Gaza Again Plunged into Darkness, Hunger as Israel Blocks Fuel, Food to Suffering Population

Democracy Now! | Gaza Again Plunged into Darkness, Hunger as Israel Blocks Fuel, Food to Suffering Population:

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has worsened in the aftermath of Israel’s latest blockade of fuel and food. We speak to Diana Buttu, a former lawyer for the Palestinian Authority, and Reverend Edwin “Eddie” Makue of the South African Council of Churches, a veteran of South Africa’s apartheid struggle. They are on an “anti-apartheid” speaking tour across the US for the next two weeks.

The United Nations refugee agency which distributes food to half of Gaza’s 1.5 million people has warned that it will run out of food in a day if Israel’s blockade of the Gaza strip does not stop. It called the blockade “a physical as well as a mental punishment."

Israel is now allowing limited amounts of fuel after Gaza’s sole power plant came to a halt Monday, plunging the area into darkness. But Israel is still blocking food deliveries and aid agencies estimate the new supply of fuel will run out within a day-and-a-half.

An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that began in June has been disrupted following the imposition of the blockade and Israel’s foreign ministry has accused Hamas of exploiting the situation for political gain. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that a violent confrontation with Hamas was inevitable.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The Bush administration has strongly backed Israel’s stranglehold on Gaza. It’s unclear whether this policy will change under an Obama White House. Obama’s first major appointment was to select Congressmember Rahm Emmanuel as his chief of staff. On foreign policy, Emanuel is thought to represent the right-wing of the Democratic Party. He has vocally backed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and its 2006 attack on Lebanon. Emmanuel’s father, Benjamin Emmanuel, was a member of the Irgun, a right-wing group that carried out attacks on Palestinians in the years leading up to Israel’s establishment as a state in 1948. Benjamin Emmanuel recently made some controversial comments on his son’s appointment. In an interview with an Israeli newspaper last week, he said: “Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he be? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to clean the floors of the White House.”

We’re joined in the firehouse studio by two internationally recognized human rights advocates. Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and used to work with the Negotiations Support Unit of the Palestinian Liberation Organization or PLO. Reverend Edwin “Eddie” Makue is General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. He was involved in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa from 1982. In 2005 he traveled to the Palestinian territories to monitor the elections. Diana Buttu and Revered Makue are on an anti-apartheid speaking tour across the country for the next two weeks.

Diana Buttu, Palestinian Canadian lawyer. She used to work with the Negotiations Support Unit of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or PLO.

Rev. Edwin Makue, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches.



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