The Whole World is Watching!
The Capitol Belongs to the People!
Urgent: Protesters Inside Wisconsin Capitol Need Your Support
Gov. Starts Punitive and Restrictive Measures
The Wisconsin Finance Committee Announces Plans to Eject Protesters this Sunday at 4 P.M.
Tell Gov. Walker, the Wisconsin Legislature and the Obama administration:
DON'T EJECT THE PROTESTERS!
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.bailoutpeople.org/wisconsinworkerspetition.shtml
For 12 straight days peaceful protesters: high school and college students, families with children, workers from all of the unions including teachers, state workers, nurses and firefighters have continued a 24 hour presence at the Capitol.
The presence of the people inside is the only way to insure that the politicians and the bought and paid for Governor Walker heed the democratic will of the people.
The Capitol belongs to the people! We built it: we paid for it.
On Friday night, police were ordered to lock doors at 9 P.M. and to restrict people from bringing in bedrolls, blankets and air mattresses to make it more difficult for people to maintain their 24 hour people's lobby.
Prior to this, loudspeaker systems boomed all night long forcing people including the police to wear ear plugs.
None of this has daunted the spirit of those who are participating in the occupation.
But they need your support.
Many inside are prepared to go to jail if need be.
The time is critical-let Governor Walker, the Koch brothers and his rich cronies and all the politicians know that the whole world is watching!
Stop punitive measures! Defend the democratic right of protesters to stay in the Capitol! Eject Walker instead! Defend workers rights! Kill the bill!
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.bailoutpeople.org/wisconsinworkerspetition.shtml
In solidarity,
Bail Out the People Movement www.bailoutpeople.org
Please donate! Go to http://www.bailoutpeople.org/donatewi.shtml
Sign-up for updates at http://www.bailoutpeople.org/bopmupdates.shtml
Showing posts with label youth/student rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth/student rights. Show all posts
July 6: National Protests To End Siege Of Gaza During Israeli PM Netanyahu Meeting With Obama
Tuesday, July 6:
End the siege of Gaza! End all U.S. aid to Israel!
Demonstrations to take place as Netanyahu meets with Pres. Obama
All out July 6th -- we need your support!
Demonstrations to take place as Netanyahu meets with Pres. Obama
All out July 6th -- we need your support!
Washington, D.C.
Where: White House
When: 10 am
Email: dc@answercoalition.org
Phone: 202-265-1948
San Francisco, Calif.
Where: Israeli Consulate (456 Montgomery St.)
When: 4:30 p.m.
Email: answer@answersf.org
Phone: 415-821-6545
Los Angeles, Calif.
Where: Westwood Federal Building (11000 Wilshire Blvd.)
When: 5 p.m.
Email: answerla@answerla.org
Phone: 213-251-1025
Syracuse, N.Y.
Where: Federal Building (Washington and Clinton)
When: 12 noon
Email: syracuse@answercoalition.org
Phone: 315-491-6987
Charlotte, NC
Where: Federal Building (401 W. Trade St)
When: 12 noon
Email: charlotteaction@gmail.com
Phone: 704-759-6529
On the eve of his White House visit Netanyahu’s government just announced its latest Gaza-propaganda ploy to derail the growing global movement to end the criminal siege. On Monday, Israel dropped its restrictions on some consumer goods into the Gaza Strip but retained tight limits on desperately needed construction materials. Israel announced that they would bar steel, concrete and other construction materials and many other goods. This makes it impossible to rebuild from the massive destruction caused by Israel’s murderous bombing campaign in 2008-2009.
Netanyahu is responding to the growing chorus of international outrage but with the goal of allowing President Obama to pat him on the back and announce that the new Israeli policy is a "step forward." It is up to each and every one of us to keep the pressure on the White House! That is what is making the difference.
A truly historic victory was won on June 20, 2010 at the Port of Oakland. For the first time ever, an Israeli ship was prevented from loading/unloading cargo in a U.S. port. The full-day shut down of work on a Zim Navigations (the national shipping line of the Israel) ship was the result of powerful picket lines at all four gates at the SSA terminal.
Next step: On July 6, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will be in Washington meeting with President Obama. The meeting was originally scheduled for June 1, the day after the deadly and piratical Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. That brutal assault has triggered a wave of international outrage and protest, of which the June 20 port shutdown was the latest manifestation.
Read the full statement here.
Your support is needed now to make the July 6 demonstrations and the other activities that will follow as successful as possible.
Lift The Siege of Gaza & End The Occupation Of Palestine!
No More U.S. Aid To Israeli Apartheid!
Hold Israel Accountable - Sanctions For Israel!
Tues., July 6, 2010
12 Noon
Federal Building
401 W. Trade St
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte protest initiated & sponsored by:
Action Center For Justice
Al-Awda, Palestine Right To Return Coalition - Charlotte
Students For A Democratic Society (SDS) - UNCC
CODEPINK Women For Peace - Charlotte
Movement For A Democratic Society (MDS) - Charlotte
Charlotte 4 Palestine
& others
*******************
Action Center For Justice
http://www.charlotteaction.
charlotteaction@gmail.com
704-759-6529
Who Decides if a BP Spill Claim Is Legitimate?
By Bryan Walsh, TIME, June 11, 2010
Legitimate. It's the word that could come to define the extremely expensive, extremely litigious aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Almost from the beginning, BP has promised to pay what it calls all "legitimate" claims by people and businesses affected by the spill. But legitimate, when it's contained in a print ad as part of BP's new multimillion-dollar campaign or poshly pronounced by CEO Tony Hayward in one of the accompanying TV commercials, sounds very different from the way it sounds coming out of the mouth of a bayou shrimper in Venice, La. What constitutes legitimate is still an open question.
At the very least though, it looks like BP won't be the only one who gets to decide. A day after demanding that the company turn over data about its financial-claim payment process, the Coast Guard reported that BP had pledged to expedite payment to affected businesses in the Gulf. "BP recognized that its previous approach of waiting until after the books have closed for each month to calculate losses will not work," Tracy Wareing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said at a news conference Thursday. "It won't get dollars quickly enough to the businesses that are struggling on the ground." (See pictures of people protesting against BP.)
And reports are filtering back from Louisiana that BP's lost oil seems to be flowing a lot faster than its cash. David Camardelle, the mayor of Grand Isle in southeastern Louisiana, told a hearing of a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee that he knew of 37 applications from his community still waiting for their $5,000 claims check from BP. "Every day, I have a mom that comes in front of me and asks me, 'Mr. David, how am I going to get food for my kids,'" Camardelle said. "Please, please send us some help." (See photos of victims of the BP oil spill.)
BP has said that it has already paid over $80 million in claims to more than 10,000 individuals in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, with more coming soon. The company also says that it has opened scores of claims centers around the affected coastline, and that it is trying to process claims in a few days at most. "We'll do this until it's finished," said Darryl Willis, vice president of resources for BP America, in a teleconference with reporters over the weekend.
To aid the company in speeding the payment process, Alabama is considering assigning National Guard troops to work at claims centers — a uniquely effective lever only the government can use. But the very nature of how many people work on the Gulf Coast is going to trump the number that will be answering phones and processing documents. And the very nature of the fishing industry won't help either. Fishing can bring in a lot of money in a very short period of time during the right season, but fishermen might be hard-pressed to provide evidence — bank statements, pay stubs — that can back that up. The same goes for many other businesses: if receipts are dwindling at a restaurant, or guests are cancelling at a resort, how is it possible to prove that the spill alone is responsible? "We're stuck in the middle," says Chris Camardelle, whose seafood restaurant in Grand Isle has been badly hurt by the oil spill. "So it's a tricky situation." (See a brief history of BP.)
The government has insisted repeatedly that BP will pay all the costs of the cleanup and all damages as well — and Washington seems willing to push the oil company as far as it can. But there will surely be limits. President Obama has said that he will push BP to compensate rig workers who have been laid off because of the six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling he instituted to fix the industry's safety standards, but there's skepticism that claim could hold. As BP comes under greater pressure politically in Washington, a backlash is beginning to build in Britain, especially over the question of whether BP will be able to make billions in expected dividend payments to shareholders even as the spill is continuing. "I do think it starts to become a matter of national concern if a great British company is being continually beaten up on international airwaves," London Mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC Thursday.
As the spill worsens, though, the pressure will only increase — and a new scientific estimate of the leak rate shows that Gulf catastrophe could be even worse than we ever imagined. After reviewing better video from the underwater leak, the government's Flow Rate Technical Group estimated on Thursday that the oil was escaping at a rate between 20,000 bbl. and 40,000 bbl. a day, and that was before robots severed the broken riser at the wellhead a week ago, which may have increased the flow by as much as another 20%. That's up from an earlier estimate of between 12,000 bbl. and 19,000 bbl., and an initial number of about 5,000 bbl. a day, though some independent scientists were arguing weeks ago that the flow was far higher than that. And it's still not certain. "Our scientific analysis is still a work in progress," said U.S. geological-survey director Marcia McNutt, the head of the flow-rate team. "In coming days we'll be refining our estimates further. (Read a Q&A on who's liable for the Gulf oil spill.)
