PRESS RELEASE: “THE GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM”

PRESS RELEASE: “THE GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM”

PRESS RELEASE:
“THE GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM”
پنج‌شنبه 3 شهریور 1390 ساعت 14:39

WE EXTEND OUR SOLIDARITY & SUPPORT TO THE "OLIVE REVOLUTION" -

THE MASS MOVEMENT THAT IS NOW "KNOCKING AT THE DOORS OF JERUSALEM"

We the members of the Arab & Interntional solidarity movements on behalf of the International Committee for the Global March to Jerusalem, extend our solidarity to the "Olive Revolution", that is now "Kocking at the Doors of Jerusalem". The world watches on in bated breath as tomorrow, the last Friday of Ramadan, on the occassion of the Al Quds day, hundreds of Palestinians will be marching towards Jersualem from across the country.

We entirely endorse your position - "We state that Jerusalem will remain the jewel of the Arabs and capital of our future country. Jerusalem is the symbol of our pride and our national dignity that’s why we are going to knock on its doors by popular demonstrations and non-violent activities which start with the Friday prayers on the 26th of August 2011", which is "unarmed, popular, patriotic, and human revolution against Israeli occupation."

We are witnessing the increasing & unabated Zionisation of Jerusalem, with Settlements being constructed on a daily basis, under the political protection of the Obama administration & the US veto at the UN. Palestinian are being compelled to leave by exerting economic pressures, legal strictures or by pure military & violent means. This is true for all of the West Bank as well.

Jerusalem has been referred to as the “Eternal capital of Eretz Israel” by Netanyahu & other major Israeli leaders & they have clearly stated that Jerusalem is not up for negotiations. This is in utter contravention of all relevant UN Resolutions on Jerusalem & tenets of International Law. The Israeli agenda is very clear. The dominant position within the political-military & religious leadership is that Israel has a right to occupy all of historic Palestine. The “Final Solution” as envisaged by the Zionists is the total ethnic cleansing of all of the Palestinian population from all of historic Palestine & the transfer of the entire population into Jordan.

Jerusalem is our common universal heritage & is the centre of spirituality & of great religious significance for Judaism, Christianity & Islam & this remarkable historic city of great antiquity is venerated across the world for enhancing the rich spiritual heritage of all of humanity.

Thus Jerusalem needs to be liberated, redeemed & reclaimed by the People of the world. The city of Jerusalem has been a beacon of emancipation & hope to the downtrodden. It has symbolized the unity & equality of all of God’s creation & the message of love, mercy & compassion & it is with that universal message that we must persist & forge resolutely ahead.

The world to recognises the threat & thus now an international initiative is underway & we are all preparing to march to Jerusalem!!

The world recognizes the threat to the sovereignty, sacredness & sanctity of Jerusalem. The destruction of the very sacredness of Jerusalem is, one of the objectives of Zionism & the irreligious global elite. Their nefarious plans & designs is, the destruction of the Masjid-i-Aqsa & the Qubattus Sakhra & the rebuilding of the Third Temple at that very site. Even the Christian holy sites amongst which of most importance is, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre & the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem are endangered. We also respect the veneration of the Wailing Wall by our Jewish brethren, as have all the adherents of the three faiths, who have peacefully lived & cohabited for centuries.

Thus we now need to draw the international focus onto Jerusalem, which is the core issue & lies at the centre of the conflict & the occupation.

Therefore we have decided to organize a Global March to Jerusalem. The objective of the "GMJ" is to raise the Global consciousness & awareness on the mortal threat to Jerusalem. On the 30th of March 2012, we intend to converge from across the three continents & will amass on the borders of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon & Syria, with delegations that will join us from every nation of the world & then peacefully march over into Palestine.

As we march across the continents, we will be raising all the core issues of the “Right of Return”, the growth of Settlements, the control over Water, the Apartheid Wall, the Check-Points, the Siege of Gaza, the 11,000 prisoners languishing in Israeli prisons – infact all the various core issues & dimensions of the Zionist Occupation will be raised during the course of our land convoys to Jerusalem.

We thus want all our courageous Palestinian brothers & sisters to know, that now the entire world is united in your struggle to save Jerusalem. The people of the world will be marching towards Jerusalem.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE GMJ

Maan Bashour (Lebanon), Dr. Ribhi Halloum (Jordan), Prof Paul Larudee (USA), George Galloway (UK), Khaled Soufiyani (Morocco), M K Sawalha (UK)

Saud Abu Mahfouz (Jordan), Prof. Mohsen Saleh (Lebanon), Mazin Qumsiyeh (Palestine), Dr. Ghada Karmi (UK), Sheikhul Islam (Iran), Huseiyn Oruc (Turkey), Huwaida Arraf (Palestine-USA), Abdul Ghaffar Aziz (Pakistan), Sandeep Pandey (India),

INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THE GMJ

Feroze Mithiborwala (India), Nabil Hallak (Lebanon), Bashir Zmaili (Jordan), Izzet Sahin (Turkey), Zaher Birawi, Kevin Ovenden (UK), Ali Mallah (Canada), George Rishmawi (Palestine), 9) Salim Ghafouri (Iran), Shaheen Kattiparambil (India), Ramy Zurayk (Lebanon), Mustapa Mansour (Malaysia), Roohulla Rezvi (Iran), Gauhar Iqbal (India), Irman Abdurahman (Indonesia)

Palestinians launch UN campaign

Palestinians launch UN campaign

2011/09/09

Palestinians on Thursday began a campaign in support of their UN membership bid, as their senior leaders met to fine-tune the plan to become the UN's 194th member state. The launch of the campaign, dubbed "National Campaign for Palestine: state 194," is part of the build-up to Sept. 22, when Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas is expected to submit the formal membership request. Abbas on Thursday was meeting senior Palestinian representatives including the central committee of his Fatah party, the PLO's executive committee and leaders of various Palestinian political parties. The gathering to discuss details of the bid is likely to be one of the last that the Palestinian leadership will hold before the formal membership request is submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. In Ramallah on Thursday, the solidarity campaign got under way with a march to UN headquarters in the West Bank city, where organizers presented a letter requesting that Ban support the membership bid. "Today we began our campaign on the ground and we chose the UN building because it represents the United Nations and we expect them to respond to our demands," Ahmed Assaf, the campaign's coordinator, told AFP. "We are no less important than the other 193 states in the United Nations, and our message will ask for our state to be 194."

