In this issue...
1. US Campaign Update: Join in the 5th Annual International Week Against the Apartheid Wall, Nov. 9-16; Meet with Your Members of Congress during November Recess
2. Member Group Update: Adalah-NY kicks off BDS campaign on NYC developers building Israeli settlements; Interfaith Peace-Builders Tent of Nations event
3. Resources & Events: Dutch
"research" group covers for Israeli crimes, violations; Gaza's
Humanitarian Crisis: Who's to Blame for What? Institute for Palestine
Studies Policy Note No. 22; Institute for Palestine Studies Seeks Editor; 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
1. US CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
* Join in the 5th Annual International Week against the Apartheid Wall, Nov. 9-16
November
9th marks the beginning of the 5th Annual International Week against
the Apartheid Wall, organized by the Grassroots Palestinian
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. For more details, click here.
The
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation urges its member
organizations and individual supporters to take action to protest U.S. support for Israel's illegal Apartheid Wall.
In July 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion ruling that Israel's
Apartheid Wall is illegal, must be dismantled, and compensation paid to
those adversely affected by it. The ICJ also ruled that all signatories
to the 4th Geneva Convention must not "recognize the illegal situation
resulting from the construction of the wall" nor "render aid or
assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction."
Despite this ICJ ruling, in May 2005, President Bush signed into law a supplemental spending bill for the war in Iraq, which included $50 million "for assistance for Israel to help ease the movement of Palestinian people and goods in and out of Israel." Israel then used this money to build high-tech "terminals" into the Apartheid Wall, thereby placing the United States in direct violation of the ICJ ruling.
In addition, in August 2007, the United States and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase U.S. military aid to Israel to $30 billion over the next decade. This military aid helps Israel to maintain its illegal Apartheid Wall and military occupation, again in violation of the ICJ ruling.
TAKE ACTION
1.Contact your Members of Congress. To send a letter to your Members of Congress protesting the $30 billion MOU in military aid to Israel, click here.
2. Write a letter to the editor. To look up contact information for your local media, click here.
3.Download and distribute information. To download a US Campaign fact-sheet on the Apartheid Wall, click here.
4.Start a campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS).To get resources and ideas on how to start a BDS campaign, click here.
5.Organize a teach-in or protest. To view a list of global events for the 5th Annual International Week against the Apartheid Wall and to add your event, click here.
* Meet with Your Members of Congress during November Recess
Members of Congress will be adjourning for a two-week recess on Friday, November 16.
The
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation urges its member
organizations and individual supporters to schedule meetings with their
Members of Congress during the November recess to discuss policy
matters pertaining to Israel/Palestine.
Here are some tips on how to set up a meeting with your Members of Congress:
Setting Up a Meeting with Your Members of Congress
1. Assemble a delegation of constituents.
Assemble a delegation of up to 6-8 people to meet with your Members of
Congress. Ideally, delegations will be diverse and include people from
different organizations and communities.
2. Decide upon the issues you want to discuss. Pick
no more than 3-4 legislative and/or policy issues that you'd like to
discuss with your Members of Congress. Make sure that the issues are
focused and that you are asking your Members of Congress to do
something specific that they have the power to do. For a listing of
major legislative issues related to Palestine/Israel in the current
Congress and the position of your Members of Congress on them, please
see the US Campaign's 110th Congressional Report Card by clicking here.
Also, consider discussing with them your opposition to increasing U.S. military aid to Israel to $30 billion over the next decade. In August 2007, the United States and Israel
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to that effect; however,
Congress still needs to agree on annual funding to make this MOU
operative. For additional details and talking points, click here.
3. Fax a constituent meeting request to the offices of your Members of Congress.
To get contact information for the schedulers in the offices of your
Members of Congress and a template constituent meeting request fax, click here.
4. Schedule your meeting.
This might require several communications between you and the scheduler
before a meeting is arranged. Be patient and be flexible with your
meeting request. If your group is able to meet with your Members of
Congress at any time during the November recess, you're more likely to
get a meeting than if you can only meet on a Monday morning at 9:00AM,
for example.
