Not in our name it wasn't!

There have many rallies around the world against Israel and in support of the poor people of Gaza who have had to endure 3 weeks of constant bombardment - apart from the 18 months blockade preceding it.

It has been heartening to see the response of many Jews, both individually and collectively, in attacking Israel's actions - and not be beholden to organisations claiming to speak for their respective Jewish communities. At one rally, in Melbourne Australia, Peter Slezak, co-founder of Australia's IAJV [Independent Australian Jewish Voices], spoke clearly of how Israel's conduct ought to be viewed:

"We have a responsibility to turn our moral concern into meaningful action, because it is here, in the West, that the fate of Palestine is decided. We must find ways to counter the barrage of deceit that prevents people from understanding what is going on and reacting to it as human beings.

History is being re-written even as it happens. So, it is a lie that Israel is defending itself. There are no Palestinian F-16 jets bombing Israel. There are no Palestinian tanks in the streets of Tel-Aviv.

The assault on Gaza is not a war, but a cowardly act of terrorism."

Read the stirring and eloquent address, in full, here.

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