No. 15, 16, 17,18 (148, 149, 150, 151)
North America
Alwan for the Arts held on 28 September 2007 a book reading by Eyal Weizman, Director of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmith College, University of London, who spoke about his book “Hollow Land: Israel’s Architecture of Occupation”, an exploration of political space created by Israel’s occupation, mechanisms of control and the transformation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory into a theoretically constructed artifice. For further information contact E-Mail: alwanevents@alwanforthearts.org
Americans for Peace Now (APN) issued a press release on 24 September 2007 informing that thirteen of Israel’s most prominent intellectuals published a petition calling on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas. The signatories of the petition include writers: Amos Oz, A.b. Yehoshua, David Grossman, Meir Shalev, and Eli Amir. The organization petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice in September requesting demolition orders against six outposts in the West Bank. For further information, contact E-Mail: apndc@peacenow.org or visit the web site: http://www.peacenow.org
APN held a public lecture on 1 October 2007 entitled “The Arab-Israeli Conflict – The Possibility of a Two-State Solution” by Gala Golan of Peace Now, Professor at the Lauder School of Government in Hertziliya; a presentation on 3 October 2007 on Capitol Hill entitled “Jerusalem and Settlements on the Agenda of November ‘s Israel-Palestinian Peace Meeting”, by Danny Seidemann of Ir Amin, and Akiva Eldar of Ha’aretz; on 28 October 2007 entitled “Untold Stories and Rewriting Israeli History” by Gershom Gorenberg, author of “Accidental Empire: The Birth of Settlements” in Brooklyn, New York.
ANERA – American Near East Refugee Aid issued a press release in September 2007 requesting support for the 3,000 Palestinian children attending its Scholarship Programme. Two scholarship programmes educate children with hearing loss; two institutions provide food, housing, medical service and education for orphans; one center gives primary education and vocational training for students with severe physical and mental disabilities; and two schools give educational opportunity to students from extremely poor families. For further information, visit ANERA’s web site: http://www.anera.org
American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) held a luncheon briefing on 3 October 2007 in Washington D.C.entitled “Palestinian National Unity and Prospects for Peace: The Question of Hamas” by Ghaith Al-Omari, Advocacy Director ATFP, Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation; and Robert Malley, Middle East and North Africa Program Director, International Crisis Group. For further information, contact E-Mail: mpirog@atfp.net
The Carter Center in Atlanta organized on 12 September 2007 its annual Human Rights Defenders Forum with leading secular and religious human rights representatives from 22 countries. Former President Jimmy Carter chaired the meeting. Rev. Mitri Raheb, Senior Pastor of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem delivered the speech “Whence Cometh Change”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.MitriRaheb.org
The Carter Center issued a press release on 21 September 2007 entitled “Israeli Actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank: Prospects Dim for Middle East Peace”. The Center “deplores the decision taken by Israel to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile territory and its threat to cut off provision of essential services, such as electricity and fuel to the civilian population”.
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) held a conference call on 26 September 2007 entitled “A Diplomat’s Guide to the November Peace Summit” by Ambassador (ret.) Philip C. Wilcox Jr., President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace; and Corinne Whitlatch of CMEP. Prospects for progress toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and political and diplomatic challenges facing the conference participants were discussed. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@cmep.org or visit the web site: http://www.cmep.org
Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (FFIPP) announced in October that speakers will be available for campus events in the US this fall. Rateb Abu Rhma, a lecturer at Al-Quds University and member of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in; and Kobi Snitz, a lecturer at Bar Ilan University and member of the Anarchists Against the Wall, will tour campuses in the US together to discuss the joint Palestinian, Israeli and international non-violent efforts to resist the construction of settlements and the wall in the West Bank. Hannah Safran, a lecturer at Emek-Yisrael College, founder of Women in Black, member of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace in Israel, and Shtewee, legal department coordinator for the Palestinian-Israeli feminist group Kayan, will jointly talk about common efforts of Israeli and Palestinian women to establish a just peace in Palestine-Israel. The documentaries “Bil’in Habibti” about the struggle of Bil’in and produced by Shai Carmeli Pollack, “Arna’s Children” by Juliano Mer Khamis; “Frontiers of Dreams of Fears and Dreams” by Mai Masri, are available through FFIPP. FFIPP has also photo exhibits: “Nablus, A City under Occupation” by Palestinian students in Nablus; and “The Checkpoints by Esti Tslal, a member of Matchsom Watch. For further information, contact E-Mail: ffippusa@comcast.net or visit the web site: http://www.ffipp.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace issued in September 2007 the translation of the paper entitled “Palestine” A Policy of Deliberate Blindness” by Regis Debray, a writer and Honorary Chairman of the European Institute of Religious Studies in Paris, written at the request of President Jacques Chirac, and published at Le Monde Diplomatique. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@fmep.org or visit the web site: http://www.fmep.org
