June 2009

Six Years Without Rachel

Heed Voices Calling For Justice For Palestinians

Interview With Free Gaza Movement Volunteers

Recommended Reading

Volunteers Needed for Freedom Summer 2009

PDF version

Other Editions

June 2010

December 2009

December 2008

July 2008

December 2007

July 2007

January 2007

December 2005

January 2005

March 2004

November 2003

April 2003

February 2003

Six Years Without Rachel

By ISM Gaza Strip, March 2009

Every March 16th we remember Rachel Corrie, a kind, insightful, talented person committed to the Palestinian plight and the courage of her convictions. We believe that before she is remembered on this anniversary of her death, Rachel would want the world to remember 1,400 Palestinians killed in Israel's massive assault on the Gaza Strip. The situation is now even more desperate than when she was here. We still demand justice. We still demand that the world hold Israel responsible for the murder of Rachel and so many Palestinians. We also demand that the US hold responsible the Caterpillar corporation that provides the military bulldozers that killed Rachel and many Palestinians and, which have demolished thousands of Palestinian homes.

Due to Israel’s blockade, today was the first time ISM activists commemorated the anniversary in Gaza itself. Some of us who volunteered in 2003 compared the situation then and now. The oppressive wall with Egypt has been cut down but the siege and blockade continue. From 2002 to 2005 over 3,000 Palestinian homes were bulldozed in Rafah. Now, in just 22 days, thousands more were destroyed throughout the entire Strip. 100,000 Palestinians have been left homeless.

[More]   [Top]

Heed Voices Calling for Justice for Palestinians

By Huwaida Arraf, March 2009

WE Palestinians are often asked where the Palestinian Gandhi is and urged to adopt nonviolent methods in our struggle for freedom from Israeli military rule. On April 17, an Israeli soldier killed my good friend Bassem Abu Rahme at a nonviolent demonstration against Israeli confiscation of Palestinian land. Bassem was one of many Palestinian Gandhis.

One month prior, at another demonstration against land confiscation, Israeli soldiers fired a tear-gas canister at the head of nonviolent American peace activist Tristan Anderson from California. Tristan underwent surgery to remove part of his frontal lobe and is still lying unconscious in an Israeli hospital. In 2003, the Israeli military plowed down American peace activist Rachel Corrie with a Caterpillar bulldozer as she tried to protect a civilian home from demolition in Gaza. Shortly thereafter, an Israeli sniper shot British peace activist Tom Hurndall as he rescued Palestinian children from Israeli gunfire. He lay in a coma for nine months before he died.

[More] [Top]

Interview With Free Gaza Movement Volunteers

By the Editors, May 2009

Darlene Wallach and Donna Wallach were on board the first voyage of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM) in August, 2008. They remained in the Gaza Strip until December 2008, and helped re-establish a long-term ISM group in the Gaza Strip. Both have returned to the Bay Area, where they continue their activism on behalf of the Palestinian people and other social justice causes. The NorCal ISM Support group recently recognized them with the first annual Rachel Corrie award.

- Editor

Ed: You arrived in Gaza before the devastating Israeli attacks of January 2009. What was the humanitarian situation like in August, 2008?

Darlene: Israel’s blockade of Gaza had been going on for 2 years. The Importation of food, fuel, medicine, building supplies, parts for the water treatment system, even school supplies were all severely restricted. Only one in seven people who needed to leave Gaza for treatment had been allowed to. Over 322 people were known to have died due to lack of medical care in Gaza because of the blockade and occupation. This is collective punishment and against International law. The harshness of these tactics is consistent with the unofficial Israeli policy of putting the people of Gaza “on a diet” as Advisor to the Prime Minister Dov Wineglass has put it.

[More]  [Top]

Recommended Reading

By Schlomo Bloom, May 2009

The history of Israel/Palestine is not terribly complex, nor does it take a PhD to come to definitive conclusions about the injustices that the Zionist movement and the state of Israel have wrought in the land of Palestine and against the Palestinian people. However, pro-Israeli groups and interests in the media and political worlds have created an air of hysteria and obfuscation about this uncomplicated subject.

Nevertheless, important details are available from an abundance of sources. Many important books as well as the growing presence on the web are crucial to shoring up one’s knowledge while also growing in the pursuit of peace and justice. The following is by no means a comprehensive list of sources, just a few that I think are particularly good.

[More]  [Top]

Freedom Summer 2009 - Call For Volunteers

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) needs office and field volunteers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. You can help provide protection during non-violent demonstrations, resist home demolitions and land confiscations, accompany children and patients to school and hospital, remove roadblocks, or just share time with Palestinians, listen to them, witness, and help ensure that their voices are heard.

More info: solidarity@norcalism.org, 510-236-4250,www.norcalism.org or www.palsolidarity.org

   [Top]

Did You Donate Last Time?

If you donated after receiving the Winter 2008 newsletter, we thank you very much. We covered our printing and mailing costs and more, and remain committed to sending you two newsletters per year for the indefinite future. However, our costs go far beyond the newsletter, so we hope that if you may be able to help again – especially if you were unable to do so last time.

How important is our work? There are lots of worthy appeals to help the victims of Israel’s violations of human rights. However, for every victim that is helped another is created. Human rights work is never as well funded as victim relief, and yet our work is to prevent the creation of victims who then need your relief dollars.

[More]  [Top]