The total amount of oil spilled into the Gulf will have an impact on the kind of damages claims the government — and private individuals — can bring against BP. But while it's important to get a fix on the leak, it won't be the final determination of the damage. "Even if we can't be precise about the amount of oil spilled, we can make conservative estimates of the losses suffered here, and they'll be huge," says David Uhlmann, the director of the environmental law and policy program at the University of Michigan Law School and a former prosecutor for the EPA. "But the easy part is going to involve the financial penalties and the civil penalties — the hard part will be restoring the region and making the victims whole."
Indeed, although BP's ubiquitous ads have said repeatedly that the company will "make things right," given the scale of the damages, that might prove impossible. And like with legitimate, the definition of the word right will be up for grabs. It will be defined, ultimately, by the courts; there have already been countless suits filed against BP by private individuals and businesses, and the government is pursuing an investigation of the spill too. "It's gearing up to be the most heavily fought legal battle in history," says Jody Freeman, founding director of the environmental law and policy program at Harvard Law School. So we know that one group will end up better off than when the spill started: the lawyers.
Legitimate. It's the word that could come to define the extremely expensive, extremely litigious aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Almost from the beginning, BP has promised to pay what it calls all "legitimate" claims by people and businesses affected by the spill. But legitimate, when it's contained in a print ad as part of BP's new multimillion-dollar campaign or poshly pronounced by CEO Tony Hayward in one of the accompanying TV commercials, sounds very different from the way it sounds coming out of the mouth of a bayou shrimper in Venice, La. What constitutes legitimate is still an open question.At the very least though, it looks like BP won't be the only one who gets to decide. A day after demanding that the company turn over data about its financial-claim payment process, the Coast Guard reported that BP had pledged to expedite payment to affected businesses in the Gulf. "BP recognized that its previous approach of waiting until after the books have closed for each month to calculate losses will not work," Tracy Wareing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said at a news conference Thursday. "It won't get dollars quickly enough to the businesses that are struggling on the ground." (See pictures of people protesting against BP.)
And reports are filtering back from Louisiana that BP's lost oil seems to be flowing a lot faster than its cash. David Camardelle, the mayor of Grand Isle in southeastern Louisiana, told a hearing of a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee that he knew of 37 applications from his community still waiting for their $5,000 claims check from BP. "Every day, I have a mom that comes in front of me and asks me, 'Mr. David, how am I going to get food for my kids,'" Camardelle said. "Please, please send us some help." (See photos of victims of the BP oil spill.)
BP has said that it has already paid over $80 million in claims to more than 10,000 individuals in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, with more coming soon. The company also says that it has opened scores of claims centers around the affected coastline, and that it is trying to process claims in a few days at most. "We'll do this until it's finished," said Darryl Willis, vice president of resources for BP America, in a teleconference with reporters over the weekend.
To aid the company in speeding the payment process, Alabama is considering assigning National Guard troops to work at claims centers — a uniquely effective lever only the government can use. But the very nature of how many people work on the Gulf Coast is going to trump the number that will be answering phones and processing documents. And the very nature of the fishing industry won't help either. Fishing can bring in a lot of money in a very short period of time during the right season, but fishermen might be hard-pressed to provide evidence — bank statements, pay stubs — that can back that up. The same goes for many other businesses: if receipts are dwindling at a restaurant, or guests are cancelling at a resort, how is it possible to prove that the spill alone is responsible? "We're stuck in the middle," says Chris Camardelle, whose seafood restaurant in Grand Isle has been badly hurt by the oil spill. "So it's a tricky situation." (See a brief history of BP.)
The government has insisted repeatedly that BP will pay all the costs of the cleanup and all damages as well — and Washington seems willing to push the oil company as far as it can. But there will surely be limits. President Obama has said that he will push BP to compensate rig workers who have been laid off because of the six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling he instituted to fix the industry's safety standards, but there's skepticism that claim could hold. As BP comes under greater pressure politically in Washington, a backlash is beginning to build in Britain, especially over the question of whether BP will be able to make billions in expected dividend payments to shareholders even as the spill is continuing. "I do think it starts to become a matter of national concern if a great British company is being continually beaten up on international airwaves," London Mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC Thursday.
As the spill worsens, though, the pressure will only increase — and a new scientific estimate of the leak rate shows that Gulf catastrophe could be even worse than we ever imagined. After reviewing better video from the underwater leak, the government's Flow Rate Technical Group estimated on Thursday that the oil was escaping at a rate between 20,000 bbl. and 40,000 bbl. a day, and that was before robots severed the broken riser at the wellhead a week ago, which may have increased the flow by as much as another 20%. That's up from an earlier estimate of between 12,000 bbl. and 19,000 bbl., and an initial number of about 5,000 bbl. a day, though some independent scientists were arguing weeks ago that the flow was far higher than that. And it's still not certain. "Our scientific analysis is still a work in progress," said U.S. geological-survey director Marcia McNutt, the head of the flow-rate team. "In coming days we'll be refining our estimates further. (Read a Q&A on who's liable for the Gulf oil spill.)
The total amount of oil spilled into the Gulf will have an impact on the kind of damages claims the government — and private individuals — can bring against BP. But while it's important to get a fix on the leak, it won't be the final determination of the damage. "Even if we can't be precise about the amount of oil spilled, we can make conservative estimates of the losses suffered here, and they'll be huge," says David Uhlmann, the director of the environmental law and policy program at the University of Michigan Law School and a former prosecutor for the EPA. "But the easy part is going to involve the financial penalties and the civil penalties — the hard part will be restoring the region and making the victims whole."
Indeed, although BP's ubiquitous ads have said repeatedly that the company will "make things right," given the scale of the damages, that might prove impossible. And like with legitimate, the definition of the word right will be up for grabs. It will be defined, ultimately, by the courts; there have already been countless suits filed against BP by private individuals and businesses, and the government is pursuing an investigation of the spill too. "It's gearing up to be the most heavily fought legal battle in history," says Jody Freeman, founding director of the environmental law and policy program at Harvard Law School. So we know that one group will end up better off than when the spill started: the lawyers.
Israeli document: Gaza blockade isn't about security
By Sheera Frenkel, McClatchy Newspapers, June 9, 2010
JERUSALEM — As Israel ordered a slight easing of its blockade of the Gaza Strip Wednesday, McClatchy obtained an Israeli government document that describes the blockade not as a security measure but as "economic warfare" against the Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory.
Israel imposed severe restrictions on Gaza in June 2007, after Hamas won elections and took control of the coastal enclave after winning elections there the previous year, and the government has long said that the aim of the blockade is to stem the flow of weapons to militants in Gaza.
Last week, after Israeli commandos killed nine volunteers on a Turkish-organized Gaza aid flotilla, Israel again said its aim was to stop the flow of terrorist arms into Gaza.
However, in response to a lawsuit by Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, the Israeli government explained the blockade as an exercise of the right of economic warfare.
"A country has the right to decide that it chooses not to engage in economic relations or to give economic assistance to the other party to the conflict, or that it wishes to operate using 'economic warfare,'" the government said.
McClatchy obtained the government's written statement from Gisha, the Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, which sued the government for information about the blockade. The Israeli high court upheld the suit, and the government delivered its statement earlier this year.
Sari Bashi, the director of Gisha, said the documents prove that Israel isn't imposing its blockade for its stated reasons, but rather as collective punishment for the Palestinian population of Gaza. Gisha focuses on Palestinian rights.
(A State Department spokesman, who wasn't authorized to speak for the record, said he hadn't seen the documents in question.)
The Israeli government took an additional step Wednesday and said the economic warfare is intended to achieve a political goal. A government spokesman, who couldn't be named as a matter of policy, told McClatchy that authorities will continue to ease the blockade but "could not lift the embargo altogether as long as Hamas remains in control" of Gaza.
President Barack Obama, after receiving Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, said the situation in Gaza is "unsustainable." He pledged an additional $400 million in aid for housing, school construction and roads to improve daily life for Palestinians — of which at least $30 million is earmarked for Gaza.
Israel's blockade of Gaza includes a complex and ever-changing list of goods that are allowed in. Items such as cement or metal are barred because they can be used for military purposes, Israeli officials say.
According to figures published by Gisha in coordination with the United Nations, Israel allows in 25 percent of the goods it had permitted into Gaza before the Hamas takeover. In the years prior to the closure, Israel allowed an average of 10,400 trucks to enter Gaza with goods each month. Israel now allows approximately 2,500 trucks a month.
The figures show that Israel also has limited the goods allowed to enter Gaza to 40 types of items, while before June 2007 approximately 4,000 types of goods were listed as entering Gaza.
Israel expanded its list slightly Wednesday to include soda, juice, jam, spices, shaving cream, potato chips, cookies and candy, said Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh, who coordinates the flow of goods into Gaza with Israel.
"I think Israel wants to defuse international pressure," said Fattouh. "They want to show people that they are allowing things into Gaza."
It was the first tangible step taken by Israel in the wake of the unprecedented international criticism it's faced over the blockade following last week's Israeli raid on the high seas.
While there have been mounting calls for an investigation into the manner in which Israel intercepted the flotilla, world leaders have also called for Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza.
At his meeting with Abbas, Obama said the Security Council had called for a "credible, transparent investigation that met international standards." He added: "And we meant what we said. That's what we expect."
