Stop Israeli War Crimes: Vigil in Parliament Square TONIGHT (5:30-7:00)
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Press Release
30 June 2006
STOP ISRAELI WAR CRIMES - SUPPORT PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS
Vigil in Parliament Square Friday 30th June 2006 5:30 - 7pm.
The Israeli government have amassed troops on the outskirts of Gaza and are moving into Rafah, threatening invasion to rescue one Israeli soldier taken hostage on Sunday 25th June.
There are currently 300 Palestinian children (under 18's) and 100 Palestinian women being held hostages in Israeli prisons. They are among 9,000 Palestinians being held, many of whom are in administrative detention - i.e. without trial or charges. However Israeli leader Ehud Olmert says negotiations 'are not on the agenda'.
The Israeli army have killed 50 Palestinians since the beginning of this month. Any invasion will inevitably lead to many more Palestinians casualties. Since last night the Israeli army has destroyed the electricity supplies of over half of the Gaza Strip and is tightening its closure and strangulation of the area, thus committing an illegal act of collective punishment on the Palestinian Population. The situation is sure to get worse as Israeli tanks move into densely populated civilian areas, that have already suffered heavily from several months of daily shelling and closures.
The PSC is calling for a vigil against Israeli War Crimes and in support of Palestinian Human Rights this Friday (30th June) from 5:30 to 7pm in Parliament Square. We call on all supporters of Palestine to make their presence known in this current emergency.
# Please note that this is a lawful protest.
We would also like to ask you to please contact you MPs and ask them to protest at the attack on Gaza, to ask questions in Parliament and to the Foreign Office. The FO can be contacted directly too, as the actions of the Israeli State contravene International Law and the UK must stop these war crimes from happening.
For your MP:
http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/
and: 0207 219 3000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH
Tel: 020 7008 1500
Fax: 020 7008 2144
LATEST NEWS FROM PALESTINE:
GAZA UNDER ASSAULT: REPORT & ACTION ALERT
(Ramallah, June 28) Despite Israeli claims and Western reporting, the Israeli Occupation Forces' (IOF) assault on Gaza was not "launched to free an Israeli soldier." If anything, this assault obviously endangers his life. The purpose is to intensify Israel's barbarism against the Palestinian people and, as admitted frequently by Israeli officials, to "break their spirit." The primary victim is, as usual, Gaza's civilian population.
IOF forces were being amassed along Gaza during the past couple of days, and have begun their offensive at midnight, including air raids breaking the sound barrier, sonic booms, and bombardment. The IOF has destroyed three bridges in central Gaza that connect the southern part of Gaza with the Northern part, including Gaza city (population 420,000).
US-made and supplied F-16 warplanes have also fired at least nine rockets at Gaza's only power station, resulting in a blackout for much of Gaza. The station went ablaze, and firefighters were unable to control the fire. Israeli missiles have also destroyed a water main that supplies the central Gaza strip, and water pumps that are powered by electricity have been paralyzed.
In the southern part of Gaza, the IOF has sent in its ground troops and tanks. Al-Jazeera footage has shown families fleeing their homes in the middle of the night.
Israel, ofcourse, is justifying their barbaric attack on the basis of one of their soldiers being captured. They refer to the capture as a "kidnapping" and a "terrorist attack," and have turned down a prisoner exchange offer.
Ramallah is now under threat of invasion and attack, due to claims of a missing Israeli settler being here (this seems to be unverified, and it is unknown whether he is dead or alive). There is a state of confusion and panic that can be felt in Ramallah's streets, stores are closing, and foreign nationals have been instructed by their embassies to immediately evacuate the city.
*** RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ***
- MEDIA: Please contact your local media and request that they do not act as a mouthpiece for Israel by asserting that the aim of the Gaza invasion is to rescue the captured (not "kidnapped") soldier. At the very least, they can say that this is what Israel claims, or they can use the word "allegedly." It should also be made clear that the primary victim of this assault is the civilian population, and that this constitutes collective punishment of a captive population, which is a direct (and repeated) violation of the Geneva Convention.
- LOBBYING: Please contact your elected representatives and ask them whether they support Israel's barbaric crimes against innocent Palestinian civilians. If they are in support of such atrocities, well, then they're not different than the Nazis. If they oppose these atrocities, ask them what they're doing about it. Make your voice heard.
- PROTEST: Protests are needed at Israeli embassies and consulates throughout the world. Even a one-person protest with a simple sign such as "Stop Israeli Terrorism" is good at bringing attention to the situation and letting Israel know that there is widespread opposition to its continued and escalating crimes against the Palestinian people. Believe it or not, Israel does care about its image, and if the government receives reports of a number of protests, they will feel pressured to limit the operation. Please take action on this TODAY - for the sake of the innocent civilians in Gaza.
*** Reminder:
Doing nothing will only help Israel get away with continued and escalated crimes against the Palestinian people. I trust that you will not be silent in the face of such oppression.
