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From left, speakers Daphne Barram, Yael Kahn and Mohammed Gueshta |
MPs urge halt to Gaza bombing
MORE than 150 people – including Islington’s two MPs – attended a packed public meeting in Holloway on Wednesday to protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
At the same time volunteers working in the devastated region, speaking to the Tribune by phone, described horrendous scenes – including one in which a woman bled to death in the street – as Israeli ground forces entered the fray.
Wednesday’s meeting at St Luke’s Church, in Hillmarton Road, was organised by Islington Friends of Yibna, supporters of a refugee centre in Gaza which has been a target in the bombing campaign.
Jewish protesters and Palestinian campaigners sat side by side at the two-hour meeting which condemned Israel’s unrelenting attack. Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn called for a trade boycott and demanded that Israel be taken to the international criminal court.
Emily Thornberry, Islington South and Finsbury Labour MP, told the meeting she has written to Foreign Secretary David Miliband – enclosing letters from almost 100 constituents – as part of a call for an end to Israel’s incursion in Gaza.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Tribune spoke to Jennie Linnell, 33, a vegan chef and supporter of Friends of Yibna who is working with refugees in the south of the Palestinian region, near Rafah.
Last week, Jennie described the “appalling” experience of sitting through the night with young families and not knowing if they were going to take a direct hit as bombing continued around them.
Speaking by mobile phone on Wednesday, she described worse scenes of “atrocities” and called on protesters to step up the campaign to end the siege.
“I’ve seen people’s homes destroyed by tanks,” she said. “I’ve seen families who had been sheltering below ground in cellars climbing out of holes in the ground after their homes were destroyed above them.
“A woman in her 40s was shot in the street and other women with their kids tried to rescue her but were kept back by shooting. The ambulance couldn’t get through so she bled to death in the street.”
She added: “My message to everyone back home is that for humanity’s sake do something to end these atrocities in Gaza and put pressure on the UK government to get Israel to end this nightmare.”
Speaking at the meeting, Israeli journalist Daphna Barram, who now lives in Islington, said that “everyone here tonight can and must act”.
She added: “Protest, write letters, demonstrate, email or blog. It all helps. Remember there is a big public in Israel that has a false liberal self-image and cares a lot about what people think abroad. The international community must treat Israel like it did apartheid South Africa. That means sanctions and protest, until it finally comes to its senses.”
Other speakers included Yael Kahn, another Israeli and chairwoman of Friends of Yibna, and Mohammed Gueshta, a Palestinian and founder member of the group.
The next meeting of the group is at 7pm on Monday, February 16, at Islington town hall. |
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