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Monday, June 26, 2006


 

The "good news" from Palestine


The San Jose Mercury News reports on the tale of Isra'a El Batsh, a 3 1/2-year-old Palestinian girl in San Jose to get a prosthetic eye, courtesy of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, to replace the one which was obliterated by an Israeli missile, courtesy of the Israeli government and the U.S. taxpayer.

Of course, reading the article reveals the backstory: "Isra'a El Batsh, just 3 1/2 years old, lost her right eye in March when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile into her densely populated Gaza neighborhood." Just for emphasis let's repeat that: fired a missile into her densely populated Gaza neighborhood.

Isra's, like Mariyah Amin (who, along with her now-dead family members, was also hit by a missile in a densely populated Gaza neighborhood), is just one of many such victims of Israeli state terrorism:

The health care system in the Palestinian territories is underdeveloped for numerous reasons. Local hospitals are regularly overwhelmed with civilian casualties and lack supplies. There are long waiting lists of children who need surgery. And talented physicians often leave the region due to the stress of living under military occupation and the constant cycle of violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian extremists.

"There's a medical and humanitarian crisis in Palestine right now," said PCRF President Steve Sosebee, who lives in Ohio but came to San Jose to be with Isra'a on Friday. "These are innocent victims of poverty and conflict, and they deserve health care."
And more to come, with Israeli tanks entering Gaza.

Update: I just realized I left out the other part of Isra'a's story:

The missile attack killed two of Isra'a's young cousins and also injured her 10-year-old brother, Mohammed.


// posted @ 6/26/2006 10:36:00 AM // 

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