International Solidarity Movement (Scotland)
Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank unite in mourning of slain activist Vittorio Arrigoni
Vittorio Arrigoni
ISM Scotland are in shock and sorrow from the death of Vittorio Arrigoni. He visited the U.K frequently and many of us knew him as a friend as well as a deeply committed activist for the Palestinian cause. Our thoughts and sympathy are with his family, friends and his fellow ISM volunteers
We need you in Palestine
The International Solidarity Movement Scotland needs international volunteers like you to come to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We need you to stand with Palestinians against attacks on their very existence.
A large powerful army continues to use its military might on a civilian population, largely unarmed and struggling for its freedom and independence. The international community fails to meet it’s obligations to protect the Palestinian people. Israeli colonial policies continue to strip Palestinians of their human rights and deny them human dignity. Violations of human rights and international law are committed by the Israeli occupation forces every day as tanks and armored personnel carriers roam the destroyed streets of Palestine shooting at civilians and their houses and infrastructure. The Israeli army attacks the Gaza Strip, hundreds of homes are demolished, Palestinian children are systematically denied their education and their parents are denied the right to live and make a living. The International Solidarity Movement has been witness to war crimes and is expecting more of the same, WE NEED YOU to come stand with us against this injustice.
With the current United States government the most Israel-friendly in history and mired in the occupation of Iraq, the Palestinian people fear the worst. With the attention of the international community on Iraq, the Israeli government has stepped up its war on the Palestinian people, viciously striking them while the world is distracted. The International Solidarity Movement wants to make sure the world is watching. Come and join us in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and join the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, truth and justice.
In addition to maintaining presences in various areas repeatedly attacked by Israeli settlers and the military, the ISM will focus on supporting people resisting the building of the “wall” which is destroying and isolating their farmland and will effectively put thousands of Palestinians in a cage.
Our call to the world is ongoing. We hope you plan to join us here in Palestine.
Join the 2010 Olive Harvest Campaign
With rapidly escalating levels of settler violence in the West Bank, the International Solidarity Movement is issuing an urgent call for volunteers to participate in the 2010 Olive Harvest Campaign.
The olive tree is a national symbol for Palestinians. As thousands of olive trees have been bulldozed, uprooted and burned by the Israeli military and settlers, harvesting has become more than a source of livelihood; it has become a form of resistance. The olive harvest is an annual affirmation of Palestinians' historical, spiritual and economic connection to their land, and a rejection of Israeli efforts to seize it.
Palestinian communities are inviting internationals to support and show solidarity with this resistance by working in the olive groves with them. By doing so, activists can reduce the risk of extreme violence from Israeli settlers or army through non-violent intervention and documentation.
The campaign will begin on the 3rd of October and run for approximately 6-8 weeks, depending on the size of the harvest. We ask that volunteers commit at least 2 weeks of their time.
Training:
The ISM will be holding mandatory two day training sessions every Friday and Saturday (see: http://palsolidarity.org/join). Please contact palreports@gmail.com for further information.
Ongoing campaigns:
In addition to the olive harvest, there will also be other opportunities to participate in grass-roots, non-violent resistance in Palestine.
In occupied East Jerusalem, ISM activists have been staying with the Hanoun and Ghawe families, prior and post their evictions. We will continue to support the initiatives of the families who face evictions or demolitions in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and other Palestinian neighborhoods in resisting the ethnic cleansing of occupied East Jerusalem (see: http://palsolidarity.org/tag/east-jerusalem).
ISM has been active in the village of Ni'lin, supporting its non-violent resistance to construction of the Apartheid Wall that annexes much of its land. Since May 2008, Ni’lin has been demonstrating and the Israeli military suppression of their unarmed protests has led to the death of 5 Palestinians and critical injury of an ISM activist (see: http://palsolidarity.org/tag/nilin).
In Bil’in, ISM has once again taken an apartment to participate in prevention of arrests and the ongoing night raids. Since the beginning of the summer, Israeli forces have been invading and arresting in the village of Bil’in, known for its creative resistance to the Apartheid Wall and construction of settlements on village lands (see: http://palsolidarity.org/tag/bilin).
Additionally, ISM maintains a presence in Hebron and Susiya. Work in these areas includes solidarity visits, farmer accompaniment and response to settler violence (see: http://palsolidarity.org/tag/hebron and http://palsolidarity.org/tag/susiya).
Come! Bear witness to the suffering, courage and generosity of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Experiencing the situation for yourself is vital to adequately convey the reality of life in Palestine to your home communities and to re-frame the debate in a way that will expose Israel's apartheid policies; creeping ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as well as collective punishment and genocidal practices in Gaza.