He also called for an easing of Israel's blockade. "It seems to us that there should be ways of focusing narrowly on arms shipments, rather than focusing in a blanket way on stopping everything and then, in a piecemeal way, allowing things into Gaza," he told reporters.
Egypt, which controls much of Gaza's southern border, reopened the Rafah crossing this week in response to international pressure to lift the blockade.
Egypt has long been considered Israel's partner in enforcing the blockade, but Egyptian Foreign Minister Hossam Zaki said the Rafah crossing will remain open indefinitely for Gazans with special permits. In the past, the border has been opened sporadically.
Maxwell Gaylard, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian territories, said the international community is seeking an "urgent and fundamental change" in Israel's policy regarding Gaza rather than a piecemeal approach.
"A modest expansion of the restrictive list of goods allowed into Gaza falls well short of what is needed. We need a fundamental change and an opening of crossings for commercial goods," he said.
Hamas officials said that they were "disappointed" by Israel's announcement, and that the goods fell far short of what was actually needed.
"They will send the first course. We are waiting for the main course," Palestinian Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh said in Ramallah, specifying that construction materials were the item that Gazans need most. Many Palestinians have been unable to build their homes in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's punishing offensive in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009.
Israel said the cement and other construction goods could be used to build bunkers and other military installations.
Some of those goods already come into Gaza via the smuggling tunnels that connect it to Egypt.
(Frenkel, a McClatchy special correspondent, reported from Jerusalem. Warren P. Strobel and Steven Thomma contributed to this article from Washington.)
JERUSALEM — As Israel ordered a slight easing of its blockade of the Gaza Strip Wednesday, McClatchy obtained an Israeli government document that describes the blockade not as a security measure but as "economic warfare" against the Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory.
Israel imposed severe restrictions on Gaza in June 2007, after Hamas won elections and took control of the coastal enclave after winning elections there the previous year, and the government has long said that the aim of the blockade is to stem the flow of weapons to militants in Gaza.
Last week, after Israeli commandos killed nine volunteers on a Turkish-organized Gaza aid flotilla, Israel again said its aim was to stop the flow of terrorist arms into Gaza.
However, in response to a lawsuit by Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, the Israeli government explained the blockade as an exercise of the right of economic warfare.
"A country has the right to decide that it chooses not to engage in economic relations or to give economic assistance to the other party to the conflict, or that it wishes to operate using 'economic warfare,'" the government said.
McClatchy obtained the government's written statement from Gisha, the Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, which sued the government for information about the blockade. The Israeli high court upheld the suit, and the government delivered its statement earlier this year.
Sari Bashi, the director of Gisha, said the documents prove that Israel isn't imposing its blockade for its stated reasons, but rather as collective punishment for the Palestinian population of Gaza. Gisha focuses on Palestinian rights.
(A State Department spokesman, who wasn't authorized to speak for the record, said he hadn't seen the documents in question.)
The Israeli government took an additional step Wednesday and said the economic warfare is intended to achieve a political goal. A government spokesman, who couldn't be named as a matter of policy, told McClatchy that authorities will continue to ease the blockade but "could not lift the embargo altogether as long as Hamas remains in control" of Gaza.
President Barack Obama, after receiving Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, said the situation in Gaza is "unsustainable." He pledged an additional $400 million in aid for housing, school construction and roads to improve daily life for Palestinians — of which at least $30 million is earmarked for Gaza.
Israel's blockade of Gaza includes a complex and ever-changing list of goods that are allowed in. Items such as cement or metal are barred because they can be used for military purposes, Israeli officials say.
According to figures published by Gisha in coordination with the United Nations, Israel allows in 25 percent of the goods it had permitted into Gaza before the Hamas takeover. In the years prior to the closure, Israel allowed an average of 10,400 trucks to enter Gaza with goods each month. Israel now allows approximately 2,500 trucks a month.
The figures show that Israel also has limited the goods allowed to enter Gaza to 40 types of items, while before June 2007 approximately 4,000 types of goods were listed as entering Gaza.
Israel expanded its list slightly Wednesday to include soda, juice, jam, spices, shaving cream, potato chips, cookies and candy, said Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh, who coordinates the flow of goods into Gaza with Israel.
"I think Israel wants to defuse international pressure," said Fattouh. "They want to show people that they are allowing things into Gaza."
It was the first tangible step taken by Israel in the wake of the unprecedented international criticism it's faced over the blockade following last week's Israeli raid on the high seas.
While there have been mounting calls for an investigation into the manner in which Israel intercepted the flotilla, world leaders have also called for Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza.
At his meeting with Abbas, Obama said the Security Council had called for a "credible, transparent investigation that met international standards." He added: "And we meant what we said. That's what we expect."
He also called for an easing of Israel's blockade. "It seems to us that there should be ways of focusing narrowly on arms shipments, rather than focusing in a blanket way on stopping everything and then, in a piecemeal way, allowing things into Gaza," he told reporters.
Egypt, which controls much of Gaza's southern border, reopened the Rafah crossing this week in response to international pressure to lift the blockade.
Egypt has long been considered Israel's partner in enforcing the blockade, but Egyptian Foreign Minister Hossam Zaki said the Rafah crossing will remain open indefinitely for Gazans with special permits. In the past, the border has been opened sporadically.
Maxwell Gaylard, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian territories, said the international community is seeking an "urgent and fundamental change" in Israel's policy regarding Gaza rather than a piecemeal approach.
"A modest expansion of the restrictive list of goods allowed into Gaza falls well short of what is needed. We need a fundamental change and an opening of crossings for commercial goods," he said.
Hamas officials said that they were "disappointed" by Israel's announcement, and that the goods fell far short of what was actually needed.
"They will send the first course. We are waiting for the main course," Palestinian Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh said in Ramallah, specifying that construction materials were the item that Gazans need most. Many Palestinians have been unable to build their homes in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's punishing offensive in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009.
Israel said the cement and other construction goods could be used to build bunkers and other military installations.
Some of those goods already come into Gaza via the smuggling tunnels that connect it to Egypt.
(Frenkel, a McClatchy special correspondent, reported from Jerusalem. Warren P. Strobel and Steven Thomma contributed to this article from Washington.)
June 5: Global Day To Break The Israeli Siege Of Gaza & Support Aid Flotilla
Sat., June 5, 2010
1:00 PM
Caterpillar
9000 Statesville Rd
Charlotte, NC
(protest at corner of WT Harris Blvd & Statesville Rd)
We will demonstrate in front of Caterkiller in solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla taking humanitarian aid to Gaza. This day also marks the 43rd anniversary of Israel's Six Day War in 1967 against Palestine & her neighbors.
The company which best exemplifies the interest of US corporations in the Occupation and the complete refusal to address human rights concerns in the region is Caterpillar. The most destructive weapon of the Occupation may not be an F-16 or helicopter gunship, but rather, an armor plated D-9 or D-11 bulldozer. These are the machines that have demolished thousands of homes, uprooted countless olive trees, and carved gaping holes in roads, making them impassable. Even when used in Israel’s colonial intrusions on the land through construction of illegal housing or bypass roads, CAT equipment is being used daily in the commission of war crimes and violations of human rights.
Call for Action: Global Day to Break Israeli Siege
Today we watched with horror as Israel committed its massacre against the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza murdering at least 9 unarmed civilians and leaving over 50 injured. The peaceful Flotilla carrying over 10,000 tones of humanitarian aid to Gaza and over 700 pro-Palestinian activists was attacked by Israeli Navy forces using live ammunition, teargas, grenades…etc.
The Israeli apartheid state has again acted in full impunity against international law and needs to be held accountable for the murder of unarmed civilians at sea and illegal barbaric piracy of civilian vessels in international water carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.
In memory of the brave men and women who lost their lives on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, today we are calling all free citizens and people of conscience around the world to a Global Day of Action to carry forward Freedom Flotilla’s cause of breaking the Israeli siege of Gaza.
Let’s mark Saturday, 5th June 2010 as Global Day to Break Israeli Siege with protests and demonstrations in front of Israeli embassies and consulates all over the world. We call on you to join us on this day to demand in a global united voice, from our governments to:
- Take a stance against this horrid inhumanity committed by Israel against armless humanitarians and activists by following Turkey’s footsteps in shutting down Israeli’s consulates. Crimes against inhumanity are inexcusable and will not be welcome in our countries.
- Join the growing international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in cutting all political, economic, cultural and academic ties with Israel as a statement that crimes against humanity are inexcusable, unwelcome and will not pass unchallenged.
- Impose full sanctions against Israel until they fully abide by international law and UN conventions in relation to the siege in Gaza, occupation and apartheid in Palestine as well as the right of return of refugees.
- If you do not have an Israeli embassy in your country, protest in front of major corporations or institutions with economic, political, cultural or academic ties with Israel.
We stand today at an urgent and critical point in our global quest for justice and human rights. The brutal attack on activists aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, resulting in at least 9 deaths and tens of injuries, proves that Zionism indiscriminately targets human rights advocates of all nationalities. We must not allow this massacre to pass quietly.
Please register your event on Global Day to Break Israeli Siege by sending us an email to support@breaksiege.com or by submitting your event details here.
Join the growing critical mass around the world with a commitment to the day when Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as any other people, when the siege is lifted, the occupation is over and the 6 million Palestinian refugees are finally granted justice.
