Occupation End Notes | November 1, 2007
Volume 5 Number 7
In this issue...
1. US Campaign Update:Global Day of Action against Cluster Bombs; Report Card for 110th Congress, 1st Session is Online! ; US Campaign Looking for National Organizer
2. Member Group Update: New Digital Media Educational Tool from MECA
3. Resources & Events: Judge Throws Out Charges against LA8 ; Institute for Palestine Studies Seeks Editor; Journal for Palestine Studies No 144; DC Book Event; Discover the True Taste of Olive Oil and Experience Palestine
4. Opportunities to Visit Israel and Palestine: Interfaith Peace-Builders; Global Exchange; Middle East Children's Alliance
* November 5: Global Day of Action Against Cluster Bombs
The
US Campaign is joining the Friends Committee on National Legislation,
Amnesty International, and other organizations on Monday, November 5 in
a global day of action against cluster bombs. Take action by calling
your Members of Congress and urging them to cosponsor the Cluster
Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S.594/H.R.1755).
During its war on
For more information on how to take part in the global day of action against cluster bombs, click here.
* Report Card for 110th Congress, 1st Session is Out!
Find
out if your Members of Congress support restricting the sale of cluster
munitions, a renewed U.S. role in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking,
Israel's illegal annexation of East Jerusalem, condemning the UN for
highlighting Israel's human rights violations, and much more.
Click here to read more!
The
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is looking for a dynamic,
articulate, creative, and passionate social justice advocate to work as
a full-time National Organizer in its
The
National Organizer will be responsible for working with staff, Steering
Committee, Advisory Board, and member organizations of the US Campaign
to implement the US Campaign's main programmatic priorities in 2008,
including:
·A high-profile "anti-apartheid" speaking and organizing tour
·Educational resources and days of action to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nakba (Palestinian dispossession)
·Corporate accountability campaigns against Motorola and Caterpillar for profiting from
·The 7th Annual National Organizers' Conference and Grassroots Training Institute
2. MEMBER GROUP UPDATE:
In January 2007, twelve youth living in Aida, Azza, and Dheisheh refugee camps in the
These
powerful pieces are now posted on-line and have been subtitled in
English and compiled into the newly released Digital Resistance. The
DVD also includes a 10-minute context piece that gives important
background information about Palestinian refugees.
The youth created their digital stories with the help of US volunteers who traveled to
You can watch them online or order the DVD compilation here: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/article.php?id=226
Read more about the digital storytelling workshops here: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/digitalresistance
Please spread the word about these youth pieces and help make their voices heard!
* Judge Throws Out Charges in "
In
his decision, Einhorn said that the proceedings must be terminated
because of the government's refusal to disclose evidence favorable to
the immigrants in compliance with his orders.
Hamide
and Shehadeh have been in deportation proceedings for 20 years, and
their case has reached every level of federal court, including the U.S.
Supreme Court. The government has been seeking to deport Hamide and
Shehadeh since January 1987 based on their alleged support for the
Popular Liberation Front for
Click here to read more!
* Institute for
The Institute for Palestine Studies has an opening for a mid-to-senior-level editor to join the team of its flagship Journal of Palestine Studies.
The successful candidate will have solid, in-depth knowledge of
Advanced degree preferred; knowledge of Arabic an advantage. Salary
commensurate with experience; excellent benefits package. Submit letter
of application, resume, and references to ipsdc@palestine-studies.orgApplications would ideally be received by November 30, 2007. No phone calls, please.
* New from Institute for
The current crisis in Palestinian
politics has roots in the refusal of great powers to accept genuine
self-determination, and it has home-grown roots as well. Some of these
lay in the nature of the personal, charismatic system of rule
established by Yasir Arafat and the manifest inability of his
successor, Mahmud Abbas, to fill his shoes. Ali Jarbawi and Wendy
Pearlman use Abbas's succession dilemma to help explain his weakness
not only in the face of Hamas, but also of the Fatah movement he
nominally leads, and of
Click here to read more. (http://palestine-studies.org/final/en/journals/issue.php?iid=144&jid=1&vid=XXXVI&vol=203)
What: Academic Freedom,
The University of Michigan Press recently came under enormous pressure
to cancel its distribution contract with Pluto Press following
objections to the distribution of Joel Kovel's path-breaking work
Overcoming Zionism. The UM Press stood its ground - see announcements
below. Come and meet Kovel and talk about his book.
The poet Kathy Engel and US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Advisory Board member and artist Kamal Boullata published a powerful
collection - Poetry of Palestine and
Where: The National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention, Holiday Inn on the Hill
When: Saturday 3 November at 9am.
Why:
Celebrate a victory for freedom of speech and take a moment to salute
those willing to speak out and to work for justice. The significance is
clear!
Pluto Press Retain US Distribution
The
Pluto Press is highly regarded for its prolific and provocative output tackling issues relating to the Middle East both in the
Despite considerable pressure from Stand With US and numerous other pro-Israel groups in the
Executive Board of the
Statement on the status of the Pluto Press contract
October 22, 2007
The
Distribution
agreements are undertaken strictly as business relationships and have
historically been a small part of the UM Press's business. Currently,
the Press distributes for five publishers. As is the case with all such
commercial arrangements, books distributed on behalf of clients are not
edited, reviewed, or produced by the UM Press, and they do not bear the
imprimatur of the Press or of the
University
presses typically do not have stated guidelines for distribution
agreements, but the recent controversy surrounding the contract with
Pluto Press has underscored the need for them. In the coming year,
Executive Board members will develop policy guidelines for distribution
agreements. Underlying its deliberations will be the principle of
freedom of expression, which is both fundamental to the
* Discover the true taste of olive oil and experience
A pleasure to give and treat to receive; Zatoun, Fair Trade extra
virgin olive oil from Palestine, is available for holiday gift giving
via web ordering - www.zatoun.com.
Zatoun fulfills 2 of the 4 key recommendations for a future
Zatoun is a registered, volunteer-run, and non-profit. Sales proceeds
are used to plant over 12,000 olive trees in occupied
Please join the effort with your purchase. To order or to learn more: www.zatoun.com.
4. OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT
*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)
* Fall 2007 Schedule: December 2nd - 12th: Global Exchange's Delegations to Palestine & Israel
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.
* July 1-12, 2008: Middle East Children's Alliance Delegation to Palestine/Israel
On
MECA's twelve-day delegation you will be taken on a geographic,
political, historical and cultural tour of Palestine/Israel by two MECA
staff people, and Yacoub Odeh, refugee, former political prisoner, and
human rights worker. We will travel by van to witness the impact of the
Israeli occupation and visit organizations working for justice and
equality. You will learn about refugees, land confiscation, political
prisoners, women's initiatives, mental and physical health issues,
civil rights in
The group of eight to twelve people will stay at the guesthouse of MECA's long-time partner
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.