Activists want Noynoy to condemn Israel's attack on Gaza

Peace activists on Wednesday appealed to President-elect Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III to condemn Israel’s attacks on Gaza Strip and push for the lifting of the blockade on the disputed area which affects 1.5 million people. “We hope with the new administration, sana kung may malakas na panawagan, sa simula pa lamang sabihin na ng Noynoy administration na hindi niya nagugustuhan yung pangyayari sa Middle East," Dr. Julkipli Wadi, dean of the University of the Philippines Institute of Islamic Studies, said at a forum. (We hope that the new administration will make strong calls against the developments in the Middle East.) For his part, Herbert Docena, a graduate student at the University of California-Berkeley, said Aquino should, at the very least, not invite the Israel ambassador at his inauguration on June 30 and cut diplomatic ties with the said country. “Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Africa were able to do it, among other countries, why can’t the Philippines?" he said. Members of Peace and Democracy Program-Focus in the Global South and Stop the War Coalition!-Philippines organized the forum to create further awareness among Filipinos regarding the situation in Gaza. The issue is complex, involving the history of the Israelis and Palestinians, organizers said. But it is not complex enough to refuse to care because "it is not right to occupy another people's country, drive people out of their homes, and treat human beings like cockroaches," they said. In 2007, Israel started blocking Gaza by land and sea to disallow the entry of weapons that could be used against Israel, weaken the Hamas government, and pressure militants to release an Israeli soldier who has been held for four years. The embargo also banned building supplies like concrete from entering Gaza since these materials could be used to build fortifications. Because of the blockade, people living in Gaza has encountered difficulty getting food, medicine, and basic humanitarian goods from other countries. On May 31, the Israeli army attacked Freedom Flotilla, carrying 10,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid including cement, medicines, school supplies, bound for Gaza. The attack killed 10 people and injured dozen others. The convoy was comprised of six ships with 600 people on board including human rights activists, a Nobel laureate, and several European legislators. Wadi expressed hope the incoming president would reverse or implement a redirection of the Philippines’ foreign policy regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. “Napakalamya o napakalambot ng posisyon ng GMA (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's initials) administration, nagpadala ng certain amount, few dollars to the people of Gaza, yun ang pinakakonkretong suporta na naipakita ng GMA admin as far as the war in Gaza is concerned," Wadi said. (The Arroyo administration has taken a soft position on this issue, sending a few dollars to the people of Gaza. That’s the only concrete support that the Arroyo administration has shown as far as the war in Gaza is concerned.) The Philippines’ foreign policy has been subservient to the policy being implemented by the United States, the UP dean said. He also expressed hope that the civil society group around Aquino would help put in a new face on the foreign policy to be implemented by his administration. - RJAB Jr/KBK, GMANews.TV