1 – 6 November 2009
Europe
Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Palestine Societies at University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies hosted a lecture, on 5 November, by Dr. Mads Gilbert on the “Eyes in Gaza”, at the University College London (UCL). Dr. Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor specialising in emergency medicine, was one of the few foreign doctors in Gaza during the Israeli attack in January, working as part of emergency medical teams. For more, visit: http://www.map-uk.org/regions/uk/news/view/-/id/472/
The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) coordinated a delegation of British parliamentarians to the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria, as part of its continuous effort to mobilize and raise awareness of the refugees’ plight. The delegation met with the Syrian President and discussed different methods to ease the suffering of Palestinian refugees in the camps, as well as to find an imminent solution for those stranded on the borders between Syria and Iraq. The delegation also met with UNCHR representatives. For more information, visit: http://www.prc.org.uk/
North America
The Palestine Center in Washington announced the following upcoming events: The Palestine Center 2009 Annual Conference, "The Erasure of Palestine" (13 November 2009); and "Palestine Lost", an exhibition by Rajie Cook and Helen Zughaib (10 September - 13 November 2009). "Life in Hell: A Journalist's Account of Life in Gaza" with Mohammed Omer took place on 5 November 2009. For details, visit: http://thejerusalemfund.org/
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation announced two weeks of action: 2-8 November will be aimed at building support for the Gaza Freedom March in December 2009 / January 2010, while 6-15 November will be dedicated to action against the Wall, organized by the Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. For details, visit: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2395
Foundation for Middle East Peace announced that the Middle East Institute would honour Gazan doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish, peace activist working with Israelis and Palestinians, who lost three daughters in the recent Gaza war, at the Institute’s annual banquet on 9 November. The banquet will be followed by the Middle East Institute's 63rd Annual Conference on Rewriting the Middle East Agenda, on 10 November. For details, visit: http://www.mei.edu/Events/Conferences/2009AnnualConference.aspx
Foundation for Middle East Peace is organizing a presentation and discussion with William R. Polk, author and Middle East historian, on “Israel, Palestine, the United States and the Middle East”, on 12 November in Washington. Reservations can be made at: info@fmep.org
Jewish Voice for Peace has called on the public at large to express support by signing at: http://www.supportgoldstone.org/, thereby letting key Israeli officials, members of Congress, and Goldstone himself know how many support the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict.
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release, on 3 November, ahead of the General Assembly session on 4 November which discussed the Report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Report). PCHR called on the Assembly to vote to fight impunity and uphold the rule of law. The organization also published on its website the endorsement of the Report by the Palestinian human rights community. For press releases, visit:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/
Gush Shalom will organize a rally “Rabin memorial - lend a hand to distribute Gush stickers” on 7 November, at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Stickers will call on the population to “wake up, it’s high time to change direction, dismantle settlements, make peace”. For more information, visit: http://zope.gush-shalom.org/index_en.html
As announced by the International Solidarity Movement, a protest vigil was held in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah following a settler takeover of a Palestinian home, on Wednesday, 4 November at 7 pm, by the al-Kurd family and international and Israeli solidarity groups. For details, please visit: http://palsolidarity.org/
The Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign organised protests in the West Bank against the Wall. This week, people marched under the slogan of the “Black Wall”, bringing car tires to burn along the base of the Wall. Protest also focused on prisoners. For details, visit: http://stopthewall.org/index.shtml
Amnesty International published a report, on 27 October, on “Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Demand Dignity: Troubled Waters - Palestinians denied fair access to water”, accusing Israel of denying Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies. The report also states that Gaza’s coastal aquifer, its sole fresh water resource, has been polluted by infiltration of seawater and raw sewage and degraded by over-extraction. Simultaneously, it also released Demand Dignity campaign digest “Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Thirsting for justice: Palestinian access to water restricted”. The two documents can be viewed at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/israel-rations-palestinians-trickle-water-20091027
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