Action & Activism

Beyond all that remains



Remembering the aftermath of the 1975-1990 civil war and the garbage Lebanon was left with, I feel that today’s piling trash is a symbol of where this country is headed. Garbage in the streets is an emblem of active warfare. Driving through mountain roads, and from village to village I feel the effects of Israel’s invasion in the collapsing civil services of Lebanon. These are images of the long-term effects of a war that I remember. Garbage. And this is nothing to say of the heinous war crimes inflicted on the Southern part of this country. 

Ali La Pointe and Zena's words on the New York streets



I was invited to teach at an art workshop, so yesterday I went. I gave a lecture in the morning and then in the afternoon I was asked to give the students an assignment that they could do in two hours. I decided to print emails from my inbox from the last two weeks. I also printed out the article about the Americans rushing bombs to Israel and spoke about the absurdity of the question Americans ask about wether to get involved or not when they are 100 percent involved! I gave each student a different email, and a copy of the article, and told them to go out into the streets and do something in the public sphere based on their interaction, (or reaction) or whatever with the emails. 

Video: DC marches in mock funeral procession against Israeli assaults



Hundreds of protesters, many carrying antiwar signs and fake coffins, marched quietly in a mock funeral procession Tuesday, July 25, through upper Northwest Washington to the Israeli Embassy to protest the bombings in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Close to 400 protesters showed up for a spirited demonstration at the Israeli Embassy, 514 International Drive, NW, in Washington DC. Many of the protesters wore black. They carried 50 coffins draped in black. They began at 5:30 PM, at Van Ness and Connecticut Avenues, with a march done in silence. It then proceeded around the neighborhood and ended up in front of the Israeli Embassy. 

How many more rallies will it take?



How many more rallies are we going to have before world leaders become convinced that there is something very, very wrong with Israel? I, and others like Ilan Pappe and Uri Davis from the Israeli peace movement, have warned the world repeatedly that there is nothing to expect from Israel other than more violence, more aggression, more oppression and more bloodshed. All we can expect is for Israel to continue to go around and around in circles and in the process continue to destroy, kill, maim and traumatise. As a former Israeli, this whole situation touches me in a very personal way. It brings back memories from 1982 from when I was in the military, when Israel invaded Lebanon the first time, and from my entire 27 years in Israel. It is distressing but not surprising to see that there is nothing new. 

UK MPs call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon



A cross party group of UK MPs have issued a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. 56 MPs have signed the statement so far which was published today in the Guardian newspaper. It is expected that more will add their names over the next few days. The statement calls for an immediate cessation to violence by all sides, for the release of unlawfully held prisoners by Israel, Hizbollah and Palestinian militias, and for the realisation of the two state solution in Israel and Palestine. As a High Contracting Party to the 4th Geneva Convention, the UK Government has a particular responsibility to uphold and ensure universal respect for international humanitarian law. 

Dublin "Die-in" in support of Lebanon and Palestine



The Israeli Embassy in Dublin was confronted on Tuesday with the death and destruction that it has wrought in Gaza and Lebanon in recent weeks. During its all-day vigil at the Israeli embassy, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held a symbolic “die-in”, in which Irish, Lebanese and Palestinian volunteers donned “blood”-stained clothes and lay down on the street in front of the embassy. All Irish local and national media were present and gave the protest prominent coverage across the day and in Wednesday’s newspapers. The demonstration was a prelude to a major march taking place in Dublin this coming Saturday 29th. 

Photostory: LA drops banner against Israel's war on Lebanon and Gaza



The past few days protests were held in Israel, across the Middle East and around the world condemning Israel’s US-backed war on Lebanon and Gaza. The the largest demonstrations, involving thousands of people, were held in the United States and in countries closely allied with Washington�s war aims in the region — Britain, Australia and Canada. In downtown Los Angeles, activists held a rally on Saturday, July 22, to protest Israel’s war on Lebanon and Gaza. They dropped a banner with raining bombs. The image was traced from a large image created by Brazilian cartoonist Latuff — although they spun it to demonstrate the role of the US in this conflict. 

Protests against Israeli aggression all over Europe



In Europe, we are seeing the emergence of a strong movement against the Israeli occupation and against its war with Lebanon. Since Israel’s aggression began a couple of weeks ago, people have raised their voice in at least fifty-seven cities1 all over Europe, not only to denounce the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian and Lebanese people, but also to ask the United Nations and European governments to take action to stop this. The Bush administration was harshly criticised for its unbending support of Israel and for human rights abuses in its so called “war on terrorism”. In this article, Adri Nieuwhof assesses how far the movement has come. 

ADC Files Lawsuit Against Secretaries of State and Defense



Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld failed to fulfill their constitutional and professional obligations and protect US citizens in a crisis or time of war. In the lawsuit, ADC alleges that the defendants placed US citizens in peril by not taking all possible steps to secure the safety and well being of US citizens in Lebanon. ADC is joined in today’s lawsuit by several American citizens who have returned from Lebanon after escaping the violence and others who remain in Lebanon. 

Photostory: Montreal Mobilizes Against Israeli Attacks



Montreal-based organisations and individuals united last week to express their solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Gaza. Demonstrations, a human chains, a 24-hour vigil, speeches, letter-writing, emailing, petition-signing, fundraising and more played a role in this important beginning of a movement to bring an end to the present Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Palestine. Montreal photographer Darren Ell was present to capture some of these important developments in international solidarity. On July 22nd , people in over 30 cities from a dozen countries marched in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Gaza. In Montreal over 20 organizations and thousands of individuals combined forces to demand an end to Israeli crimes. The demonstration was led by a gigantic Lebanese flag. 

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