For more information:
http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com
For more info on the Global Day To Break The Israeli Siege of Gaza:
http://www.breaksiege.com/
http://gazafreedommarch.org
1:00 PM
Caterpillar
9000 Statesville Rd
Charlotte, NC
(protest at corner of WT Harris Blvd & Statesville Rd)
We will demonstrate in front of Caterkiller in solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla taking humanitarian aid to Gaza. This day also marks the 43rd anniversary of Israel's Six Day War in 1967 against Palestine & her neighbors.The company which best exemplifies the interest of US corporations in the Occupation and the complete refusal to address human rights concerns in the region is Caterpillar. The most destructive weapon of the Occupation may not be an F-16 or helicopter gunship, but rather, an armor plated D-9 or D-11 bulldozer. These are the machines that have demolished thousands of homes, uprooted countless olive trees, and carved gaping holes in roads, making them impassable. Even when used in Israel’s colonial intrusions on the land through construction of illegal housing or bypass roads, CAT equipment is being used daily in the commission of war crimes and violations of human rights.
Call for Action: Global Day to Break Israeli Siege
Today we watched with horror as Israel committed its massacre against the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza murdering at least 9 unarmed civilians and leaving over 50 injured. The peaceful Flotilla carrying over 10,000 tones of humanitarian aid to Gaza and over 700 pro-Palestinian activists was attacked by Israeli Navy forces using live ammunition, teargas, grenades…etc.
The Israeli apartheid state has again acted in full impunity against international law and needs to be held accountable for the murder of unarmed civilians at sea and illegal barbaric piracy of civilian vessels in international water carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.
In memory of the brave men and women who lost their lives on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, today we are calling all free citizens and people of conscience around the world to a Global Day of Action to carry forward Freedom Flotilla’s cause of breaking the Israeli siege of Gaza.
Let’s mark Saturday, 5th June 2010 as Global Day to Break Israeli Siege with protests and demonstrations in front of Israeli embassies and consulates all over the world. We call on you to join us on this day to demand in a global united voice, from our governments to:
- Take a stance against this horrid inhumanity committed by Israel against armless humanitarians and activists by following Turkey’s footsteps in shutting down Israeli’s consulates. Crimes against inhumanity are inexcusable and will not be welcome in our countries.
- Join the growing international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in cutting all political, economic, cultural and academic ties with Israel as a statement that crimes against humanity are inexcusable, unwelcome and will not pass unchallenged.
- Impose full sanctions against Israel until they fully abide by international law and UN conventions in relation to the siege in Gaza, occupation and apartheid in Palestine as well as the right of return of refugees.
- If you do not have an Israeli embassy in your country, protest in front of major corporations or institutions with economic, political, cultural or academic ties with Israel.
We stand today at an urgent and critical point in our global quest for justice and human rights. The brutal attack on activists aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, resulting in at least 9 deaths and tens of injuries, proves that Zionism indiscriminately targets human rights advocates of all nationalities. We must not allow this massacre to pass quietly.
Please register your event on Global Day to Break Israeli Siege by sending us an email to support@breaksiege.com or by submitting your event details here.
Join the growing critical mass around the world with a commitment to the day when Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as any other people, when the siege is lifted, the occupation is over and the 6 million Palestinian refugees are finally granted justice.
For more information:
http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com
For more info on the Global Day To Break The Israeli Siege of Gaza:
http://www.breaksiege.com/
http://gazafreedommarch.org
Rachel Corrie makes its way to Gaza
by SHAHANAAZ HABIB, The Star Online, June 4, 2010
AMMAN - Volunteers on the MV Rachel Corrie are not trained soldiers, and they are fearful of being attacked by the Israeli army – but they are determined to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“Of course there is worry, but this is an amanah (trust bestowed upon us) to deliver the aid to Gaza,” said Perdana Global Peace Organisation representative Shamsul Akmar in an interview.
He is on board the sole ship making its way to Gaza.
Israel’s attack on the six aid ships in international waters on Monday resulting in nine deaths only made those on Rachel Corrie more determined to carry out their amanah.
Rachel Corrie was supposed to be part of the flotilla but she got left behind due to delays and some “suspicious stringent checks” by port authorities at several places, said Shamsul.
If all goes well, the 1,200 tonne Rachel Corrie, carrying medical aid, construction material, toys, educational and writing material is expected to reach Gaza on Saturday.
There are 19 people on board and they have been travelling for 20 days.
Other than Shamsul, who is the head of the delegation, there are five other Malaysians – Matthias Chang, Parit MP Nizar Zakaria, activist Ahmad Faizal Azumu and TV3 crew members Halim Mohamed and Jufri Junid.
Also on board is a strong Irish delegation with Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.
There are six crew members, a captain and a chief engineer.
The ship is funded by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Perdana Global Peace Orga nisation.
Shamsul said there are a number of possible scenarios:
> Israel may let Rachel Corrie through
> Israel may become aggressive and board the ship; and
> those on board the ship may be shot by Israeli forces
Shamsul said that if Israel stopped the ship in international waters, but the ship was forced away, “we collectively feel we should stay there for a few days to try and deliver the aid.”
The tiny Gaza strip has been put under a strangling blockade after Hamas took over control of it in 2007, causing hardship to the 1.5 million living in what is called the “world’s biggest prison on earth.”
In December 2008, Israel launched a three week massive military strike on Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and destroying many homes, buildings, factories and infrastructure.
But because of the siege, Gaza has not been able to bring the materials needed to rebuild including construction material like cement, glass and bricks.
AMMAN - Volunteers on the MV Rachel Corrie are not trained soldiers, and they are fearful of being attacked by the Israeli army – but they are determined to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.“Of course there is worry, but this is an amanah (trust bestowed upon us) to deliver the aid to Gaza,” said Perdana Global Peace Organisation representative Shamsul Akmar in an interview.
He is on board the sole ship making its way to Gaza.
Israel’s attack on the six aid ships in international waters on Monday resulting in nine deaths only made those on Rachel Corrie more determined to carry out their amanah.
Rachel Corrie was supposed to be part of the flotilla but she got left behind due to delays and some “suspicious stringent checks” by port authorities at several places, said Shamsul.
If all goes well, the 1,200 tonne Rachel Corrie, carrying medical aid, construction material, toys, educational and writing material is expected to reach Gaza on Saturday.
There are 19 people on board and they have been travelling for 20 days.
Other than Shamsul, who is the head of the delegation, there are five other Malaysians – Matthias Chang, Parit MP Nizar Zakaria, activist Ahmad Faizal Azumu and TV3 crew members Halim Mohamed and Jufri Junid.
Also on board is a strong Irish delegation with Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.
There are six crew members, a captain and a chief engineer.
The ship is funded by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Perdana Global Peace Orga nisation.
Shamsul said there are a number of possible scenarios:
> Israel may let Rachel Corrie through
> Israel may become aggressive and board the ship; and
> those on board the ship may be shot by Israeli forces
Shamsul said that if Israel stopped the ship in international waters, but the ship was forced away, “we collectively feel we should stay there for a few days to try and deliver the aid.”
The tiny Gaza strip has been put under a strangling blockade after Hamas took over control of it in 2007, causing hardship to the 1.5 million living in what is called the “world’s biggest prison on earth.”
In December 2008, Israel launched a three week massive military strike on Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and destroying many homes, buildings, factories and infrastructure.
But because of the siege, Gaza has not been able to bring the materials needed to rebuild including construction material like cement, glass and bricks.
Rachel Corrie' proceeding to Gaza
PAMELA NEWENHAM and MARY FITZGERALD, The Irish Times, June 3, 2010
An Irish-owned boat laden with humanitarian supplies is continuing its journey towards Gaza despite Israel’s insistence it will not allow any vessel break its blockade on the territory.
The MV Rachel Corrie , which has five Irish citizens aboard, including Nobel peace laureate Mairéad Corrigan-Maguire and former UN official Denis Halliday, is currently in Libyan waters some 640 km (400 miles) from Gaza.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign tonight dismissed some reports that the boat was due to dock in Turkey and insisted it intends to maintain course with no stops until it reaches the Gazan port.
The boat, which is captained by Eric Harcis, is travelling at approximately 402 kms (250 miles) a day and expects to reach Gaza by Saturday. Film-maker Fiona Thompson from Dundalk and husband and wife Derek and Jenny Graham from Co Mayo are also on board.
“I spoke to Derek and he said they were going full throttle towards Gaza,” Freda Hughes from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said today. “Originally the boat was lagging behind the rest of the flotilla, now it looks like the one surviving member that might get to Gaza."
Ms Hughes said the activists would not accede to an Israeli request unloading the ship’s cargo at Ashdod port for transport to Gaza was not a deal the activists would strike with Israel, as the ship is carrying banned building materials including cement which would not be delivered.
“It’s bringing aid to Gaza that’s not allowed such as medical equipment and construction materials. If it docks in Ashdod, none of this aid will reach Gaza”.
Speaking from the ship today, Dennis Halliday said: “We want to emphasise that our aim is not provocation but getting our aid cargo into Gaza”.
We are calling on the UN to inspect the cargo and escort us into Gaza, he said, adding “we all remain in good spirits”.
