Tag: Global Actions - Page 60 - International Solidarity Movement

South Africa speaks out on 40 years of Occupation.

By Sayed,

SOUTH AFRICA–On Saturday 9th June 2007 a crowd of approximately 2,500 people braved the winter weather in Cape Town, South Africa to protest the 40-year old illegal Israeli military occupation of Palestine. The protest march came amidst a global wave of solidarity action marking the 40th anniversary of the Occupation, and was the culmination of a week long country-wide programme which included pickets, candle vigils and other activities aimed at raising awareness and displaying solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for national liberation.

The march was attended by members of various Palestinian solidarity groups, Trade Unions, faith-based organisations as well as the general public. The crowd walked peacefully through the Cape Town CBD with raised Palestinian flags and banners, chanting in unison for an end to the Occupation and freedom for all Palestinians. A strong emotional bond exists between South Africans and Palestinians due to the many commonalities experienced by both peoples under the previous Apartheid regime, and the current system of Occupation.

The event lasted roughly 2 hours and concluded outside the gates of the South African Parliament where a memorandum was handed over to the South African Ministry of Foreign affairs. The memorandum called for, amongst other things, the immediate withdrawal of the South African ambassador to Israel and the severing of diplomatic relations with the Zionist State. It also called for boycotts, divestment and sanctions on all Israeli goods as well as laws prohibiting South African Jewish youth from serving in Israel ‘s armed forces.

The crowd dispersed peacefully but vowed to continue in their efforts, citing former president Nelson Mandela’s famous words that ” South Africa is not free until Palestine is free”.

Marking 40th Anniversary of Occupation

Demos in London, Madrid, Tel Aviv in Solidarity with the Palestinian People
from the International Press Center

GAZA, Palestine, June 10, 2007 (IPC+ Agencies) – -Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv Saturday evening to attend a rally protesting Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territories on 40th anniversary of 1967 six- day war. More than 20 Spanish humanitarian, NGO’s and parties in association with the Palestinian community in Madrid set off a similar demo.

London also witnessed the biggest demo of 50,000 demonstrators in solidarity with the Palestinian people and his just cause among were Dr. Mustaf Al Burghouti, PLO representative at Britain and other Palestinian figures.

Plethora of British parliamentarians among were Veteran campaigners Bruce Kent of CND, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and Green MEP Caroline Lucas , George Galway, the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, Riah Abu El Assal, and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for founding the “Peace People” in Northern Ireland in 1976. . The protestors gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The Prime Minister Ismael Haneyeh addressed the gathering by video in which he stressed on the need to support the national unity government to enable it to assume its responsibilities as well as support the Palestinian people right of liberation, independency and to attain an equitable peace.

He also underscored the independency of the Palestinian decision-making and backing the struggle of the Palestinian people, right of refugees to return back to their homelands and uplift the unfair embargo on the Palestinians. Also Dr. Al Burghouti addressed the demonstrators and thanked their participation and showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“There has been something wrong when the Israeli occupation continues to become the most prolonged occupation the modern history and converted in an apartheid system, as the world keep idle, ” Al Burghouti addressed the gathering.

He added that there has been something wrong when the Palestinian people punished by political and aid embargo instead of divesting Israel for persistent sanction and abuse against the Palestinian people.

“There has been something wrong when the Palestinian democratic which is the best in the Middle East and ministers and MPs were arrested.” He added “there has been soothing wrong when the Palestinian need four entry permissions to move in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that have turned into ghettoes and cantos and cur into pieces by 500 permanent checkpoint and 600 flying roadblocks.”

In central Tel Aviv Saturday evening Thousands of people gathered to attend a rally protesting Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territories. The event was organized by left-wing groups including Meretz, Peace Now and Anarchists against the Wall. The protesters marched from Rabin Square to the Tel Aviv Museum, where they held a big rally.

Participants shouted slogans against the occupation and raised signs saying, “The occupation corrupts,” “The settlements – Israel’s catastrophe,” and “The occupation – a disgrace.”

In connection, more than 20 Spanish NGOs; humanitarian and political parties in association with the Palestinian community in Madrid organized a rally marking the 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. In a joint press, the organizations called all institutions, individuals and humanitarian bodies to monitor the dismissal living condition of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation that has been practicing all forms of tyranny and refuse to recognize his right of self-determination.

The statement called for feasible measures to compel Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories in 1967 including East Jerusalem, dismantle of Jewish settlements, cessation of building the apartheid wall and freeze partnership agreement between the European Union and Israel.

It also urged the Spanish government put off the agreement of military trade with Israel and recognition of the legitimate Palestinian democracy with no prerequisite and surmount all obstacles in the way of convening an international peace conference in the Middle East among its goals establishment of a sovereign viable Palestinian state within 1967 borders.

Indonesia must be firmer in supporting Palestine

from the Jakarta Post, 10 June 2007

JAKARTA (Antara): Chairman of the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nurwahid urged Indonesia to adopt a firmer stance in supporting the independence of Palestine which had suffered clear subjugation of Israel.

