collective punishment. Bring Signs and Banners Suggested Messages: End the Israeli Siege of Gaza End US Support for Israel's Siege End the Israeli Fuel Blockade of Gaza Feed the Children of Gaza End US Support for Israel's Collective Punishment No Flags, Please -- Our Focus is on Humanism, not Nationalism For more information: call 562-694-1637 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web www.LAJewsforPeace.org *** Hi. Before the cultural explosion of the late 50's, folk headliners were few around So. California - Guy Carawan, Jo Mapes, Frank Hamilton, Ramblin' Jack Elliott. It had one 'star': Odetta Felius, who came with her mom. They were my shining stars and I had the honor of singing in Odetta's chorus, organized by Guy. All later played the Ash Grove. Now, here she is, still and again. I wouldn't miss it. ed ----- Original Message ----- From: Judy Branfman Odetta To Appear on the Tavis Smiley show Jan. 25 M.C. Records is proud to announce that folk/blues legend Odetta will be the only guest on the Tavis Smiley Show, Friday January 25. The show broadcasts on your local PBS station. To find out more, go to http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley *** California AFL-CIO Endorses Single Payer HR 676 Oakland, California. The Executive Council of the California AFL-CIO has unanimously endorsed HR 676, single payer health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers. With over 2.1 million members the California State Federation is the largest state affiliate of the AFL- CIO. Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), introduced the endorsement resolution shortly after being elected to the Executive Council of the state federation. CNA/NNOC has set up a website at http://www.GuaranteedHealthcare.org. California is the 32nd state AFL-CIO to endorse HR 676. --- HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident. HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. HR 676 currently has 87 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. Co-sponsors and bill text are here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00676: HR 676 has been endorsed by 355 union organizations in 48 states including 94 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 32 state AFL-CIOs (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL & CA). For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample endorsement resolution, contact: Kay Tillow All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676 c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO) 1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218 Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 636 1551 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 01/22/08 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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