Dozens protest against Israeli action in Gaza

By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter





Holding banners and pictures of wounded children, dozens of people demonstrated outside the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei yesterday morning, condemning Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying the military action has led to massive civilian injuries and deaths.

“Free Palestine, let Gaza live,” dozens of protesters chanted as they demonstrated outside the Israeli representative office while holding banners and placards condemning Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and urging the US to stop providing military and economic assistance to Jerusalem.

“Since 2000, Israel has killed, on average, one child every three days,” Labor Party Vice Chairman Tang Shu (唐曙) told onlookers. “But in the past nine days since Israel renewed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, the number of children killed has far surpassed that.”

Activists hold a banner that reads “[We] condemn Israel’s blockade and massacre in Gaza” in front of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Tang said that Israel has accused Hamas of being behind the kidnapping and murder of three Israelis and it launched the attack on the Gaza Strip in retaliation.

“Although there’s already another Islamic group that claims responsibility for [the kidnappings], Israel still launched the military action on Gaza,” Tang said. “As of today, Israeli attacks have led to nearly 200 deaths and injured 1,400 people — and the vast majority of them are civilians.”

“This is not a war, it’s an unjust massacre,” Tang added.

Tang dismissed a ceasefire declaration by Israel, the US and Egypt as “merely a political show” and urged Taiwanese to boycott Israeli products in protest.

A Taiwanese Muslim surnamed Wang (王) slammed Israeli remarks that its attacks on the Gaza Strip were launched in self-defense.

“Would it make any sense to you if another country invaded Taiwan and we resisted for the survival of our own country and then the invader told the world that it was waging war against Taiwan in self-defense?” he said.

In a later statement in response to the protesters, the Israeli representative office said that it would continue its bombing of the Gaza Strip if Hamas did not accept the ceasefire proposed by Egypt.

“Hamas left us no choice — responding with the launch of over 140 rockets on Israeli territory since 9am July 15 — but to broaden and intensify the campaign against it,” the statement said.

“This is what we will do until we achieve our goal — the restoration of quiet for Israel’s citizens by inflicting a significant blow on the terrorist organizations, while taking all possible measures to protect uninvolved civilians,” the statement added.