5. Tell us how your meeting went.
After you meet with your Members of Congress, please send us a report.
It's important for us to know what Members of Congress are telling
their constituents and it makes it easier for us to work together to
change U.S. policy.
For additional tips on meeting with your Members of Congress, click here.
If
you're willing to volunteer to set up a meeting with your Members of
Congress or would like advice on how to do so, please contact Josh
Ruebner, Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator at 202-332-0994 or congress@endtheoccupation.org.
If
you'd like to join the US Campaign's Congressional District Coordinator
network and volunteer to organize people in your Congressional district
to educate your Members of Congress about the need to change U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law, and equality for all, please click here.
2. MEMBER GROUP UPDATE:
* Adalah-NY kicks off BDS campaign on NYC developers building Israeli settlements
Glitterati at Leviev's New York Gala Stunned by Encounter with Palestinian Rights Protest
November 13, 2007
Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East
Over
100 well-dressed, well-heeled New Yorkers attending the invitation-only
opening of diamond mogul Lev Leviev's Madison Avenue jewelry store this
evening appeared stunned and aghast to find their evening derailed by a
noisy protest against Leviev's construction of illegal West Bank
settlements. Gala attendees set down their champagne glasses and
gathered by windows to view the signs and Palestinian flags, and hear
protesters' chants.
30 New York City
human rights activists chanted, "You're glitz, you're glam,
you're stealing Palestinian land", and "All your diamonds cannot hide,
your support for Apartheid." Protesters called on New York City's
upscale residents to boycott Leviev's diamonds. Disconcerted attendees
hastily exited to their limousines to loud chants of, "Occupation is a
drag, just say no to your gift bag."
Click here to read more about the protest.
Adalah-NY will hold a second protest at Leviev's 700 Madison Avenue jewelry store on Tuesday November 20 from 4:30 - 6:00 PM.
For more info: Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East: www.mideastjustice.org
Email: justiceme@gmail.com
* Interfaith Peace-Builders: Tent of Nations: One Palestinian Family Struggles to Save their Land and Heritage
When: Monday, November 26, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: The Peace Café at Busboys and Poets
2021 14th Street, Washington, DC 20009
A Presentation by
Daoud Nassar
Suggested Donation of $15 or above benefits Tent of Nations
Light fare provided
Space is limited so please arrive early!
Speaker Bios:
Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian farmer from Bethlehem,
speaks about the struggle to defend his family's land and heritage. The
Nassar farm stands alone, ringed by Israeli settlements and the
encroaching Separation Wall, the last holdout in a region marked for
annexation by Israel.
"The land is our mother," says Daoud Nassar. "Our mother is not for
sale." Under his leadership, the family has taken the case to establish
the family's land rights to the Israeli Supreme Court. Mr. Nassar and
his family have also formed the Tent of Nations, a grassroots
organization which runs educational programs for youth, women and
international visitors. The Nassars seek peaceful coexistence with Israel in a shared Palestine
and are committed to nonviolence. Through the Tent of Nations, they
teach young Palestinians the importance of land and identity in their
struggle for self-determination. For more on Tent of Nations see: www.tentofnations.org
Ray
McGovern was a CIA analyst from the administration of John F. Kennedy
to that of George H. W. Bush. McGovern chaired National Intelligence
Estimates in the 70s, and in the 80s conducted daily briefings of the
most senior Reagan administration officials. In 2003 he co-founded
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) to expose the
corruption of intelligence to "justify" war on Iraq. From 1998 to 2003 he was co-director of the ServantLeadershipSchool and now works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC.
Mr. McGovern recently returned from an Interfaith Peace-Builders
delegation to Israel/Palestine. He believes that bringing Justice into
the Israeli-Palestinian equation is the key to lasting peace in the
region. He points out that "they say the opposite of love is fear; or
is it indifference - 'standing aside.' Fear can prompt people to do
evil to others. This trip confirmed that the challenge is to nurture
the personal contacts that can allay fear, and thwart the evil stemming
from it."
