October- November 2008
No. 22
North America
Boston Olive Oil issued a press release on 10 November 2008 announcing the shipment of Olive Branch Olive Oil from the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), a member of the International Fair Trade Association, and the only Palestinian organization that has received the Palestine Standards Institution certification for its olive oil. For further information, contact E-Mail: palestinebostonoliveoil@yahoo.com or visit the web site: http://www.olivebrancholiveoil.com
Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation held on 25 October 2008 its 10th International Conference about the Christians of the Holy Land, at the National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C. Speakers included: Ambassador Philip Wilcox, Jr., President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace; Anna Baltzer, author; Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem; and Rev. Donald Wagner, North Park University. For further information, contact E-Mail: news@hcef.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace, Americans for Peace Now & B’Tselem will hold a presentation on 19 November 2008 entitled “Palestinians in Gaza: Freedom of Movement Under Closure” by Sari Bashi, Executive Director, Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement; and Said Almadhoun, LL.M. candidate, American University, Washington College of Law. The event will take place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.
Foundation for Middle East Peace & the Middle East Institute held a presentation in October 2008 entitled “What’s Next for Palestinian Refugees: Gaza, the West Bank and Beyond?” by Karen AbuZayd, Commissioner General of UNRWA. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@fmep.org or visit the web site: http://www.fmep.org
Israel Policy Forum will hold a conference on 4 December 2008 entitled “How to Achieve Peace and Security in the Middle East. Speakers include: Rep. Gary Ackerman, Chairman, Subcommitte on the Middle East and South Africa; Ziad Azali, President, American Task Force on Palestine; Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain, President, Middle East Institute; Murhaf Jouejati, Professor, National Defense University; Rep. Mel Levine, former Congressman; Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich, former Ambassador of Israel to the US; MJ Rosenberg, IPF Director of Policy Analysis; Steven Spiegel, Professor, UCLA and IPF National Scholar; Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy; and Yoram Peri, Head, The Chaim Herzog Institute for Media, Politics and Society, Tel Aviv University. The keynote address will be delivered by Senator Chuck Hagel. For further information, ipfdc@ipforum.org
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation held the national tour in New York on 11 and 12 November 2008 in New York entitled “Separate is Never Equal: Stories of Apartheid from South Africa and Palestine” with Diana Buttu, Lawyer, and Rev Eddie Makue, Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches, at the Bethany United Methodist Church, Brooklyn College, Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, Park Slope United Methodist Church, and at Columbia University School of Law. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.endtheoccupation.org
Europe
Amnesty International issued an urgent action press release on 16 October 2008 informing about the situation of six Palestinian children who suffer from serious heart condition and need urgent surgery that cannot be provided in Gaza. The children, aged between one and five-years-old, were due to be operated on by a team of British heart specialists at Makassad Hospital in East Jerusalem but were not allowed to leave because the Israeli authorities refused permission to their mothers/grandmothers to leave Gaza to accompany them. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.amnesty.org
Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), with the support of several organizations, will hold on 19 November 2008 the Lobby Day Justice for Palestinians, followed by a PSC meeting in the House of Commons. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.caabu.org
CAABU will hold two events in November 2008: a presentation by Abdel Bari Atwan, Editor-in Chief of the al-Quds al-Arabi, who will talk about his autobiography “A Country of Works – A Palestinian Journey from the Refugee Camp to the Front Page”, and the launching of another book ‘A Quiet Revolution – The First Palestinian Intifada and Nonviolent Resistance” by Mary King, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at UN University of Peace.
