drlj

Since October 4th, at least one child has been killed and 10 injured daily by Israel in Lebanon. Fifty children were killed in Northern Gaza yesterday. Gaza’s children are not merely ‘collateral’ which would be horrific enough, but are targets of genocide, of erasure, of extermination. The Palestinian people have been so completely dehumanised that the world continues to stand by, spectators to the horror show. I sent more money to Osama and his family in Khan Younis, but they need much more than I can give. Osama is one of 8 siblings. His youngest sister Haya is just 11 years old. She has been robbed of her childhood. His father Sobhi has diabetes, and a deep foot ulcer, as well as heart disease. They cannot afford the escalating price of medications and there is no functioning health service.

It is too awful.

There was some hope this week as Barclays divested from Elbit systems after a direct action campaign. Until recently, Barclays owned over 16,000 shares in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company, worth over $3,400,000. For over a year, Palestine Action activists have targeted Barclays premises, smashing branch windows and spraying them in blood-red paint. This has put Barclays sites out of operation for weeks, raising the costs associated with dealing with Elbit. Palestine Action’s broader campaign against Elbit systems and its’ financial and industrial partners aims to make the cost of dealing in genocide, occupation, and apartheid exceed the potential to profit from it. 

The CEOs of these corporations have no conscience, but hit their bottom line and they act.