Did you know?
By Gabriele Zamparini
"I, Tsilli Goldenberg, Israeli citizen
Accuse you - Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel,
Amir Peretz, Minister of Defense, Dan Halutz Head of
Staff Chief Commander of the Israeli Army, of
committing this bestial barbaric slaughter in Lebanon.
I accuse you of committing Crimes against Humanity
towards the Palestinian People. I accuse you of
deserting our soldiers, when their lives could be
saved by negotiations, and I accuse you of starting an
unjustified war in my name." - Tsilli Goldenberg,
Masarik 11, Jerusalem 93106 Israel
Did you know that "Dana Olmert, the daughter of
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert... [was one of]
the demonstrators [who] chanted slogans such as
'Tzahala residents, there's a murderer in your
neighborhood,' and raised signs calling on the
government to 'put a stop to the murder of civilians'
and stating, 'Halutz is a killer, the Intifada shall
prevail.' Activists also shouted, 'neighbors, ask
Halutz why he's killing children and how many'"?
Why not?
Did you know that "45% of those killed in Lebanon are
children and of the 500,000 people who have fl ed to
safety, some 200,000 are children"?
Why not?
Did you know that Israel bombed "the nation's biggest
private network, the Lebanese Broadcasting
Corporation"?
Why not?
Did you know that a "big milk factory in the Bekaa
region called 'Liban Lait' was completely burned and
destroyed by direct attacks from the Israeli Air
Force."? And that a "food storehouse called 'TransMed'
in Choueifate, in Beirut's southern suburbs, was
totally destroyed"?
Why not?
Did you know that "Lebanon's president accused Israel
on Monday of using phosphorous bombs in its 13-day
offensive and urged the United Nations to demand an
immediate ceasefire"?
Why not?
Did you know that "the bodies of 13 Lebanese fighters
were taken from Maroun al-Ras and buried in Israel to
use in future negotiations over the release of Israeli
prisoners"?
Why not?
Did you know that "Israeli military has said it will
destroy 10 buildings in predominantly Shia south
Beirut for every rocket fired at the Israeli port of
Haifa, army radio said Monday"?
Why not?
Did you know that "The delivery of at least 100 GBU 28
bunker busters bombs containing depleted uranium
warheads by the United States to Israel for use
against targets in Lebanon will result in additional
radioactive and chemical toxic contamination with
consequent adverse health and environmental effects
throughout the middle east."?
Why not?
Did you know that what's going on is "subject to
review by Israel's chief military censor, who has - in
her own words – 'extraordinary power'. She can silence
a broadcaster, block information and put journalists
in jail"?
Why not?
Did you know that "according to the Lebanese police
force, the two [Israeli] soldiers were captured in
Lebanese territory"?
Why not?
Did you know how the "cross-border" myth originated?
Why not?
From the beginning of this new chapter of the old
madness, many people have been following on the
internet this shame. We are a peaceful army of world
citizens, working for free and moved by solidarity,
compassion and an inner drive for justice. Not anger!
But even among the elites of the anti-war movement and
the so-called "left", too many have never been
listening to us. Let alone important journalists
working for the "pro-Israeli" mainstream media who
still believe that the "internet is a new thing, and
it's also unreliable."
More than sixty years ago George Orwell wrote in The
Freedom of the Press, a Preface to his political
novel, Animal Farm:
"But at least let us have no more nonsense about
defending liberty against Fascism. If liberty means
anything at all it means the right to tell people what
they do not want to hear. The common people still
vaguely subscribe to that doctrine and act on it… it
is the liberals who fear liberty and the intellectuals
who want to do dirt on the intellect…"
This Preface was censored when the book came out in
1945 and it was only published in The Times Literary
Supplement on 15 September 1972. Twenty seven years
after Animal Farm was first published.
Best regard