August 2008
No. 18
North America
Friends of Sabeel – Detroit/Ann Harbor will hold a conference from 25 to 27 September 2008, at the First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, MI., entitled Peace Palestine & US Policy 1948-2008”. Speakers include: Rev. Naim Ateek, founder of Sabeel; Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize Winner; Ilan Pappe, Professor of History, University of Exeter, UK; Joel Kovel, author of “Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine”; Phyllis Bennis, Senior Fellow, Institute of Palestine Studies; and John Quigley, Professor of Law, Ohio University. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.fosna.org
Human Rights Watch issued a press release on 6 August 2008 entitled “Israel: Stop Plans for New West Bank Settlement”, regarding the Israeli Defence Ministry request for approval for the construction of 22 houses in the settlement of Maskiot, in the Jordan Valley. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.hrw.org
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a press release on 10 August 2009 entitled “Israel: Don’t Destroy Homes – Collective Punishment Violates International Law”. The call follows an order issued on 6 August by the Israeli Defence Minister to demolish a house owned by relatives of a Palestinian who killed eight Israelis on the Mercaz Harav seminary in Jerusalem. HRW states that “The house demolition measures would violate international law because they punish people who are not even accused, let alone convicted, of a crime”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.hrw.org
Palestine/Boston Olive Oil in association with the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) is distributing oil in the US. PARC works with different small farming cooperatives, is a member of the International Trade Fair Association and has received the Palestinian Standards Institution certification for its olive oil. PARC received recently the top BIOL award for excellence in olive oil in a competition in Puglia, Italy which included 300 participants from Italy and abroad. The Palestine/Boston Olive Oil was able to double the number of cases purchased in 2007 and is hoping to sell more 1000 cases in 2008. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.olivebrancholiveoil.com
The Palestine Center will hold its annual conference on 10 November 2008, in Washington D.C. The theme will be “The US and the Arab World: An Assessment of American Policy in the Middle East. Chris Hedges, former correspondent of the New York Times and currently a senior fellow at the Nations Institute in New York City will be the keynote speaker. Paul Findley, former US representative and author of several books, including “They Dare to Speak Out”, will make the closing remarks. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@palestinecenter.org or visit the website: http://thejerusalemfund.org
The Palestine Center will hold on 18 September 2008 a presentation entitled “Palestinians and Israelis: Two States or One State” by Avi Shlaim, Professor of International Relations, Oxford University; and Ali Abunimah, Palestine Center Fellow, author and journalist.
United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has published a book entitled “Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East by Daniel C.Kurtzer and Scott Lazensky and including chapters by William Quandt, Steven Spiegel, and Shibley Telhami. The group interviewed some 150 officials and activists in the US and Middle East and assessed their views of Washington’s role as a mediator since the end of the Cold War. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.usip.org
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation will hold a speaking tour from 10 to 23 November 2008 in the US by Diana Buttu, former PLO legal advisor, and Eddie Makue, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches in Johannesburg. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.endtheoccupation.org
The US Campaign informed that the Middle East Committee of WESPAC Foundation and Adalah-NY are co-sponsoring “The Art of Palestinian Children”, a travelling exhibition of 26 paintings by Palestinian children living in Lebanon. The paintings were donated by al-Jana, the Beirut based Palestinian Centre for Popular Arts. For further information, contact E-Mail: palestinianartsshow@gmail.com or visit the web site: http://www.wespac.org or http://www.adalahny.org
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Adva Center issued a report in August 2009 entitled “Will a Two-State Solution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict be Bad for Israel Business? The report makes a survey of major Israeli businesses that benefit from Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territory and its control of trade. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.adva.org
Al-Haq issued a press release on 7 August 2008 entitled “Right to Life of Palestinian Children Disregarded in Ni’lin as Israel’s Policy of Wilflul Killing of Civilians Continues”. The press release describes the excessive and disproportionate use of force employed by the Israeli Border Police the week before 7August, which resulted in the killing of two Palestinian children. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.alhaq.org
The Alternative Information Center (AIC) and IMENC produced a film in August 2008 entitled “Ush Ghrab: Liberated Land under Attack”. The film shows over 200 settlers assaulting Palestinians and internationals, who were holding a prayer service at Ush Ghrab park, trying to occupy land that belongs to Beit Sahour and to prevent the construction a hospital for children. For further information, visit the web sites: http://www.imemc.org/article/56403
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights has developed an online research library for internet users. The library includes books, reference material, periodicals and primary documents of use to researchers in the fields of international law, Palestinian history, and Palestinian refugee rights in particular. For further information, contact E-Mail: mediaenglish@badil.org or visit the web site: http://www.badil.org
