Video: Ali Abunimah - BOYCOTT-DIVESTMENT-SANCTIONS: Strategies for a Just Peace in Palestine-Israel
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- Written by PDX Justice PDX Justice
- Published: 19 March 2010 19 March 2010
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Ali Abunimah - BOYCOTT-DIVESTMENT-SANCTIONS: Strategies for a Just Peace in Palestine-Israel
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Co-founder of the Electronic Intifada,
Ali Abunimah, talks about the prospects for a just resolution to the
conflict in Palestine-Israel, the debate over one-state or two-state
solutions, and the Boycott-Divestment-
JVP ACTION Alert: Tell your reps not to support AIPAC
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- Written by Jewish Voice for Peace Jewish Voice for Peace
- Published: 19 March 2010 19 March 2010
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Now is the time to demand full accountability, ask the US to withhold its aid to Israel until Israel agrees to abide by international law including ending settlement construction and lifting the blockade on Gaza. Only through accountability will we achieve a lasting peace.
If you are in the U.S., use this link to send a message to Congress:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2643
International friends, please use this link to send a message to President Obama:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2652
Thank you so much for joining me! Together we can make a difference.
UC Berkeley Student Senate Passes Divestment Bill in Response to Israeli Occupation
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- Written by UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine
- Published: 18 March 2010 18 March 2010
- Hits: 2171 2171
UC Berkeley Student Senate Passes Divestment Bill in Response to Israeli Occupation
For the first time in the University of California history, the UC Berkeley Student Senate has
approved a bill to divest from two US companies in response to the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territories and to Israel’s siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The Senate bill
directs both the UC Regents and the Student Government to divest from General Electric and
United Technologies. General Electric manufactures Apache helicopter engines; United
Technologies manufactures Sikorsky helicopters and F-16 aircraft engines. In addition, the bill
creates a task force to look into furthering a socially responsible investment policy for the UC
system.
Student Senator Rahul Patel supported the bill, declaring that “in the 1980s the Student
Government was a central actor in demanding that the university divest from South African
apartheid. 25 years later, it is a key figure in shaping a nationwide movement against
occupation and war crimes around the world. Student Government can be a space to mobilize
and make decisions that have a significant impact on the international community. We must
utilize these spaces to engage each other about issues of justice worldwide.”
The Senate deliberation, which started Wednesday night, concluded at 3 am Thursday morning,
March 18. The meeting was flooded with students, educators, and community members, which
prompted the relocation of the Senate session from the Senate Chambers to a larger room. The
attendees took turns making impassioned arguments for and against the bill. The diverse list of
guest speakers included 76 names, ranging in age from college freshmen to Vietnam veterans.
After amendments, the final bill passed on a 16-4 vote.
In addition to Israeli military action, the student initiative was motivated by an 2005 call on behalf
of 171 Palestinian civil society organizations calling on "people of conscience all over the world
to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel … until it fully
complies with the precepts of international law."
According to Emiliano Huet-Vaughn, co-author of the bill, “this vote is an historic step in holding
all state and corporate actors accountable for their violations of basic human rights. The broad
cross section of the community that came out to demand our university invest ethically belies
the notion that the American people will tolerate the profiting from occupation or other human
rights abuses.” Student Senator Emily Carlton, co-sponsor of the bill, agreed, adding “this action
will only be historic if it is repeated throughout the country and the world; I hope that student
governments all over America will see in this a sign that the time to divest from war is now.”
In 2009, Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, became the first US educational institution to
divest from companies directly involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Hampshire
College action was advocated by the group Students for Justice in Palestine, and ultimately
adopted by the Board of Trustees. Today, through its Student Senate bill, UC Berkeley
becomes the first large, public US institution to endorse a similar measure.
UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine has been working on a divestment campaign from
entities that profit from the occupation of Palestine since 2000. UC Berkeley Law Students for
Justice in Palestine, founded in 2007, played a central role in researching the legal issues and
the international laws pertaining to Israeli human rights violations.
