Tag: Call to Action - Page 3 - International Solidarity Movement

Call to action – Join the ISM in 2013

2001 – 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Palestine

Prior to ISM’s foundation in 2001, live ammunition was the most commonly used weapon to quell Palestinian demonstrations, resulting in huge casualties. Since it’s foundation, ISM has seen live ammunition become far less common over time and the Israeli Army now utilize tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber coated steal bullets, more often as alternative crowd dispersion techniques. This is largely due to the presence of international and Israeli activists at demonstrations, something ISM has been central to.

During the second intifada we notoriously ran past soldiers into the Mukataa, Arafat’s compound which was under siege, the shelling stopped with a mixed International presence. A similar story unfolded at the same time in the siege of the church of the nativity in Bethlehem.

In 2004 ISM marched with Palestinian and international activists along the route of the Apartheid wall in the West Bank at the invitation of the effected villages. The march gathered momentum over a number of days, and upon arrival at the Qalandia checkpoint numbers had reached over 1000. The Israeli Army was unable to stop the march as it crossed into occupied East Jerusalem.

We cannot fail to mention that through the years farmers have gained increased ability to implement their rights to access their lands during the olive harvest with help from international volunteers and advocacy.

Since the most recent 2012 bombardment activists have accompanied Palestinian farmers onto their fields in the military ‘buffer zone’ enabling them to work their land, despite coming under fire on occasions. In Israel’s buffer zone for the first time, soldiers have begun using tear gas and firing warning shots rather than shooting to kill.

In the West Bank, ISM activists have recently been vital supporters in Palestinian actions such as blockading settler roads, invading settler-only supermarkets, and we continue to join Palestinians on their weekly Friday demonstrations against the Occupation. We have been and continue to be ready for whatever arises on a daily basis.

In a time of an increased need for international presence in Gaza and what looks to be a upsurge of violence in the West Bank, we call on international activists to join the ISM on the streets of Palestine. Volunteers of the ISM are requested to make a minimum of a two week commitment, long term volunteers are always needed. Please see more information on how to join.

As an inspiration, you can read also “ What YOU can do as an International to help people in Palestine“.

‘Palestinians for Dignity’ rejects EU hypocrisy in upgrading its relations with the Israeli Occupation

30 July 2012 | Palestinians for Dignity, Occupied Ramallah

It has come to light over the last week that the European Union (EU) has decided to upgrade its trade and diplomatic relations with the state of Israel despite the latter’s intensification of its occupation, colonization and apartheid against the Palestinian people. The new deal will reportedly offer Israel upgraded trade and diplomatic relations in more than 60 areas, effectively reversing the freeze that was imposed after the vicious assault of the Israeli Occupation Forces on the Gaza Strip in December 2008 – January 2009.

This latest move by the EU is nothing less than outrageous, particularly given the EU’s continuous verbal criticism of Israel’s belligerent settlement plans. This duplicitous behavior epitomizes the reasons why the Palestinian people have no faith in the EU. While some in the Palestinian leadership might have common personal interests with the EU and Israel, the Palestinian people will not accept only hollow words of condemnation.

We should not need to remind the EU that Israel continuously flouts the will of the international community, remains in breach of UN Security Council resolutions, continues to violate its international law (including IHL) obligations, and daily abuses the human rights of the Palestinian people. Whether in its settlement policies, construction of the Apartheid Wall, its ethnic cleansing and “Judaization” of Jerusalem and the Naqab (Negev), its criminal blockade of Gaza, its denial of the UN-sanctioned rights of the Palestinian refugees, its violation of the rights of Palestinian prisoners (including children), its demolition of Palestinian homes, and its countless other illegal policies, Israel is undoubtedly guilty of gross human rights abuses, deserving of condemnation and sanctions, not rewards and benefits.

In its most recent plan Israel has decided to destroy eight Palestinian villages in southern Hebron, displacing more than 1000 Palestinians, in order to have more military training grounds for its soldiers. Rather than taking measures to ensure respect for international law as called for by Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions, it seems that EU Member States have decided to reward Israel for its continued abuse of the Palestinian people. Moreover, EU Member States have chosen to completely ignore Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which is designed to deter human rights abuses by clearly stating that EU-Israel ‘’relations shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles which must guide internal and international policy”. These actions can only send one clear message to the Palestinian people – that our rights and lives are trivial, deserving only the occasional lip service but never meaningful action.

As Palestinian youth, we are tired of the EU’s hypocrisy and its contemptuous policies that use aid and development programs to mask political cowardice and complicity in Israel’s crimes; it has to be made clear that all the financial support going to the PA is futile when the EU offers unconditional political, trade, academic and other forms of support for Israel. The EU’s policies have only served to prolong Israel’s occupation and our oppression. The time has come for EU Member States, and the EU as a whole, to decide—to either demonstrate their support for human rights or continue their support of Israel’s violent occupation and apartheid regime and risk losing not only the Palestinian people but Arab peoples and people of conscience all over the world.

We hereby call on the EU to (1) immediately freeze the new upgrade of relations with Israel; (2) suspend the existing EU-Israel Association Agreement until Israel complies with international law; and (3) investigate and halt the work of all European companies benefiting from Israel’s occupation and settlement policies.

Barring meaningful action on the above, the Palestinian youth movement will organize to protest the latest manifestation of EU complicity and to challenge its presence and operations in Palestine.

Palestinians for Dignity

URGENT APPEAL from Al-Aqaba Village

To the embassies, consulates, and international, Arab, and Islamic representative offices;
To domestic and international humanitarian and human rights organizations;
To all domestic and international media outlets that have visited the steadfast village of Aqaba, and to those that have not visited;
To Israeli humanitarian and human rights organizations;

Al-Salam (Peace) Street remains closed before your eyes,
And to the residents of Al-Aqaba village since 18 April 2012…

the destroyed Al-Salam street — The destruction of Al-Salam street in Al-Aqaba

The people of Al-Aqaba village call upon you to intervene to open Al-Salam Street, which was destroyed and then closed by the Israeli military on 18 April 2012. Israel knows that the people of this small village call for peace despite the injuries and the harassment inflicted upon them and despite the fact that they are deprived of vital services, particularly drinking water; they are denied the right to build; are isolated and blockaded; and they are frequently served with demolition orders for their homes, their roads, their agricultural land, and the entrances to their village.

The destroyed Salam street — The destruction of Al-Salam street in Al-Aqaba

We place this sacred trust in each and every one of your hands, without exception, to immediately intervene to open Al-Salam Street in Al-Aqaba, in order to help the isolated residents, particularly the farmers, the students, and the sick.

We reiterate our call for a resolution to the problem of Al-Salam Street.