The Struggle Video News

Toufic Haddad about the Gaza Tunnels

In June 2024 Haddad was interviewed by Ursula Lindsey of "The Point". Featured was discussion of the huge tunnel complex beneath Gaza. The interview was called "The City Beneath the City"

Here are some interesting quotes from the article, but we urge you to read the whole piece.

"With the onset of the Second Intifada, and particularly after Hamas was elected to power in 2006, the tunnel phenomenon really began to accelerate as Palestinians attempted to circumvent the Israeli and international blockade on the Strip"

"t should be kept in mind, of course, that Palestinians were not voting for a sovereign government in the 2006 elections, but for administration of a governance structure that had limited autonomous powers to begin with, and where the Israeli occupation persisted across the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem."

"A grave injustice befell Gaza from the very beginning of the Oslo process. Basically, implementation of the Accords on the ground meant mass unemployment of its workforce, which was overwhelmingly employed in Israel before 1993. These workers were unemployed almost overnight in the early 1990s"

"So 'peace' for Gazans meant their containment and isolation from the world in this nonviable, overcrowded territory and at the whim of their occupiers "

"Israel was literally calculating the amount of calories entering the Strip, to ensure starvation did not occur, but not more. It was this enormous and cruel regime of control that led Gazans first, and Hamas second, to develop spaces where they were free from this control, via the construction of an underground city and transportation network beneath Gaza."

"But some tunnels would clearly remain [after Egypt destroyed hundreds], serving as an essential lifeline that both sides had interests in preserving, given that they provided forms of rent that the Egyptian army and Hamas were keen to preserve and control."

"The tunnels below Gaza might extend as much as five hundred kilometers in length if added up, comprising perhaps as many as 1,300 individual tunnels."

"Hamas wanted to change the entire paradigm on October 7th, and to shock the Israeli state to its core. They wanted to inflict major military losses. They wanted to crush the military command that was enforcing the siege. They wanted to extract extensive political capital from Israel in terms of the large numbers of prisoners and to use this as leverage for political concessions from Israel and its allies."

Down with the Trump - Netanyahu- Musk - ADL alliance

Register Here for the rally on 3/3

[From the call for the protest]

In this time of rising authoritarianism, and the ADL’s embrace of it, we will gather together as the Jewish community we need, refusing to cower in fear. Instead, we’re offering and embodying an alternative vision of safety. This rally will make clear that the ADL does not speak for all Jews, strengthen our solidarity with all those targeted by Trumpism, deepen our connection to each other, and fortify ourselves with the wisdom of Jewish tradition.

As Trump, Musk, and their neo-Nazi allies ascend to power, the ADL is giving their antisemitism a free pass while cheering on their crackdown on the movement for Palestinian rights. Now more than ever, we need strong voices fighting antisemitism, ethnic cleansing, and all other forms of bigotry. We call on all Jews of conscience to show up and demonstrate that our safety relies on the safety and freedom of Palestinians and all marginalized people.

The ADL defended Musk’s Nazi salute and refused to join thousands of Jews who denounced Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza. It also embraced Trump’s Executive Order to deport students & immigrants who protest the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza. The ADL is singularly focused on demonizing the movement for Palestinian human rights, helping advance the MAGA goal of gutting all of our freedoms.

The Trump administration’s power relies on civil-society institutions complying with their agenda. The only way to stop this administration from decimating our civil and political rights is if we band together to demand that the institutions that claim to serve and represent us don’t comply.

To prepare for this rally - check out the recording of the R4C Community Teach in about Building shared safety during the Trump - Netanyahu- Musk - ADL alliance.

80 Years After the Holocaust Comes to Hungary

Presentation for Monday, May 13

MECC Executive Director Stanley Heller has been keenly aware of Zionist leaders' disinterest in the fight against antisemitism because of their obsession with creating a Jewish-superiority state in Palestine He wrote a book on the subject "Zionist Betrayal of Jews". This May is 80 years after the start of daily large deportations from Hungary. They were organized by the infamous Adolf Eichmann. The response by Zionist leaders in Hungary and British Occupied Palestine was awful. But there were heroes, Jews and non-Jews, who saved thousands. Learn about it Monday May 13 at 7 p.m.

We're aiming for a dozen readers of a script. Conversation will follow.

To view and join the discussion Monday at 7 p.m. Eastern click here to register.

Noon Rally in Danbury, Sat. March 30

Free parking in high-rise garage just up the block.

Horror upon horror. We must speak out!

Listen to Democracy Now's first guest on Thurs. 3-28. She talked about medical workers being targeted by the Israeli military. She mentioned that medical workers who were forced to flee hospitals in their scrubs were told by other Palestinians to throw those away and put on any old clothes they could find so they would be taken by the Israelis. She talked about a young girl with 96% of her body burned.

