On the occasion of the Hearing on the Wall at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, PENGON/ Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign calls upon all groups, networks and movements to raise their voice against this crime and denounce the illegal Wall. As the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will hear arguments and testimonies on the Wall on February 23, there is an urgent need to make clear the popular, worldwide disapproval for the illegal Wall and need of the international community to take responsibility for what has already been declared illegal numerous times by the United Nations. Read the Campaign general appeal here.

Community Voices

In September, when construction for the Apartheid Wall began in Abu Dis, people living closest to the area of destruction for the Wall continuously resisted its ravaging work. The women and there children from three homes would arrive to the lands being confiscated each day and try to stop the bulldozers, sitting in front of the machines’ unyielding path. After the first time, the Occupation soldiers surrounded their homes in order to prevent the people from reaching their land. A resident in Abu Dis states, “No one but the women did anything when the Wall began…the old fatima (Imm Amin) is the best one who can tell you what happened when they started building the Wall.†Imm Amin, and the forty members of her family who are the closest to the Wall’s path, refused to accept this and were determined to defy the Occupation’s theft of her land. Read testimony from Imm Amin and her neighbors here.

Wordwide Activism

As a national and international call by the Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, February 21-23 will mark worldwide solidarity with the Palestinian call for justice in the case of the Apartheid Wall being built inside the West Bank. In an attempt to raise greater awareness worldwide, and to highlight the importance of the case, popular hearings that will detail the illegality of the Wall will be held in various cities worldwide. At the same time, solidarity groups are planning demonstrations to ensure greater exposure for the issue and make clear to their governments popular opposition to the Wall. Read the Campaign press release and follow worldwide activities in Worldwide Activism.

Analysis/Features

This week, as international attention on the Wall continues to increase due to the upcoming ICJ hearing, StoptheWall.org featured two important pieces addressing perception and portrayal of the Wall and its devastating impact. David Bloom, Patrick Connors, and Tom Wallace take a critical look at US media coverage (or lack thereof) surrounding the Wall and the damaging and manipulative slant the media tends to report with in their piece, “The US Media and the Wall: Thomas Friedman and 60 Minutes.†The current feature, “Skirting the Issue†by Jonathan Cook exposes the ways in which Europe has once again failed to stand up to Israeli crimes, specifically related to the Apartheid Wall and the upcoming ICJ hearing, choosing to support colonialism and US/Israeli interests over human rights and justice. Both pieces can be found at our Analysis/Features page.

International Law

Our recently added International Law section featured two press releases from the International Court of Justice about the upcoming hearing in the Hague beginning February 23. The Court rejected Israel’s request to have Judge Elaraby from Egypt removed from the panel of judges and reported that 44 UN Member States, Palestine, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference all filed written statements regarding the upcoming case. For more details, as well as fact sheets and other resources, check the International Law section.

Mainstream Media

Mainstream coverage of the Apartheid Wall have been largely focused on the upcoming ICJ court hearing and related events, including decisions about the Court’s composition, Israel’s frantic appeals to hide their crimes and international protest of the Wall in light of the upcoming case. In addition, news stories have addressed the Wall’s impact on water, the violent nature of the Wall, the devastating impact of the Wall and Israeli Occupation on Palestinian social and economic conditions and other issues. See all in the Mainstream Media section.


StoptheWall.org





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