Irish officials have been maintaining close contact with the 1,200-ton boat which was supposed to join the aid flotilla raided by Israeli commandos on Monday but was delayed due to mechanical problems.
“We have continued to make it clear to the Israeli government . . . that we want maximum restraint and we do not want any interception in international waters,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said. “It has been a terrible week in terms of the loss of life and there is now an obligation on all involved to reduce tension . . . It is extremely important that we do not have a repeat of what happened earlier this week.”
Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, has said Israel does not expect any confrontation or violence when the MV Rachel Corrie approaches the exclusion zone.
The storming of the six-ship flotilla by Israeli commandos on Monday resulted in the deaths of nine activists and prompted renewed international criticism of Israel’s blockade.
An Irish-owned boat laden with humanitarian supplies is continuing its journey towards Gaza despite Israel’s insistence it will not allow any vessel break its blockade on the territory.The MV Rachel Corrie , which has five Irish citizens aboard, including Nobel peace laureate Mairéad Corrigan-Maguire and former UN official Denis Halliday, is currently in Libyan waters some 640 km (400 miles) from Gaza.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign tonight dismissed some reports that the boat was due to dock in Turkey and insisted it intends to maintain course with no stops until it reaches the Gazan port.
The boat, which is captained by Eric Harcis, is travelling at approximately 402 kms (250 miles) a day and expects to reach Gaza by Saturday. Film-maker Fiona Thompson from Dundalk and husband and wife Derek and Jenny Graham from Co Mayo are also on board.
“I spoke to Derek and he said they were going full throttle towards Gaza,” Freda Hughes from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said today. “Originally the boat was lagging behind the rest of the flotilla, now it looks like the one surviving member that might get to Gaza."
Ms Hughes said the activists would not accede to an Israeli request unloading the ship’s cargo at Ashdod port for transport to Gaza was not a deal the activists would strike with Israel, as the ship is carrying banned building materials including cement which would not be delivered.
“It’s bringing aid to Gaza that’s not allowed such as medical equipment and construction materials. If it docks in Ashdod, none of this aid will reach Gaza”.
Speaking from the ship today, Dennis Halliday said: “We want to emphasise that our aim is not provocation but getting our aid cargo into Gaza”.
We are calling on the UN to inspect the cargo and escort us into Gaza, he said, adding “we all remain in good spirits”.
Irish officials have been maintaining close contact with the 1,200-ton boat which was supposed to join the aid flotilla raided by Israeli commandos on Monday but was delayed due to mechanical problems.
“We have continued to make it clear to the Israeli government . . . that we want maximum restraint and we do not want any interception in international waters,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said. “It has been a terrible week in terms of the loss of life and there is now an obligation on all involved to reduce tension . . . It is extremely important that we do not have a repeat of what happened earlier this week.”
Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, has said Israel does not expect any confrontation or violence when the MV Rachel Corrie approaches the exclusion zone.
The storming of the six-ship flotilla by Israeli commandos on Monday resulted in the deaths of nine activists and prompted renewed international criticism of Israel’s blockade.
'Rachel Corrie' may arrive by Saturday
Activists on board Gaza-bound Irish ship say they will not resist if IDF troops board vessel
By Aviel Magnezi, Ynetnews, June 3, 2010
A pro-Palestinian activist on board the Irish vessel 'Rachel Corrie' told Ynet Wednesday that the ship is currently located between Libya and Cyprus, and that it is making its way to Gaza but will not arrive before Saturday morning.
The activist said those on board were coming "in peace", and that they would not resist IDF soldiers if they insisted coming on board. The claim was reminiscent of one made by the activists on board the flotilla that arrived Monday.
He added that before the ship had embarked it had been searched for weapons, and stressed that there were none on board.
The Irish vessel, named after a peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer, is reportedly carrying more than 20 people: More than ten Malaysians, five Irish, and eight crew members.
"We are not afraid, despite what happened on the Marmara," said Derrick Graham, who is on board with wife Jeanie. "The violence there was a product of fear, I saw the fear in the eyes of the soldiers. You need to send your veteran soldiers, not the young ones."
He stressed that the violent turn of events on board the Turkish ship Monday would not affect the Rachel Corrie. "We don't plan on resisting. In the event that your men are stupid enough to come and arrest us, we will sit down and not resist," he said. "It would not be wise for the government of Israel to direct its brutal violence towards us."
Graham added that the passengers on board the ship were saddened by the violence on board the Marmara. He said he had participated in a number of voyages to Gaza in the past, and that this was not the general rule.
"There were never such problems on sails to Gaza. We object to violence, which is why before we left we searched the ship to make sure there were no guns or weapons of any kind on board. The crew members were also checked by officials," he said.
The activist added that the IDF had called to ask him similar questions. When asked whether he knew that the passengers on board the Marmara had firearms, he expressed shock. "These are supposed to be violence-free, weapons-free ships," he said.
On board is also Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate well-known to Israeli authorities. She was injured at an anti-fence protest in Bil'in in 2008, and has taken part in previous Gaza sails. "I'm not afraid, I think it is important to give Gaza freedom and support it," she said.
The 66-year old, who has previously called for Israel's removal from the UN, said her family supported her. "We believe in a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and believe it can be solved through negotiations," she said.
Maguire also stressed that there would be no violence on board the Rachel Corrie. "I have experience with this. If (the soldiers) come on board, I hope and believe it will be in a peaceful manner," she said.
By Aviel Magnezi, Ynetnews, June 3, 2010
A pro-Palestinian activist on board the Irish vessel 'Rachel Corrie' told Ynet Wednesday that the ship is currently located between Libya and Cyprus, and that it is making its way to Gaza but will not arrive before Saturday morning.The activist said those on board were coming "in peace", and that they would not resist IDF soldiers if they insisted coming on board. The claim was reminiscent of one made by the activists on board the flotilla that arrived Monday.
He added that before the ship had embarked it had been searched for weapons, and stressed that there were none on board.
The Irish vessel, named after a peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer, is reportedly carrying more than 20 people: More than ten Malaysians, five Irish, and eight crew members.
"We are not afraid, despite what happened on the Marmara," said Derrick Graham, who is on board with wife Jeanie. "The violence there was a product of fear, I saw the fear in the eyes of the soldiers. You need to send your veteran soldiers, not the young ones."
He stressed that the violent turn of events on board the Turkish ship Monday would not affect the Rachel Corrie. "We don't plan on resisting. In the event that your men are stupid enough to come and arrest us, we will sit down and not resist," he said. "It would not be wise for the government of Israel to direct its brutal violence towards us."
Graham added that the passengers on board the ship were saddened by the violence on board the Marmara. He said he had participated in a number of voyages to Gaza in the past, and that this was not the general rule.
"There were never such problems on sails to Gaza. We object to violence, which is why before we left we searched the ship to make sure there were no guns or weapons of any kind on board. The crew members were also checked by officials," he said.
The activist added that the IDF had called to ask him similar questions. When asked whether he knew that the passengers on board the Marmara had firearms, he expressed shock. "These are supposed to be violence-free, weapons-free ships," he said.
On board is also Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate well-known to Israeli authorities. She was injured at an anti-fence protest in Bil'in in 2008, and has taken part in previous Gaza sails. "I'm not afraid, I think it is important to give Gaza freedom and support it," she said.
The 66-year old, who has previously called for Israel's removal from the UN, said her family supported her. "We believe in a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and believe it can be solved through negotiations," she said.
Maguire also stressed that there would be no violence on board the Rachel Corrie. "I have experience with this. If (the soldiers) come on board, I hope and believe it will be in a peaceful manner," she said.
Workers World Party statement: Israeli terror must not pass!
End the siege of Gaza — Break the blockade —
Boycott the apartheid settler state
Stop Washington’s imperialist strategic alliance with Israel
Long live Palestine!
Editorial, Workers World, June 2, 2010
Workers World Party links arms with the heroic members of the Freedom Flotilla who risked their lives trying to break Israel’s genocidal siege of Gaza. We mourn for those who were cut down by the racist settler state of Israel while on a humanitarian mission and will redouble our militant support for the movement to end the blockade.
Israel now adds piracy and murder on the high seas to its long list of crimes against the Palestinian people and their supporters. It is not known yet whether the decision to carry out this foul deed came only from Israeli commanders or whether its imperialist sponsors, especially Washington and London, were also involved and informed.
Either way, such conduct by a small country would be impossible without the undeniable support and collusion of these imperialist powers over decades. Israel has again and again launched terror attacks on the Palestinians and on neighboring countries like Lebanon. It carried out a ruthless military campaign just 16 months ago against the civilian population of Gaza, bombing and burning to death more than 1,400 Palestinians.
Now these same imperialists are trying again to put out the fires of resistance sparked by Israel’s crimes. As they have done before, with each act of Israeli terror, the U.S. and Britain in particular block any meaningful international condemnation of this outrageous act at a time when the people of the world are demanding retribution.
It has never been clearer than now why Israel gets away with its crimes: It is a ruthless instrument of imperialism that was deliberately planted in the Middle East to counter the long and growing struggle of the peoples of the region to finally free their resources from Western exploitation and regain their sovereignty.
