arch-peace news and articles

17.7.06

arch-peace: outrage at bombardment of Lebanon and Palestine

Dear Members and Colleagues from Lebanon and Palestine,

Architects for Peace would like to express our outrage at the bombardment of your country or territory, the death and the destruction of cities and infrastructure.

This attack emphasises the need to create a consciousness across the international community. Please help us to do this by using the website to express your voice - you have this right and Architects for Peace exists for this purpose - peace and social justice.

Architects for Peace condemns these attacks and shares the view of the European Union, who has declared Israel's attacks as "disproportionate" and has urged for both sides to show restraint. Disproportionate attacks result in disproportionate human misery and destruction.

We feel for the victims of these attacks, whether in Palestine, Lebanon or Israel. We hope that reason can prevail and peace can be achieved.

There may be dissenting views, contrary views, annoying views! Any view is better than our silence.

In solidarity,

Beatriz C. Maturana (Architects for Peace president) and the Architects for Peace's Committee of Management


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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Gaza, unlike the 1994 West Bank, is supposed to be a semi-autonomous sovereign territory. By bombing its main power station, Israel has deprived most of Gaza of electricity, including water-pumping stations. Sealing off access to water and food can only inflict acute discomfort on the people there; already, frailer Palestinians are dying."

Israel's act of war is inexcusable, Will Hutton
Sunday July 2, 2006, The Observer
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1810752,00.html?gusrc=rss

Anthony McInneny said...

The impotence and the lunacy of the Australian Government's stance on the crisis in Lebanon is no more apparent that in the sole concern to evacuate Australians from Lebanon.

The suggestion by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer that Israel will not undertake a cease fire to allow safe passage for Australians to evacuate under the accepted excuse that Israel does not want Hezbollah to consolidate its position in its own country is only contradicted by the fact that the Australian Government must feel very secure in Lebanon with Hezbollah around to adorn the buses carrying the few Australians that can escape with the Australian flag. If Hezbollah, as a terrorist organization in its own country, were to take hostages of Australians it would be expected. However this is not the case and it is from Israel that Australian nationals need to fear for their lives.

The more important omission on behalf of the Australian Government is the fact that there is no expressed opposition to the Israeli bombing of civilian infrastructure – airports, universities, media broadcasters, only an echoing of the USA expression of support for Israel’s right to self defence by bombing 400 kilometres inside Lebanon to the capital Beirut.

There is no debate in Australian politics on the disproportionate response of Israel who, by all accounts is trying to or has destroyed the main infrastructure in Lebanon on the pretext of securing the release of two Israeli soldiers. This will set Lebanon back many decades at a cost of billions of dollars and many lives.

There must be another way to negotiate the release of soldiers who, from any perspective, can only be considered as prisoners of what has now become a self-evident war. Quantanamo Bay holds several hundred less recognizable soldiers. The military might of Israel and the threat of its use must put the balance of power to negotiate a peace deal squarely in their court. There is no need to exercise this might with such ruthless disregard and singular purpose.

I support the call for a cease-fire and hope that my Government can do the same. This support is not to only to secure the safe passage of Australian citizens but more importantly to save what is left of Lebanon, Beirut and prevent more human suffering in addition to the hundreds of Lebanese civilians being murdered in the war which we support through inaction and acquiescence to the bidding of the USA.

Anonymous said...

Despite the EU's statement I find it a little contradictory that that have said the attacks are "disproportionate" when the EU's Justice Commisionner, Franco Frattini has just stated that he would like a task force of 250-300 troops to "deal" with the influx of immigration from already crises stricken coutries. Will they open their doors to the victims of this war as they once did? I do not want to start an immigration thread but this war seems to only escalate as the days go by and there has been little coverage on where the people who have been unjustly displaced by this war are to go.

Anonymous said...

Bloodshed about to spill over: Gorbachev
Liz Minchin
July 21, 2006

NOBEL peace prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev:

"There had been an over-the-top response by the Israeli Government to Hezbollah's terrorist attacks"

"I believe that it's very important to have an agreed demand from the UN Security Council for a ceasefire.

"Mr Gorbachev defended the right of governments to strike back at guerilla violence, but said he could not condone the scale of Israel's military bombardment of Lebanon."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bloodshed-about-to-spill-over-gorbachev/2006/07/20/1153166520813.html

Beatriz Maturana said...

Join us to demonstrate for peace

Melbourne: Sunday July 30, 1pm, State Library

"I am gravely concerned about Gaza ... I call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate and disproportionate violence ... and the reopening of closed crossing points, without which Gaza will continue to be sucked in a downward spiral of suffering and chaos, and the region further inflamed," Kofi Annan. (ABC:http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1692607.htm)

Anonymous said...

End Israel's crimes against humanity

30,000 demonstrate in London
Protests held across London and worldwide.

Dozens of cities and towns across the world held emergency demonstrations on Saturday 22 July against Israel's war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza and to demand an immediate ceasefire, including:

London • Geneva • Chicago • Beirut • Basra • TelAviv • Warsaw • Santiago • Melbourne • Sydney •Stockholm • Paris • Montreal • Mexico City • 2000 in Manchester • 2000 in Glasgow • 1500 in Edinburgh • Newcastle • Sheffield

find about the next rally: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Anonymous said...

Urgent letter to Tony Blair

Sign this letter to Tony Blair now
from Stop the War Coalition and CND


Dear Prime Minister,

Most people in this country are, we believe, horrified at the bloodshed and destruction unfolding daily in Lebanon. There can be no justification for the cruel and disproportionate conduct of the Israeli government and armed forces which is laying waste to a country while doing nothing to expedite the stated aim of securing the release of the imprisoned Israeli soldiers.

We are dismayed that the British government, almost alone in the world, is not calling for a ceasefire to enable the suffering to stop. This either shows a deplorable indifference to the plight of the Lebanese people or an attitude of total and ...

sign this letter: http://www.stopwar.org.uk stop the war coalition

Anonymous said...

They have bombed Red Cross ambulances and now the UN!!

25 July 2006 – Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed shock and deep distress over what he called the “apparently deliberate targeting” by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) of a United Nations observer post in southern Lebanon that has killed two military observers, with two more feared dead.

“I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop,” Mr. Annan after hearing of the attack on the post of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Rome, where he arrived today for talks on the explosion of violence in the Middle Eastern country.(...)
UN News Center: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19306&Cr=leban&Cr1=

Anonymous said...

If some of you still think that Israel's war is unavoidable and perhaps necessary, then have a look at this website. On the other hand, if you know this is a cruel an unjustified war, please don't go there as it is extremelly upsetting: http://www.uruknet.info/?l=e&p=m24876&hd=0&size=1

Anonymous said...

an interesting view from within:

"Because Hezbollah has positioned itself as the "David" in this war, every day that the killing continues burnishes its reputation within the Arab world. Every day that more of the Lebanese infrastructure is turned to dust, Beirut's fragile democracy becomes weaker, both in its ability to function and in the eyes of its people.

The impact is not limited to Lebanon or Israel. Every day America gives the green light to further Israeli violence, our already tattered reputation sinks even lower. The reluctance of our closest allies in the Middle East even to receive Secretary Rice this week in their capitals attests to this fact.

It is time for the United States to step forward with the authority and balance that this moment requires.

The writer was [USA] secretary of state from 1993 to 1997."

The Washington Port, A Time To Act,By Warren Christopher
Friday, July 28, 2006; Page A25. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072701420.html

Anonymous said...

more about destroyed infrastructure:
http://www.itp.net/business/features/details.php?id=4799&category=

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