I am grateful to have the opportunity to join in Solidarity with the Palestinian nonviolent Resistance Movement, with Politicians, Israeli, and International peace activists.
As you know this month is the 60th Anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, in l948, when 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes, losing property, land, Everything they owned.
This suffering of the Palestinian people, at the hands of the Israeli Government, continues to this day. In this village your land continues to be annexed and recently Israeli soldiers stood by as Israeli settlers moved their mobile homes onto your land. When you rightly non-violently resisted, as you do at the wall each week, you are gassed and showered by rubber bullets. How can anyone take the Israeli Gov. peace talks serious whilst all the while they demolish Palestinian homes, build an apartheid wall, and deny basic human rights to the Palestinian people?
The Siege of Gaza where the IDF control l.4 million Gazans denying them food, energy, and freedom of movement is a Human Rights abuse for which the Israeli Government should be deeply ashamed, and for which it looses all right to call itself a humane or democratic Government.
The World was horrified when it watched on Television, the Israeli military on lst March, this year, kill over 120 people were killed, over 360 wounded, some 200 of which were children under l8 years of age. At least 10 of those injured were serious lower limb amputees, not simple wounds. On this day 3 Israeli soldiers, were killed.
The Siege of Gaza should be lifted immediately, and International Community meet its obligations by recognizing the democratically elected Hamas Government, and restoring economic aid and help to Gazans.
The Palestinians should be given space to sort out their own Government and then serious peace negotiations instead of forcing them into desperate counter measures.
This year the State of Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary.
I recognize the right of all people including Jews to a peaceful existence.
I also recognize the State of Israel, but reject its domestic and foreign policies some of which are Racist and uphold an apartheid system.
I believe Israel needs to move from a Jewish state to a power-sharing democratic state and in doing so there are many lessons to be learned from the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
If Israel wants peace it can have it, but it needs to reject military means and replace them with peaceful, non-violent conflict resolution to solve the Palestinian problem.
There are obvious steps which require political courage and leaderships, such as:
End the Occupation; Uphold its obligations under UN and International Law and end all violence; open serious unconditional, all inclusive dialogue with all parties to the conflict; and with their enemies (as in the Northern Ireland peace process the British Government talked with Representatives of Irish Republican Army).
The Palestinians need also to reject violence and armed struggle and use non-violent resistance, such as the inspirational grassroots peoples’ movement in Bil’in, and the pushing down of Raffah Barrier in Gaza.
Suicide Bombs, Qassam rockets into Israel, must be stopped as they are abuses of Human Rights of Israelis. The Palestinians can build Palestinian Unity and use non-violent conflict resolution approaches.
As you know this month is the 60th Anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, in l948, when 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes, losing property, land, Everything they owned.
This suffering of the Palestinian people, at the hands of the Israeli Government, continues to this day. In this village your land continues to be annexed and recently Israeli soldiers stood by as Israeli settlers moved their mobile homes onto your land. When you rightly non-violently resisted, as you do at the wall each week, you are gassed and showered by rubber bullets. How can anyone take the Israeli Gov. peace talks serious whilst all the while they demolish Palestinian homes, build an apartheid wall, and deny basic human rights to the Palestinian people?
The Siege of Gaza where the IDF control l.4 million Gazans denying them food, energy, and freedom of movement is a Human Rights abuse for which the Israeli Government should be deeply ashamed, and for which it looses all right to call itself a humane or democratic Government.
The Siege of Gaza should be lifted immediately, and International Community meet its obligations by recognizing the democratically elected Hamas Government, and restoring economic aid and help to Gazans.
The Palestinians should be given space to sort out their own Government and then serious peace negotiations instead of forcing them into desperate counter measures.
This year the State of Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary.
I recognize the right of all people including Jews to a peaceful existence.
I also recognize the State of Israel, but reject its domestic and foreign policies some of which are Racist and uphold an apartheid system.
I believe Israel needs to move from a Jewish state to a power-sharing democratic state and in doing so there are many lessons to be learned from the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
If Israel wants peace it can have it, but it needs to reject military means and replace them with peaceful, non-violent conflict resolution to solve the Palestinian problem.
There are obvious steps which require political courage and leaderships, such as:
End the Occupation; Uphold its obligations under UN and International Law and end all violence; open serious unconditional, all inclusive dialogue with all parties to the conflict; and with their enemies (as in the Northern Ireland peace process the British Government talked with Representatives of Irish Republican Army).
The Palestinians need also to reject violence and armed struggle and use non-violent resistance, such as the inspirational grassroots peoples’ movement in Bil’in, and the pushing down of Raffah Barrier in Gaza.
Suicide Bombs, Qassam rockets into Israel, must be stopped as they are abuses of Human Rights of Israelis. The Palestinians can build Palestinian Unity and use non-violent conflict resolution approaches.
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