• THE indiscriminate Israeli bombing of Gaza has so far killed over 200 civilians, including dozens of children.

The latest round of conflict was sparked by Jewish settlers attempting to evict 28 Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem where they have lived since 1948.

Those families were part of the 750,000 Palestinians forcibly expelled from their land and villages by Zionist militia in 1948.

In addition, more than 170 Palestinians were injured after Israeli police stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque during the holy Muslim festival of Ramadan, dispersing worshippers with stun grenades.

The closing off by the military of the steps around Damascus Gate in Ramadan, when it is a traditional evening meeting place for Palestinians, was a deliberate provocation which raised tension in Jerusalem.

Ahead of the violent incidents in Al Aqsa the army had entered the mosque some days before and cut off the Imam’s loudspeakers when the Israeli president was going to speak nearby.

A disturbing development has been inter-communal fighting between Jews and Israeli Palestinians.

Palestinians demonstrated in response to the events in Jerusalem and were violently attacked, including by settlers and others brought into Lod by bus loads and aided by police.

Mobs yelling “death to Arabs” have walked the streets with impunity, including in Jerusalem. Palestinian youth fought back, burning synagogues, etc.

Palestinians, for all their much-vaunted equal rights, remain second-class citizens, suffering discrimination in all areas of life.

Israel, with its occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza, has the means to bring about an end to the crisis, but Benjamin Netanyahu clearly has no interest in doing so or of accepting a two-state solution and accepts the “collateral damage” to the Israeli population which no doubt strengthens his declining premiership.

No one can be surprised at the reaction of Hamas engaged in a pyrrhic kind of defence, gaining prestige but no practical benefit for Palestinians, while the weakness of the Palestinian Authority leaves its people without effective leadership.

We call on our MP Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition, to demand that the British government make urgent representations to the Israeli government to cease its attacks on Palestinians and to end all arms trading with Israel.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called a second demonstration this Saturday May 22 to assemble at Victoria Embankment at 1pm, marching to Hyde Park.

SABBY SAGALL
Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
HELENA AKSENTIJEVIC
GEOFF LEE
VICTORIA BRITTAIN
LUCA SALICE
ROBERT BOYCE
GARETH MURPHY
UNA DOYLE
ROGER HIGGINSON
OWEN HOLLAND
RUTH TENNE
SUE CAMPBELL
STEPHEN KAPOS