Terrible things are happening in Gaza

Terrible things are happening in Gaza.

Civilians, including women and children are being shot and killed by Israeli soldiers; the supply of adequate drinking water, sewage treatment, supplies of oil, gas and food are not being allowed through the Israeli controlled border. Helicopter gun-ships hover continually overhead and supersonic fighter planes swoop low over populated civilian areas at night.

Any yet, western press, especially here in New Zealand say little or nothing about this humanitarian disaster that looks more like controlled genocide or at best, ethnic cleansing of a democratically elected government and it's people.

If you want first hand civilian accounts of what is actually happening on the ground read what local bloggers Heba and Laila have to say or read some of the in-depth editorials of the BBC or other reliable sources such as the Independent.

And it's not a new phenomena.

When I visited this part of the world in 2000 as a 'Christian Pilgrim' I was horrified to see the plight of Palestinians who were robed of their lands, left stateless, economically trampled and forced to live as refugees wherever they could. More than 6 million of them with many still living in temporary camps through out the middle east.

You'd have to ask if Israel was serious about wanting peace with Palestine, to hand back the land it creased during the 6 day war and having a viable Palestinian Nation as its neighbor?

Well, wouldn't you?