Tag: Action Alert - Page 3 - International Solidarity Movement

ISM Statement on Israel’s attempt at silencing Omar Barghouti

Omar Barghouti is one of the founders of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (Photo by The Electronic Intifada)

On March 19th Israeli authorities barged into the house of Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement; in an attempt to tarnish his image and reputation by claiming an alleged income outside of Israel. Omar and his wife Safa endured a first round of interrogation lasting 16 hours, Omar was subsequently jailed for five days and although he has already been released he is under a gag order.

This last attempt to silence and tarnish the reputation of Omar Barghouti is a desperate move by Israeli authorities that recently considered the BDS movement as a “strategic threat”. In fact, in 2016, at least one Israeli minister went as far as suggesting “targeted civil eliminations” (meaning murder) of BDS leaders with the help of Israeli intelligence.

Inflammatory fabrications were published against Omar Barghouti just a day before his arrest was made effective, signalling an attempt to silence and tarnish his reputation. Furthermore, the current investigation includes a travel ban which may stop Omar from receiving the Gandhi Peace Award jointly with Ralph Nader, scheduled in a few weeks time in the USA.

The International Solidarity Movement stands in solidarity with Omar Barghouti in the light of this new attempt at silencing the voices of those who stand for freedom, justice and equality against a brutal military occupation; and we ask our friends and comrades to intensify their solidarity work with Palestine, including BDS chapters throughout the world.

ISM training: Manchester, April 2017

20th March 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, England support group | England

An ISM training session will be held in Manchester on 22nd and 23rd of April 2017.

For any questions and signing-up please contact ISM London at training.ismlondon[@]riseup.net, but avoid using email accounts or names that could pose a problem at the border.

All volunteers are required to participate in training before joining activities in Palestine. This training will prepare you for the solidarity work with communities in Palestine, give you a first impression, connect with people that have been in Palestine, and give you the chance to have all your questions answered.

Once in Palestine, volunteers will still be required to undertake training with Palestinian and international trainers.

2017 Open Shuhada Street Hebron Schedule

Against Settlements will use culture, creativity, and resistance for its annual Open Shuhada Street campaign February 19-25.

Campaign schedule:

February 19 Start of the open shuhada street campaign in Hebron

18:00 Candle lighting by children from Hebron’s old city.

February 20

16:00 Campaign participants will visit Shuhada Street families living under the most extreme conditions.

February 21

15:00 Raising the Palestinian flag in Tel Rumieda .

February 22

14:00 Tour of Hebron’s old city for diplomats, journalists, and a Veterans For Peace delegation from the US, including former CIA analyst, Ray McGovern.

February 23

12:00 Official visit to Shuhada Street from Israeli parliament member Dove Hanin. Mr. Hanin is a parliament member of Israel’s Arab party.
17:00 Film screening in Cinema Hebron

February 24

11:30 Open Shuhada Street protest in Hebron – Thousands of will gather to protest the closure of Shuhada Street. They will attempt to enter Shuhada Street.

February 25

11:00 Press conference and commemoration of Ibrahimi mosque massacre. After the press conference we will have a memorial candle lighting ceremony for the victims.

2017 marks 50 years of Israeli occupation and 23 year since the Ibrahimi mosque massacre in Hebron. On February 25, 1994 Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire in the Ibrahimi mosque killing 29 Palestinians in worship. Since then, Shuahda Street, once the main street and marketplace, has remained almost entirely closed to Palestinians. There are 20 checkpoints and front doors to Palestinian shops and homes are sealed shut.

Youth Against Settlements Open Shuhada Street campaign, held annually since 2010, aims to reopen Shuhada street and end the closures and inequality in Hebron and throughout Palestine and Israel. The following events below will be held in Hebron between February 19-25. International solidarity actions and educational events will be held throughout Europe and the US during the week.

Numerous Youth Against Settlements activists will be traveling from Hebron to Europe to participate in activities and give talks on Open Shuhada Street. Activists, Ayat Jaabari and Sondos Azzih will travel to Germany; Nour Abu Aisheh and Sohiab Zahdeh to Italy; Ahmad amro , Mohanned Qafisheh to the Netherland and Brussels; Anas Amro and Izzat Karaki to Sweden, Murad amro to France and Switzerland, Hijazi Ebido to Denmark: and Abed Salaymeh to the UK.

European partners for the campaign include: European partners for the campaign include: AsopashaPalestinia, Friends of Al Aqsa, Friends of Palestine, Internationalt Forum, Kurve Wustrow, London Palestine Action, Netherlands Palestine Committee, Palæstina Aktion, Palæstina Fredsvagter (International Solidarity Movement), Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden.

