January 12, 2011 is a day I will never forget, visiting the Samouni family could not possibly be anything but a life-changing event.  Words simply cannot describe the devastation wrought upon this family by a marauding band of Israeli psychopaths, otherwise known as the Givati Brigade of the Israeli Defence Forces.

Today my team heard from mothers and fathers and children the story of the hell on Earth created by Operation Cast Lead.  Twenty-nine people were killed in this family, children shot in front of parents, parents shot in front of children, a group of 97 in one home blasted to bits by rockets and mortars.  Made to live amongst the mutilated and dead for several days, ambulances were kept away and some died slowly over hours and even days.

If you knew the details of this story you would conclude as one mother did, those soldiers that committed these acts, could not be considered human.  These were demons with the latest high-tech weapons, courtesy of the US tax-payer and if the good people of the US knew what was done in their name here, they would be sick to their stomachs.  Shame on all of us for allowing this to happen and to go completely unpunished.

But amidst all the horrifying memories the children still have their moments of childhood, even if they quiver with terror in the night as the Israeli jets fly overhead as they do to this day nearly every night.  I love these people, we are all touched beyond words by the experience of being with them, I wish we could take the whole world on a date with this most incredible family.

I want us to do one small thing for this family, to plant one Olive Tree for each family member murdered, on Samouni Family land.  I would like to plant one larger tree to represent the spirit of the entire family.  If possible we will look to create some sort of plaque for each tree with the name of the family member. 

If we do this it will be a gift from all the people of conscience outside of Palestine.