Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley 
Middle East politics will be highlighted at a protest outside the office of federal MP Glenn Thibeault at the Rainbow Centre Friday at 4 p.m.
Members and supporters of Sudbury Against War and Occupation (SAWO) will be first gathering outside the main entrance to the downtown Rainbow Centre to "protest the assault of the Israeli Defense Forces on the people of the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza," said a release from spokesperson Gary Kinsman.
SAWO will also be visiting Thibeault's constituency office located inside the eastern (across from the bus station) doors to invite him to add his voice to those of other city residents who oppose the Israeli action, said the release.
Thibeault's office said they had not heard of the action.
"Mr. Kinsman nor have SAWO members informed us about this protest. We have received calls on this issue though," said Richard Eberhardt, constituency assistant for Thibeault, when contacted on Thursday.
Kinsman said though a ceasefire had been in effect for six months in the Gaza conflict, the Israeli forces had never held up their end of the bargain.
"Calls from the democratically-elected Palestinian leadership for a more thorough implementation and extension of the ceasefire have been ignored by the Israeli government. Israel has used the low-level exchange between the sides since the November incursion by Israel as an excuse for the current assault, but the Israeli media have reported that it had been planned months in advance," said Kinsman.
For their part, the Israeli government has stated that in past years over 10,000 rockets have been fired into southern Israel and that no nation would tolerate such violence.
