Stop this Cargo of Death!

WITH Israeli forces destroying a UN store full of food and medical supplies, and shelling a media centre where international correspondents were working, it is getting harder for Israeli government spokespersons to lie about what they are doing; or rather, it is getting harder for BBC and other Western media to nod and pretend to accept the lies in good faith.
That the Israelis are using white phosphorus in Gaza seems now to be generally admitted. Use of this weapon in built-up populated areas is a war crime.

Now we have this report from Amnesty International, which should help give the protests against Israel's war the sharper focus that sometimes seems lacking. When Gordon Brown said the other day that it was vital to stop the arms traffic, he was talking about weapons reaching the Palestinian resistance fighters. We say if Western politicians claim they want peace tthe arms supplies to Israel must be stopped!

(see http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions)

Amnesty has learnt that a German owned cargo ship, the Wehr Elbe, carrying huge amounts of weaponry from the U.S - possibly including controversial white phosphorous - has been heading for the Israeli port of Ashdod.

There are breaking news reports that the ship has been suspended after pressure from Amnesty International. At the time of writing the status of the shipment is unclear, but its deadly cargo remains on board. We must maintain pressure to prevent the arms from being unloaded and used to fuel the conflict in Gaza.

More munitions will only fuel further military aggression in Gaza. For the sake of civilians in Gaza and Israel, we need to prevent this deadly shipment from reaching its final destination.

Amnesty is urging Foreign Secretary David Miliband to increase international pressure to prevent this ship with its “vast consignment” of weapons docking anywhere in Israel. Further, we are calling on the UN Security Council for an immediate arms embargo on all parties involved in the bloody conflict in Gaza.

Stop civilian bloodshed in Gaza and Israel - join our urgent call for a full arms embargo on all parties involved in the Gaza conflict - this ship must be stopped