Palestinian Political Prisoner Solidarity
repost | 01.09.2004 09:56
In solidarity with the 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike, London activists are uniting to illustrate the links between British companies and the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. After a day of solidarity actions across the capital, London activists will converge on Delta Galil, the Israeli clothing manufacturer (supplier for: M&S, The Gap, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss) at 5PM.
There are currently over 8,000 Palestinians being held as political prisoners by the Israeli army (arrested illegally according to the Geneva Convention). This figure includes 370 children and 103 women. Their conditions of detention are extremely poor and in some cases life threatening.
The hunger strikers are asking that they and their families be treated according to the law and to basic human rights (improved health, basic sanitation conditions, increased rights for family visits, and a stop to indiscriminate beatings).
When asked, the Israeli security minister Tsahi Hangabee said, ‘the Palestinians can strike until they die, no demand will be accepted. The prisoners can starve to death’. Indeed yesterday a young mother was the first person to die as a result of the hunger strike.
For more information see www.palsolodarity.org
There are currently over 8,000 Palestinians being held as political prisoners by the Israeli army (arrested illegally according to the Geneva Convention). This figure includes 370 children and 103 women. Their conditions of detention are extremely poor and in some cases life threatening.
The hunger strikers are asking that they and their families be treated according to the law and to basic human rights (improved health, basic sanitation conditions, increased rights for family visits, and a stop to indiscriminate beatings).
When asked, the Israeli security minister Tsahi Hangabee said, ‘the Palestinians can strike until they die, no demand will be accepted. The prisoners can starve to death’. Indeed yesterday a young mother was the first person to die as a result of the hunger strike.
For more information see www.palsolodarity.org
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International Call for Solidarity with Hunger Striking Palestinian Prisoners
01.09.2004 17:19
On the 15th of August, thousands Palestinian political prisoners declared a hunger strike. They are demanding better conditions of detention, which include improved health, basic sanitary conditions, increased rights for family visits and a stop to indiscriminate beatings.
They demand that they and their families be treated according to the law and to basic human rights. When asked, the Israeli Security Minister Tsahi Hangabee said, “From my perspective, the Palestinians can strike until they die, no demand will be accepted… the prisoners can starve to death”.
The situation of the prisoners is extremely serious. International solidarity to the Palestinians is needed now more than ever. On Wednesday September 1st, people from various countries will do local solidarity actions. Everyone is urgently called to participate and organise actions in their areas.
Proposed actions for the day are: Solidarity hunger strikes in front of supermarkets that sell Israeli products taken from or produced in Palestinian occupied territories - Encouraging the ongoing boycott of these products - Sending faxes to Israeli embassies denouncing the prisoners’ bad conditions of detention and demanding that the government takes immediate action to meet their demands. - Sending faxes and letters to national governments demanding the total suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement that offers favourable conditions of trade with Israel. (Article 2 of this agreement has a human rights clause stating that the relationship between the EU and Israel shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guide their internal and international policy as an essential element of the Agreement.) - Demonstrations and protests at Israeli embassies and consulates - Demonstrations with banners informing of the hunger strike.
The purpose of these actions is to call for the Israeli government to meet the demands of the prisoners and to denounce the occupation of the Palestinian territories, the repeated violation of human rights (the fourth Geneva Convention). These actions are not in any way proposed with anti-semitic intentions and are clearly targetting the actions of the state of Israel rather than the Jewish people or culture. There is a strong distinction to be made between Iraeli Zionists, Iraeli non-Zionists and Jewish people. This lack of clarity in actions related to the Palestinian struggle has often led to conscious or unconscious displays of anti-semitism, which are inhumane, offensive and ill-informed, as well as ultimately being counter-productive to the liberation of Palestine. We urge anyone doing actions to please be thoughtful about the literature they distribute, the images they use and the message they send out.
MORE INFORMATION:
Information on the goods to boycott:
pil