[fajg]

Demonstration
Arabic + English


جرافات الاحتلال تستمر بالعمل نهاراً وليلاً على تدمير اراضي قرية الزاوية لصالح جدار الفصل العنصري والمظاهرات التي يقوم بها اهالي القرية والقرى المجاورة تقمع ببشاعة، كما شاهدنا في المناطق السابقة (قنابل غاز، قنابل صوت، ورصاص مطاطي). لكن رغم كل هذا القمع تتواصل المظاهرات، ومئات السكان الفلسطينيين يشاركون فيها رغم القمع الشديد والاعداد المتزايدة من الجرحى.

طلعت المحكمة امر زمني بايقاف الاعمال في منطقة سلفيت فبالتالي يمكننا التركيز في الزاوية.



وجودنا في المظاهرات مهم جداً ويساعد السكان، كذلك يوطد العلاقات والتعاون معهم الشيء الذي يهمنا كثيراً، مع الاهالي بشكل خاص ومع اللجان الشعبية ضد الجدار في المناطق المحتلة عامةً. المظاهرات شعبية بدون عنف (من جانب المتظاهرين)، يشارك فيها كل الاهالي، من القرية والجوار، صغاراً وكباراً، رجالاً ونساءً.



المظاهرات تجري كل يوم فلذلك نريد ان نركب قائمة من النشيطين الذين يمكنهم بالمشاركة في ايام الاسبوع. المعنيين بالمشاركة يطلب منهم الاتصال مع عينت 3554815-052

يوم الاثنين 6-21، ستنطلق مجموعة من تل ابيب الى الزاوية. المعنيين بالمشاركة يطلب منهم الاتصال مع يرون 5100560-03

(النشيطين الذين يمكنهم المساعدة اعلامياً او اي مساعدة اخرى يطلب منهم الاتصال ايضاَ على نفس الرقم ).



* تابعوا عبر بريدكم الالكتروني المعلومات عن المظاهرات ضد الجدار الفاصل





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





The bulldozers preparing the route of the separation fences continue their work in the village of A-Zawiya, and the construction is actively going on, day and night. The army suppresses the demonstrations of the inhabitants violently (mainly tear gas, but also shock grenades and rubber bullets), Yet, the protests are renewed daily, and hundreds of villagers are participating in them, in spite of the violence and injuries. In the area of Salfit and Iskaka, following an interim stop-order of the supreme court, the work is discontinued, allowing us to refocus our efforts on the area of A-Zawiya.

Our presence in these demonstrations is important to boost the morale of the villagers, to strengthen the solidarity and the partnership, with his village as well as with the movements of popular resistance throughout the Occupied Territories. These are non-violent popular demonstrations (from the protesters side), in which all the inhabitants of the village participate, as well as people from neighboring villages, young and adults, women and men.



The protests occur every day, and therefore we would like to compile a contact network of activists who can join during the week. If you can take a part, contact Einat - 0523554815/

On MONDAY - June 21 - we will try toget a group to A-Zawiya. Those who can come, please contact Yaron - 03-5100560

(People who can help with backup and communications are invited to call as well.)



Check your emails for updates.



Taayush / www.taayush.org

Against the Wall
Friends,

Demonstrations throughout the West Bank are increasing as Palestinians -- with Israeli and international help -- are trying to prevent construction of the so-called 'security wall'. Erection of the wall is not only illegal by international law, and not only destroys access to farmland, schools, hospitals and jobs, but it also ultimately damages Israeli security by intensifying the bitterness and hatred against Israel. The wall is not only bad for Palestine, it is bad for Israel, too.

Yesterday saw several major demonstrations against the wall. I attended the women's event at 'Aram, organized by Palestinian Women Against the Wall, Bat Shalom, and international women. We marched the 3 km (almost 2 miles) from the 'Aram to the Qalandia checkpoints, as we banged pots, pans, drums, blew whistles, and chanted slogans against the wall and for peace.

The army intelligently (and unusually) decided not to clash with the demonstrators, though four of us had an unpleasant run-in with soldiers who tried to prevent us from reaching 'Aram, and the busloads of participants had to use alternative routes and transport to get in.

To see 16 more photos, most by Dalit Baum, click into http://share.shutterfly.com/os.jsp?i=EeANWjlw2csWzqg&open=1

(you will have to sign in, but at no cost).



Real violence was directed at demonstrators who tried to prevent the wall from going up near Ariel, and the Israeli media covered this.



If you could come here and see the wall transform villages and towns into ghettoes – civilian populations entirely surrounded by 30-foot high gray concrete slabs, watchtowers set into it every few yards in which soldiers train automatic rifles through narrow slits, you would be horrified. How can we Jews create ghettoes for another people? Our security is not served by ghettoes, just as forcing Jews into ghettoes never served any security needs. The people inside are not violent animals that must be penned.



