Jan 17:
- Portugal has closed its airspace to aircraft transporting weapons to Israel and this measure will last so long as the Gaza offensive continues, according to the Portuguese premier José Sócrates
- Bolivia is preparing papers to file at the International Criminal Court against Israel’s war crimes
- Venezuela and Bolivia have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel. Venezuela had earlier expelled the Israeli ambassador and the Israeli spin machine was at work, saying Caracas would take back its ambassador. President Evo Morales of Bolivia said the Nobel prize committee should withdraw the peace prize accorded to the current Israeli president Simon Peres in 1994 and that charges against Israel should be pressed in the International Criminal Court.
- Hamas have sent a letter to Hugo Chavez which reads in parts: We, the people of Palestine, commend your courage to speak and act upon your conscience regardless of your detractors’ criticism or cowardice.Throughout history, in a just conflict, there always emerges a champion, a single hero who, by his actions, embodies all the virtues the masses aspire to. You have demonstrated that you are such a man.Mr. President, we were eager to meet you in the summer of 2007; but unfortunately yet another blockade by the Israelis, who control our ports and borders, suspended our plans. As we began the truce which we initiated, they were already planning the destruction of our infrastructure.We salute the citizens of Venezuela for choosing President Chavez; and we commend you for being among the few leaders of this age who put people before politics."
- Hundreds of Palestinians in Chile marched to TV stations protesting against their silence before the Israeli killings in Gaza and accusing them of being accomplices to the genocide
Earlier:
- Brazil’s President Lula says all parties will have to sit down for talks and that will have to include Hamas. Palestinians and Israelis can have their own states with diplomatic relations and live in peace, as Arabs and Jews do in Brazil. Brazil’s Foreign Minister is touring the Middle East. Earlier he had said the UN had proved completely ineffective
- The Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero demanded a cease-fire in Gaza, the first west European leader to do so. He said things would begin to change with Obama. However, Spain has admitted selling arms to Israel six months ago
- President Hugo Chavez says Barack Obama can stop the carnage in Israel if he wants to as Tel-Aviv, “the executioner arm of the empire”, will have to listen to him. Let’s see what he does when he assumes office, the Venezuelan President said.
- Miguel D’Escoto, Nicaraguan President of the UN General Assembly, says the world body is not acting the way the people in whose name it was created want it to
- The Israeli Communist Party has thanked President Hugo Chavez for expelling the Israeli ambassador
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