Source: Youth Against Settelments

End medical apartheid: Israel kills patient Abd al-Kareem after banning him to enter Erez for treatment

27th December 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

On 26th December, Israel occupation kills the patient, Abd al-Kareem Nahid Abu Halloub, a 32 year old, from Gaza after preventing him to get his treatment in a hospital in the West Bank.

The paitent Abd al-Kareem in the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

The patient, Abd al-Kareem, had been suffering for about 90 days without having the right to get his treatment in the West Bank. He had a heart attack on 6/10/2016 and was in a coma for more than 60 days and his doctors stated and he had to get his treatment in the West Bank. Abd al-Kareem’s family tried to contact several organizations after being denied access through Erez crossing twice by the Israeli occupation authority.

The family took their son to different hospitals in Gaza, but the hospitals have limited medical equipment that the medical device needed for treating the paitent Abu Halloub, is not found in Gaza. The paitent needs to get his treatme

The paitent Abd al-Kareem Abu Halloub while in the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza After 90 days sufferingnt

It’s worth mentioning that the Israeli seige of the Gaza Strip that began in mid 2007 has serious repercussion on the Palestinian health sector, resulting in an aggravation of the humanitarian situation facing Gaza’s 2 million people.

According to the International Hummaitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, Israel is obliged to protect civilian people, the wounded and sick in times of armed conflicts. It must prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and allow the free passage of all consignment of medical stores with a decent medical care. However, the Israeli occupation continues to violate these rights. Consequently, the request for permits to recieve treatment outside the Gaza Strip increased.

Call to action: Olive Harvest 2016

9th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

At a time of increasing settler violence in the West Bank, the International Solidarity Movement is issuing an urgent call for volunteers to participate in the 2016 olive-harvest on the invitation of Palestinian communities.

The olive tree, a national symbol for Palestinians, is an affirmation of Palestinians historical connection to their lands. Israeli Forces and settlers have tried in numerous occasions to disrupt this special relationsship between the Palestinians and this thousand-year old crop. Thousands of olive trees have been bulldozed, uprooted and burned by Israeli settlers and the military, but Palestinians farmers refuse to be intimidated – under the Israeli occupation harvesting has become more than a source of livelihood; it has become a form of resistance.

Despite efforts by Israeli settlers and soldiers to prevent them from accessing their land, Palestinian communities have remained steadfast in refusing to give up their olive harvest.

Palestinian farmer and internationals discussing picking permit with Israeli forces.

In solidarity with Palestinians farmers, ISM volunteers help with the olive harvest each year. If you join ISM over the olive harvest you will work with other ISM’ers in Palestinian olive groves especially exposed to violence and harassment from Israeli settlers and military. Our presence can make a big difference. It has been proven in the past to deter the number and severity of attacks as well as harassment, hence supporting the Palestinians universal right to be and work on their lands. International solidarity activists engage in non-violent intervention and documentation and this practical support enables many families to pick their olives. In addition, The olive harvest also provides a wonderful opportunity to spend time with Palestinian families in their olive groves and homes, there is nothing like sipping tea under a olive tree after a long days work.

The harvest will begin in start-October and run until mid-November. We request a minimum 2 week commitment from volunteers but stress that long-termers are needed as well. We kindly ask that volunteers start arriving in the first week of October, so we are prepared when the harvest begins.

Training

The ISM will be holding mandatory two day training sessions which will run weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please contact palreports@gmail.com for further information.

Ongoing campaigns

In addition to the olive harvest, there will be opportunities to participate in grass-roots, non-violent resistance in Palestine.

ISM maintains a constant presence in Hebron, where settler harassment and violence is a regular occurrence. Lately, Israeli army violence has escalated for Palestinians living in proximity to the illegal inner-city settlement. Israeli forces have used the Palestinian neighborhoods for military training. Harassment, humiliations and violence is an almost daily occurrence. A valuable part of the ISM’s work in Hebron is to monitor checkpoints near Palestinian schools. In the morning and afternoon schoolchildren have to pass through the checkpoints, which often lead to violent situations. From time to time young Palestinian boys throw stones on the occupying forces, which leads to collective punishment by the Israeli Forces as they lob dozens of teargas canisters and stun grenades, onto the schoolchildren. ISM is present at these checkpoints to document these extremely violent responses to boys throwing pepples, and to serve as an protective presence.

ISM also has an apartment in Nablus from where we work on a number of projects including resisting demolitions in various villages, and supporting Palestinians resisting settler theft of their lands. In addition to these activities, we participate in the weekly demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, where protesters face excessive force by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

Come! Bear witness to the suffering, courage and generosity of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.

Experiencing the situation for yourself is vital to adequately convey the reality of life in Palestine to your home communities and to re-frame the debate in a way that will expose Israel’s apartheid policies; creeping ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as well as collective punishment and genocidal practices in Gaza.

In Solidarity,

ISM Palestine