International League for Human Rights issued a press release informing that Anarchists Against the Wall and the Bil’in Popular Committee will receive on 6 December 2008 the Carl von Ossietzky Medal in Berlin. For further information, contact E-Mail: Vorstand@ilmr.de or visit the web site: http://www.ilmr.org
Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights, Bar Human Rights Committee and Solicitors International Human Rights Groups held a presentation on 5 November 2008 entitled “Juvenile Injustice: Child Detainees in Israeli Military Tribunals and Prisons, by Khaled Quzmar, lawyer for juvenile detainees in Israeli Military Tribunals, Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCI); and Gerard Horton, International Advocacy Officer, DCI-PS. For further information, contact E-Mail: smitas@gclaw.uk or visit the web site: http://www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign will hold over the next three months the following events: on 29 November will hold a conference to discuss non-violent direct action as means of campaigning, by Colm Bryce, Raytheon 9 Campaign, and Chris Boycott, Brighton PSC Agrexco Campaign. On 7 January 2009 a “Trade Union Solidarity with Palestine” by Manawel Abdel Al, Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU); Salim Vally of South Africa, founding member of COSATU and a spokesperson for the Anti-War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Committee; and Katherine Nastovski, former Chair of International Solidarity Committee of Ontario CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees). The Campaign will hold on 25 January 2008 a conference entitled “Resistance to Genocide & Ethnic Cleansing: from 1940s Europe to Middle East Today” by Liliane Kaczerginski, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network; Azzam Taminin, Palestinian academic and member of the Stop the War Coalition and the Institute of Islamic Thought in London; Donnie Gluckstein, author of the “Nazis, Capitalism and the Working Class; and Mick Nappier, Chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. For further information contact E-Mail: secretary@scottishpsc.org.uk or visit the web site: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) sent in October 2008 a six-member team of doctors and nurses from the United Kingdom to Jerusalem to start a week of paediatric cardiac surgery at Makassed Hospital on Mount of Olives. All doctors and nurses were volunteers. One of the teams was led by Dr. B. Sethis, who has led several missions to Makassed through PCRF over the past 10 years, and saved the lives of over 100 children born with heart disease. This programme is part of the PCRF efforts to build the first and only independent paediatric clinic surgery unit serving babies from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Two other missions are planned for heart surgery before the end of the year. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.pcrf.net
Asia and Pacific
Australians for Palestine and Women for Palestine issued a press release informing about the forum held on 3 November 20008 entitled “Israel, Palestine and the Claims of Nationhood – pre-1948” by Theo Tsalamandris, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monask University; and Michael Shaik, Public Advocate, Australians for Palestine. For further information, contact E-Mail: sonjakarkar@womenforpalestine.org
Latin America
Movimento Palestino para Todos (MOPAT) held on 8 November 2008, on the occasion of the International Week of Action against the Wall, the Palestinian Film Festival followed by debates, in São Paulo. At the same date, it also held the III Encounter of Societies and Palestinian Movements in Brazil. For further information, contact E-Mail: aeclem@hotmail.com
Federación Palestina de Argentina held on 5 November 2008 the Popular Campaign against the Wall with the screening of the film “Massaker” by Monika Borgmann, Lokman Slim and Hermann Theissen. For further information, contact E-Mail: tildarabi@yahoo.com.ar
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association issued a press release on 3 November 2008 informing that the Military Judge at Ofer Military Court rejected the appeal by Addameer to reduce the administrative detention order of Salwa Salah and Sara Siudeh. Both girls, minors, are being held without charge or trial, will remain in prison until their administrative order ends on 3 January 2009, although administrative orders could be renewed indefinitely. For further information, contact E-Mail: clare.holohan@gmail.com
Al Haq issued an open letter to the Royal Dutch Embassy, the Dutch Representative Office to the PA and Heineken Nederlands to praise the decision of Barkan Wineries to remove its activities from the industrial zone of the settlement of Barkan and transfer them into Israel. For further information, contact E-Mail: media@alhaq.org or visit the web site: http://www.alhaq.org
Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA) issued a press release on 1 November 2008 entitled “A Museum of Tolerance built on top of a Muslim Cemetery in Jerusalem? ” The Association is launching a campaign calling Jews, Christians and Muslims to intervene with the Israeli authorities. For further information, visit the web site: www.arabhra.org