Coalition of Women for Peace has created a research project on Israeli and international companies which directly profit from investments the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory entitled “Who benefits from the occupation”. The Coalition is comprised by Machsom-Watch, Women in Black, Bat Shalom, Bat Itzafom for Peace and Equality, TANDI, Movement of Democratic Women in Israel, New Profile, The Fifth Mother, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Noga Feminist Journal and NELED – Women for Coexistence. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.whoprofits.org or http://www.coalitionforwomenforpeace.org
Defense for Children International (DCI-PS) issued a press release on 6 July announcing its monthly publication entitled “Israel’s Wall ruled Illegal – four years on”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.dci-pal.org
Gisha launched in August 2008 an online campaign to help hundreds of Palestinian students in the Gaza Strip reach their universities abroad. This year, Israel stated that students will not be permitted to leave Gaza, except for a few dozen, while hundreds of students remain trapped, in danger of losing hard-won places at universities all over the world. For further information, contact E-Mail: sair@gisha.org or visit the web site: http://www.gisha.org
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) will hold a presentation on 10 September 2008 in Jerusalem entitled “The Influence of Israeli and Palestinian Politics on the Peace Process” by Yehezkel Dror, Professor of Political Science, Hebrew University; and Hani al-Masri, Political Commentator, Al-Ayyam newspaper. For further information, contact E-Mail: david.kellen@ipcri.org
New Israel Fund and Other Voice (Kol Acher) organized a happening along the border fence between Gaza and Sderot to promote dialogue with Gaza residents. Over 50 Sderot residents biked along the fence for eight kilometres and held up banners calling on Palestinians to join them in demanding an end to violence. In the Palestinian side of the fence, more than 100 Palestinians stood in apartment windows and shouted encouragement. It was originally planned by the organizers on both sides to gather along the fence, but because of the current in-fighting plans had to be changed. The idea for the organization began earlier this year when a small group of Negev and Gaza neighbours began blogging and discovered a joint yearning for peace. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.nif.org
Palestine-Israel Journal under the auspices of Canada International Development Agency will hold on 25 August 2008 in Jerusalem, a presentation entitled “1948: Sixty Years After … What is Next”, by (Ret.Gen.) Ami Ayalon, former General Security Services (Shabak) and (Gen.) Jibril Rajoub, Former National Security Advisor to the PA President and former head of Preemptive Security Forces (PA). Welcoming remarks by Ambassador David Viveash, Canada Presentative Office; and Hillel Schenkel, co-editor of Palestine-Israel Journal. Ziad Abu Zayyad, co-editor of the Journal will be the moderator. For further information, contact E-Mail: pij@pij.org or visit the web site: http://www.pij.org
Peace Now issued a press release on 8 August 2008 drawing attention to rising violence by settlers and to police collaboration with settler efforts to bloc access to Hebron for peace activists. Peace Now leads the struggle against the establishment of the new settlement of “Maskiot” in the Jordan Valley. The organization hosted a meeting with other organizations monitoring settler activities and prominent officials like Knesset member Yossi Beilin, to strategize about how to continue pro-peace activities in the West Bank, especially Hebron. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.peacenow.org
Peace Now issued a press release on 7 August 2008 informing that the Israel Lands Authority published tenders for further construction in the settlements of Har Homa in East Jerusalem (130 units); and Beitar Ilit in the West Bank (317 units). According to Peace Now, since the Annapolis Summit Israel has published tenders for a total of 1761 units in East Jerusalem alone.
Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHR) published a report in August 2008 entitled “Transparency and Supervision Mechanisms in Israeli Prisons”. The report describes existing mechanisms for investigating prisoners’ complaints, and concludes that these suffer from structural failures that harm their effectiveness. The report also examines existing external supervision system, and concludes that they are inadequate, and reviewers completely lack medical knowledge. For further information, contact E-Mail: anat@phr.org.il or visit the web site: http://www/phr.org.il
Sabeel will hold its 7th annual conference from 12 to 19 November 2008 in Bethlehem, entitled “Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years after the Nakba”. The conference will focus on the commemoration of the 60 years since the Nakba. For further information, contact E-Mail: conf2008@sabeel.org
Yesh Din –Volunteers for Human Rights issued a report in July 2008 entitled “Investigation of Crimes by IDF Soldiers against Palestinians: only six percent of criminal investigations lead to indictments; few investigations are initiated by commanders”. Yesh Din monitors the investigations of offences committed by Israeli civilians against Palestinians in the West Bank. The organization has exposed the rate of failure of the Judea and Samaria district Police investigations at 90%, and published it in a data base sheet. Yesh Din tracked down 205 investigations opened in recent years. For further information, contact E-Mail: Dan@benor.co.il
Yesh Din and Rabah Mohamad Asef Abdellatif, a resident of the village of El-Geeb, have filed a petition in July 2008 with the High Court of Justice concerning the construction of a building adjacent to the settlement of Giv’at Ze’ev on the private property of Mr. Abdelllatif. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.yesh-din.org
Women’s Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP) issued a press release in August 2008 drawing attention to the insufficient health care the prisoners continue to suffer from. The press release also describes how prisoners are treated in the prisons and detention centers in Israel. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.wofpp.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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