Last night, I watched an old Palestinian woman surveying with horror her family's olive trees that the army had cut down, shaving a swath on which the wall will rise. "Those stupid people," she said, careful not to name them, "If not for their stupidity, we could have lived in peace with each other."



Who is not a partner for peace?



Gila Svirsky

Jerusalem

________________________

Coalition of Women for Peace

www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org

_________________________

Leïla SHAHID concernant les élections européennes

Tarek BEN HIBA

Appel aux membres de la liste Euro-Palestine aux élections du

Parlement européen le 13 juin 2004

de la part de Leïla Shahid, Déléguée Générale de Palestine en France

Jamais la paix, le droit et la co-existence en Palestine et en Israël n’ont été aussi menacés qu’aujourd’hui. Le rôle des parlementaires européens qui seront élus le 13 juin 2004 est primordial dans l’élaboration d’une stratégie de protection des populations civiles et d’application du droit international qui permettra aux représentants légitimes des deux peuples de retourner à la table de négociation et de signer un accord de paix basé sur le respect des droits des deux peuples.

C’est pour cette raison que je lance, aujourd’hui, un appel solennel aux membres de la liste Euro-Palestine, persuadée de leur sens de responsabilité et de leur solidarité avec la lutte du peuple palestinien, pour qu’ils se retirent et qu’ils reportent leurs voix sur les candidats de leur choix qui défendent le droit en Palestine et en Israël. Votre campagne électorale a déjà contribué à inscrire la Palestine sur l’agenda de ces élections mais la multiplication des listes et des candidats ne peut que contribuer à affaiblir la solidarité avec la Palestine non à la renforcer.

Travaillons ensemble pour un soutien plus large et une solidarité plus active et plus efficace avec la Palestine et Israël.
Paris, le 8 juin 2004

Comunicado solidaridad con Palestina e Irak
>Good morning!.
>
> On behalf of Ustke and International International Civilian Campaign for
> Protection of Palestinian People -CCIPPP-, I am forwarding the Declaration
> of Solidarity with the Palestinian and Iraqi peoples passed by the
> International
> Conference of Trades Unions of Nations without States, held yesterday in
> Donostia (San Sebastian, Basque Country).
>
> The following is the English Version. In the attached document, you will
> find the french and spanish language versions as well as the english one.
>
> On behalf of USTKE and CCIPPP,
> we salute you from the Basque Trade Union LAB,
> organiser of the above mentioned Conference.
>
> Conatct
> CCIPPP, 21 ter rue voltaire 75011 Paris France;
> http://www.protection-palestine.org
> contact@protection-palestine.org
> --------
>
> Declaration of solidarity with the Palestinian and Iraqi peoples
>
> The First International Conference of Trades Unions of Nations Without
> State declares its absolute solidarity with the people and the working
> classes of Palestine, who, over the last few weeks, are again suffering a
> series of brutal attacks from the State of Israel, with a balance of
> hundreds of victims and desolation.
> We firmly condemn the colonialist policies of Israel, that day after day
> violate all the rights of the Palestinian people, among them the right to
> work and to a fitting life. The high rates of unemployment and poverty in
> Palestine are directly related to the extermination policy the State of
> Israel implements, preventing the Palestinian population from obtaining
> suitable means for their living and from developing their own economy.
> We cannot but strongly condemn the unconcern of the international
> community regarding daily events in Gaza and the occupied territories.
> Such a non-interventionist attitude and low-key criticism make it possible
> for Ariel Sharon to go ahead with his plans for turning Palestine into the
> world¹s biggest prison-camp.
> We appeal to working men and women all over the world, as well as to
> trades unions organisations, to keep in mind the Palestinian people and
> working classes, showing them their solidarity. Solidarity we extend to
> the Iraqi people, who suffer and resist under the ferocious multinational
> military occupation.
> From this meeting in Donostia-San Sebastian, we convey our fraternal
> solidarity to the Palestinian and Iraqi peoples.
>
> Donostia-San Sebastian (Basque Country). May 20th 2004.
>
> ---------
>
> IN FRENCH
>
> Communiqué de solidarité avec les peuples palestinien et iraquien
>
> La 1ère Conférence Syndicale de Nations sans Etat tient à manifester sa
> totale solidarité avec le peuple et la classe ouvrière de Palestine qui
> souffre ces dernières semaines une nouvelle série de brutales agressions
> sans précédent de la part de l¹Etat d¹Israël, causant centaines de
> victimes et la désolation.
> Nous dénonçons sans restriction la politique colonialiste d¹Israël, qui
> jour après jour viole tous les droits du peuple palestinien, entre autre
> le droit au travail et à une vie digne. Les taux élevés de chômage et de
> misère en Palestine sont directement liés à la politique d¹extermination
> pratiquée par l¹Etat d¹Israël, qui empêche la population palestinienne
> d¹accéder à des moyens de vie dignes et de développer une économie
> indépendante. Nous dénonçons de la façon la plus ferme la passivité de la
> communauté internationale face à ce qui arrive à Gaza et dans les
> territoires occupés. Cette attitude de non intervention et ce manque de
> critique permet à Ariel Sharon de poursuivre son but de convertir la
> Palestine en la plus grande prison du monde.
> Nous lançons un appel aux travailleurs et travailleuses du monde entier,
> ainsi qu¹aux organisations syndicales, afin de ne pas laisser dans l¹oubli
> le peuple et les travailleurs de Palestine, et à leur manifester notre
> solidarité. Une solidarité que nous exprimons également au peuple
> iraquien, qui souffre et résiste face à la féroce occupation militaire
> multinationale.
> Depuis Donostia, à l¹occasion de cette conférence, nous transmettons un
> salut solidaire et fraternel aux peuples palestinien et iraquien.
>
> Donostia, 20 mai 2004
>
>
>--
>Focus on the Global South (FOCUS)
>c/o CUSRI, Chulalongkorn University
>Bangkok 10330 THAILAND
>Tel: 662 218 7363/7364/7365/7383
>Fax: 662 255 9976
>Mobile: +6666109966 (in bangkok)
> +639167860215 (in manila)
>Email: marylou@focusweb.org
>Website: www.focusweb.org

