People of Faith CT

January 1, 2009
By Randall Beach
New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN — Stomping their feet to keep warm in the snowstorm, 30 protesters picketed and marched Wednesday afternoon, calling for an end to Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrators, who gathered on the steps of the federal courthouse, also demanded an end to U.S. military support of Israel. They said American taxpayers are funding the bombing.

After about a half-hour of speeches at the courthouse across from the Green, the group marched down the sidewalk to the Elm Street office of U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3, hoping to enlist her support for their cause. They were unsuccessful.

Israeli officials have said the bombing is necessary because of ongoing missile attacks by Hamas against southern Israel.

Stanley Heller, chairman of the Middle East Crisis Committee, noted similar protests were taking place around the world, propelled by the deaths of more than 360 people in Gaza. The U.N. said at least 62 of them were civilians.

“We call for Connecticut’s congressional delegation to speak out now against the killing,” Heller said. “The violence is being described in the media as a ‘war,’ but the Israelis so overpower the Palestinians in the means of violence and the number killed that the event has to be described as a massacre.”

Heller said Israel is using American-made military equipment for the attacks. He denounced “the complicity of the Bush administration and the silence of the Obama administration.”

Heller said President-elect Barack Obama is issuing statements about the economic crisis, so he should not hesitate to speak out about “this obvious human rights emergency” in the Middle East.

Asked to comment on Israeli leaders’ statements they are retaliating because Hamas broke a six-month cease-fire Dec. 19, Heller said, “It was Israel who broke it, on Nov. 4. They killed six Palestinians.”

Heller’s version of events is “skewed,” according to David Waren, regional director in Connecticut office of the Anti-Defamation League.

Waren said Heller ignores the months before Nov. 4, during which Hamas often broke the cease-fire. Waren said Israeli forces responded Nov. 4 in a limited manner to the threat of Hamas kidnapping an Israeli soldier.

“Israel has shown the utmost restraint in responding to the nearly constant barrage of rockets aimed from Gaza at Israel’s civilian population,” Waren said. He added Israeli officials first sought diplomatic measures.

“No sovereign government in the world would stand by and allow its citizens to remain under constant attack,” Waren said. “Israel had no choice but to protect its citizens who have been terrorized by the ongoing Hamas assault. Israel has done so with the utmost restraint and care to avoid harming civilians.”

Waren called Hamas “an Islamic extremist terrorist organization” aiming to eliminate the state of Israel.

Heller said, “We’re not defending Hamas. We’re defending the Palestinian people.”

Heller said it’s wrong for Hamas to launch missiles. “Hamas’ missiles are random; almost all of them kill civilians. People have a right to resist but killing civilians is wrong,” he said.

When Heller and several other protesters entered the lobby of the building housing DeLauro’s office and asked to meet with a congressional representative, concierge Al Korn called the upstairs office. Korn said he believed the office had closed early because of the snowstorm.

After a brief conversation with somebody in DeLauro’s office, Korn told Heller, “The office is closed. Come back Monday.”

Heller went back outside and told the other demonstrators what had happened. He noted he had called Tuesday to notify the DeLauro office of the group’s plans.

“They told me they’d be open till 5,” Heller said. “Now they say, ‘We’re closing, we have nothing.’ Rosa DeLauro has nothing for you — nothing but contempt for the American people.”

Reached by phone an hour later, DeLauro staffer Jeff Bombard deferred comment to DeLauro’s Washington office. He would not say why nobody had come downstairs to speak with the demonstrators. DeLauro’s director of communications in Washington could not be reached for comment.

Wednesday’s demonstration was organized by A.N.S.W.E.R., the American Friends Service Commitee of Connecticut, People of Faith CT and Socialist Action, in addition to the Middle East Crisis Committee.

Meanwhile, the New Haven Islamic Center is collecting medical supplies for victims of the Gaza bombings. The group seeks walkers, crutches, wheelchairs and medical drugs with 18 months expiration date.

Donors are asked to bring the supplies or checks, made out to Islamic Relief, to the center at 2 Prudden St. in West Haven Friday.