Dear All,
Yesterday, Palestinians and their allies throughout the world protested the 44th anniversary of Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, and Syria’s Golan Heights.
According to news reports, as many as 24 Palestinian refugees who attempted to cross into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were killed by Israeli military fire, and more than 90 Palestinians were injured as Israeli forces violently broke up a popular protest at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank (photo below).
Above: Israeli forces tackle a Palestinian demonstrator at Qalandia Checkpoint on June 5. Photo: Ahmad Mesleh. Click image to enlarge.
These protests–and Israel’s brutal response to them–highlight the fact that Israel has never declared its borders. On the contrary, since it occupied these Palestinian and Syrian territories in 1967, Israel has relentlessly, systematically and illegally colonized them and driven out their indigenous inhabitants.
In moves also condemned by the international community as illegal, Israel formally annexed Palestinian East Jerusalem in 1980 and the Syrian Golan Heights in 1981. Israel is now threatening to annex large portions of the Palestinian West Bank if Palestinians make good on their plan to seek UN membership in September.
Israel’s military occupation–and the illegal acts it commits to enforce it–could not be sustainedwithout the military and diplomatic support of the United States. That’s why we joined with our friends at the US Palestinian Community Network, DC, for a protest yesterday at the White House–to demand that President Obama end U.S. support for an Israeli military occupation that even he has criticized (photo below).
Above: Yesterday in front of the White House, demonstrators tried to communicate the significance of June 5 to the Obama Administration with the aid of bold placards supplied by the US Campaign. Click image to enlarge.
As Israel’s military occupation now enters its 44th year, the work of the US Campaign is more vital than ever. But we can’t do it without your support.
Produce and distribute educational resourcesabout Palestinian efforts to gain UN membershipthis fall and run a campaign against U.S. efforts to block this diplomatic initiative;
Over the next few months, help us to:
Continue to support campaigns of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS), including days of action around the anniversary of the July 9th Palestinian civil society call for BDS;
Launch a new phase in our campaign to end U.S. military aid to Israel by working at the city council level in favor of funding unmet community needsinstead of weapons to Israel;
Organize our 10th Annual National Organizers’ Conference in Washington, DC, September 16-19, a time for our 360-strong national coalition to review lessons learned and strategize on future priorities.
There is mounting evidence that Israeli occupation and apartheid–and U.S. support for it–are beginning to crumble. We are successfully shifting the discourse andmobilizing the grassroots to bring about the policy change we want to see.
With your generous support we will end U.S. support for Israeli occupation and apartheid, and create a new U.S. policy based on human rights and international law that upholds freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinians, as necessary for a just peace in the Middle East.
Nadia Hijab
Member, Advisory Board
Josh Ruebner,
National Advocacy Director
With thanks and solidarity,
Dear All,
Yesterday, Palestinians and their allies throughout the world protested the 44th anniversary of Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, and Syria’s Golan Heights.
|
|
|
|
