[Peace] Gaza Talk

[eheim2 at illinois.edu]

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The Crisis in Gaza and the Struggle for Justice in Palestine
Monday, Feb. 2 at 7pm
Greg 319
featuring: Eric Ruder, journalist for Socialist Worker and frequent
contributor on Palestine and the Antiwar Movement

Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire after a 23-day onslaught on Gaza that left more than 1,250 Palestinians dead and more than 4,000 wounded. Among the dead are at least 280 children and 95 women. The relentless pounding from the skies has drastically worsened already dire conditions caused by Israel's suffocating siege of the last 18 months.

Israel's attack has stirred outrage around the world. But among U.S. political leaders--from the Republican Bush administration to the Democratic leaders in Congress--there is unanimous support for Israel's war, and universal acceptance of the claim that Hamas, the Islamist party that won elections to the Palestinian National Assembly nearly three years ago, is "to blame for the violence."

What are the root causes of Israel's terror in Gaza and what strategies can we use to end this crisis?