A-RAM: THE STRUGGLE HAS ONLY BEGUN TODAY
[âéøñà áòáøéú úùìç ìôé á÷ùä / Hebrew version at request]

"Until three years ago, this road served seven Palestinian villages. Now
it is reserved for the settlers only. As you can see, all the side-roads
leading to Palestinian villages have been blocked. The villagers live
with this since the end of 2000, but now the Wall is being erected to
take away their fields."

Gush Shalom and Ta'ayush had heeded the call of the a-Ram population to
join their protest against the now imminent construction of the Wall
cutting through the middle of this suburb of East-Jerusalem.
Shai, an activist of the Jerusalem-Ta'ayush, displayed a thorough
knowledge of the subject during the guided tour of the Wall route, also
part of the program.

"Over there is Biddu. The people there are very persistent in their
courageous non-violent way of struggling against the Wall. Five people
were killed by the shots of the army, and more than 400 hundred wounded.
"The red roofs over there, that is the settlement Har Shmuel. The Wall is
designed to annex it to Israel, so it is curving all around to include it
at the expense of the Palestinian fields in the midst of which it was
erected.
"Ahead is the Ofer camp: hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the courts
where the army puts them on trial. Also the room where Administrative
Detention without trial is imposed.

At the hour, the bus radio tells of the latest in the pathetic
government crisis. What we have just seen and heard put a rather
different perspective on Sharon's "Gaza Disengagement Plan" which has
monopolized the headlines for so many months. Israel's occupation rule
over the West Bank is getter grimmer by the day, an occupation which is
37 years old today (two-thirds of Israel's total history!).

We arrive at the northern main entrance to a-Ram. A few border police at
the checkpoint are dithering about letting our four buses through,
calling on the radio for instructions from their superiors. We solve
their dilemma by piling out, and continuing on foot. Placards and banners
as well as Gush Shalom's popular two-flag signs are hastily unloaded and
taken up: "The Wall: Prison for Palestinians - Ghetto for Israelis" / "
The Wall is War!" / "Jewish-Arab Partnership" / "A-Ram is suffocated" /
"The Busharon Wall - paid for by the USA" / "Two-thirds of the people
under the poverty line."

A girl is wearing a T-shirt of the Brazilian Workers' Party, and near her
a monk in the distinctive habit of the Franciscans. An old woman activist
with a stick keeps up with the march, while those nearby create some
shadow for her with their signs. With a blazing sun above, Palestinian
children do a thriving business of selling icicles and cold drinks.

Ahead, the sound of drums and trumpets. The Palestinian march is led by
the orchestra of the local Palestinian boy scouts. The Israeli and
Palestinian demonstrators merge effortlessly and become one single march.

At an intersection, two parked cars become an improvised podium mounted
by Israeli and Palestinian speakers. Knesset Members Achmed Tibi and
Muhammad Barake make short impassioned speeches in Arabic, interspersed
with frequent clapping and the shouting of "Down With The Wall - Down
With The Occupation". Then representatives of the Palestinian Authority
and local dignitaries.

"Some 15000 inhabitants of a-Ram have left and moved into Jerusalem. It
is bad for the city; it is bad for them because they are living
overcrowded, paying high rents. Perhaps even it is not what Sharon
wanted, to have more Palestinians in Jerusalem but that is what he
achieved. The people have jobs in Jerusalem, businesses in Jerusalem,
their children studying in Jerusalem schools. We are in fact part of
Jerusalem. If an 8-meter high Wall is going to cut us off from Jerusalem,
what can we do?" says Sirchan Salayme, Mayor of a-Ram and longtime
partner in dialogue with Israeli peace activists.

