Boycott israHell!

Boycott israHell!
Бойкот на израел и печелещите от окупацията! Boycott israHell and those who profit from occupation!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

40 Days of Hana Shalabi’s Hunger Strike: Appeal Denied, Take Action Today


Hana al-Shalabi has been held under administrative detention without charge or trial since her re-arrest on February 16, 2012 and has maintained a continuous hunger strike since that date, inspiring international solidarity and action. Today, March 26, marks the 40th day of hunger strike – and also a new decision handed down by an Israeli court denying her appeal of her administrative detention sentence.
Not only did the judge refuse to consider Shalabi’s ill-treatment and torture, according to Addameer, “In his decision, the military judge disregarded Ms. Shalabi’s critical medical condition; rather, he stated that she is responsible for her own recovery.”
Administrative detention dates from the British Emergency Law of 1945 under the British Mandate of Palestine. It allows the Israeli occupation to detain Palestinians for up to six months at a time without charge or trial, on the basis of secret evidence not disclosed to either the accused person or his or her lawyer, and can be renewed indefinitely. There are 320 Palestinians currently held under administrative detention, including a number of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and some have been held for over four years. Hana Shalabi is one of 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners in the jails of the Israeli occupation, 30 of whom continue to be held in isolation, from Palestinian national leaders and Palestinian children – all of whom are demanding freedom. Within Israeli jails, hunger strikes are spreading as 24 prisoners continue open-ended strikes and a prison system wide one-day strike was held on March 24.
Download cards for use in Canada and the US to publicize Hana Shalabi’s case.
Hana al-Shalabi’s current imprisonment began only four months after her release from over two years of administrative detention without charge or trial on October 18, 2011, a release secured in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Palestinian resistance. During her hunger strike, her health has grown progressively worse; she was visited today by a doctor from Physicians for Human Rights, who reported “stated that Ms. Shalabi’s muscle atrophy and wasting have increased, which now includes her heart muscle. Ms. Shalabi still refuses nutrition aside from vitamins and salts in her water and is in danger of death.”
The Israeli occupation is entirely responsible for the life and health of Hana al-Shalabi. In the past few days, pickets, mobilizations and demonstrations have been held in New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Glasgow, Chicago, Derry, Belfast, and London. Amnesty International has issued a new appeal calling for Hana’s release – however, many other human rights organizations have maintained complete silence even as Hana Shalabi’s hunger strike reaches its 40th day.
More action is urgently needed to mobilize global support for Hana al-Shalabi as her health worsens and her appeals are denied, to support her steadfast struggle for her freedom, the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners and the freedom of Palestine.



TAKE ACTION NOW!
  1. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges the Palestine solidarity movement in North America and around the world to publicize the case of Hana al-Shalabi and all Palestinian political prisoners. Join in the call for an April 17 day of action for Palestinian prisoners’ day!
  2. Contact Israeli occupation officials and demand Hana al-Shalabi’s release. Sign your letter here
  3. Write to your government officials:
    1. In Canada: Click here to send a letter to Foreign Minister John Baird (developed by the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid)
    2. In the United States: Call the office of Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (1.202.647.7209). Demand that Jeffrey Feltman bring this issue urgently to his counterparts in Israel and raise the question of Khader Adnan’s administrative detention.
  4. Organize a picket or protest outside the Israeli embassy or consulate in your location and demand the immediate freedom of Hana al-Shalabi and all Palestinian political prisoners. Make it clear that the eyes of the world are on the situation of Hana Shalabi and demand an end to the use of isolation, torture solitary confinement, and administrative detention against Palestinian political prisoners. Send us reports of your protests at Israeli embassies and consulates at samidoun@samidoun.ca.
  5. Keep sharing Hana’s story on social media.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Dozens of US Campaign Member Groups Participate in 2012 Israeli Apartheid Week!



IAW logoTwo weeks ago, activists from US Campaign member groups and other organizations joined organizers in 115 cities worldwide for the 8th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW)!

From Olympia, WA to New Brunswick, NJ; from Burlington to Boston; US Campaign member groups in more than a dozen U.S. cities held IAW actions and events during the global week of action to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid state and to build campaigns for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

Exposing Israel's apartheid policies and challenging corporations that profit from the Israeli occupation are central to the US Campaign's mission of ending U.S. institutional support for the Israeli occupation and promoting freedom, justice, and equality.

The actions -- including guerrilla theater, mock walls, mock checkpoints, new billboards, walk-outs, and street theater -- and participating cities are too many to name here. (For a complete list of participating cities and their activities, visit the official IAW website.)

Here is just a small sampling of some of the inspiring, creative actions and events by US Campaign coalition member groups and others around the country:



Students at Antioch University
Above: Students at Antioch University set up a mock checkpoint with signs reading "Palestinians Stop" and "Israelis (and everyone else) Pass."
 Students at Antioch University in Seattle and the University of California (UC) at Berkeley erected mock Israeli checkpoints, while students at Boston University, Brandeis University, Rutgers University, the University of Pennsylvania, and beyond constructedmock Israeli apartheid walls on their campuses.

 At the University of Minnesota, Students for Justice in Palestine joined community members working on the Minnesota Break the Bonds campaign at a "Visualizing Inequality" event, where they served different sides of the room a different quality and quantity of food to represent the inequality of resources and quality of life between Israeli and Palestinian families under Israel's apartheid laws.

 Students at UCLA and UC Irvine staged peaceful and powerful walk-outs from presentations by Israeli soldiers organized to counter IAW.


Click to view
Above: Click to view a marching band, mock wall, and street theater protesting Batsheva Dance Co.
 More than a hundred activists protested performances by the Israeli Batsheva Dance Company in San Francisco and New York City with banners, guerrilla theater, marching bands and street theater, calling attention to the dance troupe's role in theBrand Israel campaign to whitewash Israeli apartheid.

 The Seattle Middle East Awareness Campaign launched a series of advertisements on local King County Metro buses with billboards calling for equal rights for Palestinians.

These actions came on the heels of film screenings, protestspanel discussions, and so much more that happened across the country earlier this month.

But it's not over yet! If your US Campaign member group did not get to take part in IAW, or if you want to build on your IAW activities, remember that the Global BDS Day of Action is right around the corner on March 30th, Palestinian Land Day!

This year, Land Day happens to fall on César Chávez Day, commemorating the late Americanfarmworker and civil rights activist. This coincidence presents a wonderful opportunity for US Campaign organizations to connect the struggles and tactics (including boycotts) of farmers and workers who have advocated for justice from grape orchards in the United States to olive groves in Palestine. 

Click here for more information and ideas for taking action on Land Day, and be sure to send the US Campaign your photos, links, videos, and reports back!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Vote for Anna Baltzer in People’s Choice Award!



Our National Organizer Anna Baltzer has been nominated for a Global Exchange People's Choice Award!

The People's Choice Award is meant to honor the Human Rights activists who inspire you. Global Exchange aims to shine a light on the Human Rights heroes working to build a better world–on your street, in your community and beyond. 


Vote for Anna today-  voting closes 5pm March 19- and please make sure to share with your friends and followers!