We need as many as possible to gather for:

a VIGIL AND DEMONSTRATION at DIANE FEINSTEIN’s SF Office

2-6 pm, Thursday, August 21st at One Post Street / Market, San Francisco

Click on the flyer below to obtain a printable version.

 

 

Unarmed civilians sail from Cyprus to break the seige of Gaza

We wish our many friends in the Free Gaza Movement a successful trip in August. Theirs is an act of nonviolent resistance, in the style of Gandhi, as well as an humanitarian mission, going by sea from Cyprus to Gaza. They are taking food, medicine, and hearing aids to break the siege of Gaza that is causing untold misery to those that live there. For updates on their progress, please visit their web site, Free Gaza Movement. Also, click here to see news and links.

Activists from all over the world are on board, including five of our friends, Lauren Booth (the sister-in-law of Tony Blair), and Hedy Epstein, a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust. We wish them a safe and successful journey.

This from Lauren Booth sailing on the Free Gaza (15th August):

Today I was going to write about about practical developments, here in the waters of the Greek islands. Of setting sail again, of bumpy seas and equally churning stomachs. However, the subject of today’s bulletin is psychological terrorism. Over the the past 72 hours almost a dozen aggressive messages have been received by members of the groups both on board the ships and in Cyprus. In Nicosia, where twenty human rights campaigners including Hedy Epstein await to board the Freegaza and the Liberty, anonymous callers have been making threats to the general well being of all concerned.

Some of these texts, calls and answer messages focus on the ships being ’blown up’ or ’destroyed, killing all on board.’ Unnerving enough. But today I can reveal even more pernicious acts of psychological violence on those both reporting and supporting this effort to ease the blockade of Gaza by Israel.

Since Monday, some campaigners, (who I will not name here for obvious reasons), have received phone calls made to their mobiles. More disturbingly, in an increasing number of cases - to family members.

Now, it is my turn. Yesterday afternoon, on the 14th of August 2008, an anonymous young man called my home in France as my daughters played hide and seek in the garden. This stranger spoke to my husband, warning him that ’your wife is in great danger. These ships will be blown up.’ My husband asked how it was this person had obtained our private home number. No response was forthcoming, but the illicit threats carried on.

Who is behind these phone calls? Who benefits by upsetting the families of those onboard the Freegaza and the Liberty? Who would wish to unsettle journalists aboard as unarmed ships set sail towards the waters around Gaza and almost certain interception by Israeli forces?

The answer is clear.

 

Our group has been very concerned with the welfare of Mohammed Omer, the Palestinian journalist who was badly assaulted at a check point on his return to Palestine after winning an award for journalism in Europe.

Please read details of this case in the article written by Professor Kenneth Ring, and sign the petition if you are as appalled as we are. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who supported our joint event with Keep Hope Alive on Tuesday, July 29th: Anna Baltzer's presentation on Occupied Palestine. It was terrific to see so many people there. We were able to give Anna donations totaling $1,068, plus 15 Euros! For people who did not get a copy of Anna's fact sheet handout, click here, We printed 150, but over 200 people came.

Anna's web site is here and the 'Five for Palestine' web site is here.

A presentation by Alison Weir of If Americans Knew, on Friday, Sept 12th at 7.30pm.

Click on the flier below to download a PDF for printing.

 

Click here to go to Alison's 'If Americans Knew' web site.

The auction officially ended on July 24th, but as people are still bidding on the auction, we will continue!

If you are interested in any of the remaining items, do contact us at:

14friendsofpalestine@gmail.com

Click here to go to the Auction page.