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Need some help figuring out why Israel’s bombing of Gaza doesn’t sit quite right with you? Luckily for you, I’ve compiled some useful resources. 

– The Palestinian politician’s perspective: Here’s an article in the Huffington Post by Mustafa Barghouthi, the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, detailing why Israel’s actions are the actions of an occupying power, not acting in self-defense, not simply striking military targets. Barghouthi writes that the attacks are a political stunt intended to make Tzipi Livni look tough enough to get elected-comparing her to John McCain when he "suspended" his campaign to face the economic crisis.

– A practical leftist Israeli perspective: An op-ed in Haaretz by Tom Segev, where he says Israel’s big mistake here may not only be a moral one-it’s also a military one. Targeting Palestinian authorities with violence and attempting to impose a new, moderate leadership has never resulted in improved relations with Palestinians. "Since the dawn of the Zionist presence in the Land of Israel, no military operation has ever advanced dialogue with the Palestinians."

– A Palestinian student’s personal experience: Check out this email, currently being forwarded around by Jewish Peace News (a subset of Jewish Voice for Peace). Here’s an excerpt: "Outside my home, (which is close to the 2 largest universities in Gaza) a missile fell on a large group of young men, university students, they’d been warned not to stand in groups, it makes them an easy target, but they were waiting for buses to take them home.  7 were killed, 4 students and 3 of our neighbors kids, young men who were from the same family (Rayes) and were best friends. As I’m writing this I can hear a funeral procession go by outside, I looked out the window a moment ago and it was the 3 Rayes boys,  They spent all their time together when they were alive, they died together and now their sharing the same funeral together. Nothing could stop my 14 year old brother from rushing out to see the bodies of his friends laying in the street after they were killed.  He hasn’t spoken a word since."

– More personal accounts of the violence from Amira Hass on Haaretz‘s website

– A summary of conditions in Gaza since 2005 from B’Tselem, another Israeli human rights organization

– A humanitarian appeal: From Physicians for Human Rights-Israel comes a call for donated supplies. They write: "As the situation stands, Palestinian doctors are performing surgeries without surgical gloves, local or general anesthetics, gauze, sterilized equipment or sufficient oxygen for patients. All together, there are only 1,500 hospital beds available in Gaza’s 13 publicly run hospitals. A fleet of 60 ambulances is now reduced by half. The endless flow of new wounded and the need for beds has led to a suspension of care for dozens of other patients, including cancer, cardiac, and other chronically ill patients, who have all been sent to their homes for the duration of the crisis. Patients are not being permitted entry to Egypt and all referrals out of Gaza via Erez crossing have been suspended."

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