Friends of Sabeel will hold a conference on 26 and 27 October entitled “The Apartheid Paradigm in Israel-Palestine”, in Boston. Speakers include: Rev. Desmond Tutu; The Rev. Naim Ateek, founder of Sabeel; John Dugard, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics at MIT; Diana Buttu; Anat Biletzki, Professor of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University; Farid Esack, South African Muslim theologian currently at Harvard University; Jeff Halper, Coordinator, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions; Rev. Donald Wagner, Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies; and Phyllis Bennis, Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies. For further information, contact E-Mail: friends@fosna.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace, Middle East Institute, and Americans for Peace Now held a lecture on 1 October 2007 of the book “Lords of the Land: The War for Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007” by Akiva Eldar, Chief political columnist for Ha’aretz, and historian Idith Zertal. The authors spoke about how settlements, occupation and settlers’ religion have transformed Israel and shaken the foundations of its society. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@fmep.org or visit the web site: http://www.fmep.org
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a press release on 20 September 2007 entitled “Israel: Threatened Sanctions on Gaza Violate Laws of War – Rockets cannot justify Collective Punishment”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.hrw.org
Institute for Palestine Studies issued two papers in September and October 2007: “The Fall Meeting & The Trend to Focus on Aid Rather than Rights” and “Why, When and How the US Challenges Israel’s Action” by Nadia Hijab, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Institute. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.palestine-studies.org
Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) issued a press release on 26 September 2007 announcing digital stories made by youths from Ibdaa in Dheisheh Refugee Camp and Lajee in Aida Refugee Camp, on Palestinian history, culture and life under occupation and visions for justice. Selections from these stories will be screened at the upcoming Boston Palestine Film Festival and Hamptons International Film Festival in October. MECA issued a press release on 20 September entitled “Gaza Update: Collective Punishment Escalates”, describing the current situation in the Gaza Strip. For further information, contact E-Mail: josie@mecaforpeace.org or visit the web site: http://www.mecaforpeace.org
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations will hold its 16th Annual Conference on 25 and 26 October 2007, in Washington D.C, entitled “Revisiting Arab-U.S. Relations” Geopolitical, Energy, Defense Cooperation, and Development Dynamics”. There will be a panel in the conference entitled “Geo-Political Dynamics: Israel and Palestine”. Speakers include: Afif Safieh, Palestinian Representative to the US; Daniel Levy, Senior Fellow, New American Foundation; and Marc Perry, Co-Chair, Conflicts Forum. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.ncusar.org
One Voice issued a press release on 19 September 2007 announcing that it had exceeded its original goal of recruiting half a million Palestinian and Israeli citizens as signatories of a petition demanding a two-state solution. The organization will hold on 18 October, a large simultaneous mobilization of Israelis and Palestinians, via live, internationally-broadcast public summits in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and in communities world wide. One Voice’s aim is to deliver one million citizen signatures by the end of 2007. The Mandate sets a deadline for the Heads of State to achieve an agreement not later than 18 October 2008, one year from the date of the peoples’ summit. For further information, contact E-Mail: communications@onevoicemovement.org or visit the web site: http://www.onemillionvoices.org
The Palestine Center held a lecture on 25 September 2007 by Marco Abraham, author of the forthcoming book and a survivor of the Sabra and Shatila camps, entitled “The Lost Blood”, an account of the events in the camps. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@palestinecenter.org or visit the web site: http://www.thejerusalemfund.org
The Palestine Center will hold a presentation on 2 November 2007 entitled “The “Politicide” of the Palestinian People” by Bashir Abu-Manneh, Assistant Professor of English, Barnard College, New York.