3. RESOURCES AND EVENTS
*Dutch "research" group covers for Israeli crimes, violations
Stan van Houcke, The Electronic Intifada, 5 November 2007
Doron Livnat is co-owner of Riwal, a Dutch company involved in the
illegal construction of the separation Wall in occupied Palestinian
territory. In 2004 the Wall was confirmed by the International Court of
Justice as being in violation of international law. Livnat is also a
member of the board of the Centre for Information and Documentation on
Israel (CIDI), a pro-Zionist political lobby group based in Amsterdam.
CIDI does not seem to have a problem with the judgment of the
International Court of Justice, nor Livnat's company's involvement in
this illegal activity. And yet CIDI still has the audacity to condemn
United Civilians for Peace (UCP), a broad-based Dutch human rights
platform. In a recent "research" report containing wild allegations,
CIDI shamelessly attempted to smear the organization for daring to call
for dialogue and to present a perspective critical of Israel, calling for an end to its subsidy.
Click here to read more.
* Institute for Palestine Studies' Policy Note No. 22: Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis: Who's to Blame for What?
By Nadia Hijab
While all eyes are fixed on the potential and pitfalls of the Annapolis meeting the United States
is convening, the Gaza Strip is suffering a humanitarian crisis and
ongoing violence from Israeli attacks and intra-Palestinian clashes.
Who's to blame? Fingers are pointed at Hamas for having taken over Gaza by force in June 2007; at Israel for its boycott and siege; and at militant groups in Gaza for rockets fired at Israel. None of this saves the civilian population from disaster, or explains how the situation in Gaza deteriorated so quickly.
Click here to read more.
* Institute for Palestine Studies Seeks Editor
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 Palestine
and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict up to the present time,
and will be able to use this knowledge to assess the quality and
relevance of submissions to JPS. S/he will have demonstrated
organizational and multi-tasking skills to manage work and manuscript
flows, and be able to work well and accurately under pressure to meet
changing deadlines. S/he will also have a proven capacity to establish
and maintain good working relations with writers and scholars in the
field, and to manage networks of contributors across the U.S. and internationally.
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.
* Discover the true taste of olive oil and experience Palestine!
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 Palestine as outlined by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, its foremost independent and democratic voice for non-violence and peace in the Holy Land. One, the sale of Zatoun enables Palestinians to live and remain in Palestine and two, it helps to build international awareness and solidarity for a just peace and resolution.
Zatoun is a registered, volunteer-run, and non-profit. Sales proceeds
are used to plant over 12,000 olive trees in occupied Palestine and to support expressive arts programs for 1000's of youth in Nablus refugee camps. In 2007, Zatoun expects to contribute over $400,000 to the livelihoods of Palestinians in Palestine.
Please join the effort with your purchase. To order or to learn more: www.zatoun.com.
4. OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
*Interfaith Peace-BuildersDelegations to Israel/Palestine
Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) sends delegations to Israel and Palestine
so that US citizens can see the conflict with their own eyes.
Participants have the opportunity to learn directly from Israeli and
Palestinian nonviolent peace/human-rights activists, to spend time in
Palestinian and Israeli homes, and to experience the situation of
Palestinians living under military occupation. For more information,
contact the IFPB office directly by phone (202-244-0821) or email office@ifpbdel.org.
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 US
public's understanding of the conflict by listening to the aspirations
and frustrations of Palestinians, by examining the dimensions of the
human rights crisis under Israeli rule, as well as learning from
Palestinians and Israelis who are working for a just peace and an end
to the Occupation.
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 Israel, and the lives of children.
The group of eight to twelve people will stay at the guesthouse of MECA's long-time partner IbdaaCulturalCenter in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem. Ibdaa is a lively place in the heart of the community with great food and comfortable accommodations.
Cost: $1,800 not including airfare.
More info: www.mecaforpeace.org/delegation
Contact: Deborah Agre at 510-548-0542 or Deborah@mecaforpeace.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.
The US Campaign aims to change U.S. policies that sustain Israel's 40-year occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and that deny equal rights for all. |