"We have come here together, Israelis and Palestinians, to cry out: No to
a Wall which breaks up families, which denies people access to schools,
to jobs and to medical services, which cuts Palestinian al-Quds into
peaces. We are united in the struggle until the Wall falls, here and
everywhere", said Leena Dalashe of Ta'ayush.

"This Wall is a monster, a monster trampling on hundreds of thousands of
people, a monster erected by our government in our name. We say here to
Sharon: there can be no security for Israel is there is no security for
Palestine. If we deny the Palestinians the possibility of a viable
existence, we deny it also to ourselves" says Uri Avnery for Gush Shalom.

Most of the rally had past quietly, but towards the end a large border
police force is coming up from the south, with a threatening posture,
clubs and tear gas held ready. Several Palestinian youths pick up stones.
"No, no, don't give them a pretext" the Palestinian marshalls hold them
back. The rally ends as planned. The polices turn back with their
armament.

On the way back, we have still another installment of the guided tour,
climbing the hill overlooking Qalandia Checkpoint and getting a chilling
view of the fast-changing landscape. "As you see, the Wall has already
gotten to Qalandia. This road beneath us will have high walls on both
sides and become reserved only for the settlers. A-Ram, which is at
present the main depot for the whole West Bank, the place where the
containers come from the port of Ashdod and the merchandise shipped north
and south, will become an enclave, surrounded on all sides and connected
only through a very narrow passage to Ramallah. This is what they are
planning but it is not yet too late to stop them. The struggle has only
begun today", says Jamal Jum'ah of the Palestinian environmental group
Pengon. (Few experts more knowledgeable on the Wall than Jum'ah are to be
found outside the ranks of the Israeli armed forces.)