The Palestine Center issued the transcript of the presentation held on 26 September 2007 entitled “Combating Unemployment in Gaza: Creative Partnerships and the Palestinian Developmental Landscape” by Mohammad Naja, the Gaza representative of the Education for Employment Foundation.
Rebuilding Alliance launched a campaign in September 2007 to build a playground in the school of Abir Aramim, where the daughter of Bassam Aramin, a member of Combatants for Peace, was killed when she was leaving school. For further information, info@RebuildingAlliance.org or visit the web site: http://www.RebuildingAlliance.org
The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation issued a press release in October 2007 announcing the Voices Beyond Walls Boston Palestine Film Festival. The event will take place during nine days in September and October at five major venues with over 40 films. This festival features documentaries, dramatic features and rare early works, and new films by emerging artists. The Boston Film Festival is sponsored by Tawasul, an organization committed to sharing and celebrating Palestinian art and culture, and a programme of the Middle East Cultural and Charitable Society. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org
The US Campaign will hold on 19 October 2007 the Caterpillar Day of Action – “Stop Caterpillar Human Rights Abuses in Palestine”. At least 18 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Army with Caterpillar bulldozers.
Asia
Australians for Palestine (AFP) informed that The Citizenship and Globalization Research Priority Area at Deakin University held a Public Forum on 20 September entitled “The Israeli-Palestine Conflict: Causes and Consequences”. Representatives of both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will speak about the causes, dynamics and international consequences. Speakers include: Danny Lamm, President of the State Zionist Council of Victoria; and Michael Shaik of Australians for Palestine. For further information, contact: sonja.karkar@womenforpalestine.com
AFP also held a public forum on 25 September 2007 entitled “Apartheid in the Holy Land”, at La Trobe University. Speakers include: Rev. Helen Cox, a Church Minister; and Michael Shaik, of Australians for Palestine.
AFP issued a briefing paper on 5 October 2007, issued to all Members of Parliament, entitled “Israel’s Illegal Wall Marks Out Permanent Border”. The paper points out that “the land between the wall and the Green Line amounts to some 10%, and if Israel proceeds with the Eastern Wall to permanently annex the Jordan Valley, it will give Israel another 25% of the West Bank, leaving the Palestinians with truncated parcels of arid land. Three quarters of the illegal settlements come within the route of the wall”.
Women for Palestine and Australians for Palestine will hold a public lecture on 11 October 2007 entitled “What Future for Israel/Palestine?” by Ghada Karmi, author of the books ‘In Search of Fatima” and “Married to the Wrong Man”. The presentation will be facilitated by Joe Camilleri, Professor at the Centre of International Relations, La Trobe University, and Member of the Advisory Board of the International Centre for Conflict Resolution, University of Melbourne. For further information, contact E-Mail: sonja.karkar@womenforpalestine.com
Europe
Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action on 21 September 2007 regarding the recent Israeli decision 2007 to declare Gaza a “hostile territory”. The organization stated that it “would cause a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and adversely affect the 1.5 million Palestinians who live there”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.amnesty.org
Association Belgo-Palestinienne and Groupe Palestine Santé will hold a presentation on 28 November 2007 entitled “Retours de Palestine” by Marianne Blume, who taught French during 10 years at the El-Azhar in Gaza, and returned in July to interview her old students and different personalities; and Colette Versporten, who participated in several missions to the Occupied Territory and focused her work on women in Hebron, inspired by the psychological work done for several years by Marc Abramowicz in Qalqilia. For further information, contact email: abp@eccp@skynet.be
The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and West London Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a presentation on 3 October 2007 entitled “Israel/Palestine: Is a Two-State Solution Possible?” by Andrew Slaughter MP, who reported on his recent visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel as part of a cross-party delegation organized by CAABU.
CAABU held the following events in September 2007: a Liberal Democrat Conference entitled “Palestine: The Road to Statehood”, in Brighton. Speakers included: Stephanie Khoury, Research Fellow at the Sir Joseph Hotung Program on Law, Human Rights and Peace-Building in the Middle East, School of Oriental and African Studies, and former legal advisor to the Negotiations Support Unit to the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department; Andrew Phyllis, Lord Phillips of Sudbury, former Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Home Office in the House of Lords, who recently visited the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and William Sieghart, Chairman of Forward Thinking, a UK charity which is involved in promoting a more inclusive peace process in the Middle East by engaging the religiously motivated Palestinian and Israeli political parties who have been excluded from dialogue.
