Despite the difficult situation in Palestine, your dedication and support have made the 2007 Summer Campaign a success (for some of the highlights of the campaign keep reading!) and have given hope and strength to Palestinian communities living under occupation. We are desperately in need of financial support to enable ISM to prepare for and function during the upcoming upcoming Olive Harvest Campaign.
In 2006, for the first time since the beginning of the current Palestinian uprising no Palestinian farmer was murdered by settlers while harvesting his olives. In addition to this, many farmers harvested land that they have not been able to access for many years due to settler and military harassment. This was made possible thanks to years of campaigning and the accompanying presence of international and Israeli activists with the farmers in the high risk areas. We need your help to repeat this achievement in 2007!
A few of the highlights of this year’s Freedom Summer 2007 Campaign have been:
In the Hebron region, ISM has maintained a presence in Tel Remeida for over a year now. As a result the level of violent attacks by settlers against the Palestinian population has decreased significantly. For the first time in many years Palestinian children in Tel Rumeida are playing in the streets and the Palestinian residents dare to walk their streets after dark. Following a court order forcing the military to allow Palestinians to inhabit a Palestinian owned house that has been coveted by settlers due to it’s is strategic location, a permanent presence of international, Israeli and Palestinian activists has been established there. This has allowed Issa Amro and his new wife to renovate and move into their home. ISM also accompanies shepherds in the south Hebron hills in communities that face the threat of expulsion from their lands.
In the Nablus region, Palestinians and ISM activists have planted trees on land coveted by settlers. They have removed road blocks, exposed and evicted sniper positions in the refugee camps, made human roadblocks blocking invading Israeli jeeps and helped prevent home demolitions.
In Bil’in, the popular committee with the support of ISM, have been holding nonviolent demonstrations for over two years. These demonstrations, in conjunction with a legal challenge, were pivotal in bringing about the bankruptcy of the Israeli Goliath settlement building real estate company Heftsiba.
We also regularly support and join other villages across the West Bank, such as Um Salamuna, Artas and Walaja, all of which have initiated non violent campaigns to try to fight the theft of their lands by the apartheid wall. We have also funded and participated in the rebuilding of communities demolished by the Israeli authorities.
For details of the above activities see report on www.palsolidarity.org
We need your support to continue our activities:
Checks of any amount may be made out to “ISM-USA” and sent to:
ISM-USA
PO Box 5073
Berkeley, CA 94705
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, please make your checks of $50 or more payable to ISM-USA’s fiscal sponsor: A.J. Muste Memorial Institute, (with “ISM-USA” on the memo line of the check), and send to the same address above.
You may also use your credit or debit card and use our PayPal account through https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations/
Donations sent through PayPal are not tax-deductible.
Or help to fundraise with one of our numerous support groups around the world.
With any option you choose, you can be assured that these funds are used to further the work of the International Solidarity Movement. We thank you for your continued support.
in solidarity,
Hisham Jam Jum and Abdel Karim Dalbah
ISM Palestine Financial Committee