GUSH-SHALOM
[] Barghouti verdict - Gush Shalom activists thrown out of court
[] Avnery on government crisis: much ado about nothing

~~~

[] Barghouti verdict - Gush Shalom activists thrown out of court

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 life times + 40 years for Barghouti
Gush Shalom activists, thrown out of court, call it:
"A predictable result of an unworthy procedure"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

âéøñà áòáøéú úùìç ìôé á÷ùä // photo's at the gush website soon

June 6, 2004 - day of reading the Barghouti sentence.
As before in the ridiculous procedures of the Marwan Barghouti trial Gush
Shalom activists were not allowed into the courtroom. Among them, former
Knesset Member Uri Avnery, historian Teddy Katz and a dozen more, people
of all ages, who could make it during working hours.
Prepared because of previous experiences, we immediately took from our
pockets the well-known signs "Barghouti - Talk Peace With Him; Don't
Imprison Him" and made a kind of a demonstration at the entrance to the
courtroom. Adam Keller started explaining to the crowding journalists and
cameras how ridiculous it is to treat a leader of the occupied
Palestinian people like this, instead of sitting with him around the
negotiations table, and that the predictable verdict concludes a
procedure unworthy of the state of Israel, which will turn Marwan
Barghouti into the Palestinian Nelson Mandela.
Then court security personnel broke into the "spontaneous press
conference", tearing the paper signs and with much violence forcing all
of us out of the building. One Gush Shalom activist, Yuval Halperin was
treated with special brutality: a security guard named Golan Ariel pushed
him down on the flour, twisting his arm behind his back and chokinh him
to the point of losing consciousness. Thereupon he was detained and taken
away behind a closed door. The rest of us sat down on the floor, refusing
to leave without him joining us. After some loud negotiating, Halperin
was led out of the closed room.
Gush Shalom lodged a complaint about the violence used against its
members with the police.

For what happened inside the courtroom where Barghouti was condemned to 5
life times + 40 years (sic!) see the Israeli press. NB: the first two
links include also a reference to the Gush Shalom action, mentioning
Avnery.

Jerusalem Post
cid=1086490414686>

Y-net(Hebrew / òáøéú)
>http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2927563,00.html<

Ha'aretz English


Ha'aretz Hebrew / òáøéú


Ma'ariv English


Ma'ariv Hebrew:


[] Avnery on government crisis: much ado about nothing

Uri Avnery
5.6.04

Hebrew at request & soon at the site
òáøéú òì ôé á÷ùä àå á÷øåá áàúø

To Drink from the Sea of Gaza

Perhaps Abe Lincoln was right that you can't fool all the people all
the time, but a lot of people can surely be fooled for a long, long time.
Just look at Ariel Sharon.
From the start, the "Disengagement Plan" was an exercise in deceit.
But the world is eager to be deceived. The world's statesmen take it
seriously, it causes violent storms in Israel, the media have a ball. All
this for a plan that has neither hands nor feet.
So what is the purpose of all this mayhem? Cynics might say: the
mayhem itself. It puts Sharon in center stage where he can continue to
play the master of events. Now the commotion has reached a climax.
The main aim of the exercise is to satisfy George Bush. The
president demanded a plan which will show him doing something for peace.
The more he gets sucked into the Iraqi quagmire, the more he needs to
prove that he is achieving something in our country. Especially since his
last baby - the "Road Map" - has died in its cradle.
Bush demanded that Sharon come up with a plan. No problem. Hocus
pocus, here is a plan, with a fine promising name: "Disengagement".
Speeches, meetings, a visit to the White House, exchanges of documents,
state visits, emissaries, Mubarrak, Abdallah, disputes, compromises, and
finally even a full-blown cabinet crisis. All this for a balloon full of
hot air.
The plan claims to have three aims: to get the settlers out of Gaza,
to turn the Strip over to Palestinian rule and to destroy the "terrorist
infrastructure" there.
This week, Sharon himself defined the first aim in an unequivocal
manner: "By the end of 2005, not a single Jew will remain in the Gaza
Strip!"
A resolute, bold and strong-willed statement, as befits a great
leader.
(In fact, this statement has a faintly anti-Semitic ring. If the
Palestinian government wants to invite peaceful Jews to live there, why
shouldn't they? Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to say: "No
settler will remain in the Gaza strip"? Never mind.)
But the crucial words in the statement were "by the end of 2005."
They are reminiscent of the classic Jewish joke about the Polish nobleman
who threatens his Jew with death if he does not teach his beloved horse
to r
ead and write. The Jew asks for three years to accomplish such an arduous task. When his wife hears
of it she exclaims: "But you know you cannot teach that to a horse!" The Jew calms her: "Three yea
rs is a long time. By t
hen, either the horse or the nobleman will have died."
In our country, eighteen months are half an eternity. The situation changes by the week. Befor
e the end of 2005, many things may happen: Bush may lose the election, catastrophe may overcome Ira
q, in our country blood
y events may reach such proportions as to obliterate any memory of the "plan".
Events this week made clear the central role that time plays in the "plan". Tzipi Livni, the M
inister for Immigration Absorption, worked hard to engineer a compromise between Sharon and his opp
onents. She reinvented
the egg of Columbus: the government will officially adopt the plan, but not the implementation of t
he plan. For some nine months, only "preparations" will be made. Not a single settlement will be ev
acuated. After that, th
e government will decide whether to evacuate any settlements at all, and, if so, which ones. (The o
pponents then demanded that the government continue to pour money into the settlements which are su
pposed to be evacuated.
