[Chapter-delegates] Internet Shutdown in Gaza : Request for ISOC's Position

[Mike Godwin]

ISOC already has taken a position against internet shutdowns, and in
support of internet access as a basic necessity and right--see, e.g.,
https://www.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ISOC-PolicyBrief-Shutdowns-2019.pdf
.

My personal view is that  it is both (a) consistent with ISOC's
longstanding positions and (b) necessary for humanitarian reasons that ISOC
take note of and condemn the targeting of infrastructure that has led to
shutdown of internet access in Gaza.

Mike Godwin
Member, Chapter Council, ISOC-DC




On Sun, Nov 19, 2023 at 9:53 AM Johan Helsingius via Chapter-delegates <
chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> Dear ISOC Palestine,
>
> I agree that the ISOC community should clearly condemn the use of
> the internet as a war tool. In this specific case I still have to
> ask if we have sufficient evidence that the Internet outages are
> a result of deliberate shutdowns rather than collateral damage
> from general actions of war.
>
>         Julf
>
>
> On 19/11/2023 10:11, ISOC Palestine via Chapter-delegates wrote:
> > Dear ISOC community,
> >
> > This past weekend, the internet in Gaza was completely disconnected,
> > impacting all communication services for two days. This disconnection
> > has serious implications for basic human rights, safety, and the
> > livelihoods of Gaza residents. This marks the fourth internet shutdown
> > in the last 40 days, attributed to three main reasons:
> >
> > 1. Destruction of over 70% of communication infrastructure due to
> > bombings by the Airforce and tanks.
> >
> > 2. Prevention of the entry of any diesel, leading to no electricity or
> > power sources for essential communication services.
> >
> > 3. A political decision from Israeli officials, who control the
> > international gateway of Palestine.
> >
> > *In the last 40 days, the ISOC community's position does not meet what
> > is expected regarding this intentional shutdown, which violates the ISOC
> > objectives and vision. We urge.*
> >
> > On the other side, we are surprised to observe that some ISOC members
> > and chapters support this internet shutdown and promote it on their
> > official websites.
> >
> > Please note that we do not want to discuss the political issues behind
> > this conflict, which started 75 years ago, as this is not a political
> > platform.
> >
> > *Internet Society *
> >
> > *Palestine Chapter*
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS):
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> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
> https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>
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