As Israel flies bombers over Gaza on the first day of Ramadan: “Ramadan Mubarak from Gaza.”

(Photo & comment in quotes from Palestine Observer)

Kashmir & Palestine: two nations, brothers & sisters, suppressed by occupiers India & Israel. They stand in solidarity with each other. The betrayals of Mahmoud Abbas include both Palestinians & Kashmiris since he is an enforcer of the Oslo Accords which lay out the Palestinian terms of surrender to Israeli colonialism & he engages in diplomacy with Modi at the expense of Kashmiris. He does not speak for the Palestinian people who stand with the oppressed in Kashmir & elsewhere.

(Photo collage from Rida on Twitter)

https://thekashmirpress.com/2018/05/17/it-took-killing-of-460-militants-and-235-civilians-in-28-months-for-delhi-to-halt-security-operations-in-ramzan/

After killing 460 militants & 235 civilians in 28 months (nearly 25 Kashmiris every month since about October 2015), the Indian government announced it will halt hunt to kill operations during the month of Ramzan, the month of fasting. Since the summer of 2008, Indian occupying forces have killed over 600 civilians in street protests. An army spokesperson said they “reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people.” That means we can expect deaths possibly to abate but not to end during Ramzan.

A very sick 14-month-old Amal Muhammad Felfel from Gaza required medical care in a West Bank hospital. Israel allowed the little girl to be moved to hospital in the West Bank but refused to allow her parents out of Gaza to go with her. They expect her to be there for ten days of treatment. A very sick & frightened little girl with tubes & plugs all over her body & the state of Israel will not allow her mother & father to hold her hand! For anyone who has ever dealt with a sick child, that small-minded but vicious cruelty is enough to indict Israel.

This cruelty could be considered another nail in the coffin of a bantustate (two-state) ‘solution.’

Build BDS.

(Photo from several sources on Twitter, including Muhammad Smiry 🇵🇸 Gaza)

There’s a video on Twitter of a small group of Palestinians peacefully protesting in Al-Bireh in the West Bank as part of the 1948 Nakba commemorations. In the video, Israeli soldiers shoot an elderly man in the leg or foot & when medics rush to attend him where he is collapsed on the ground, they shoot at the medics too. With such documentation, it must be asked why the UN or ICC will not get off their dead rumps to charge & prosecute Israel for clear violations of international law. But then of course, they never charged them for shooting ambulances or bombing hospitals & clinics in 2014. Or for injuring & killing clearly marked journalists covering the Great Return March.

This is 35-year-old Mousa Jabr Abdulsalam Abu Hasnayn, a paramedic at the Great Return March, taking a selfie with his mother. He is among the 61 Palestinians shot down in cold blood by Israeli snipers on May 14th who are being vilified as Hamas terrorists. If the UN or ICC refuse to prosecute these human rights crimes, we must try them before the court of world opinion & build Palestinian solidarity & the BDS movement as a peaceful weapon for telling the truth. May they Rest In Peace.

(Photo of Mousa from Basem Naim on Twitter)

“You don’t need to set an alarm to wake up for Suhoor in Gaza. Zionist F16s do the job!.”

–Mohammed Matter

Chicago stands with Palestinians: there have been other rallies in the US, many initiated by or participated in by anti-Zionist Jewish groups. There will likely be many more in the next few weeks. This may be the time for Palestinian solidarity activists to consider coordinating days of protest so as to have a more powerful impact.

(Photo from Vinod Moonesinghe)