NEWS RELEASE
From the office of the Green MEPs


16 May, 2003

Photocall: MEP addresses national Palestinian Solidarity rally
Time: Saturday, May 17th, 2003, 1.30pm
Place: Trafalgar Square, London

'BOYCOTT ISRAEL TO HALT PALESTINIAN SLAUGHTER' - MEP

PEACE in Israel will remain elusive until prime minister Arial Sharon stops the slaughter and systematic denial of human rights to Palestinians, Green Euro-MP Caroline Lucas will tell a national rally tomorrow.

"In the last two and a half years over 2000 Palestinians have been killed in the continued Israeli occupation of Palestine - and the slaughter continues," Dr Lucas will say.

"Palestinians are systematically denied basic human rights too: as well as the right to life itself, the Israeli government continues to break international law on upholding Palestinians' freedom of movement, employment, speech and self-determination.

"Peace will never come to Palestine until Israel pledges an immediate end to state violence and a withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories, reverses its policy of condoning illegal Jewish settlements, and replaces occupation with a permanent political settlement that establishes a viable and sovereign Palestinian state."

She added: "Boycotting Israeli exports is a key way of bringing international pressure to bear on Israel - and its leader - to comply with UN Resolutions and end state terrorism against the Palestinian people."

ENDS

Note to Editors
Further information on the boycott and the rally can be obtained from
www.palestinecampaign.org

For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or  press@greenmeps.org.uk

www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk

Ben Duncan
Green MEPs' Press Officer
Suite 58, The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TY
020 7407 6280 (tel)
0776 997 0691 (mob)
020 7234 0183 (fax)
 press@greenmeps.org.uk


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