Israel is a racist, settler state that has much in common with the apartheid regime in South Africa. In fact, documents have just been revealed showing Israel agreed to supply the apartheid regime with a nuclear war-making capability - a deal that was thwarted when the African people, supported by a world anti-apartheid movement, succeeded in bringing down the racists.
That’s what is needed now - a worldwide movement to pull down the racist settler state in Israel. It is an essential and key element in the growing struggle of the workers and oppressed peoples of the world to get the billionaires off their backs and win economic and social justice.
Boycott the apartheid settler state
Stop Washington’s imperialist strategic alliance with Israel
Long live Palestine!
Editorial, Workers World, June 2, 2010
Workers World Party links arms with the heroic members of the Freedom Flotilla who risked their lives trying to break Israel’s genocidal siege of Gaza. We mourn for those who were cut down by the racist settler state of Israel while on a humanitarian mission and will redouble our militant support for the movement to end the blockade.
Israel now adds piracy and murder on the high seas to its long list of crimes against the Palestinian people and their supporters. It is not known yet whether the decision to carry out this foul deed came only from Israeli commanders or whether its imperialist sponsors, especially Washington and London, were also involved and informed.
Either way, such conduct by a small country would be impossible without the undeniable support and collusion of these imperialist powers over decades. Israel has again and again launched terror attacks on the Palestinians and on neighboring countries like Lebanon. It carried out a ruthless military campaign just 16 months ago against the civilian population of Gaza, bombing and burning to death more than 1,400 Palestinians.
Now these same imperialists are trying again to put out the fires of resistance sparked by Israel’s crimes. As they have done before, with each act of Israeli terror, the U.S. and Britain in particular block any meaningful international condemnation of this outrageous act at a time when the people of the world are demanding retribution.
It has never been clearer than now why Israel gets away with its crimes: It is a ruthless instrument of imperialism that was deliberately planted in the Middle East to counter the long and growing struggle of the peoples of the region to finally free their resources from Western exploitation and regain their sovereignty.
Israel is a racist, settler state that has much in common with the apartheid regime in South Africa. In fact, documents have just been revealed showing Israel agreed to supply the apartheid regime with a nuclear war-making capability - a deal that was thwarted when the African people, supported by a world anti-apartheid movement, succeeded in bringing down the racists.
That’s what is needed now - a worldwide movement to pull down the racist settler state in Israel. It is an essential and key element in the growing struggle of the workers and oppressed peoples of the world to get the billionaires off their backs and win economic and social justice.
June 16: Peace Vigil In Solidarity With Aid Flotilla Attacked & Abducted By Israel
Peace Vigil In Solidarity With Aid Flotilla Attacked & Abducted By Israel
Wed., June 16, 2010
5:00 PM
7th St & Hawthorne Ln
Charlotte, NC
Sponsored by: CODEPINK Charlotte; Action Center For Justice; Al-Awda Charlotte; Students For A Democratic Society - UNCC; Movement For A Democratic Society - Charlotte; ISO Charlotte; & others.
The Free Gaza Flotilla, comprised of 6 ships bringing emergency supplies to the Palestinians held under Israeli siege in Gaza , was attacked in international waters by 14 Israeli ships, helicopters and masked Israeli commandos.
Sara Flounders, Co-Director of International Action Center, said this attack and the brutal starvation siege of Gaza would not have been possible without the billions of dollars in international aid that Washington gives to Israel every year for more than 60 years. This latest massacre is an act of international piracy. We must reinforce the efforts to Boycott, Divest and Sanction this racist regime and demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel .
AlAwda NYC points out that live footage from one of the boats reveals the Israeli soldiers were heavily masked and carrying live ammunition which they used on the unarmed passengers. None of the passengers or activists were armed. Israel has continuously seized and refused to release emergency aid supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
Wed., June 16, 2010
5:00 PM
7th St & Hawthorne Ln
Charlotte, NC
Sponsored by: CODEPINK Charlotte; Action Center For Justice; Al-Awda Charlotte; Students For A Democratic Society - UNCC; Movement For A Democratic Society - Charlotte; ISO Charlotte; & others.
The Free Gaza Flotilla, comprised of 6 ships bringing emergency supplies to the Palestinians held under Israeli siege in Gaza , was attacked in international waters by 14 Israeli ships, helicopters and masked Israeli commandos.
Sara Flounders, Co-Director of International Action Center, said this attack and the brutal starvation siege of Gaza would not have been possible without the billions of dollars in international aid that Washington gives to Israel every year for more than 60 years. This latest massacre is an act of international piracy. We must reinforce the efforts to Boycott, Divest and Sanction this racist regime and demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel .
AlAwda NYC points out that live footage from one of the boats reveals the Israeli soldiers were heavily masked and carrying live ammunition which they used on the unarmed passengers. None of the passengers or activists were armed. Israel has continuously seized and refused to release emergency aid supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
Video: Israelis' Celebrate Attack On Aid Ship In Front Of Turkish Embassy
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv call Erdogan 'fascist'
By Yael Branovsky, Ynetnews, June 1, 2010
Hundreds protest outside Turkish embassy against Ankara's involvement in Gaza flotilla, carry signs reading, 'Provocation is not the path to peace.' Likud MK: There are Trojan horses in the Knesset who support terror
Hundreds of Israelis gathered outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv Monday evening in protest against Ankara's involvement in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Israeli commandos raided the ships early Monday morning. At least 10 Palestinian activists were killed as the soldiers boarded one of the ships.
The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, sang the national anthem and called on the Turkish government not to intervene in Israel's affairs.
They also carried signs reading, "Provocation is not the path to peace", "Stop Hamas", "Free Gilad Shalit", "Killed and injured - and the Turks are pleased" and "Erdogan is an Islamo-fascist" – referring the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supported the sail to Gaza.
Likud Knesset Member Danny Danon, who participated in the rally, told Ynet, "The Turks should not teach us about human rights. I can only imagine what would have happened had a ship of terrorists reached Turkey's shores.
"We regret the deaths, but we are proud of our security forces," he added.
Fellow Likud parliamentarian Miri Regev addressed the participation of Arab-Israeli MK Hanin Zoabi (National Democratic Assembly) in the sail. "There are Trojan horses in the Knesset who support terror. We didn’t see a sail for the release of (kidnapped soldier) Gilad Shalit. The Turks know that humanitarian aid is transferred to Gaza on a regular basis."
Boaz Arad, who helped organize the rally said, "Erdogan's game is obvious – he wants to please the Arab world."
Another demonstrator, an Italian of Jewish descent, said, "I came to support Israel. I am sick and tired of the fact that we always have to explain ourselves."
During the rally eggs were thrown at the Turkish embassy.
Gaza responds to the freedom flotilla massacre
by Adam Horowitz, Mondoweiss, May 31, 2010
The following press release was sent out this morning:
We Gaza based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and International activists call on the international community and civil society to pressure their governments and Israel to cease the abductions and killings in Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza, and begin a global response to hold Israel accountable for the murder of foreign civilians at sea and illegal piracy of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.
We salute the courage of all those who have organized this aid intervention and demand a safe passage through to Gaza for the 750 people of conscience from 40 different countries including 35 international politicians intent on breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade. We offer our sincerest condolences to family and friends who have lost loved ones in the attack.
By sailing directly to Gaza, outside of Israeli waters, with cargo banned illegally by Israel, such as the 10,000 tonnes of badly needed concrete, toys, workbooks, chocolate, pasta and substantial medical supplies, the flotilla is exercising international law and upholding article 33 of the Geneva Convention which clearly states that collective punishment is a crime against humanity.
The hardships of Israel's closure of Gaza have been well documented by all human rights groups operating, most recently by Amnesty International in their Annual Human Rights Report concluding that the siege has "deepened the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Mass unemployment, extreme poverty, food insecurity and food price rises caused by shortages left four out of five Gazans dependent on humanitarian aid. The scope of the blockade and statements made by Israeli officials about its purpose showed that it was being imposed as a form of collective punishment of Gazans, a flagrant violation of international law." The United Nations continuously states that only a fraction of the required aid is entering the Strip due to what it calls ‘the medieval siege’, with John Ging the Director of UNRWA in Gaza specifically expressing the need for the Flotilla to enter Gaza. The European Union’s new foreign affairs minister Catherine Ashton has just reiterated its call for, “an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.”
The people of Gaza are not dependent people, but self sufficient people doing what they can to retain some dignity in life in the wake of this colossal man-made devastation that deprives so many of a basic start in life or minimal aspirations for the future.
We, from Gaza, call on you to demonstrate and support the courageous men and women who went on the Flotilla, many now murdered on a humanitarian aid mission. We insist on severance of diplomatic ties with Israel, trials for war crimes and the International protection of the civilians of Gaza. We call on you to join the growing international boycott, divestment and sanction campaign of a country proving again to be so violent and yet so unchallenged. Join the growing critical mass around the world with a commitment to the day when Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as any other people, when the siege is lifted, the occupation is over and the 6 million Palestinian refugees are finally granted justice.
The following press release was sent out this morning:
We Gaza based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and International activists call on the international community and civil society to pressure their governments and Israel to cease the abductions and killings in Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza, and begin a global response to hold Israel accountable for the murder of foreign civilians at sea and illegal piracy of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.