Sweden Accepts a 'Palestinian' Ambassador

Sweden Accepts a 'Palestinian' Ambassador

2011/09/09

Sweden formally announced on Thursday that it has decided to accept an ambassador of the ‘State of Palestine’. Israeli Channel 2 News reported that it is despite the fact that such as state has not yet been established. According to the report, the Swedish Foreign Minister said, “This step will assist in building the Palestinian state and will promote the move for its independence.”

Israeli army detains 20 Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli army detains 20 Palestinians in West Bank

2011/09/07

Israeli forces detained 20 Palestinians across the West Bank overnight. Hassan Shbeta, local head of detainee affairs in Azzun, east of Qalqiliya, told Ma'an that Israeli forces detained Hussam Younis Salama, 18, Fadi Anwar Mishal, 21, Loay Anwar Misha, 19 and Yousef Ghassan Salim, 18, early Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Israeli forces entered Kafr Qaddum, further east of Qalqiliya, and detained Moawiya Muhammad Amer, 19, Qais Muhammad Qaddoumi, 21, and Khader Fathi Juma, 23, local official Murad Shtewey said. Shtewey said soldiers set up video cameras at the entrances to the town and ransacked the home of Kamal Dawoud Aqel. He added that a large number of settlers surrounded the town during the raid.

Labanon to press UN on Israel breaches

Labanon to press UN on Israel breaches

2011/09/07

The Lebanese government has vowed to continue demanding the United Nations to put an end to Israel's constant violations of the Lebanese sovereignty, Press TV reports. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati made the remark during a Tuesday meeting with the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas. Mikati also emphasized on the constant cooperation between the Lebanese army and the UN's peacekeeping mission. He, however, insisted that the Lebanese Armed Forces need to be properly supplied with necessary equipment in order to be able to implement their duties, especially UN Security Council resolution 1701. UNIFIL commander Major General Cuevas described the UN Security Council's move to unanimously vote for the extension of the UNIFIL's mandate as a testament to the right course in cooperation and coordination between the force and Lebanon's army. Israel violates Lebanon's airspace on an almost daily basis, claiming that the overflights serve surveillance purposes. Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN peacekeepers have repeatedly cited Israel's air surveillance flights over Lebanon as clear violations of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty. UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Beirut's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of the Lebanese airspace and territory.

Israeli jets kill one, injure 3 in Gaza

Israeli jets kill one, injure 3 in Gaza

2011/09/07

Israeli warplanes have attacked a civilian locality of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, killing one person and injuring three members of a family. Israel launched the airstrike on the impoverished coastal enclave on Tuesday evening despite a ceasefire in place between Hamas and Israel, AFP reported. The airstrike, in the eastern part of Khan Younis, killed a Palestinian young man. Gaza emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said three civilians, a father and his two sons, were also wounded in the attack. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops on Tuesday afternoon trespassed 100 to 200 meters into the east of Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza. Palestinians say that the Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis indicates Tel Aviv's evasion of the ceasefire agreement, which Hamas and Israel restored on August 22 after a spate of violence. Hamas has often criticized Tel Aviv for violating the January 2009 ceasefire agreement, which ended the 22-day Israeli war on the people of Gaza. Since the end of the war in 2009, a large number of Palestinians have been killed and injured because of numerous Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Strip. The airstrikes have also destroyed many schools, hospitals, mosques, and the infrastructure of Gaza.

Turkey freezes trade, military ties with Israel

Turkey freezes trade, military ties with Israel

2011/09/07

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey was freezing defense industry trade with Israel and stepping up Turkish naval patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean. "The Eastern Mediterranean is not a strange place to us. Aksaz and Iskenderun, these places have the power and opportunity to provide escorts," Erdogan told reporters referring to two Turkish naval bases. "Of course our ships will be seen much more frequently in those waters." On Friday, Turkey announced it was expelling Israel's ambassador and other senior diplomats, downgrading relations after the release of a UN report on the killing of nine Turks during an Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza last year. Israel's refusal to apologize for the deaths has angered Turkey, a NATO member with the alliance's second biggest military, and Erdogan's government argues that Israel's blockade of Gaza lacks legitimacy. Erdogan also said Turkey was preparing more sanctions against Israel, and specifically said defense industry ties would be frozen. "Trade ties, military ties, regarding defense industry ties, we are completely suspending them. This process will be followed by different measures," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

Homeland

I Come From There,
Mahmoud Darwish
I come from there and I have memories
Born as mortals are, I have a mother
And a house with many windows,
I have brothers, friends,
And a prison cell with a cold window.
Mine is the wave, snatched by sea-gulls,
I have my own view,
And an extra blade of grass.
Mine is the moon at the far edge of the words,
And the bounty of birds,
And the immortal olive tree.
I walked this land before the swords
Turned its living body into a laden table.

I come from there. I render the sky unto her mother,
When the sky weeps for her mother.
And I weep to make myself known
To a returning cloud.
I learnt all the words worthy of the court of blood,
So that I could break the rule.
I learnt all the words and broke them up,
To make a single word: Homeland….

mahmouddarwish. com