to demand Israel comply with International law and lift
the siege on Gaza (further eroding
what shreds remain of thinking that the US may
have an independent
foreign policy not beholden to the Zionist lobby).
But Palestinians then showed the power of people to liberate themselves.
They broke the barriers and flooded out
of the Gaza Concentration Camp to buy necessities of life.
But the struggle is far from over. We must marshal
all resources to support all our people of Palestine
(>10 million, most refugees or displaced people).
See below for a sampling of events around the US
and the world in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Some background reports first:
Text reports
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/
0,8599,1706252,00.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/
middle_east/article3359066.ece
VIDEOS:
2 minute glimpse into life in the Gaza Concentration camp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01hqVzViFTw
A video by Al Jazeera on Rafah border breach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TocjkugWEEc
ACTIONS: JOIN EVENTS AND WRITE TO THE MEDIA. Let us expand and grow the Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) against apartheid Israel.
Anaheim, California: Saturday, Jan. 26, 1 p.m.
512 S. Brookhurst St., Between Orange Ave. & Broadway
Boston: Thursday, Jan 24, noon Israeli Consulate
Saturday, Jan 26, noon-1pm in Harvard Square
Charlotte, North Carolina: Saturday January 26, 4 PM Forum, Charlotte Energy Solutions, 337 Baldwin Ave; Organized by Charlotte Action
Chicago: Tues., Jan. 29, 5 pm at the
Lakeshore Theater, 3175 North Broadway (at benefit for the Friends of the 'Israeli Defense Force').
Initiated by ISM. Call 773-463-0311 for more information.
Cleveland: Saturday, Jan 26
for more info contact donmbryant@yahoo.com
Costa Mesa, California: Friday, January 25, 5-7 PM, vigil at Bristol & Anton
Edinburgh, Scotland: Wednesday January 23, 5.30 PM at the foot of the Mound, Princes Street.
Glasgow, Scotland: Friday January 25, 5.30 PM George Square.
London, England: Thursday January 24, 6 PM and Saturday January 26, 4 PM Opposite 10 Downing Street, Whitehall.
Montreal, Canada: Friday January 25, 2:00 PM
De Maisonneuve Boulevard corner of MacKay Street, Montreal (Metro Guy-Concordia).
New Haven, CT: Friday, January 25th, 4:30 to 5:30 PM
The Federal Building on Church Street (opposite the flagpole on the Green). Bring signs. Bring candles.
New York City:
Thursday January 24, 2008 at 7 PM at The Center for Constitutional Rights, 666 Broadway, 6th Floor To build a coalition for Nakba events)
Friday January 25 3pm (after friday prayers)
RALLY at the Zionist Consulate 42nd & 2nd ave & MARCH to the EGYPTIAN Consulate (58th & 2nd ave) NY NY
Saturday, Jan. 26, 1 p.m. at the
Israeli Embassy, 43rd St. and 2nd Ave.
Philadelphia: Friday, Jan 25 Press conference and vigil in front of the Israeli Consulate (15th & Locust) at 12 noon
Saturday, Jan 26 Assemble at 12 noon to march from 5th and Market Sts. to the Israeli Consulate (15th & Locust) Contact: rkamel@verizon.net
San Diego, California: Friday January 25, 3:00 - 5:30 PM downtown corner of Broadway and Front Street.
San Francisco, California: Friday, Jan. 25, 4-6 p.m.
Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St. (near California)
Seattle: Friday, January 25, 4 p.m., Westlake Park, 4th & Pine Sts.
Saturday Jan 26, 12-2, Leafletting/sign-waving protest on at Westlake Center downtown.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Saturday January 26, 12 Noon at 12th & Phillips
St. Paul, Minnesota: Friday January 25, 4:15-5:30 P.M., Corner of Summit and Snelling Aves
Toronto: Friday January 25, 5 PM Israeli Consulate at 180 Bloor St. West
Washington DC:
Thursday, January 24 at 12:00pm. Israeli Embassy.
Abir's father, Bassam Aramin, a co-founder of Combatants for Peace, will be joined by his wife Salwa and 13-year-old daughter, Areen, as well as Yonatan Shapira, a former IDF pilot and co-founder of Combatants for Peace, and Donna Baranski-Walker, Executive Director of Rebuilding Alliance, the US-based NGO sponsoring the Combatants for Peace US Speaking Tour and organizing relief trucks from Egypt to Gaza.
Friday, Jan. 25, Israeli Embassy, 3514 International Dr. N.W.
ACTION EXAMPLE: An interesting and plain-spoken letter to the editor to show that individuals can make a difference [My comments in brackets]:
Israelis are 'brutal aggressors'
Published in The Florida Times-Union January 23, 2008
American media coverage of the struggle between Israel and the Palestinians invariably turns violent events upside down to portray the Israelis as the victims, when in actuality the Israelis are the brutal aggressors and always have been.
Here's the other side of the story: In 1948, under United Nations authority, European Jews took 77 percent of Palestine and pushed out most of the Palestinians who had lived there since ancient times.
Some 400 Palestinian villages [actually 530 towns and villages] were destroyed, thousands of Palestinian civilians were killed and 750,000 Palestinians fled to safety in neighboring countries.
They were never allowed to return to their homes, and thousands [actually hundreds of thousands] still live in refugee camps. That's how Israel came into being as a state.
The 1967 Six-Day War was a war of conquest by Israel, for the purpose of expanding Israel's territory. The result was Israeli occupation of the remaining 23 percent of Palestine.
Israel also took territories from other neighboring states.
Even now, it is building Israeli settlements in most of these areas (with American dollars, incidentally).
The Arabs say there will be no peace until Israel returns these private properties to their rightful owners [International Law is also clear on this need].
During peace talks, Israel has repeatedly promised to do so (for international consumption only), but the Israelis don't mean it and don't intend to return anything they are not forced to return.
The Israeli government has long engaged in systematic destruction of thousands of Palestinian homes, farms, orchards, stores, schools, mosques and factories [and Churches].
It has [intentionally] killed and maimed thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children.
The Palestinians fight back the way helpless people have always fought back against an overpowering, rapacious enemy - with terrorism [not true, they fought back with nonviolent resistance 99% of the time and violent resistance both terrorism and Internationally recognized violent resistance in 1% of the time].
The suicide bombings would end tomorrow, if Israel would withdraw from the occupied territories and stop its brutal treatment of the Palestinians.
The U.S. government backs Israel to the hilt in everything it does.
That, and that alone, is the cause of the terrorist threat to America.
BENTON L. BRADBERRY
Jacksonville
Mazin Qumsiyeh
http://justicewheels.org
http://qumsiyeh.org
__,_._,___
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment