One year after the murder of activist Rachel Corrie by the Israelis in Gaza, her local community has not forgotten her. Ms. Corrie continues to inspire and lead in Olympia, it may even be possible that she has become more powerful in death than in life. There is some solace in this ability to affect change postmortem, to have truly achieved martyr status, but it is an aching solace tinged with loss. At the same time, there is this harsh and parallel realization that Olympia has lost but one life to the Occupation. It is sobering and hard to truly imagine the sorrow of the Palestinians who have lost so many and so much. candio. reports from Olympia. Read more about "In our hearts and in our work": The continuing influence of Rachel Corrie in Olympia
In the aftermath of the horror that has been visited upon Rafah over the past two weeks in particular but the past three years in general, Americans across the country are asking their congress people to stop military aid to Israel. On Friday 21 May 2004, there were sit-ins and other similar actions at congressional offices in San Francisco, Louisville, New Orleans, Albuquerque, Olympia, New York, and more. Following a week of calling representatives, Senators and the White House, Bostonians marched to the campaign office of John Kerry. Tom Wallace reports for EI. Read more about Taking a call for justice in the Middle East to Kerry's doorstep
Today, May 23, a group of 27 writers, pilots, academics, including Shulamit Aloni, Michael Ben-Yair and law professor S.Z. Feller, and the organizations Yesh Gvul and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel appealed for an interim injunction to the High Court demanding the Court to prohibit the appointment of Major General Dan Halutz as Deputy IDF Chief of Staff. The appeal is based on Haluz’s role in the assassination of Salah Shehadeh, during which a one-ton bomb was dropped on a residential neighborhood in Gaza killing 15 Palestinians, mostly children, and wounding dozens. The petitioners claim that Dan Halutz is not worthy of a senior command position in the IDF. Read more about Pilots, writers, human rights activists appeal High Court to stop appointment of Deputy IDF Chief of Staff
Freedom Summer Palestine 2004 is conceived to be 56-day campaign (one day for every year of displacement and dispossession) against occupation, whereby Palestinians mobilizing with the participation and support of their international supporters, will draw the attention of the world to the true nature of the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Palestinian struggle is a just struggle for dignity, human rights and freedom. This press release from the International Solidarity Movement offers information about the campaign. Read more about Freedom Summer Palestine 2004
Although I am a Jewish American, born and raised in the United States, I am also a citizen of Israel by virtue of my father’s birth in that country. Israel’s laws automatically confer citizenship on the children of citizens regardless of their place of birth. Like all other Jewish citizens of Israel, I am required to serve in the Israeli army. On Thursday I set fire to my Israeli military deferral papers across the street from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. This act of civil disobedience took place during a protest organized by a Jewish American peace organization against the atrocities that Israel is committing in the occupied Gaza Strip. Josh Ruebner explains why. Read more about Why I Burned My Israeli Military Papers
Fifty Israelis demonstrated for the second day at the entrance to the Gaza Strip. Following the killing of innocents in Rafah, 500 Israeli protesters blocked major streets in Tel-Aviv. Eight were arrested and three wounded by police violence. It is 00:30 in Jerusalem, and I’m back from a long day, that unexpectedly has seen this day’s most crucial land marks, at least from the Israeli side. Please excuse me if this report is somehwat confused, but I insisted on sending it ASAP to all of you in America, and many of you whom I know are still awake here. Demonstrations at Sufa checkpoints will resume tomorrow morning. On Friday a large demonstration is planned there. Read more about A black day: Jerusalem-Rafah-Tel Aviv
Since Rachel Corrie died in Rafah over a year ago, Rafah has held a special place in the hearts of Olympia residents who have been attempting to forge a sister city relationship with the besieged city. On May 18, the Olympia Rafah Sister City Project [ORSCP] sponsored a demonstration in support of the people in Rafah. About 35 people gathered at rush hour on Percival Landing to protest the latest destruction and show solidarity with the Palestinian people. The current deadly incursion in Rafah has hit many people here hard. Read more about Outrage in Olympia as Sister City is Attacked
Five Palestinian and four Israeli human rights groups have published identical advisertisements, today in the Israeli daily newspaper Ha’aretz and tomorrow in the Palestinian daily Al-Quds, stating: “Revenge cannot be policy, violence will not bring peace”. Referring to the state-sanctioned house demolitions it also states: “The government proposes, the Knesset supports, the public is silent - and the High Court approves”. Among the groups are the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Physicians for Human Rights in Israel. Read more about Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups urge action
A New York City judge has imposed unprecedentedly harsh penalties on a group of anti-war protesters who blocked traffic on 5th Ave. last spring, in a move activists warn is intended as a message for those planning to demonstrate at the upcoming Republican National Convention. Four of the protesters still await sentencing and may face jail time. Judge Robert Stoltz called the protest “an imposition” of protesters’ opinions on “the people of New York City,” and told his courtroom that people attend political demonstrations out of “lack of confidence.” Twelve activists were slapped with to a total of 90 days community service, and fines totalling more than $2,000. Four protesters—who face potential jail time—still await sentencing on May 26. Read more about NYC plays hardball with Rachel Corrie protest defendants
A new activist group, P10K, seeks to bring 10,000 western citizens to Palestine in exchange for a ceasefire by Palestinian militant groups. The following “International Notice” to US President George W. Bush informs him of the plan and outlines the reasoning behind the initiative. The P10K website states that “The presence of P10K would be a huge act of solidarity with the Palestinian people, would show them that there are indeed millions of people in the west who despise the policies of their governments, and that thousands of them are actively willing to do something about it.” Read more about Letter to Bush informs of P10K intent to bring 10,000 Western citizens to Palestine