“The Israeli invasion of Palestine is an overt subjugation. Therefore, the Indonesian people must defend Palestine. We also appeal to the Palestinian people to unite in fighting against Israel. They should not fight each other with Hamas,” he said.

The MPR chairman made the statements during a solidarity action held by thousands of people at the Monas (National Monument) Square to mark 40 years of the Israeli occupation of Palestine here on Sunday.

Nurwahid said that the Indonesian government must take the lead in the front-line in supporting Palestinian independence from the occupation of Israel.

A concrete action by the Indonesian government in supporting the Palestinian independence would help revive the trust of Muslim communities after Indonesia supported a UN resolution on Iran.

He said that if the international communities were willing to crush terrorists, they should first liberate the Palestinian people. If the people of Palestine were liberated, it would meant that one-third of terrorist problems in the world would have been settled.

“We must start from right now. The key to exterminating terrorists is how the world helps Palestine stay as an independent state,” Hidayat said.

Anti-Occupation Demonstration, London

by Heathlander, 10 June 2007

Yesterday, there was a large demonstration organized by the Enough! coalition of NGOs and anti-war groups (e.g. Jews for Justice for Palestinians, War on Want, Stop the War Coalition, etc. etc.) in London against Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians. We began at Lincoln’s Field Inns and marched to Trafalgar Square to hear numerous speakers articulate their opposition to the occupation (some supported a two-state settlement, others were anti-Zionist and favoured a single, democratic state for all its citizens). The atmosphere was good, if at times a bit flaccid, and several thousand people turned up (perhaps as many as 10,000).

George Galloway speaking at the demonstration

A counter-demonstration was held alongside ours. It was much smaller in size – evidently, it is harder to rally people in support of oppression than in opposition to it. Some more:

Mustafa Barghouti, the Palestinian Minister of Information. He gave a most impressive speech and won loud applause. Apparently, the organisers had invited another two members of the Palestinian government to speak at the demonstration – both were abducted by Israel and are currently rotting in Israeli jails, along with more than a third of the elected members of the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council.

Along with Mustafa Barghouti, the most impressive speaker was Natan’l Silverman, an Israeli representative of ‘Combatants for Peace‘, a non-violent peace group composed of former Israeli combat soldiers and Palestinians who had previously been involved in acts of violence.

Other speakers included Professor Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian General Delegate to the UK, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP, and George Galloway.

MEPs stand up for immediate release of 45 Palestinian MPs in Israeli Jail

from Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of European Parliament
6 June 2007

Brussels– 45 Members of the European Parliament, from different political groups, have decided to express their solidarity towards the 45 Palestinian colleagues imprisoned by Israel, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

All the 45 MEPs stood up symbolically in the plenary, right before the beginning of the debate with Mr. Solana on the situation on the Middle East, representing the 45 Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council detained in the Israeli jails in a clear violation of the international legality .

“Each of us, MEPs, is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of the President and of 1/3 of the Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, democratically and legitimately elected by the Palestinian people”, MEPs said in their declaration.

Through this initiative, MEPs want to strongly condemn these arrests by the Israeli Army, but also remind the anniversary of the beginning of the Israeli military occupation in the Palestinian territories, which is during 40 years exactly today.

“We are deeply worried not only for the plight of the 45 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council but also for the near 11000 Palestinian political prisoners currently imprisoned by the Israeli Army, without a true process and often brutally abducted by the Israeli soldiers.

They have to be released and, at the same time, also the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit must be freed by the Palestinian group that kidnapped him in Gaza Strip, as a change of prisoners- affirms Luisa Morgantini, one of the 45 MEPs participating to this initiative.

“40 years of military occupation are enough: now it’s urgent to implement a political solution of the conflict, based on “two People and two States” and it’s necessary that the Palestinian Legislative Council could continue its activity, instead of preventing its work because of the check points, the arrests, the summary killings kept on by the current Israeli policy of military occupation”, concluded Luisa Morgantini.

MEPs participating to the initiative:

Adamou Adamos, Andria Alfonso, Aubert Marie-Hélčne, Auken Margarete, Beer Angelika, Brepoels Frieda, Bourzai Bernadette, Bowis John, Carnero Gonzŕlez Carlos, Cohn-Bendit Daniel, Davies Chris, De Brún Bairbre, De Keyser Véronique, Demetriou Panayiotis, De Rossa Proinsias, Evans Jill, Flautre Hélčne, Gottardi Donata, Guerreiro Pedro, Hammerstein Mintz David, Isler-Béguin Marie-Anne, Kasoulides Ioannis , Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou Rodi, Locatelli Pia Elda, Lucas Caroline, Madeira Jamila, Matsakis Marios, McMillan-Scott Edward, Menendez Del Valle Emilio, Meyer Pleite Willy, Morgantini Luisa, Napoletano Pasqualina, Patrie Béatrice, Portas Miguel, Purvis John, Resetarits Karin, Romeva i Rueda Raül, Roure Martine, Saďfi Tokia, Savi Toomas, Sudre Margie, Svensson Eva-Britt, Toussas Georgios, Triantaphyllides Kyriacos, Wurtz Francis.