The Civil Society and the Question of Palestine

21 April 2015

Europe

  • ?(ABP) organized a training activity on 4 April in Liege on International Solidarity with the Palestinian people. ABP also held a discussion on the representation of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the arts during?
  • ?(UK)?has launched an??focusing on party policy and candidates¡¯ views on the Middle East and encourages its supporters to write to their local candidates.
  • ?held a discussion on 18 April on?, that aims to replant 50,000 olive trees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • ?(ECCP) launched a??in which European supporters can call on their European Parliamentarians to take decisive steps to suspend the association agreement with Israel.
  • ,??documenting Israeli harassment at the Erez border crossing, reveals that an increasing number of Gaza businessmen are being detained while attempting to cross into Israel for routine trips.
  • ?(UK) called upon its supporters to take part in??to lift the blockade and rebuild Gaza.
  • ?(UK) has questioned Parliamentary candidates around Britain??on the Palestinian question and the blockade of Gaza and to help voters to make an informed choice.
  • ?has succeeded in its??and has announced that the new Freedom Flotilla 3 will sail again this spring to challenge the illegal blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.
  • ?organized a??from 17 to 19 April entitled?International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility and Exceptionalismwith panelists including Professor Oren Ben-Dor and Professor George Bisharat.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

  • ?with?,??and??issued a?calling on the international community to urge Israel to abide by international law regarding the human rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
  • ?(ACRI) issued??on the rights of minors during detention, arrest and interrogation in the OPT with the aim to provide them with tools to reduce the violations of their rights.
  • ?issued??condemning the international community and donors over slow Gaza reconstruction. The report said that ¡±Donors should make good on the pledges made at the Cairo conference and move forward with reconstruction and recovery projects for Gaza¡±.
  • ?published a??how restrictions of movement of Palestinians in Hebron affect businesses and shops resulting in economic losses.
  • -Palestine has released a new??entitled “Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Gaza’s Children” detailing the high price paid by children during Israel¡¯s assault on Gaza last summer.
  • ?(OVP) volunteers led??near Hebron for Land Day on 30 March partnering with local government agencies.
  • ?(PCHR) issued a statement denouncing the Israeli decision to put PLC member, Khalida Jarrar, under six-month administrative detention. PCHR also led on 6 April a??on advocacy and campaigning dedicated to Palestinian human rights advocates.

NORTH AMERICA

  • ?organized a protest on 12 April against the?– an art project sponsored by the Israeli Government- at the Beacon Theatre in NYC.
  • ¡¯s speaker, Suzanne Adely was invited to discuss about the role of local movements in supporting Palestine and?
  • ?and??(USA-CA) organized on 17 April an??entitled?Re-Visions: Black and Brown Resisting State Violence, Commemorating Palestinian Prisoners Day.
  • ?encouraged houses of worship nation-wide to display a??stating, ¡°We Support Peace with Justice for Palestinians and Israelis¡± for Easter celebration.
  • ?director, Dima Khalidi, spoke on 10 April at the ¡°Israel Lobby Conference¡± about freedom of speech on American campuses.
  • ?invited its supporters??about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails for the Palestinian Prisoners¡¯ Day on 17 April.
  • ?and??called for their supporters??outside of Ben & Jerry¡¯s ice cream shops during their annual Free Cone Day on April 14 to demand that the company stop selling ice cream in settlements.
  • ?calls on its supporters to join and act?

GLOBAL

  • ?issued an??on 8 April urging supporters to take action to advocate for the release of PLC member, Khalida Jarrar, arrested and detained pursuant to an administrative order.
  • ?issued??on 13 April on the violation of child rights in West Bank settlements. The 74-page report says children as young as 11 work on some settlement farms, often in high temperatures and are exposed to hazardous pesticides.

±¬ÁÏÍøITED NATIONS

  • ±¬ÁÏÍø Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in??expressed concern about the continued and increasing use of administrative detention by Israeli authorities against Palestinians in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
  • ?issued an emergency appeal for $ 30 million to provide life-sustaining assistance to the 18,000 Palestinian civilians trapped in Yarmouk refugee camp (Damascus, Syria), including 3,500 children, as well as to others affected by conflict and displacement in other areas.