Dear VTJPers,
Below is an article from Toufic Haddad, who is currently in Ar Ram as part of a group of Palestinians on a hunger strike to protest the construction of Israel's aparthied wall. The issue of the wall is becoming more and more of an international blight -- especially in the wake of the UN World Court's recent decision that the wall violates international law. The hunger strikers are asking for solidarity actions. Do you guys have any vigils or marches planned in the near future?
Also, the idea of a one-day conference at UVM in October sounds like a really good idea. The Internaional Socialist Organization, which is a student club at UVM, would be interested and willing to help out with the organizing, planning, and publicity for such an event. Let me know if we can help in any way.
Sincerely,
Keith Rosenthal
July 8, 2004
A Letter from the Hunger Strikers' Tent
Protesting Israel's Apartheid Wall
By TOUFIC HADDAD
I'm writing from day 5 of the solidarity tent in Ar Ram where at least 17
people have joined in on the hunger strike protesting Israel's apartheid
wall. Despite the heat wave (36 centigrade) there is a good atmosphere in
the tent, and the hunger strikers - though visibly more weary are in high
spirits. Today there were questions regarding Dr. Azmi Bishara's health.
Bishara was the first to go on hunger strike, but he is also a kidney
transplant receiver (via his brother). Since there haven't been so many
kidney transplant receivers who have gone on hunger strike, his doctors are
especially worried. Despite this, he is bravely pressing on and even comes
off as one of the stronger hunger strikers never refusing interviews and
always active on the tent grounds.
Throughout the day, delegations of people in solidarity come to visit and
get information, while journalist are busy hounding the hunger strikers
looking for an interview. The tent where the strike is taking place is
equipped with a couple of computers (one with a DSL line), information
packets on the Wall, a couple of fans, chairs and tables, mattresses (where
the strikers sleep), a satellite-linked television and two water coolers
where everyone including the hunger strikers drink from. The tents' walls
are decorated with maps, Palestinian flags, posters and banners with
slogans on them that read: "Resisting the wall: a duty of all people of
conscience", "Israel's wall = Apartheid - Wrong in South Africa, wrong in
Palestine" and "Israel's wall (does not equal) security; Israel's wall =
land theft, racial discrimination and Palestinian dispossession". At night,
when the temperature has cooled off and people have gotten off work, the
tent becomes a collecting ground for people in the neighborhood as well as
people from farther off who come to share their solidarity, and where
events take place. Yesterday night, a local children's summer camp came
around and did a performance, a few people read their poetry and organizers
read solidarity greetings aloud. As I write these words, a delegation from
Nazareth has come and different representatives from popular grassroots
committees are extending their greetings. This is significant because there
is a sense of inclusiveness about the whole event, with a recognition on
both sides of the Green line that the wall affects all Palestinians and
must be resisted likewise.
Less than 50 yards from the tent, groundwork on the wall is taking place.
Beneath uzi- totting armed guards with bullet proof-vests on (security
contractors, not even soldiers), construction equipment is busy at work
digging trenches, pouring concrete and trying to get a good 'level' base
upon which the leggo-like 8 meter high concrete blocks will eventually
stand. It is also about 300 meters from the second checkpoint that is the
gateway into Jerusalem from the north. Once the wall is built, where the
tent now stands (together with the entire neighborhood of ar Ram (about
40,000 people) will be in a sort of twilight zone with a wall on one side
and caught between two checkpoints about a mile and a half apart.
I will try and write continuous updates regarding what goes on here in the
tent and the state of the hunger strikers. In the mean time, I am taking
this opportunity to make a loud and clear appeal to all those who read this
to organize and mobilize all resources at their disposal to draw attention
to the racist colonialist Israeli practices embodied in the wall and all
that it stands for, in parallel with the courageous attempts to resist it
on behalf of the Palestinian people. This hunger strike is not about a few
individuals, but is about the historical dispossession of the Palestinian
people in their and their attempt to resist Israel's dispossessive and
racist policies backed by the US government. We are at a crucial stage where
we are calling upon the broadening of solidarity work both locally and
internationally. To begin with, tomorrow (Thursday) is a general strike
where all Palestinian shops will be closed in protest. We also hope to get
more solidarity tents erected and more hunger strikers on board throughout
the entire occupied territories, inside the green line and throughout the
Arab world as well as internationally. We will update you of our progress.
The aim is to have continuity in the struggle so that this issue (and all
the Palestinian rights it so negatively effects) will not be lost or
forgotten, but can lay the basis for a new movement against Israeli
apartheid.
Mobilize in your community
Write letters to your newspapers and parliamentarians
Erect solidarity tents of your own where information can be distributed and
those who wish to join in the hunger strike can do so.
You can send updates on your activism and your solidarity greetings to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
More later. But everyone try to get the message out
A Letter from the Hunger Strikers' Tent
Protesting Israel's Apartheid Wall
By TOUFIC HADDAD
I'm writing from day 5 of the solidarity tent in Ar Ram where at least 17
people have joined in on the hunger strike protesting Israel's apartheid
wall. Despite the heat wave (36 centigrade) there is a good atmosphere in
the tent, and the hunger strikers - though visibly more weary are in high
spirits. Today there were questions regarding Dr. Azmi Bishara's health.
Bishara was the first to go on hunger strike, but he is also a kidney
transplant receiver (via his brother). Since there haven't been so many
kidney transplant receivers who have gone on hunger strike, his doctors are
especially worried. Despite this, he is bravely pressing on and even comes
off as one of the stronger hunger strikers never refusing interviews and
always active on the tent grounds.