**********************
Further information:
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
020 7700 6192
info@palestinecampaign.org
Press Release
30 June 2006
STOP ISRAELI WAR CRIMES - SUPPORT PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS
Vigil in Parliament Square Friday 30th June 2006 5:30 - 7pm.
The Israeli government have amassed troops on the outskirts of Gaza and are moving into Rafah, threatening invasion to rescue one Israeli soldier taken hostage on Sunday 25th June.
There are currently 300 Palestinian children (under 18's) and 100 Palestinian women being held hostages in Israeli prisons. They are among 9,000 Palestinians being held, many of whom are in administrative detention - i.e. without trial or charges. However Israeli leader Ehud Olmert says negotiations 'are not on the agenda'.
The Israeli army have killed 50 Palestinians since the beginning of this month. Any invasion will inevitably lead to many more Palestinians casualties. Since last night the Israeli army has destroyed the electricity supplies of over half of the Gaza Strip and is tightening its closure and strangulation of the area, thus committing an illegal act of collective punishment on the Palestinian Population. The situation is sure to get worse as Israeli tanks move into densely populated civilian areas, that have already suffered heavily from several months of daily shelling and closures.
The PSC is calling for a vigil against Israeli War Crimes and in support of Palestinian Human Rights this Friday (30th June) from 5:30 to 7pm in Parliament Square. We call on all supporters of Palestine to make their presence known in this current emergency.
# Please note that this is a lawful protest.
We would also like to ask you to please contact you MPs and ask them to protest at the attack on Gaza, to ask questions in Parliament and to the Foreign Office. The FO can be contacted directly too, as the actions of the Israeli State contravene International Law and the UK must stop these war crimes from happening.
For your MP:
http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/
and: 0207 219 3000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH
Tel: 020 7008 1500
Fax: 020 7008 2144
LATEST NEWS FROM PALESTINE:
GAZA UNDER ASSAULT: REPORT & ACTION ALERT
(Ramallah, June 28) Despite Israeli claims and Western reporting, the Israeli Occupation Forces' (IOF) assault on Gaza was not "launched to free an Israeli soldier." If anything, this assault obviously endangers his life. The purpose is to intensify Israel's barbarism against the Palestinian people and, as admitted frequently by Israeli officials, to "break their spirit." The primary victim is, as usual, Gaza's civilian population.
IOF forces were being amassed along Gaza during the past couple of days, and have begun their offensive at midnight, including air raids breaking the sound barrier, sonic booms, and bombardment. The IOF has destroyed three bridges in central Gaza that connect the southern part of Gaza with the Northern part, including Gaza city (population 420,000).
US-made and supplied F-16 warplanes have also fired at least nine rockets at Gaza's only power station, resulting in a blackout for much of Gaza. The station went ablaze, and firefighters were unable to control the fire. Israeli missiles have also destroyed a water main that supplies the central Gaza strip, and water pumps that are powered by electricity have been paralyzed.
In the southern part of Gaza, the IOF has sent in its ground troops and tanks. Al-Jazeera footage has shown families fleeing their homes in the middle of the night.
Israel, ofcourse, is justifying their barbaric attack on the basis of one of their soldiers being captured. They refer to the capture as a "kidnapping" and a "terrorist attack," and have turned down a prisoner exchange offer.
Ramallah is now under threat of invasion and attack, due to claims of a missing Israeli settler being here (this seems to be unverified, and it is unknown whether he is dead or alive). There is a state of confusion and panic that can be felt in Ramallah's streets, stores are closing, and foreign nationals have been instructed by their embassies to immediately evacuate the city.
*** RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ***
- MEDIA: Please contact your local media and request that they do not act as a mouthpiece for Israel by asserting that the aim of the Gaza invasion is to rescue the captured (not "kidnapped") soldier. At the very least, they can say that this is what Israel claims, or they can use the word "allegedly." It should also be made clear that the primary victim of this assault is the civilian population, and that this constitutes collective punishment of a captive population, which is a direct (and repeated) violation of the Geneva Convention.
- LOBBYING: Please contact your elected representatives and ask them whether they support Israel's barbaric crimes against innocent Palestinian civilians. If they are in support of such atrocities, well, then they're not different than the Nazis. If they oppose these atrocities, ask them what they're doing about it. Make your voice heard.
- PROTEST: Protests are needed at Israeli embassies and consulates throughout the world. Even a one-person protest with a simple sign such as "Stop Israeli Terrorism" is good at bringing attention to the situation and letting Israel know that there is widespread opposition to its continued and escalating crimes against the Palestinian people. Believe it or not, Israel does care about its image, and if the government receives reports of a number of protests, they will feel pressured to limit the operation. Please take action on this TODAY - for the sake of the innocent civilians in Gaza.
*** Reminder:
Doing nothing will only help Israel get away with continued and escalated crimes against the Palestinian people. I trust that you will not be silent in the face of such oppression.
**********************
Further information:
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
020 7700 6192
info@palestinecampaign.org
posted by Sean M. Madden at
5:31 PM
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