Read this piece in The Intercept about the experiences of a Toronto surgeon.

And before you fall all over yourself about the magnificent U.S. "abstention" read this 3/25 article from Haaretz

U.S. Finds Israel in Compliance With Biden's Demands on International Law, Humanitarian Aid

" The U.S. has deemed Israel in compliance with U.S. President Joe Biden's national security memorandum stipulating that recipients of U.S. weapons must be in compliance with international law, nor may they block the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Israel was obliged to provide written assurances by Sunday, via a 'credible high level official who has the ability and authority to make decisions and commitments about the issues at the heart of the assurances,' State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. "

This is the true face of the Administration

Immediate Ceasefire Resolution Passed by CT's Biggest City

"Calling for an Immediate De-escalation and Permanent Ceasefire in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank"

WHEREAS, All life is precious and any indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law, and,

WHEREAS, with continued violence in Israel and Palestine, the situation has escalated in the recent months. Most recently, between October 7 and today armed violence has claimed the lives of innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost in Israel and Palestine. The community in Bridgeport across all faith groups and backgrounds supports an end to the continued violence and hope for a solution where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side with a two-state solution in enduring peace, safety, justice, and dignity. Every human being deserves a dignified, peaceful life regardless of religion, race, or color; and,

WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and,

WHEREAS, All members of the Bridgeport City Council have the right to speak up in times of injustice.

WHEREAS, The Federal Government holds immense power to save Palestinians and Israeli lives:

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the City Council of Bridgeport calls upon our U.S. Congressional delegation, both in the Senate and House of Representatives, to join us in:

1. Urging the Biden administration to immediately call for and facilitate immediate de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire to urgently end the current violence in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank: and,

2. Call upon the Biden administration to promptly send and facilitate the entry of adequate and sufficient humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank; and,

3. Call upon the Biden administration to facilitate the immediate release of innocent Israeli hostages as well as the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners who are unlawfully held in Israeli jails: and,

4. Urge the Biden administration to facilitate the government in Israel and Palestine to come to a political two state solution that promotes enduring justice and peace.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this Resolution, a copy be provided to the Bridgeport delegation to the Connecticut state legislature; the United States Congressional delegations from Connecticut; Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont; and President of the United States Joseph Biden.

Passed overwhelmingly by the Bridgeport, CT City Council on 1-3-2024

Click here for more ways to support.

Presenting our "Courage Award"

Hear Dan Selvin, the editor of Alaa's book "You Have Not Yet Been Defeated" at the ceremony on Thurs., April 13 at 3 p.m. in room #101 of Henry Barnard Hall at Central Connecticut State University, New Britian, CT. Admission is Free.

Henry Barnard (HB) is the building next to the main administration building (on one side) and the Art Dept (on the other side). It is across Stanley Street. It houses the Education departments. Adjacent to the Art department is the Welte Garage.

People coming from outside CCSU can park at the Welte Garage or in the Student Center area (a bit farther). If you park at the Welte Garage barrier, press the button on the microphone to contact the Campus Police. The police will open the barrier as you explain you are attending the award event ceremony at Barnard Hall. This is a link to the campus map and see picture below.

For your GPS use 1683 Stanley St, New Britain, CT

So where is the "Command Center"? - Get the IDF Out of the Hospitals

November 27 Update. See Stanley Heller's audio analysis about this on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Ka5X2Oth0/ Also listen to Jeremy Scahill on Democracy Now on 11/28 who makes some of the same points.

November 16, 2023. For years the Israeli military has claimed that Hamas has its headquarters under the biggest hospital on the Gaza Strip. They even made a YouTube with an animation showing exactly where rooms were underground and how the “command center” could be entered via the hospital.

Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor (hero) who has been in that hospital through many of the wars spoke on video and said the had had free access all over the hospital and never saw anything military and that he would have quit is work if he saw that Palestinians had a military base there. But the corporate media ignored him. See what he said on The Struggle Video News #1030.

Well, the Israeli army has been in Al-Shifa for over two days now and has completely reworked the story. Now it’s about weapons they found in a room housing MRI equipment. What about the “command center”? Was that in the MRI room? What happened to the underground complex? That’s no longer mentioned. And the New York Times and Washington Post go along with it, no mentioning that this huge lie has been exposed.

Yesterday the IDF released a video “Watch as LTC Jonathan Conricus exposes the countless Hamas weapons IDF troops have uncovered in the Shifa Hospital. The “countless” weapons turned out to be a dozen or so automatic rifles and some grenades. Oh, there was also a laptop, no doubt the hi-tech component of the “command center”.

It’s time to launch a campaign to get the IDF out of the hospitals and to demand that they be given total access to water, electricity, food, fuel.