My daughter is traveling to Israel and Palestine this summer. As a member of the older generation of American Jews, many of us grew up believing that Israel was not only a refuge for Jews but was also a model of social justice and community. My daughter and other young Jewish Americans are pressing for Israel to live up to those ideals.
My daughter passes this message along and would like the Daily Kos community to spread the word about this event on March 15:
A statement from the youth activist community in Palestine. This was passed along by a woman who is a native to Ramallah in the West Bank. Mainstream media outlets in the U.S. hardly cover news like this from Palestine at all, so she asked that we publicize this demonstration. Note: the organizers are independent of all political groups and are in danger of being in suppressed by political leaders on all sides.
My friend Julia, a young Jewish American who is living in Ramallah right now describes:
On March 15, a huge demonstration is scheduled for here and in Gaza to "End the Division" of Palestinian political parties and call for new elections and a reform of the electoral system. In the demonstrations leading up to it, Hamas has shut down all action in Gaza, and here, Fatah is trying to co-opt the movement for their own interest. I have no idea what's gonna happen on Tuesday but I imagine it will be a massive turn-out and peaceful, inshallah.
STATEMENT
Regarding Attempts to Co-opt March 15th Protests
The mass protests planned by Palestinian youth groups for March 15th are gaining momentum and extended media coverage. We, the youth groups organizing and mobilizing for this movement, find it necessary to clarify the following points:
- These protests are being organized under the banner of national unity and reconciliation. However, we emphasize that resolving the predicament of Palestinian disunity must be based on principles and values agreed upon by the Palestinian people regardless of their political affiliation. The first of these principles is the illegitimacy of imprisoning people based on their political beliefs. Consequently, we demand the release of all political prisoners held by the government in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Our demands for change go beyond ending Palestinian disunity and partial tweaks to the status quo. We insist on full democratic representation for Palestinians all over the world.
Consequently our movement stipulates:
- Democratic Palestinian National Council (PNC) elections based on a one-person one-vote electoral system that guarantees equal representation for all Palestinians around the world (Gaza Strip, West Bank, 48 territories, refugee camps, and in the Diaspora). This necessitates a complete overhaul of the PNC’s structures and the establishment of new electoral procedures.
Attempts to Co-opt March 15th Mass protests
Palestinian political parties, Hamas’ government in Gaza, Fayyad’s government in the West Bank, and a plethora of nongovernmental organizations are seeking to co-opt this movement to serve their narrow interests. Moreover, they are attempting to legitimize themselves by falsely stating that they are the main organizers behind this event. We open-heartedly welcome the participation of party members and NGO employees, who are an essential and inseparable part of our societal fabric. We do not welcome attempts by their leaders to redirect our efforts.
- We affirm that the March 15th movement is by the people for the people, and is independent of any political party or institutional backing. It is being organized by non-partisan youth groups who dream of a better future for their people.
We invite all Palestinians, and particularly Palestinian youth, to come down to the street on March 15th. We will only carry Palestinian flags, and chant and sing for freedom, unity, and justice. March 15th shall be the day we stand in unity to demand democratic representation for all Palestinians as an affirmative step in our struggle for Freedom from Israeli Apartheid.
update: Link to the facebook page for this rally
http://www.facebook.com/...