We salute the courage of all those who have organized this aid intervention and demand a safe passage through to Gaza for the 750 people of conscience from 40 different countries including 35 international politicians intent on breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade. We offer our sincerest condolences to family and friends who have lost loved ones in the attack.
By sailing directly to Gaza, outside of Israeli waters, with cargo banned illegally by Israel, such as the 10,000 tonnes of badly needed concrete, toys, workbooks, chocolate, pasta and substantial medical supplies, the flotilla is exercising international law and upholding article 33 of the Geneva Convention which clearly states that collective punishment is a crime against humanity.
The hardships of Israel's closure of Gaza have been well documented by all human rights groups operating, most recently by Amnesty International in their Annual Human Rights Report concluding that the siege has "deepened the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Mass unemployment, extreme poverty, food insecurity and food price rises caused by shortages left four out of five Gazans dependent on humanitarian aid. The scope of the blockade and statements made by Israeli officials about its purpose showed that it was being imposed as a form of collective punishment of Gazans, a flagrant violation of international law." The United Nations continuously states that only a fraction of the required aid is entering the Strip due to what it calls ‘the medieval siege’, with John Ging the Director of UNRWA in Gaza specifically expressing the need for the Flotilla to enter Gaza. The European Union’s new foreign affairs minister Catherine Ashton has just reiterated its call for, “an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.”
The people of Gaza are not dependent people, but self sufficient people doing what they can to retain some dignity in life in the wake of this colossal man-made devastation that deprives so many of a basic start in life or minimal aspirations for the future.
We, from Gaza, call on you to demonstrate and support the courageous men and women who went on the Flotilla, many now murdered on a humanitarian aid mission. We insist on severance of diplomatic ties with Israel, trials for war crimes and the International protection of the civilians of Gaza. We call on you to join the growing international boycott, divestment and sanction campaign of a country proving again to be so violent and yet so unchallenged. Join the growing critical mass around the world with a commitment to the day when Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as any other people, when the siege is lifted, the occupation is over and the 6 million Palestinian refugees are finally granted justice.
Emergency Demonstration For Aid Flotilla Under Israeli Attack
Join us to Protest the Brutal Israeli Attack on the Freedom Flotilla.
As of 12:51 AM on May 31 at least 10 people on board the Freedom Flotilla carrying aid to Palestine have been killed by the Israeli Military and many more injured. There are people from many countries including the U.S. on board these ships.
The U.S. Government gives Israel $3 billion a year & billions in loan guarantees. This must end now! The blockade of Gaza must end now!
Monday - May 31
5:00 pm
Central Ave & The Plaza
Charlotte NC
Sponsored by Al-Awda Charlotte; Action Center For Justice; ISO Charlotte & others.
As of 12:51 AM on May 31 at least 10 people on board the Freedom Flotilla carrying aid to Palestine have been killed by the Israeli Military and many more injured. There are people from many countries including the U.S. on board these ships.
The U.S. Government gives Israel $3 billion a year & billions in loan guarantees. This must end now! The blockade of Gaza must end now!
Monday - May 31
5:00 pm
Central Ave & The Plaza
Charlotte NC
Sponsored by Al-Awda Charlotte; Action Center For Justice; ISO Charlotte & others.
Israeli gunships head to sea to block Peace Flotilla Of Humanitarian Aid
By IAN DEITCH, AP, May 28, 2010
HAIFA, Israel — Israeli gunships headed out to sea on Friday to stop a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists from reaching the Gaza Strip, the military said, setting the stage for what could become a dramatic showdown on the high seas.
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said the country was prepared to stop the flotilla "at any cost." He called the aid mission a provocation and urged the international community to show understanding for the tough response.
"We really have all determination and political will to prevent this provocation against us," he said. "I think that we're ready at any cost ... to prevent this provocation."
Military officials said an initial group of gunships went out to sea Friday to prepare for the flotilla's arrival. But plans to dispatch additional gunships were put on hold late Friday after reports that the flotilla had encountered mechanical problems, military officials said.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under military guidelines, said the gunships would remain in port until the flotilla got closer.
The military says it will intercept the ships, escort the vessels to shore and give the activists the choice of deportation or going to jail.
Officials say they hope the situation will be resolved peacefully, but they are prepared to use force if necessary. Masked naval commandos have been trained for the mission, and Israel has built a large makeshift detention center in a southern port to process the activists.
The activists, among them a Nobel peace laureate, are trying to draw attention to a 3-year-old Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip — imposed after Hamas militants violently seized control of the territory. They say they are carrying tons of desperately needed humanitarian aid.
Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the effort, said a total of seven ships were headed to Gaza, after an eighth vessel suffered a malfunction and had to turn back.
The organizers' website said the flotilla remained off the southern coast of Cyprus, some 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Gaza, Friday evening. Berlin said the flotilla would halt under darkness, and resume the journey early Saturday. It was unclear when they would reach Israeli waters, she said.
The ships originally embarked from Turkey, Greece and other European ports.
Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, from rearming.
It rejects claims that a humanitarian crisis is brewing in Gaza, saying it allows more than enough food and medicine into the strip. Critics, however, say the blockade has crushed Gaza's economy, eliminated some 100,000 jobs and prevented the territory from repairing the destruction caused by an Israeli military offensive early last year.
Israel has reached out to its Mediterranean neighbors to stop the flotilla from approaching. Turkey, whose president has harshly condemned Israel's Gaza offensive, has rejected the gesture. A Turkish charity is spearheading the aid mission, and Turkish authorities have declined to intervene.
But on Friday, Cyprus said was banning any ship from sailing to Gaza from its shores because organizers of a flotilla trying to break a blockade of the Palestinian territory ignored a government appeal not to involve the island.
Acting government spokesman Titos Christofides condemned the Israeli blockade and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, but said the appeal was made to protect the island's "vital interests."
This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza Movement, the pro-Palestinian organization behind the effort, has sent a flotilla of supplies to Gaza. Israel permitted five deliveries to reach Gaza, but has not allowed any ships through since its military offensive, which ended in January 2009.
Among the passengers are Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, a Holocaust survivor in her 80s, a retired U.S. army colonel and lawmakers from a dozen European countries.
HAIFA, Israel — Israeli gunships headed out to sea on Friday to stop a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists from reaching the Gaza Strip, the military said, setting the stage for what could become a dramatic showdown on the high seas.
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said the country was prepared to stop the flotilla "at any cost." He called the aid mission a provocation and urged the international community to show understanding for the tough response.
"We really have all determination and political will to prevent this provocation against us," he said. "I think that we're ready at any cost ... to prevent this provocation."
Military officials said an initial group of gunships went out to sea Friday to prepare for the flotilla's arrival. But plans to dispatch additional gunships were put on hold late Friday after reports that the flotilla had encountered mechanical problems, military officials said.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under military guidelines, said the gunships would remain in port until the flotilla got closer.
The military says it will intercept the ships, escort the vessels to shore and give the activists the choice of deportation or going to jail.
Officials say they hope the situation will be resolved peacefully, but they are prepared to use force if necessary. Masked naval commandos have been trained for the mission, and Israel has built a large makeshift detention center in a southern port to process the activists.
The activists, among them a Nobel peace laureate, are trying to draw attention to a 3-year-old Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip — imposed after Hamas militants violently seized control of the territory. They say they are carrying tons of desperately needed humanitarian aid.
Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the effort, said a total of seven ships were headed to Gaza, after an eighth vessel suffered a malfunction and had to turn back.
The organizers' website said the flotilla remained off the southern coast of Cyprus, some 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Gaza, Friday evening. Berlin said the flotilla would halt under darkness, and resume the journey early Saturday. It was unclear when they would reach Israeli waters, she said.
The ships originally embarked from Turkey, Greece and other European ports.
Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, from rearming.
It rejects claims that a humanitarian crisis is brewing in Gaza, saying it allows more than enough food and medicine into the strip. Critics, however, say the blockade has crushed Gaza's economy, eliminated some 100,000 jobs and prevented the territory from repairing the destruction caused by an Israeli military offensive early last year.
Israel has reached out to its Mediterranean neighbors to stop the flotilla from approaching. Turkey, whose president has harshly condemned Israel's Gaza offensive, has rejected the gesture. A Turkish charity is spearheading the aid mission, and Turkish authorities have declined to intervene.
But on Friday, Cyprus said was banning any ship from sailing to Gaza from its shores because organizers of a flotilla trying to break a blockade of the Palestinian territory ignored a government appeal not to involve the island.
Acting government spokesman Titos Christofides condemned the Israeli blockade and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, but said the appeal was made to protect the island's "vital interests."
This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza Movement, the pro-Palestinian organization behind the effort, has sent a flotilla of supplies to Gaza. Israel permitted five deliveries to reach Gaza, but has not allowed any ships through since its military offensive, which ended in January 2009.
Among the passengers are Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, a Holocaust survivor in her 80s, a retired U.S. army colonel and lawmakers from a dozen European countries.
Detroit Cops Murder 7-Year Old Girl In Her Home
Detroit Police Say 7-Year-Old Shot in Home Search
Detroit police say 7-year-old girl fatally shot when officer's weapon fired during home search
AP, ABC News, May 16, 2010
Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said at a news conference Sunday that Aiyana Jones was hit in the neck by a single bullet and died at a hospital. Police said the girl was sleeping on a couch when she was shot.
