FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1. Weekly Protest in Bil’in Continues
The Village of Bil’in is continuing its weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall and the confiscation of land by the Mattiyahu East settlement. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the wall must be moved west to give Bil’in back 250 acres of its land. However, the army thus far seems to be ignoring the order, and the wall still stands. The Supreme Court also recently rejected a petition to stop the construction of another Israeli settlement, Mattiyahu East, on Bil’ins land even further to the west.
Bil’in has recently been receiving support from New York, where demonstrators have now twice picketed the newly opened Leviev diamond store on Madison Avenue. The owner of the store, Lev Leviev, is an Israeli billionaire who uses funds gained from selling Angolan diamonds to build illegal settlements in the West Bank, including Mayttiyahu East. Leviev diamonds are conflict diamonds in the broadest sense, funding the repressive Angolan government and illegal West Bank settlements, widely viewed as an obstacle to Middle East peace.
Meet at 12pm by the mosque in Bil’in village.
For more information:
Abdullah: 0547258210
www.bilin-village.org
For more Information on New York Protest:
www.mideastjustice.org
http://nyc.indymedia.org/es/2007/11/92915.html
justiceme@gmail.com
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2. Fifth in a series of Nonviolent Protest Against Apartheid Road 443
Highway 443 is the main road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is completely closed for Palestinian traffic, even though 9.5 km of it cuts through the West Bank and its expansion was built on seized Palestinian land. Together with the Apartheid Wall, it creates the enclaves of Bir Nabala and Biddu, which are completely surrounded by Israeli infrastructure. With Annapolis approaching, Apartheid Roads are very topical as Palestinians are looking for a contiguous state, not the isolated Bantustans that they are now forced to live in.
Meet at 12pm at the bridge near the village of Beit Ur, above the Palestinian-only tunnel that runs beneath the main highway.
Yousef: 022488113
www.apartheidmasked.org
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3. New Nonviolent Demonstration Against Land Seizure Near Umm Salamuna
A new demonstration starts tomorrow near Umm Salamuna against plans to expand the road leading from Road 60 to the Efrat settlement. The expansion is to be built on 30 dunums of land belonging to the Palestinian village of Al’Ma’sara. Many ancient grape vines are to be destroyed during the expansion.
Meet at 11.30am at the turn off from Road 60 leading up to the Efrat Settlement and Umm Salamuna.
Mahmood: 0599586004
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For more information on any of tomorrow’s protests:
John (ISM Media Office): 0545364072