)
The fact that everybody treated this proposal seriously speaks for itself. A plan that is supp
osed to be implemented next year might as well be postponed to the next century.
But let us examine the plan on its merits, as if Sharon really intended to put it into practic
e. He evacuates the settlements and demolishes them, the army leaves the Gaza Strip, some kind of P
alestinian administrati
on takes over.
Will this bring peace? Will this stop the attacks?
There is no chance that this would indeed happen.
The basic principle held by all Palestinian factions is that the West Bank and the Gaza Strip c
onstitute one integral territorial entity. This was stated explicitly in the Oslo Declaration and a
ll the following agreem
ents. Following this principle, Yasser Arafat has rejected all proposals of "Gaza First", unless th
ey include at least a significant part of the West Bank (Jericho, for example.)
Sharon knows this, and therefore he added to his plan an appendage: a small area on the northe
rn fringe of the West Bank will also be evacuated. Four small settlements are located there, and th
eir inhabitants are ver
y eager to leave (with generous compensation, of course). No Palestinian will take such an evacuati
on seriously.
There is not the slightest chance that the fighters of any of the Palestinian factions in the
"liberated" Gaza Strip will look quietly on, while Sharon realizes his designs in the West Bank: th
e annexation of 55% of
the West Bank to Israel ("settlement blocs", "essential security zones", "areas of special interest
to Israel", as the army planners put it), with the Palestinians corralled into small enclaves. Thi
s work is already going
on rapidly with the building of the monstrous "separation wall".
The "liberated" Gaza Strip will inevitably become a base of the
battle for the liberation of the West Bank. The Israeli army will react,
as usual, with all its might, invading, killing, destroying and
uprooting. If this does not do the job (as it did not up to now), Sharon
may cut off the supply of electricity, water and food. Since the Strip
will be isolated from the world, this is possible. But it will not
succeed, because the world will be watching, and the Americans cannot
afford this.
The military planners know this well, and have been inspired by a
new patent ides: to get the Egyptians involved.
Brilliant, or so it seems. The Egyptian regime lives on generous
American handouts - rewards for signing a peace agreement with Israel.
Congress, eager to please the Sharon government, recently threatened to
delay the payment of 200 million dollars to Egypt. It is therefore vital
for Husni Mubarrak to show the Americans that he is Sharon's ally.
But Mubarrak knows that he is walking a tightrope. Egypt's
connection with the Gaza Strip dates back more than 4000 years and has
had many ups and downs. The Egyptians ruled the Strip after the 1948 war
and do not like to be reminded of it. More than once, they tried to
control the Palestinian cause, and each time it ended with their
humiliation. President Gamal Abd-el-Nasser created the PLO in order to
thwart Yasser Arafat, but within a few years Arafat had taken it over.
President Anwar al-Sadat tried to become the guardian of the
Palestinians, only to be put to shame by Menahem Begin.
If the Egyptians now try to take over Gaza and obstruct the
Palestinians' fight for the liberation of the West Bank, they will be
considered collaborators and be exposed to attacks that may well spill
over into Egypt itself. Hamas has powerful allies there who won't step
back from violence.
Mubarrak will be very cautious about accepting responsibility in
Gaza, especially if Arafat is not involved. He knows well the curse
beloved by Arafat: "Go and drink from the sea of Gaza!"
Therefore, this whole plan is standing on its head. It has no basis
in reality. All in all, it is a recipe for the continuation of the war in
another form.
But no need to worry. Sharon is not really serious about it. He is
sure that before the time comes for the evacuation of even a single
settlement, either the horse will die or the Polish nobleman will forget
all about

enviado por omar :: 10:44 AM ::

T O D A Y I N R A F A H
GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org/

International release, Thursday, June 3:

################
T O D A Y I N R A F A H
18 HOUSES DESTROYED
EARLIER THIS WEEK 23

AN IMMEDIATE OUTBURST OF WORLDWIDE CONCERN MAY HAVE SOME IMPACT

P L E A S E S E N D O N C E M O R E
Y O U R P R O T E S T
################

The world's attention went in another direction, and the bulldozers are
back. But maybe, so short after Rafah was in the spotlight, your
renewed
protest would again help stop them. We should address Tommy Lapid,
Israel's Justice Minister who ten days ago remembered what happened to
his own grandmother, and all the Foreign Ministries of the world - and
again the Israeli embassies (seems to have a more than average effect).

Sample letter (for creative use)

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER HAD NEIGHBORS

Dear Minister of Justice of the State of Israel Mr Lapid.

Your courage to say loud what you said about your grandmother has made
a
deep impression. And it seemed to send away the bulldozers from Rafah -
but only for a few days. Meanwhile 41 more houses have been demolished
there, for no other reason than that the army wants to push through
with
its original plan. In the pace of this week it will take less than
three
months to "finish the project." I don't have to tell you that this is a
war crime. Our hope is that you won't let it pass, even not when it is
done piecemeal.

Sincerely
[your name and address]
--

Please send it by fax (if you can) AND email to:

Minister of Justice Yosef Lapid
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Fax: +972 2 6285438
E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il

and a copy to:
Secretary of State Colin Powell
Fax: +1-202-261-8577

and/or to the Foreign Minister of your country

and to the editors of the daily paper(s)of your choice

and to:
Kofi Annan ecu@un.org,
Mr. Terje Rod Larsen ,
Mr. Romano Prodi