"This is any parent's worst nightmare. It also is any police officer's worst nightmare," Godbee said.
Godbee said officers with the department's Special Response Team set off a flash grenade as they entered the apartment with their guns drawn about 12:40 a.m. Sunday with a warrant to look for a suspect in the Friday slaying of a 17-year-old boy.
The lead officer encountered a 46-year-old woman immediately inside the front room of the house and "some level of physical contact" ensued during which the officer's gun went off, Godbee said. The officers had identified themselves as police, he said.
Charles Jones, Aiyana's father, told the Detroit News the woman Godbee referred to was his mother and the child's grandmother.
"They came into my house with a flash grenade and a bullet," Jones said. "They say my mother resisted them, that she tried to take an officer's gun. My mother had never been in handcuffs in her life. They killed my baby, and I want someone to tell the truth."
Godbee said the shooting was being investigated and all information was preliminary. The officer was put on paid administrative leave, he said. Police do not believe the gun was fired intentionally, he said.
"We cannot undo what occurred this morning," Godbee said. "All we can do is to pledge an open and full investigation and to support Aiyana's family in whatever way they may be willing to accept from us at this time."
Jones said he was trying not to be angry but wanted the story to be told.
"This was a wrongful death," he said.
The officers had a search warrant and were looking for a 34-year-old man suspected in the shooting death of 17-year-old Jarean Blake.
Blake, a student at Southeastern High School, was gunned down Friday by a liquor store in front of his girlfriend. Blake stumbled across the street, collapsed and died, police said.
Officers arrested the suspect during the search, Godbee said. Jones said the suspect wasn't in his apartment but one upstairs that officers raided at the same time.
Godbee would not comment on newspaper reports that neighbors told police there were children in the house and showed them toys in the front yard.
"This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude to Aiyana's parents, family and all those who loved her," Godbee said. "It is a tragedy we also feel very deeply throughout the ranks of the Detroit Police Department."
The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality called the girl's death "the pain of pains" in a statement issued Sunday and questioned what protocols police used in the raid. The coalition said it would host a candlelight vigil Sunday evening at the home where she was shot.
****************
For more information:
Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Detroit police say 7-year-old girl fatally shot when officer's weapon fired during home search
AP, ABC News, May 16, 2010
Charles Jones, Aiyana's father, told the Detroit News the woman Godbee referred to was his mother and the child's grandmother.DETROIT - A sleeping 7-year-old girl was shot and killed when an officer's gun went off while Detroit police were searching a duplex for a suspect in the slaying of a teenager, a police official said.
"They came into my house with a flash grenade and a bullet," Jones said. "They say my mother resisted them, that she tried to take an officer's gun. My mother had never been in handcuffs in her life. They killed my baby, and I want someone to tell the truth."...
...Jones said he was trying not to be angry but wanted the story to be told.
"This was a wrongful death," he said.
Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said at a news conference Sunday that Aiyana Jones was hit in the neck by a single bullet and died at a hospital. Police said the girl was sleeping on a couch when she was shot.
"This is any parent's worst nightmare. It also is any police officer's worst nightmare," Godbee said.
Godbee said officers with the department's Special Response Team set off a flash grenade as they entered the apartment with their guns drawn about 12:40 a.m. Sunday with a warrant to look for a suspect in the Friday slaying of a 17-year-old boy.
The lead officer encountered a 46-year-old woman immediately inside the front room of the house and "some level of physical contact" ensued during which the officer's gun went off, Godbee said. The officers had identified themselves as police, he said.
Charles Jones, Aiyana's father, told the Detroit News the woman Godbee referred to was his mother and the child's grandmother.
"They came into my house with a flash grenade and a bullet," Jones said. "They say my mother resisted them, that she tried to take an officer's gun. My mother had never been in handcuffs in her life. They killed my baby, and I want someone to tell the truth."
Godbee said the shooting was being investigated and all information was preliminary. The officer was put on paid administrative leave, he said. Police do not believe the gun was fired intentionally, he said.
"We cannot undo what occurred this morning," Godbee said. "All we can do is to pledge an open and full investigation and to support Aiyana's family in whatever way they may be willing to accept from us at this time."
Jones said he was trying not to be angry but wanted the story to be told.
"This was a wrongful death," he said.
The officers had a search warrant and were looking for a 34-year-old man suspected in the shooting death of 17-year-old Jarean Blake.
Blake, a student at Southeastern High School, was gunned down Friday by a liquor store in front of his girlfriend. Blake stumbled across the street, collapsed and died, police said.
Officers arrested the suspect during the search, Godbee said. Jones said the suspect wasn't in his apartment but one upstairs that officers raided at the same time.
Godbee would not comment on newspaper reports that neighbors told police there were children in the house and showed them toys in the front yard.
"This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude to Aiyana's parents, family and all those who loved her," Godbee said. "It is a tragedy we also feel very deeply throughout the ranks of the Detroit Police Department."
The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality called the girl's death "the pain of pains" in a statement issued Sunday and questioned what protocols police used in the raid. The coalition said it would host a candlelight vigil Sunday evening at the home where she was shot.
****************
For more information:
Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
April 16: Presentations by Anna Baltzer - 'How Is Peace Possible In Israel/Palestine?'
Providence Baptist Church
12:00 – 2:00 Light Lunch provided
4921 Randolph Rd Charlotte, NC 28211 (in the Fellowship Hall)
Info: 704 366 2784
Muslim American Society Community Center
6:45 pm Light Palestinian Food provided
7:45 pm Main Presentation
4301 Shamrock Rd Charlotte, NC 28215
Info: cltmas@gmail.com 704 806 8334
Charlotte's Amnesty International Group #712, the Coalition for Peace with Justice, the Baptist Peace Fellowship-North America, the Islamic Center of Charlotte, the Muslim American Society and Providence Baptist Church are pleased to bring Anna Baltzer to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Anna Baltzer is an award-winning author, Fulbright scholar, Columbia University graduate, and grand-daughter of Holocaust refugees. Baltzer gives eyewitness reports on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the nonviolent movement for peace. Baltzer’s courageous voice for coexistence and insistence on honest reporting has led to hundreds of appearances and lectures around the world.
Noam Chomsky wrote about her book WITNESS IN PALESTINE: "Even those who are familiar with the grim reality of the occupied territories will quickly be drawn into a world they had barely imagined by these vivid, searingly honest, intensely acute portrayals."
Anna appeared with Mustafa Barghouti on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last fall. The following two links will take you to segments of the show where you can hear some of her message. These links are not the edited version that was aired, but includes the whole, longer interview with Jon Stewart.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive---anna-baltzer---mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt--1
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive---anna-baltzer---mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt--2
I hope some of you can join us at one or both of the following events in Charlotte next Friday April 16th. Both are open and FREE to the public. (Donations always appreciated.)
Providence Baptist Church
12:00 – 2:00 Light Lunch provided
4921 Randolph Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211 (in the Fellowship Hall)
Info: 704 366 2784
Muslim American Society Community Center
6:45 pm Light Palestinian Food provided
7:45 pm Main Presentation
4301 Shamrock Rd Charlotte, NC 28215
Info: cltmas@gmail.com 704 806 8334
12:00 – 2:00 Light Lunch provided
4921 Randolph Rd Charlotte, NC 28211 (in the Fellowship Hall)
Info: 704 366 2784
Muslim American Society Community Center
6:45 pm Light Palestinian Food provided
7:45 pm Main Presentation
4301 Shamrock Rd Charlotte, NC 28215
Info: cltmas@gmail.com 704 806 8334
Charlotte's Amnesty International Group #712, the Coalition for Peace with Justice, the Baptist Peace Fellowship-North America, the Islamic Center of Charlotte, the Muslim American Society and Providence Baptist Church are pleased to bring Anna Baltzer to Charlotte, North Carolina.Anna Baltzer is an award-winning author, Fulbright scholar, Columbia University graduate, and grand-daughter of Holocaust refugees. Baltzer gives eyewitness reports on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the nonviolent movement for peace. Baltzer’s courageous voice for coexistence and insistence on honest reporting has led to hundreds of appearances and lectures around the world.
Noam Chomsky wrote about her book WITNESS IN PALESTINE: "Even those who are familiar with the grim reality of the occupied territories will quickly be drawn into a world they had barely imagined by these vivid, searingly honest, intensely acute portrayals."
Anna appeared with Mustafa Barghouti on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last fall. The following two links will take you to segments of the show where you can hear some of her message. These links are not the edited version that was aired, but includes the whole, longer interview with Jon Stewart.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive---anna-baltzer---mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt--1
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive---anna-baltzer---mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt--2
I hope some of you can join us at one or both of the following events in Charlotte next Friday April 16th. Both are open and FREE to the public. (Donations always appreciated.)
Providence Baptist Church
12:00 – 2:00 Light Lunch provided
4921 Randolph Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211 (in the Fellowship Hall)
Info: 704 366 2784
Muslim American Society Community Center
6:45 pm Light Palestinian Food provided
7:45 pm Main Presentation
4301 Shamrock Rd Charlotte, NC 28215
Info: cltmas@gmail.com 704 806 8334
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