For more information contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Israel's East Jerusalem Settlment Plans
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- Written by Foundation for Middle East Peace Foundation for Middle East Peace
- Published: 18 March 2010 18 March 2010
- Hits: 3174 3174
This map is illustrating reported Israeli plans, as of November 2009, to
expand settlements in East Jerusalem by 14,123 housing units by 2015
and 2020. (The map does not include the 1600 new units to be built in
the settlement of Ramat Shlomo announced during the recent visit of
Vice President Biden.)
The map also shows existing Israeli settlements built since
Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 within the expanded
boundaries Israel drew to increase the area of East Jerusalem by 72
square kilometers.
As of 2007 the Jewish settler population of East Jerusalem was 189,708 The Palestinian population was over 200,000.
If completed the 14,123 planned new units reported in November and
the recently announced 1600 new units for Ramat Shlomo would
potentially house, at an estimated occupancy of 8 persons per unit,
about 125,780 settlers by 2020.
This map originally appeared in the Foundation’s November-December edition of the Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories
The United States regards all territory taken by Israel in the
1967 war as "occupied," including East Jerusalem. The U.S. does not
recognize these areas as part of Israel, and has, like the rest of the
world, always opposed settlements and believes that the final status of
East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights must be
resolved through negotiations.
“Dialogue” Palestinian Artist's Salute to Poet Mahmoud Darweesh
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- Written by Kanaan Kanaan Kanaan Kanaan
- Published: 18 March 2010 18 March 2010
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PALESTINIAN ARTIST’S SALUTE TO POET MAHMOUD DARWEESH SHOWCASED AT
NORTH BANK ARTISTS GALLERY, APRIL 2-MAY 6
Contact: Kate Chester March 14, 2010
(503) 706-1294
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
WHAT: “Dialogue,” a multi-media art exhibit from local artist Kanaan Kanaan (www.kanaankanaan.com/joomla/), celebrating the life and work of poet Mahmoud Darweesh. Free and open to the public; street parking available.
WHERE: North Bank Artists Gallery (www.northbankartistsgallery.com/)
1005 Main Street
Vancouver, Wash. 98660 (map)
WHEN: Show: April 2-May 6, 2010
Opening reception: Friday, April 2 – 6 p.m.
Regular gallery hours: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday
DETAILS: Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darweesh is known worldwide for his commitment to peace and role as an advocate and voice for the Palestinian people. Until his death in August 2008 Darweesh sought dialogue through his poetry as a means to achieve peace and was considered a “universal human being” for his efforts.
His poem, “Ahmad al Za’tar,” was published in the 1960s, with the character of “Ahmad” representing the Palestinian people – their longing for a homeland, their lives as far-flung refugees splintered from their families, their plight in Palestine as they lived under occupation. When Lebanese musician Marcel Khalife put the poem’s words to music in 1983, “Ahmad al Za’tar” was quickly embraced as an anthem for Palestinians across the globe, and Darweesh was catapulted to international acclaim.
Kanaan Kanaan is an award-winning Palestinian artist who was born and raised in a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan. Now living in Portland, Kanaan garners inspiration for his work from his culture’s rich history. “Ahmad al Za’tar” struck a chord in him when he visited Lebanon in 1993, still reeling after the Israeli invasion of 1982 and the massacres at Sabrah and Shatelah.
“Dialogue” pays homage to Darweesh and his use of poetry – specifically “Ahmad al Za’tar” – to promote messages of universality and social justice. Poetry is an integral part of Arabic culture, in both language and art. In “Dialogue,” Kanaan weaves Darweesh’s poetry into paintings of landscapes representing Kanaan’s memories – of Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq – as a child and young adult. “As painful as it is, the words of Darweesh have offered Palestinians strength and courage,” says Kanaan. “They have kept our souls alive.
“This exhibit honors humanity, Darweesh and the continued need for dialogue to better understand one another, to reach out using peaceful means. This is what I want to share,” Kanaan says.
For more information, contact Kate Chester at (503) 706-1294