Urgent letter to the UN chief from Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem and worldwide 'For 60 years the State of Israel has been desecrating and violating our sacred religion!' "Today, as we write this letter, the Zionist regime is waging an unrelenting war of starvation and suffering against the people of Gaza." People all over the world are protesting against Israel’s siege of Gaza. Jews in Israel too have rallied in support. Last Saturday the Israeli peace bloc – Gush Shalom – mounted a convoy of about 2,000 people to protest this inhuman action by the Israeli government taking with them supplies by the tons for the besieged Palestinians. As of Monday, these supplies still had not been allowed through and Gush Shalom is prepared to take this matter to court if the supplies continue to be held up. Below is a letter written by Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem to the UN SecretaryGeneral denouncing Israel’s actions. Nevertheless, the UN Security Council decided to withdraw its demand to denounce Israel’s action after a battle amongst the members which was subsequently held by the Israeli delegation and backed by the United States. Israel’s foreign minister Livni who expressed satisfaction with the withdrawal of the demand said, “Israel should not have to apologise for actions aimed at defending its citizens.” Yesterday’s ruling by the Israeli High Court sanctioning its government’s October 2007 decision to cut fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip is in direct contravention of international law which forbids the collective punishment of a civilian population. The protests and boycotts must continue if the Palestinians in Gaza are to stand a chance against the powerful forces lined up against them. - SK 21 January 2008 URGENT LETTER To The esteemed Secretary-General of the United Nations, The Honourable Ban-Ki Moon From About The current Zionist onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza Dear Hon. Secretary-General: It is with a heavy heart that we write you from the city of Jerusalem. For sixty years the authorities of what is mischaracterized as the "Jewish State" have been undertaking a vicious campaign of oppression and ethnic cleansing against millions of Palestinians who currently still live in historic Palestine and who are refugees from Palestine in other countries. Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem and worldwide And they have been committing all these crimes in the name of the ancient and holy Jewish religion! For sixty years the State of Israel has been desecrating and violating our sacred religion! For sixty years the State of Israel has been flaunting international law and United Nation General Assembly and Security Council resolutions! For sixty years they have been bringing Mankind to the edge of world war, claiming to do so in the name of Judaism! Even today, as we write this letter, the Zionist regime is waging an unrelenting war of starvation and suffering against the people of Gaza. In the name of the sacred values of the Jewish religion we cry out to the international community and especially the great powers and the United Nations: Please use your skills to finally stop the vicious and insane campaigns of the State of Israel against the Palestinians whose suffering worsens from one day to the next under the heavy hand of occupation and oppression, ethnic cleansing and discrimination! Mr. Secretary-General, we beseech you to use your offices to work with world leaders to stop this mad campaign of collective punishment and oppression! Our holy religion teaches us values that are the utter opposite of those of the State of Israel: we are taught by our Torah to live in harmony and brotherhood, friendship and neighborliness. The State of Israel is trying to use its military power to preserve its ethnocracy and is demanding that the world community watch silently as they continue to hammer the Palestinian People year after year with the most sophisticated weapons of war. This cannot go on any longer! The state-sponsored terrorism and collective punishment practiced by the State of Israel must be condemned and stopped! We fervently pray that God guide world leaders to take the necessary action to stop the suffering of the Palestinian People, rein in the State of Israel, restore the full rights of the Palestinians throughout their homeland in historic Palestine, and thereby create peace not only in the Holy Land, but also throughout the world. The world cannot stand by and watch the State of Israel commit these terrible crimes! Thank you kindly for your attention to this urgent matter, Yours truly, Rabbi Meir Hirsh Neturei Karta Jerusalem, Palestine