Occupation End Notes | September 27, 2007
Volume 5 Number 5
In this issue...
1. US Campaign Update:US Campaign Adopts Proposals on Apartheid, Motorola, and Nakba at 6th Annual National Organizers’ Conference; Caterpillar update
2. Member Group Update: New Member Groups; Friends of Sabeel National Conference on Apartheid
3. Resources & Events: Gaza Action Alerts; Institute for Palestine Studies Policy Note No. 20;Boston Palestine Film Festival; UFPJ October 27 Regional Mobilizations
4. Opportunities to Visit
1. US CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
*
More than 100 delegates from more than 50 member organizations of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation met during
the weekend of September 7-9 at the Arlington Campus of George Mason
University in Arlington, Virginia for the US Campaign's 6th Annual
National Organizers' Conference.
Delegates
to the conference amended and then passed by consensus all three
proposals submitted for consideration. The proposals, which will guide
the work of the US Campaign for the next year, call for the US Campaign
to:
·Organize a national Anti-Apartheid speaking and organizing tour;
·Launch a national boycott campaign against Motorola for profiting from Israeli occupation; and
·Commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nakba through educational campaigns and days of action
To read the proposals as amended and adopted by consensus, please click here.
Just three days following the 9th Circuit Court’s dismissal of the Corrie v. Caterpillar case, 19-year old Mahmoud Al Khafafi was brutally murdered by a bulldozer near Al Bureji Camp in central
Last night the US Campaign hosted a conference call with Cindy Corrie to discuss strategic next steps in the
As well, the US Campaign is calling for a National Day of Action on October 19 in major cities across the
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE CALL TO ACTION, COMING
2. MEMBER GROUP UPDATE:
* The
ØAdalah – NY: Coalition for Justice in the Middle East [New York]
The
Ad-Hoc Coalition for Justice in the Middle East began organizing
actions in response to the escalation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza
Strip at the end of June and subsequent Israeli attacks and incursions
into
To read more, please click here.
Ø
AA-BIG emphasizes
Click here to get in contact with
ØAnti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE) [Illinois]
AWARE,
the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort, works to oppose aggressive wars and to
end racism. Our concerns also include the militarization of society,
inequalities of wealth and opportunity, the concentration and
uniformity of news sources, the global extension of American power, the
demise of internationally agreed norms of behavior, the threat of
corporate globalization to the common welfare, and the erosion of civil
liberties. We come together to coordinate our efforts individually and
with other organizations to share resources and ideas and to make large
scale actions possible as we work towards peace and justice.
Click here to read more.
ØFront Range Coalition for Mideast Justice & Peace [Colorado]
Front Range Coalition is an activist coalition based out of
Click here to read more.
Ø
ØIndianapolis Code Pink [Indiana]
If
your group would like to join our coalition of 250 organizations,
please contact our Office Manager/Membership Outreach Coordinator by
emailing him at office@endtheoccupation.org!
* Friends of Sabeel Conference: The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel: Issues of Justice and Equality
October 26 & 27, 2007
Friends
of Sabeel - New England Chapter are organizing a historic conference,
The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel: Issues of Justice and
Equality, sponsored by Friends of Sabeel - North America and hosted in
Archbishop
Desmond Tutu will give the keynote address and many other
international, national, and local scholars and activists including US
Campaign's Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, David
Wildman of the
Join activists from all over the world and share your commitment to peace!
For more information, please click here.
3. RESOURCES AND EVENTS
*
·Jewish Voice for Peace: Do Not Withhold Electricity, Water, and Goods from the People of
Send a letter of protest
condemning the decision of the Israeli government to begin withholding
electricity, water and goods from the Gaza Strip. These actions are
inhumane and illegal under international law.
U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, refused to condemn the Israeli move, despite her pronouncement that the
Remind
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, that these measures amount to
collective punishment, and instead of making the citizens of southern
·
Carter Center: Israeli Actions in the
CONTACTS:
In Ramallah, Scott Custer 9722 240 5240
In
In a statement issued September 21, 2007 (see below): The Carter Center deplores the decision taken Wednesday by
Click here to read more.
·Amnesty International: Amnesty International calls for triple action on behalf of
Amnesty
International is concerned that the implementation of the Israeli
government decision of 19 September that Additional sanctions will be
placed on the Hamas regime in order to restrict the passage of various
goods to the Gaza Strip and reduce the supply of fuel and electricity.