CAABU announced a photographic exhibition from 24 to 29 September 2007 entitled “Framing Gaza”, depicting a narrative of life in Gaza from 1948 to the present day in London. The event will be officially opened by Sir Richard Dalton, former Consul-General in Jerusalem. For further information, contact E-Mail: v.c.maxwell@btoponworld.com
French Platform of NGOs for Palestine issued a press release on 25 September 2007 announcing the documentary “A Wall in Jerusalem” by Franck Salomé and produced by the Platform, and Secours Catholique-Caritas France in collaboration with B’Tselem. The organization will be showing in November the film “Iron Wall”, of Mohammed Alatar in different cities of France. For further information, contact E-Mail: pfpalest@club-internet.fr
Jews for Justice for Palestinians UK sent an open letter on 27 September 2007 to UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP, signed by 317 British Jews, and published the next day as a full page advertisement in the Times. The letter calls on the UK Government to demand an end to Israel’s sanctions against the people of Gaza, which they consider as a collective punishment, a direct violation of international law, of Israel’s sanctions against the people of Gaza. For further information, contact E-Mail: jfifp@jfifp.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) will hold an international conference on 6 and 7 October 2007 entitled “End the Occupation – Freedom for Palestine: Building a New Anti-Apartheid Movement”. The Campaign launched a campaign to support Khaled Mudallal, a management student in Britain, who is currently trapped in the Gaza Strip due to restrictions on freedom of movement, to leave Gaza and finish his degree course. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@palestinecampaign.org or visit the web site: http://www.palestinecampaign.org
Latin America and the Caribbean
Asociación Venezoelana de Socorro al Pueblo Palestino held several activities during the week from 23 to 30 September 2007, including lectures, movies, arts exhibits and a musical event, in Caracas. Eyal Sivan showed his film “Route 181”; and Norman Finkelstein, former professor of Political Science at Du Paul University in Chicago made a presentation. For further information, contact Email: resistenciaporlapaz@gmail.com
Comitê Catarinense de Solidariedade ao Povo Palestino in Brazil issued a press release on 21 September 2007 informing that the Brazilian Government has agreed to receive 117 Palestinian refugees, who fled Iraq and for the last four years have been camping in the Jordanian refugee camp of Ruweisheh, 60 kilometers from the Iraq border, in the middle of the desert. For further information, contact E-Mail: comitepalestinasc@yahoo.com.br or visit the web site: http://www.vivapalestina.com
Federación de Entidades Argentino Palestinas held an event on 25 September to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sabra and Shatila. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@federacionargentina.com.ar
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem
Al-Haq issued a press release on 22 September entitled “Enemy Entity: A Deliberate Attempt by Israel to Obscure its Continued Occupation of the Gaza Strip”. The organization is concerned by the Israeli Security Cabinet’s unanimous decision on 19 September, to declare Gaza an “enemy entity”, paving the way for the imposition of collective penalties on the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. The organization also stated that labelling the Gaza Strip an “enemy entity’ attempts to distract from Israel’s occupation of the Territory and the international law obligations incumbent upon it as the occupying Power”. For further information, contact E-Mail: media@alhaq.org or visit the web site: http://www.alhaq.org
Al Haq issued a press release on 19 September 2007 entitled “UK High Court of Justice to Hear Legal Challenge on UK Sale of Arms-Related Equipment to Israel”. A public hearing will be held before the UK Court of Justice on 10 and 11 October in London.
Al-Mezan issued a press release on 26 August 2007 condemning Israel’s denial of IDs for 100,000 Palestinians. As a consequence, movement between Gaza and the West Bank, or leaving either, is not possible. Thousands of families have been deprived from family reunification, visits, travel for education, work or healthcare. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@mezan.org or visit the web site: http://www.mezan.org
Al-Mezan issued a press release on 20 September 2007 condemning “Israel’s new collective punishment measures against Gaza”. “Three months of total closure have added to the low humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Closures cause paralysis to its economy, increased poverty and unemployment, and raised dependency on humanitarian aid to near 100%”. Al Mezan also issued a report on 1 October on the “Humanitarian Implications of Israel’s Siege and Closure of Gaza”. The organization received a delegation from the Swiss Agency for International Development Cooperation (SDC).
