Stop the siege! Stop the war!

Gaza

Stop the siege! Stop the war!

A month of protest   4.11.06-2.12.06

The community of peace organizations in Israel has gathered together in a coordinated, major campaign calling on the Israeli government and on the international community to end the siege on Gaza and to embark upon negotiations with the elected Palestinian leadership.

The situation in Gaza has reached emergency levels – inadequate water, electricity, and medicine; widespread hunger, poverty, and unemployment; schools and other services out of operation; and constant bombardments and attacks by the Israeli military. Since the Palestinian elections, parts of the international community and the Israeli government are holding sanctions against the PA. Israel has tightened its siege and military attacks on Gaza since the soldier Gilad Shalit was taken hostage. If this siege continues, we will see spreading disease, malnutrition, and anarchy. Turning Gaza in to a prison is a cruel policy which endangers its residents and the residents of Israel, especially the ones in the south.

 A month of activities is planned including demonstrations, public events, lobby and more: 

4.11.06 from 19:30 at Rabin square, Tel Aviv (during the annual event in memory of the murder of Yizhak Rabin), protest activity – we will distribute stickers, balloons and flyers and we will create a human chain.

(NB: activists will gather at 7pm at the south-west corner of the Rabin Square (Frishman corner) 

6.11.06 Tzavta hall, Tel Aviv a public event: Are war crimes taking place in Gaza? Speakers: Dr. Iyad Sraj (Psychiatrist from Gaza), Writer Ronit Matalon, Sari Basi (lawyer, head of "Gisha") and Haaretz journalist Danny Rubinstein.

Screening of the documentary "Red Fields", a film by Ayelet Heller and Osnat Trabelsi which portrays Palestinian strawberry growers whose lives are inevitably attached to Agrexco, Israel's national produce exporter. They struggle to produce a crop, while simultaneously coming under attack from the Israeli army. 7.11.06 19:30, Bat Shalom, Jerusalem/ 9.11.06 19:30 the Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow, Tel Aviv/ 16.11.06 20:00, Mazal place, Tel Aviv.

18.11.06   a car cavalcade to the Gaza border – details will follow.
 

2.12.06 a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv – details will follow.
 

International campaign: We are planning an international campaign that will galvanize demonstrations in 150 different cities around the world, to raise awareness and bring pressure on the US and European governments. Planned date: Saturday, December 2, 2006.

We are appealing to decision-makers and civil society in the EU and the US to demand that their governments overturn the boycott.
         

Knesset & Government: a conference on the siege on Gaza will be held in the Knesset. In our protest we will target the Government ministers who are responsible for the siege policy.
     

This campaign was initiated by the Coalition of Women for Peace with its 9 member organizations.  Other active organizers:  Anarchists against the Wall, Gush Shalom, Hadash, High School Seniors Letter, Rabbis for Human Rights, University Student Coalition, Yesh Gvul, Ta`ayush.

N.B.: Yesterday, October 31, at the Tel-Aviv University campus: students spontaneously booed Defence Minister Amir Peretz during his lecture as was prominently broadcast.

Ends 

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