Restrictions will also be placed on the movement of people to and from
the Gaza Strip would cause a further deterioration of the already dire
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and adversely affect the 1.5
million Palestinians who live there.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Hebrew, or your own language:
-
expressing concern that further restrictions on the supply of
electricity and fuel and on the passage of persons and goods into and
out of the Gaza Strip would cause a further deterioration of already
dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and would constitute collective
punishment which is forbidden under international law;
- calling for the decision of the government to be rescinded;
-
reminding the Israeli government of its obligation as the occupying
power under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure
the welfare of the Palestinians population in the Gaza Strip, notably
their obligation to ensure the supply of essential necessities and to
allow the movement of people and goods;
-
expressing concern for the residents of Gaza currently in the Strip who
are unable to leave, including patients in need of medical care not
available in the Gaza Strip;
Send appeals to:
Tzipi Livni (Ms)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fax: + 972 2 530 3367
email: sar@mfa.gov.il
Salutation: Dear Minister
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Arabic, or your own language:
-
urging the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip to prevent the launching
of Qassam rockets into Israel by all Palestinian armed groups in the
Gaza Strip;
-
urging the President of the Palestinian Authority to call on Fatah’s
armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, in the Gaza Strip to put an
immediate end to the launching of Qassam rockets into Israel;
Send appeals to:
Mr Ismail Haniyeh and Dr Mahmoud Zahar
Hamas leadership in
Fax: + 970 8 282 2159/ 284 5040/ 286 8971
Email: ihaniyyeh@hotmail.com
Salutation: Dear Mr Haniyeh and Dr Zahar
Mahmoud Abbas
President of the Palestinian Authority
Fax: +972 2 296 1370/ 2 298 1370/ 2 296 3179
Salutation: Dear President
* September 11, 2007: Institute for
The Fall Meeting & the Trend to Focus on Aid Rather than Rights
By Nadia Hijab and Diana Buttu
The timing and substance of the international meeting called by US President George Bush in his 16 July 2007 speech on the
The
international meeting called for by US President Bush George Bush in
his 16 July 2007 speech is expected to convene in November to "provide
decisive support to Palestinian leaders working for peace;" review
progress "toward building Palestinian institutions;" and "support
further reform." The emphasis on internal Palestinian matters rather
than the 40-year-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
dashes hopes for an end to that occupation. The still pending issue of
who will participate has repercussions for Palestinian Authority (PA)
relations with and support from the Arab world, and for a comprehensive
resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Moreover, the meeting, if it
takes place as planned, will be sandwiched between two donor
conferences on
Click here to read more.
*September 29 – October 2, 2007:
The
first ever Boston Palestine Film Festival will be taking place through
the end of September and October. For full information about the event
go to http://www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org
This
festival features a range of compelling and thought-provoking
documentaries, dramatic features, rare early works (1969 to 1980), and
new films by emerging artists. These films from international directors
bring an honest, self-described, and independent view of
The nine days of screenings take place at five major venues across Boston/Cambridge: the
For a list of the events, please click here.
* October 27: UFPJ Regional Mobilizations!
Later this fall, people from all walks of life will gather at sites around the country for 11 regional demonstrations.
People everywhere want the war to end, but
From
For more information about these Regional Mobilizations can be found by clicking here.
The US Campaign has endorsed this event and we encourage our member groups to do the same by clicking here!
Coordinate any action on
New England/Boston
Joseph Gainza
AFSC - Vermont
802-229-2340
jgainza@afsc.org
New York and Northern New Jersey/ New York City
Leslie Kielson
UFPJ/NYC
212-856-5545
lrk44@earthlink.net
Mid-Atlantic/Philadelphia
Jody Dodd
Women's International League for Peace & Freedom
215-563-7110
jdodd@wilpf.org
John Braxton
US Labor Against the War
215-751-8555
jbraxton@ccp.edu
David Kalkstein
South
856-482-2054
brownmayola@comcast.net
South - eastern part/Jonesborough, TN
Linda Modica
First TN Progressives
423-676-2925
Linda.c.modica@mac.com
Florida/Orlando
Matt Devlieger
954-536-7461
actlikematt@gmail.com
Mid-West/Chicago
Carl Davidson
Chicagoans Against War & Injustice (CAWI)
773-384-8827
carld717@aol.com
George Martin
Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace
414-964-5158
george@peaceactionwi.org
Northwest/Seattle
Kelly Campbell
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
503-230-9427 x2
kelly@peacefultomorrows.org
Northern California/San Francisco
Siri Margerin
United for Peace & Justice - Bay Area
415-305-5749
sirism@mac.com
Southern California/Los Angeles
Don White
Comm in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
323-556-1932
donwhite4justice@hotmail.com
Mountain States/Salt Lake City
Kim Spangrude
Utah MFSO
801-718-0863
kimspangrude@mac.com
utahvoices@lists.riseup.net
Please add your organization’s event to our calendar by clicking here!
4. OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT
*Fall 2007 Schedule: October 27th – November 10th: Interfaith Peace-BuildersDelegations to Israel/Palestine
Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) sends delegations to
2008 dates:
March 29 - April 12
May 24 - June 7
July 26 - August 9
October/November (exact dates TBD)
Global
Exchange’s delegations to Palestine & Israel provide first-hand
exposure to the daily struggles and realities of Palestinians living
under Occupation. The delegations strive to further the
For more information you can contact Global Exchange (800-497-1994 x. 251) or email palestine@globalexchange.org.
Occupation
End Notes is the US Campaign bi-monthly newsletter, designed as a tool
for activists. For this newsletter to be successful, we need your
participation. Use us to promote events, give feedback on recent
actions, recommend resources, or just learn from other activists in the
movement. If you or your organization are planning an event aimed at
ending the occupation, or you have information for the Newsletter,
please contact the US Campaign at office@endtheoccupation.org.