Due to the further severely deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip since June 25th, 2006 owing to disproportionate military attacks by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, Al Mezan is highly concerned about the wellbeing of the Palestinian population living in Gaza. Al Mezan is launching this urgent appeal to urge international intervention to place pressure on the Government of Israel to halt its damaging military actions in the Gaza Strip, and lift the imposed siege, in order to avert a deepening humanitarian crisis. Read more about Al-Mezan's urgent appeal for action regarding Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip
The 150 protesters organized a number of actions including a mock die-in where demonstrators lay down on the street and were covered with the Palestinian flags in solidarity with the Palestinians who are being killed on a daily basis in the Gaza Strip. In June 56 Palestinians, many of them civilians including children, were killed by Israeli Occupation Forces. In addition to singing Palestinian songs and chanting for an end to the occupation, international protection for the Palestinian people and sanctions against Israel, the demonstrators donned blindfolds and bound their hands to depict the plight of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails. Read more about Palestinian Child Demands Protection for the Palestinian People at the UN
High street names such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Connex and Caterpillar are implicated in Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people, according to a new report on corporate complicity in the Occupation of Palestine from campaigns group War on Want. The report, Profiting from the Occupation, details the extent of the humanitarian crisis currently facing Palestinians as a result of Israel’s intensified operations against them, and examines the role which companies have played in supporting the Occupation. Corporations such as Connex, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Caterpillar, Volvo, and Daewoo are involved in business practices that help to sustain occupation. Read more about High street companies accused of complicity in Israeli war crimes
The Ad-hoc Committee for the Protection of Foreign Passport Holders Residing in and/or Visiting the Occupied Palestinian Territory, launched in June 2006, is a support group of individuals and families affected by the current Israeli occupation authorities’ policy that denies entry to foreign passport holders to the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) via the Israeli unilaterally-controlled international border crossings to the oPt. They formed in response to Israel’s intensified trend of restricting entry or re-entry to the West Bank and Gaza to residents and visitors who do not hold a Palestinian ID issued by the Israeli Interior Ministry. Read more about Committee formed on right of entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The conflict in Israel/Palestine has reached new levels of menace and suffering with the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The Israeli government is intent on inflicting significant suffering on the civilian population, targeting the local infrastructure by destroying the local power plant and three bridges. Water and electricity has been cut off to 1.3 million inhabitants. This comes on top of the suffering caused by decades of military occupation and the recent cutoff off of funds to the Palestinian government, which has left the many Palestinians in Gaza facing starvation. Read more about NY Green candidate for US Senate: Stop Israel's attacks on Gaza
“Dear Slavoj Zizek, We at the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) have received with concern the news of your participation in the Jerusalem International Film Festival next month. Since a clear majority of Palestinian civil society has called upon international academics, artists, and intellectuals to boycott Israeli institutions due to their complicity in maintaining Israel’s occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people, we strongly urge you to reconsider your participation in this event.” The Palestinian Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is endorsed by over 170 Palestinian union, association and other civil society organizations. Read more about Open Letter to Slavoj Zizek
2500 lucky festival-goers at today’s Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans Freedom Day celebration received samples of a hot new product from Estee Slaughter Inc., a project of Queers Undermining Israeli Terror (QUIT!). In the first appearance by the San Francisco-based cosmetics shrimp at the LGBTFD celebration (aka San Francisco Pride), volunteers distributed thousands of the “Realityfold TM” sleep mask. The black masks were tastefully emblazoned in gold with the ES logo and “Make the Occupation Disappear.” Read more about Estee Slaughter Kicked Out of LGBT Festival
Reaffirming his commitment to fighting injustice, the world renowned rock star Roger Waters explicitly challenged Israel to “tear down this wall” and end its occupation to achieve real peace. A day before his concert date, Waters paid a solidarity visit to the occupied Palestinian territory; he publicly endorsed the Palestinian and international demand for tearing down Israel’s Wall, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in July 2004. Read more about We Don't Need no Occupation, We Don't Need no Racist Wall! Roger Waters challenges Israel to tear down its colonial Wall
Facing pressure from powerful Jewish lobbyists, the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s (PCUSA) 217 General Assembly adopted a resolution to replace the previous assembly’s language calling for “phased, selective divestment from corporations that profit from the illegal occupation of Palestine.” The new resolution does not rescind the 2004 resolution. This year’s resolution supports Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI)’s customary process of corporate engagement that holds divestment as a last option. Read more about Presbyterians Challenge Corporations That Support Israel's Occupation Of Palestine
Roger Waters founding member, with Syd Barrett, of the super group Pink Floyd visited the West Bank city of Bethlehem on June 21, 2006. He called for an end to the on-going Israeli Occupation. Waters moved Thursday’s concert from Hayarkon Park outside Tel Aviv after discussions with Palestinian artists, as well as Israeli refuseniks, who called on him to use the gig as a platform to build solidarity with those fighting the injustices of Israeli foreign policy. Read more about We don't need no occupation: Roger Waters graffitis the Israeli Wall in Palestine
