PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

ACTION ALERT
by JONAS Thursday, Apr. 03, 2003 at 1:06 PM
joeskillet@yahoo.com

Write some letters, demand an investigation. Palestine is Still the Issue

AFSC's Israel-Palestine Digest
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In This Issue:

- Remembering Rachel Corrie
- Prevent Mass Expulsion of Palestinians Under Cover of War with
Iraq
- What Can You Do?


Remembering Rachel Corrie
The Middle East Peace Building Unit joins the international
community in grieving the death of Rachel Corrie, a college student
from the United States who was killed by the Israeli Defense Force
(IDF) with a Caterpillar bulldozer that ran over her on March 16,
2003. Rachel, a 23 year old student at Evergreen State College in
Washington State, was participating in nonviolent acts of civil
disobedience with the International Solidarity Movement in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories at the time of her death. She and
seven other International Solidarity Movement volunteers were acting
as human shields for a house in Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip
that was slated to be demolished by the IDF on Sunday.

In a public statement about the death of their daughter, Rachel
Corrie▓s parents stated, ⌠We have raised all our children to
appreciate the beauty of the global community and family and are
proud that Rachel was able to live her convictions. Rachel was
filled with love and a sense of duty to her fellow man, wherever
they lived. And, she gave her life trying to protect those that are
unable to protect themselves.■

The event of Rachel▓s murder is not an isolated incident in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. Over the past several months many Palestinian
civilians≈women, men, and children≈have been victims of Caterpillar
bulldozers crushing their homes with them still inside. As we
extend our condolences for this terrifying tragedy, we wish to also
mourn the many Palestinian lives that have been taken as a result of
the ongoing illegal policy and practice of home demolitions carried
out by the IDF. We laud Rachel for her brave attempts to protect
these innocent civilians, and are deeply saddened by her untimely
death.

Letters of condolence may be sent to Rachel▓s parents, Craig and
Cindy Corrie, at cbc1flute@aol.com.




Prevent Mass Expulsion of Palestinians Under Cover of War with Iraq
In Fall, 2002 the AFSC issued a public statement on the possibility
of the Israeli government seizing an opportunity to escalate the
displacement of Palestinians to a level of mass expulsion under the
cover of a U.S. war with Iraq. With war looming in the imminent
future, our attention to this issue is more acute than ever.
Recently there have been alerts from Gush Shalom
(http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/), an Israeli-based peace and
justice organization, for people to pay close attention to signs of
the beginning of this mass expulsion, such as reserving a large
number of buses, ordering tents and blankets, or preparing to cut
off communication or electricity in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.

At this juncture, it is important to highlight that a ⌠quiet■
expulsion of Palestinians has been taking place for years as
thousands of Palestinians have left the West Bank (including East
Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip to escape economic hardship, political
uncertainty, and lack of freedom at all levels. The IDF▓s illegal
policy of house demolition is one source of the political
uncertainty that is fueling the flight from the Occupied Palestinian
Territories. The IDF demolishes Palestinian homes as ⌠punishment■
for violence perpetrated against Israeli citizens. Home demolition
is in clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention which
prohibits collective punishment and the destruction of personal
property in occupied lands. The International Community has failed
to implement the Fourth Geneva Convention and U.N. resolutions that
are to protect Palestinians living under Israeli military rule in
the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Groups such as the International
Solidarity Movement (ISM), the World Council of Churches, Christian
Peacemaker Teams (CPT), and other internationals coordinate
nonviolent actions with Palestinian NGO▓s in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories in order to be a presence for Palestinian
civilians and to protect them from the violence perpetrated against
them by the Israeli army and by settlers.

Without the economic and political support from the U.S. government,
the Israeli government would not be able to maintain the military
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel is the largest
recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, totaling upwards of $3 billion
annually and because the U.S. guarantees this funding and support
unconditionally, Israel has little reason to heed international laws
and cease the violent assault on Palestinian civilians. The ISM
presence and that of other internationals in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories has become an important part of countering
the U.S. funding of Israeli military campaigns and settler violence.

Read the AFSC statement on mass expulsion of Palestinians.
http://click.topica.com/maaaWcuaaWNnYa5xzZvb/



What Can You Do?
The AFSC Middle East Program is a founding member of the U.S.
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and continues to work as part
of this coalition. In addition to the vigils prompted by the death
of Rachel Corrie, the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
has issued an action alert asking for people to contact their
elected representatives to hold Rachel Corrie▓s murderers to
account, and to oppose the financing and weapons exports that allows
the IDF to indiscriminately kill innocent civilians.

Read the Action Alert
http://click.topica.com/maaaWcuaaWND1a5xzZvb/

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