NB: Don't forget to also send it to the nearest Israeli Embassy:
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm (It will be
good when the foreign ministry will be alarmed by many of its
embassies)

for your convenience, here are the combined email addresses we
vollected (please add your own):

To: sar@justice.gov.il
Copies to: secretaryofstate@USA.gov, ecu@un.org,
unsco@palnet.com, romano.prodi@cec.eu.int

for a regularly updated site of life in Rafah (by just somebody)
http://www.rafahtoday.org

Read also:

Disengaged from reality

By Amira Hass

Wed., June 02, 2004 Sivan 13, 5764
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/434206.html
Hebrew:
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=434247


# Here follows the text of the ad to be published in Hebrew in
Ha'aretz, tomorrow June 4, & on the Gush Shalom website

THE "DISENGAGEMENT" IS A FRAUD

The media have a ball with the fictitious "Disengagement Plan"
and the ridiculous "Cabinet Crisis". But on the ground Sharon
is in full action.

On the 37th anniversary of the occupation, the destruction of
Rafah goes on, the mistreatment at the checkpoints continues
and the building of the inhuman wall progresses.

Now the Wall has reached a-Ram.

The wall cuts the town into pieces and cuts it off from its
vicinity. The inhabitants will be unable to reach their working
places, hospitals, schools and even their cemetery. This wall
will not give us security.

The "Disengagement Plan" is a fraud. The path of the wall is
reality.
-------------------------------
Come and see! Come and protest!
-------------------------------
Tomorrow, Saturday, we shall tour the path of the wall at a-Ram
and take part in a big, joint Israeli-Palestinian protest
demonstration. For details call the Gush office.

***


# Truth against Truth - opposite views on the history of the
conflict
in 101 steps

Hebrew / òáøéú
http://www.gush-shalom.org/Docs/Truth_Heb.pdf

English
http://www.gush-shalom.org/Docs/Truth_Eng.pdf

# Boycott List of Settlement Products (newly updated)

Hebrew / òáøéú
http://gush-shalom.org/Boycott/boycheb.htm

English
http://gush-shalom.org/Boycott/boyceng.htm


# For pictures of the Rafah destruction:

http://www.rafahtoday.org


# Refusniks

Constantly-updated refusniks lists:

English - http://www.yesh-gvul.org/english/prison/
Hebrew / òáøéú - http://www.yesh-gvul.org/prison/

English - http://www.newprofile.org/default.asp?language=en
Hebrew / òáøéú - http://www.newprofile.org/

Help us free our children from the military prison! (parents of The
Five)
For ENGLISH details please click
http://www.refuz.org.il/help.html
For HEBREW please click
http://www.refuz.org.il/hebrew/help.html
Homepage with lots of information:
http://www.refuz.org.il/

# Eye-witness reports from the Occupied Territories:

http://www.machsomwatch.org
(Israeli women monitoring the checkpoints)
http://www.palsolidarity.org/pressreleases/pressreleases.php
(internationals throughout OT)

--
http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (òáøéú/Hebrew)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in
Arabic)

enviado por omar :: 3:44 PM ::

Manifestación en contra de la ocupación en Jerusalén
El próximo sábado 5 de junio, marca el 37 ° aniversario del comienzo de la Guerra de los Seis días y sus sangrientas consecuencias, que tanto Israelíes como Palestinos han sufrido.
Nos recuerda que hubo una época cuando no ocupábamos las tierras de otros pueblos; en consecuencia, manifestaremos en contra de los gobiernos israelíes que, en el curso de los años han elegido ese triste camino.
La manifestación comenzará en la plaza Zion, desde donde los participantes marcharán hacia la residencia del Primer Ministro cerca de la plaza París.
Convocamos a participar a todas las organizaciones, con ropa negra y llevando banderas negras, que simbolizan la bandera negra que flamea sobre la ocupación.
Esta acción no está coordinada con Paz Ahora más allá de la invitación general que ha enviado para la manifestación.

Convocan:
- Bat-Shalom
- Coalicion de Mujeres por la Paz.
- Hadash, Frente Democratico por la Igualdad y la Paz
- Partido Comunista de Israel
- Refuz - Organizacion de Padres de Refusnik
- Ta'ayush
- Yesh-Gvul

Injustice and discrimination
Dear friends,

Here is the text of a recent letter from Refusnick Parents' Forum to the Minister of Defense, Mr. Shaul Mofaz who has the authority to grant parole and prevent attempts to re-mobilize the five.

Minister of Defence
Mr. Shaul Mofaz
Ministry of Defence
Tel-Aviv

Sir,

Re: Injustice and discrimination in the continued imprisonment of Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Shimri Zameret and Noam Bahat

We are cetaint that it is clear to you that the undersigned consider the trial and the sentences against the five conscientious objectors a serious injustice. However, at this stage, there are two important subjects which fall within your clear jurisdiction: the length of time that they will continue to be in jail and their release from the IDF on the basis of incompatability. We are convinced that your stand on these subjects is very important. The purpose of this letter is a request is that you act fairly towards the five.

Release on the Basis of Good Behavior After Serving Half of Their Sentence

On June 15, 2004 the relevant IDF institutions will discuss shortening their sentence after having served half a year. The behavior of the five has been exceptional and has received much praise from the prison authorities. From their first day (7.1.04) in prison, the five fulfilled all tasks assigned to them and obeyed all regulations. Since they were transferred to the civilian prison, they have been active in educational activities, teaching Hebrew and basic subjects. In the IDF prison system, it is customary to grant parole after half of the sentence and there is no doubt that the five deserve this. As you know, in the civilian prisons it is customary to reduce a third of the sentence for even murderers, rapists and drug dealers on the basis of good behavior.

