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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May-June 2008, page 71 Waging Peace San Francisco Protesters Denounce Israel’s Attacks on Gaza
SIX-MONTH-OLD Mohammed al-Bourai was one of the more than 115 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes and ground incursions in Gaza between Feb. 28 and March 5. Hundreds more Palestinians were wounded. Denouncing these military attacks on predominantly civilians—at least 58 children were killed—some 200 Bay Area residents protested in front of the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco March 7. “Enough funding of Israeli war crimes,” Hatem Bazian, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of California at Berkeley, told the crowd. “We need to send a message to Senators [Barbara] Boxer and [Dianne] Feinstein to stop aid to Israel.” Middle East Children’s Alliance director Barbara Lubin made an emotional plea on behalf of the young victims of Israel’s brutal attacks. “In Palestine children are suffering and their families are being killed,” she said. “Children have a right to live free of fear.” The redoubtable activist condemned U.S. tax dollars given to the Jewish state to buy weapons used to kill Palestinian civilians. The protest was sponsored by many peace groups, including the Middle East Children’s Alliance, American Muslims for Palestine and ANSWER. —Elaine Pasquini |
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