Badil Resource Center announced that the Al-Rowwad Cultural and Theater Training Center and Images for Life in Aida Refugee Camp had a photographic exhibition in October 2008 entitled “Look Who We Are” by ten young Palestinian artists. The exhibition is the culmination of an eight month professional training programme in photography. The exhibit can be downloaded at: http://www.badil.org/invitation-arwwad.htm of http://imagesforlife.com
B’Tselem The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories issued a press release in October 2008 entitled “Testimony: 12-year-old beaten and imprisoned with adults”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.btselem.org
Bimkom issued a report in October 2008 entitled “The Forbidden Zone” on Israel’s planning policy in the West Bank to secure Israel’s control of land and preserve as much land as possible for settlements. For further information, contact E-Mail: bimkom@bimkom.org
The Coalition for Jerusalem issued a press release on 21 October calling on volunteers to participate in the olive picking campaign to support Palestinian farmers affected by the wall. For further information, contact E-Mail: coalitionforjerusalem@yahoo.com
Defence for Children International (DCI Palestine Section) issued a report in November 2008 entitled “Increased Settler Attacks against Children”. The report highlights nine separate incidents of settler attacks resulting in injuries to twelve Palestinian children. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.dci-pal.org
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) issued the September-October 2008 a Newsletter with news on settlers violence, West Bank closure, the olive harvest and Sheikh Jarrah eviction threats. For further information, contact E-Mail: eappi-co@jrol.com or visit the web site: http://www.eappi.org
The East Jerusalem YMCA & YWCA of Palestine issued their Joint Initiative Newsletter (JAI) for the month of October 2008 as part of their Olive Tree Campaign Keep Hope Alive. The press release describes the increasing violence by the settlers during the olive harvest in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. According to the press release, Israeli soldiers accompanied settlers in harassing farmers in several occasions during the last two weeks, although Palestinian and Israeli officials agreed that the IDF would prevent the settlers from assaulting farmers during their olive harvest. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.ej-ymca.org
The Free Gaza Movement and the European Campaign to End the Siege have organized the third trip of the “Dignity” which left Cyprus on 7 November 2008 to Gaza with several European Parliamentarians and activists. The parliamentarians visited hospitals, delivered a ton of medical supplies and met with many of the 700 students who have been denied to right to leave Gaza and study in universities that have already admitted them. For further information, contact E-Mail: angela@icahd.org
Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement issued a press release on 2 November 2008 regarding the hundreds of students in Gaza prevented from reaching their university abroad by an Israeli policy banning students from leaving Gaza. Gisha launched a campaign to coincide with the beginning of the academic year, reminding the Israeli public of the Palestinian students whose right to freedom is being violated by the continued closure of the Gaza Strip. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.gisha.org
Gush Shalom issued a press release on October 2008 regarding the Israeli authorities’ denial to allow a group of 120 doctors and mental health personnel from several countries, among them a group from Harvard University School of medicine, to enter Gaza through the Erez checkpoint for a conference organized by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme and sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). The conference was held in Ramallah instead, on 27 and 28 October, with the original agenda and lectures, and a video link between Ramallah and Gaza. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.gush-shalom.org
International Solidarity Movement (ISM) issued a press release in October informing about the settler violence in several locations in the West Bank and land appropriation in Susiya. In September, Rabbis for Human Rights brought the case to the High Court in Jerusalem and the Court decided that the next 40 days the military and the police had to prove they would allow Palestinians to enter their land and they would protect them against settler attacks. Since the Jerusalem decision the army has ordered the Palestinians to leave their land. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.palsolidarity.org
Ir Amin issued a press release on 10 November 2008 entitled “Demolitions in the Bustan Area of Silwan”. The press release states that while international attention was tuned to US elections results, Israeli security forces have demolished 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan, marking a new stage of Israeli policies in the area and threatening to lead to the destruction of 80 to 90 Palestinian homes making the way for the expansion of the Israeli King’s Valley Plan. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.ir-amin.org.il
