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Courage of campaigner
• I AM grateful to Bruce Kent for his support for the Bethlehem Now concert (Peace campaigner defends role in concert that put politics in carols, November 28). As one of the four organisers I would like to thank him for his support and courage. From the donations raised at the event, £150 were for Islington-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians and £400 for the Free Gaza Movement.
This week, the Free Gaza Movement successfully sent another boat to besieged Gaza. The boat, Dignity, arrived in Gaza on Tuesday, on the 21st anniversary of the first Palestinian uprising in 1987 against the Israeli occupation.
The Dignity cargo included £500 of high-protein baby formula sent by Islington Friends of Yibna (IFY), in response to the evidence given by Lauren Booth at Islington Town Hall.
Ms Booth showed a film about the dramatic increase in severe malnutrition among babies in Gaza (it can be viewed at www.human
rightstv.com/series/124).
Because the Israeli siege has been blocking even aid sent by UN agency UNRWA, IFY is now planning to continue sending high-protein baby formula by the boats commissioned by the Free Gaza Movement.
The next boat is due to leave later this month and another boat in early January. The aid IFY can send depends on donations. Please send cheques to IFY, PO Box 58246 N1 2UE or direct payment to IFY HSBC 40-03-33 71582704.
While the aid cargo is urgently needed to save lives, pressure on Israel to stop its vicious siege would save even more lives. The Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza is endangering the lives of 1.5 million Palestinians.
As an Israeli, it is my view that international pressure would be essential to lift this medieval siege. Unfortunately, most Israelis support this strangulating siege, although 100 planned this week to be on the first boat from Israel, set to depart from the small port of Jaffa, near Tel Aviv.
The attempt by Palestinian lawmakers in the Israeli Knesset and other activists was foiled by police and the cargo of basic food supplies, medicine and toys was confiscated.
Islington played a significant role in the anti-apartheid movement and I hope it will have as significant a role in stopping the Israeli siege.
YAEL KAHN
Chair, Islington Friends
of Yibna
• AS co-ordinator of the Bethlehem Now event, I would like to point out that only a couple of churches refused to stage it. Many simply had no dates left, a few did not get back to me and several (including St John’s, Waterloo, and St George’s, Hanover Square) said that they would. We opted for St James’s Church, Piccadilly, as it was more suitable, though we were considering holding it in two or three venues.
Having sung these carols on the streets for six years, we felt it was time they were sung in their rightful home. By doing so, we hoped to reach a wider audience and mobilise Christians who are sometimes scared of protesting against Israel’s policies for fear of accusations of anti-Semitism. Hence the benefit of Jews being involved.
The alternative carols do not make fun of Christianity or Christmas, but have simply been updated to reflect the current situation. It does not feel right singing traditional carols when Bethlehem is surrounded by an apartheid wall and Gaza is being turned into a concentration camp.
It is sad that a bigoted and vociferous minority is more outraged by these carols than the behaviour of Israel, which has provoked them. Singing for justice is surely the Christian and Jewish thing to do. Ignoring an injustice is not.
DEBORAH FINK
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods
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