We wish to remind you that the five served, before their sentencing, 13 months in jail and open detention. There is no precedent, in the history of the IDF, for keeping the five in prison for so long. If the IDF decides to be extremely and unreasonably vindictive and refuses to shorten their sentence, this will be a sign of revenge and obstinacy.

Release on the Basis of Unsuitability After Completion of Sentence

Two of the three judges recommended in their verdict that the five be released from the IDF after serving their sentence. This approach was reinforced by the Commander of the Military Police, responsible for the army prisons, who determined that the five would never be soldiers and, therefore, requested that they be transferred to a civilian prison. In spite of this, the threat of the military prosecutor is still ringing in our ears, that against all logic and the principles of justice and law, the IDF will try to re-mobilize the five and put them on trial again and continue their incarceration. We request that you dispel, immediately, this terrible threat. This can be done tomorrow, if you give the order that the five be sent to the unsuitability committee. Any attempt to return the five to prison after they complete their sentence will only demonstrate that the IDF is acting out of revenge.

Sincerely,
Anat & Doron Matar
Smadar & Noam Kaminer
Marit Moran & Yair Zameret
Miri Maor & Alex Maor
Amira & Udi Bahat

We suggest that you consider sending the following text, or your own letter to Mr. Mofaz by fax: +972-3-696-27-57 ; +972-3-691-69-40 ; +972-3-691-79-15 or by e-mail to sar@mod.gov.il


Minister of Defence
Mr. Shaul Mofaz
Ministry of Defence
Tel-Aviv
Sir,
We urgently request that you act for the immediate and unconditional release of Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Shimri Zameret, and Noam Bahat.

Click here to print this letter

We need your help!
Please donate any amount you can afford


Or send a check made out to New profile directly to P.O.B 9013 Jerusalem Jerusalem 91090 Israel
visit our site:http://www.refuz.org.il

Two States, Israel and Palestine!
CP of Israel, The Anniversary of The 1967 War

-------------------------------------------------

From: Communist Party of Israel, Sunday, May 30, 2004

http://www.maki.org.il , mailto:info@maki.org.il

==================================================

Position of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Israel

On the occasion of the 5th. of June, the anniversary of the 1967 war

End the Occupation!

Two States, Israel and Palestine!

The occupation of the Palestinian territories, continuing now for 37 years, is an ongoing catastrophe for both peoples, the Palestinian and the Israeli. The price of this catastrophe is measured in human life, economic destruction, and the elimination of democratic rights.

The recent war crimes of Gaza and Rafah, the continued construction of the “barrier wall”, and the policies of closure and starvation, all these exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people and at the same time sabotage the chances of achieving peace. The Gaza strip and the West Bank are turning into a “second Lebanon”. While the Israeli army withdrew from Lebanon, its tanks and bulldozers are now crushing the cities of the West Bank and the Gaza strip.

The Sharon-Mofaz-Natanyahu-Lapid government spouts off about “disengagement” but in fact deepens the occupation and expands the illegal settlements, leading Israel from political to social disaster and back again. The continuing occupation saps the resources available for education and health, perpetuates unemployment, and serves as the basis for attacks on democracy, workers rights, the Arab (Israeli) population, and is a petri dish for the development of fascist, racist forces.

The CPI calls on its partners in the Democratic Front and all who strive for peace and democracy, Jews and Arabs, to step up the struggle to end the occupation and establish a just peace. For the peace and security of both peoples, we must reach a political solution with the Palestinian leadership which includes the withdrawal from the occupied territories, dismantlement of the illegal settlements, and a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem in accordance with the decisions of the United Nations. Only the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all occupied territories, and the turning of the Green Line into an international border will create the conditions for neighbourly relations between Israel, whose capital is West Jerusalem and Palestine, whose capital is East Jerusalem.

Peace Means Two States, Israel And Palestine.

You can help A'Ram
> The bulldozers are coming to A'ram.
>
> In the next few days or weeks the bulldozers will reach Jerusalem's
northern
> neighborhood A'Ram, and begin building the 8 meter wall on the main
road
> from A'Ram checkpoint to Qalandiya checkpoint. In this way about
60,000
> residents (from A'Ram and D'hiyat al-Barid neighborhoods), of whom
60%
hold
> Jerusalem identity cards, will be separated from Jerusalem. The sick
will
be
> separated from the hospitals, the children from their schools and
adults
> from their source of livelihood.
>
> In North Jerusalem there is still a chance to stop the wall. The
world is
> interested in Jerusalem and A'Ram is less than 10 minutes distance to
all
> local and international media sources.
>
> We must act before the wall is built!
> We need hundreds of volunteers.
> If you can spare a day or two and come to help us stop the bulldozers
please
> send an email to info@rhr.israel.net or call 02-5637731.
>
> We need to know:
> 1. your name,
> 2. telephone number,
> 3. what days of the week you can come
> 4. and whether you are willing to sleep in A'Ram in any of these
days.
>
> Ta'ayush, Gush Shalom, The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, The
Israeli
> Committee Against House Demolitions, Rabbis for Human Rights,Bat
Shalom
>
> *Those interested in a musical/artistic program for the children of
A'Ram -
> Please call Layla at 054-7981647*
>
> Rabbis For Human Rights
> 42 Aza St. Jerusalem, 92384, Israel
> Tel: 972-2-563-7731
> Fax: 972-2-566-2815
> Mobile: 972-50607034
> info@rhr.israel.net
> Website: www.rhr.israel.net
>
>