Throughout the day, delegations of people in solidarity come to visit and
get information, while journalist are busy hounding the hunger strikers
looking for an interview. The tent where the strike is taking place is
equipped with a couple of computers (one with a DSL line), information
packets on the Wall, a couple of fans, chairs and tables, mattresses (where
the strikers sleep), a satellite-linked television and two water coolers
where everyone including the hunger strikers drink from. The tents' walls
are decorated with maps, Palestinian flags, posters and banners with
slogans on them that read: "Resisting the wall: a duty of all people of
conscience", "Israel's wall = Apartheid - Wrong in South Africa, wrong in
Palestine" and "Israel's wall (does not equal) security; Israel's wall =
land theft, racial discrimination and Palestinian dispossession". At night,
when the temperature has cooled off and people have gotten off work, the
tent becomes a collecting ground for people in the neighborhood as well as
people from farther off who come to share their solidarity, and where
events take place. Yesterday night, a local children's summer camp came
around and did a performance, a few people read their poetry and organizers
read solidarity greetings aloud. As I write these words, a delegation from
Nazareth has come and different representatives from popular grassroots
committees are extending their greetings. This is significant because there
is a sense of inclusiveness about the whole event, with a recognition on
both sides of the Green line that the wall affects all Palestinians and
must be resisted likewise.
Less than 50 yards from the tent, groundwork on the wall is taking place.
Beneath uzi- totting armed guards with bullet proof-vests on (security
contractors, not even soldiers), construction equipment is busy at work
digging trenches, pouring concrete and trying to get a good 'level' base
upon which the leggo-like 8 meter high concrete blocks will eventually
stand. It is also about 300 meters from the second checkpoint that is the
gateway into Jerusalem from the north. Once the wall is built, where the
tent now stands (together with the entire neighborhood of ar Ram (about
40,000 people) will be in a sort of twilight zone with a wall on one side
and caught between two checkpoints about a mile and a half apart.
I will try and write continuous updates regarding what goes on here in the
tent and the state of the hunger strikers. In the mean time, I am taking
this opportunity to make a loud and clear appeal to all those who read this
to organize and mobilize all resources at their disposal to draw attention
to the racist colonialist Israeli practices embodied in the wall and all
that it stands for, in parallel with the courageous attempts to resist it
on behalf of the Palestinian people. This hunger strike is not about a few
individuals, but is about the historical dispossession of the Palestinian
people in their and their attempt to resist Israel's dispossessive and
racist policies backed by the US government. We are at a crucial stage where
we are calling upon the broadening of solidarity work both locally and
internationally. To begin with, tomorrow (Thursday) is a general strike
where all Palestinian shops will be closed in protest. We also hope to get
more solidarity tents erected and more hunger strikers on board throughout
the entire occupied territories, inside the green line and throughout the
Arab world as well as internationally. We will update you of our progress.
The aim is to have continuity in the struggle so that this issue (and all
the Palestinian rights it so negatively effects) will not be lost or
forgotten, but can lay the basis for a new movement against Israeli
apartheid.
Mobilize in your community
Write letters to your newspapers and parliamentarians
Erect solidarity tents of your own where information can be distributed and
those who wish to join in the hunger strike can do so.
You can send updates on your activism and your solidarity greetings to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
More later. But everyone try to get the message out
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hello fellow VTJPers
I forgot to send this out a few weeks ago�sorry.
We had the second community forum meeting a few weeks ago. Only Nina and
myself attended the meeting. We felt uncomfortable making any decisions
about whether VTJP should organize a one-day conference or have a speakers
series, as Mark Hage suggested. We hope this will be discussed at the next
VTJP meeting tomorrow night. At the last VTJP meeting we agreed to discuss
this for approximately a half hour.
I think before we plan any further there should be a clearer sense of what
the group wants to do.
Below I have included the original proposal from the community forum
committee. Unfortunately I cannot find Mark's email which contained the
proposal for hosting a speakers series. However I have a hard copy and will
bring it tomorrow. Basically Mark thinks that we should organize speakers
to come over the following year and get well known people when they are
already in the area. We can see which idea people prefer tomorrow night.
See you tomorrow'
S'ra
Community Forum Minutes
Monday, May 17, 2004
In attendance: Peter, Madelyn Holmes, Nina Parris, and S'ra DeSantis
After an hour discussion we have come up with a proposal for a community
event. The next two paragraphs are the actual proposal and the lists after
the proposal are just brainstorms, which need to be developed after we have
agreement from the group that we should organize the event. Hopefully we can
discuss this at the next VTJP meeting.
The proposal:
We would like to have a mini-conference or teach-in on Sunday October 3. We
would have two workshop slots, 1-2:30 pm and 2:45-4:15. At 7 pm there would
be two speakers, hopefully one Palestinian and one Jewish person. (See our
list of ideas below, please add your ideas). At least one of these speakers
would have extensive recognition and draw a big crowd.
We thought we would have the event at UVM because we could get rooms for
free, if we had the endorsement of a student organization. We thought that
VTJP would organize the event and we would ask other organizations to
endorse the event, which would mean they would help do outreach and help
with other tasks.
We brainstormed some ideas for speakers; we need more ideas, so think
hard!!
Amira Haas, Israeli writer, journalist for Ha'aretz
Gideon Levy, Israeli writer, journalist for Ha'aretz
Noam Chomsky, I don't think he needs explanation
Amos Oz, Israeli writer
Huwaida Assaf, Palestinian American who helped to find the ISM
We also brainstormed some ideas for the workshop slots, these are just ideas
and we would love more!!
Palestinian economy � how it effects the Israeli economy, in regards to
globalization (World Bank, free trade agreements)
Palestine and agriculture
Linking occupations in Iraq and Palestine
The issue of oil and US involvement in the Middle East
Torture in prisons in Iraq, Palestine, historically
Is criticizing the Israeli government anti-Semitic?
We will set a next meeting date for the committee at the next VTJP meeting.
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