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights issued a press release informing about the release of the Badil Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2006-2007. For further information, contact email: admin@badil.org or visit the web site: http://www.badil.org
B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Physicians for Human Rights; Public Committee Against Torture in Israel; HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual; and Bimkom – Planners for Human Rights issued a press release on 20 September 2007 entitled “Cabinet decision will impose collective punishment on a civilian population, lead to grave breach of International Law”. The organizations warned that the Cabinet’s decision to limit the electricity and fuel supply and to further limit movement in and out of the Gaza Strip will exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis now. For further information, visit B’Tselem’s web site: http://www.btselem.org
The Campaign for the Right of Entry/Re-Entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territory issued a press release on 17 September 2007 entitled “Israeli Authorities
Denied Entry of Clergyman”, regarding Father Farins Khaliefat, priest of the Greek Melkite Church in Ramallah, who was barred entry to the West Bank. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@righttoenter.ps
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), a programme of the World Council of Churches, issued its October Newsletter. The newsletter informs that despite the recent victory of the villagers of Bil’in in the Israeli High Court, the villagers continue their non-violent resistance until the wall falls. The newsletter also informs that “the construction of the wall, plus subsequent land grabs by surrounding settlements, has decimated the Al Walajeh’ land and livehoods. Al Walajeh now consists of just 22% of its original size. Land that was once fertile and green has disappeared beneath the concrete of three major settlements”. For further information, contact E-Mail: eappi-co@wcc-coe.org or visit the web site: http://www.wcc-coe.org
Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) started in October 2007 the initial preparations for launching an international campaign to break the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza. GCMHP is in the process of forming a national committee of civil society organizations to act as local organizing committee. The campaign will include a number of conferences and workshops with local and international experts to discuss the humanitarian, health, environmental, social, cultural, and political repercussions of the siege. For further information, contact E-Mail: eyadsarraj@GCmhp.net
Gush Shalom issued a press release on 19 September 2007 entitled “The starving of the Gaza inhabitants is a crime and a folly – mistreating a million and half people will make them the most bitter enemies “. For further information, visit the web site; http://www.gush-shalom.org
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) issued a press release on 19 September 2007 entitled “Gaza: A Call to Action”. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@icahd.org or visit the web site: http://www.icahd.org
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) will hold a presentation on 6 October 2007 entitled “What type of Borders? Latest thinking on border and boundary demarcations” by David Newman of Ben-Gurion University, and Hanna Swaid, Knesset Member for Hadash, at the Ambassador Hotel, Jerusalem. For further information, contact E-Mail: david@ipcri.org or visit the web site: http://www.ipcri.org
IPCRI launched the campaign “Walk the Green Line” from 27 to 29 November 2007. Participants would be making a political statement supporting the line where the future border should be and for Palestinian-Israeli peace based on the “Two-States Solution”. Since the beginning of the occupation following the 1967 war, the Green Line has been gradually disappearing. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.walkthegreenline.org
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release on 12 September 2007 informing about the visit of a 7-member British parliamentary delegation to the Center’s office in Gaza. Since the start of September 2007 delegations from the Front Line Defenders, Swedish Consulate and European Union, and another British Parliamentary delegation visited the Centre. For further information, contact E-Mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, or visit the web site: http://www.pchrgaza.org
The Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG) issued in September a paper outlining the background, the need, and the recommendations to bring an end to suicide attacks. The goal of this project is to draw attention to this practice, its harms, and to promote dialogue on this issue amongst the Palestinian community in order to educate the population and bring an end to this practice. For further information, contact E-Mail: admin@phrmg.org or visit the web site: http://www.phrmg.org
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The NGO Action News is a bi-weekly newsletter issued by the Division for Palestinian Rights of the United Nations Secretariat and intended to provide information on worldwide NGO activities relevant to the question of Palestine. Organizations interested in sharing information about their activities through this newsletter may contact the Division for Palestinian Rights at:
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