ON DECEMBER 27, 2009, a well-organized Twitter campaign by activist Nadine Moawad brought together over 100 activists to "tweet" about the invasion and the atrocities in Gaza.
The effort sparked the interest of many, and the message quickly spread. At its peak, the topic "Gaza" ended up third on Twitter's "trending topics" list. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of Twitter users becoming aware of the still-grave situation in Gaza, a situation that is largely ignored by the Western media.
The suppression of truth is becoming more difficult in this age of social networking, but the spread of disinformation is also rampant. Mainstream Western broadcast media does not mention that 80 percent of Gazans depend on aid to survive. These 80 percent are considered to be living below the poverty line and are denied access to aid convoys by Israel as well as Egypt.
The Twitter campaign coincided with the Viva Palestina and Gaza Freedom March trips to Gaza. There were protests at Egyptian embassies around the world as the corrupt Mubarak government initially refused to allow convoys through at the Rafah border crossing. The bravery of these Viva Palestina and Gaza Freedom Marchers is to be commended.
It is deplorable and sad to observe the hostility that arises when a few people offer compassion to the oppressed. The Western media and cyperspace has called any condemnation of Israel's crimes against humanity and illegal invasions as "anti-Israel" and "anti-Semitic." This attempt to suppress constructive criticism in foreign policy discourse must be called out for what it is: The outright desire to restrict free speech in the cause of human rights.
The attack on those who are trying to raise awareness for the anniversary of a callous assault on 1.5 million inhabitants in Gaza (which happened a year ago) is nothing more than a smear campaign. It is part of a propaganda war that has had untold damage on the Western consciousness when it comes to basic human rights.
An example is an online organization called "The Jewish Internet Defense Force" (JIDF) which has been hailed by Rush Limbaugh and other notable right-wing personalities. It is unfortunate that the JIDF attacks peaceful bloggers, writers and activists such as Noam Chomsky, Jillian York of the Huffington Post, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now and Twitter campaign organizer Nadine Moawad--who all desire nothing more than the extension of the very basic of human rights to a repressed, starving people.
With power comes the illusion of immunity, Israel and the U.S. are isolated in their treatment of the Palestinians. Why is it so difficult for Westerners to see this and realize that this nation's foreign policy needs serious revision? Why are we not demanding that aid to Israel be stopped until the occupation, siege, blockade and denial of basic human rights and goods are ended?
The fear of being labeled "anti-Semitic" is certainly one factor. However, the fact the oppressors were once oppressed themselves is the ultimate example of historical amnesia. We must not all become amnesiac. There is no justice in the persecuted directing that oppression onto someone else. We must not forget the importance of forgiveness and compassion. We can no longer turn our heads when we see injustice!
We must wake up to the world around us and choose to be less narcissistic. The lack of concern in the West is so evident by the question that I, as well as the other activists, were asked on December 27, 2009 on Twitter: "What is Gaza?"
Tim Hartman, Madison, Wis.
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