all of the journalistic words have been, are being, said already. look here on Electronic Intifada for some of the best of both personal accounts and analytic writing. and here and here for a sharp look at the regional context from Abu Aardvark.

to me, there’s only one thing worth saying on the journalistic side:

24 israelis have been killed by rocket or mortar attacks from gaza, ever.
more than 300 palestinians have been killed by the israeli blitzkrieg in gaza in the past 2 days.
more than 3,300 palestinians have been killed by the israeli military in gaza since 2000.

and it needs to be said over and over and over again.

beyond the journalistic. words aren’t worth much, or are everything.

i’ve been looking for a translation of perets markish’s “di kupe” ['the heap'], which i remember as a powerful poetic response to the willful destruction of a city, but i can’t find it.

so this will have to do, from howard fast’s raw, flawed, “Never to Forget”:

LET the memory be cold as ice, clear as glass, and bright as a diamond!
For every child killed, for every body flayed,
For every tear wept, for every moan, every scream, every pain,
For every naked body in a mass grave,
For every cut and bruise,
For every oven where flesh became ash, for every gas chamber,
For every diabolical device,
For every gallows where the bodies, swaying, measured the wind,
For every ignominy, for every wrong,
Let there be no forgetfulness,
Let there be no dimming of the memory.

this is not a substitute for our voices in the street, and our concrete solidarity in action. there are demonstrations in solidarity with the people of gaza all over the place today and tomorrow. if there isn’t one planned where you are yet, organize it. and palestinian civil society organizations from across the political spectrum and around the world are reminding us all that they have made a single, specific request of all of us: to actively boycott, divest from, and call for sanctions on israel.

that means following the same principles that the anti-apartheid resistance followed in south africa, and that the worldwide boycott of nazi germany followed (until it was undermined by the zionist ‘transfer agreement’). that means a consumer boycott (if the barcode begins with 729, don’t buy it), a tourism boycott, a boycott of cultural institutions, and equally broad divestment campaigns. all of which will continue until the israeli government complies with international law by

1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

you can look here for the palestinian civil society calls to action, and for more concrete details on the boycott campaign, or here for an example of a local, highly effective divestment campaign (and in you’re in NYC, join us!)…

let there be no dimming of the memory

keynmol = keynmol
khurbn = khurbn
shveygn = toyt