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) will hold a meeting on 19 November 2008 entitled “The Idea of an Israeli-Palestinian Confederation and its Impact on the Region” by Ahmed Qureia, Head of the Palestinian Negotiating Team and former Prime Minister; Israel Hasson, Member of Knesset and former Deputy Director of the Shin Bet; Saeb Erekat, Chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Team; and Ephraim Sneh, former Deputy Minister of Defense. For further information, contact E-Mail: david.kellen@ipcri.org
The National Campaign Against Israeli Closures in Hebron Old City launched a campaign starting on 2 November 2008 by the Hebron Governor, Hebron Municipality, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and NGO representatives. Activities included: Solidarity visits to the old city by high level Palestinians, diplomats, international solidarity movements, EU Parliament members, Israeli peace movements, and students; preparing a petition to be signed by 100,000 persons; raising flags on roofs of buildings throughout Hebron, and organizing a series of cultural events. The campaign also sent a letter to the Israeli Government requesting the lift of the 8-year blockade. For further information, contact E-Mail: hebroncampaign@hotmail.com, hebroncampaign@gmail.com or ffj.bilin@yahoo.com, or www.bilin-ffj.org
Oxfam International – Jerusalem office issued a press release announcing a press conference held on 5 November 2008 in Jerusalem about the Women’s Leadership Mission to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory by Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Ireland; Elisabeth Dahlin, Secretary-General of Save the Children Sweden; and Dina Dublon, director of Microsoft, Pepsico, and Accenture. The Women’s Leadership Mission, a project of Women Leaders Intercultural Forum of Realizing Rights, supports UN Security Council Res. 1325 on the importance of involving Palestinian and Israeli women in conflict resolution and peace-building processes. For further information, contact E-Mail: MRBailey@oxfam.org.uk
The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People (PCR) issued a press release entitled “Save Ush Ghrab from Colonial Encroachment”. In October 2008, people in Beit Shour and the surrounding towns and villages will join together in activities in Ush Ghrab, including a concert by the Edward Said Conservatory students, and holding prayers for peace at the site. For further information, contact E-Mail: abunimir@yahoo.com or visit the web site: http://www.decolonizing.ps
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release on 26 October 2008 entitled: IOF Prevent 100 International Academics and Human Rights Activists from Entering Gaza”. The Centre condemns the decision taken by the IOF to prevent the delegates to participate in an international conference organized by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). For further information, contact E-Mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org or visit the web site: http://www.pchrgaza.org
The Popular Committee Against Siege (PCAS) issued in October 2008 a new report entitled “Gaza, Palestine” on the consequences of the Gaza siege on the private, industrial, agricultural, health sectors, construction and infrastructure, food products, freedom of movement and crossings, water and sanitation and solid waste sector. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.freegaza.ps
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR) and Addameer issued a report in October 2008 entitled “The Sounds of Silence: Isolation and Solitary Confinement of Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention”. The report describes the situation of Palestinians held in isolation for long periods of times, sometimes more than twenty years. For further information, contact E-Mail: anat@phr.org.il or visit the web site: http://www.phr.org.il
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) issued a press release on 4 November 2008 regarding vital and lifetime work of doctors stranded at checkpoints. For further information, contact E-Mail: bahiaamra@hotmail.com
The Palestinian Youth Network Conference was held from 5 to 9 November 2008 in Madrid, Spain. Nearly 200 Palestinian youth, between the ages of 18 and 35, from 30 countries joined the conference. For further information, contact E-Mail: media@pal-youth.org
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United Nations
The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace on 11 and 12 December, to be followed on 13 December 2008 by the United Nations Public Forum in Support of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace. The Meetings will he held at the Headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, in Santiago, Chile. The objective of the Meeting, at this time of reinvigorated efforts at advancing the Israeli-Palestinian political process, is to encourage broad international action, including by Latin America and Caribbean States, in support of the Israel-Palestinian peace and achieving a solution to the conflict based on a shared vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/qpal/calendar.htm
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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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Please be advised that the final decision with regard to selecting material for inclusion in the newsletter rests with the Division for Palestinian Rights. The Division cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided to it by contributing organizations.