Bloggers are calling upon their readers to pick up the phone – and call the residents of Gaza to show them support. At the other end of the spectrum, Palestinian activists are urging their readers to call Israeli officials – and waste their time, as well as bombard their faxes with mail and their email inboxes with messages.
Jordanian Mohd Khawahja [1], who blogs at Shoot 4 The Moon, shares his idea as follows:
I'm sure that protesting is really a supportive action, in addition to in-kind and financial donations and other common means of support. But, I'm writing now to suggest another effective powerful way to support people in Gaza morally, and make feel them how much we do sympathize with them; it is basically to call them!?
Yes, you can really support people at Gaza by calling them and telling them how much we are proud of their persistence, braveness and resistance against this inhuman barbarian strike on Gaza. I've tried it and I can tell you how they would love to listen to us and find a listening ear from you as well.
His plan is really as simple as it sounds. He adds:
To call a random number in Gaza, all you need to do is to dial:
+970828 XXXXX (add a random number composed of 5 digits)
+970820 XXXXX
+970821 XXXXX
Khawaja also encourages readers to record and post their conversations with Gaza citizens online.
Arab American Batoul A [2], who identifies herself as a Muslim Circassian, picked up courage and the telephone and called a random number in Gaza. Batoul explains:
Today, I called Gaza. A random household, just pressed random numbers and listened for the line to be picked up… and it was. I was astonished. As if it was unexpected and I was in disbelief. My sentences became fragmented to the Palestinian lady on the other side of the line while I gathered my strength and voice back to its normal.
[…]
For a bit she spoke and I listened but I was slowly losing my strength to her words. I wanted to cry. I want to shelter her feelings somewhere dear in my heart and keep them safe. I wanted to give her warmth. Gosh, I wanted to be with her…. at least, I wouldn't be feeling so guilty so ashamed, so helpless!
Meanwhile, Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah [3] is spearheading a blitz which aims at bombarding the phones, mobiles, faxes and emails of Israeli officials. He states the objectives of his campaign as follows:
1. Bombard their phone/mobile/fax lines with anti-war, anti-Zionist messages. This can be in the form of calls, faxes or even sms's;
2. Waste the time of these war criminals as much as possible. Some of them are doing nothing else but jumping on the TV screens to spread lies and hatred. They justify killing Palestinian children and civilians;
3. Directly delivering to them the message that we are disgusted by what they are doing and they should stop now;
4. Show them the magnitude of support that Palestinians have after the world witnessed their war crimes in Gaza.
Mystic's Muses [4] lends his voice to the campaign, saying:
Dare to Join the Tech War?
Let us all jam/bombard/flood/block the landlines, mobiles, fax lines, and in-boxes of Israeli War Criminals with messages! Do not let these barbaric terrorists enjoy even a single second of the massacre they are perpetrating!
The blogger further cautions his readers to take precautions to secure their privacy.