Just One Reason

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ [Qur'an, 51:56]

march

An Open Letter to Pres. Obama from the Gaza Freedom March delegates

By 2 Comments


January 14, 2009


Dear Mr. President Barak H. Obama,

We, citizens of 43 countries, gathered in Cairo in December 2009, to travel to the occupied Gaza Strip to show solidarity with Palestinians who endured a massive and inhuman Israeli assault one year ago. We wanted to show them that we, citizens of the world, remember what our governments want us to forget: we remember that human beings live in the Gaza Strip. Men, women and children: mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, grandmothers and grandfathers: people like you and I.

We, citizens of democratic countries from 6 continents, who were forcibly stopped by the puppet Egyptian state from travelling to the Gaza Strip want to tell you that we remember the horror that was unleashed on the Gaza Strip a year ago. This week marks one year since US-ally Israel ended its lethal attack on the Gaza Strip: a year since phosphorus bombs, DIME bombs and other weapons of death and destruction deliberately targeted the defenseless civilian population of Gaza.

In your much quoted Cairo speech, you said,

“Israel must also live up to its obligations to ensure that Palestinians can live, and work, and develop their society. And just as it devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel’s security; neither does the continuing lack of opportunity in the West Bank. Progress in the daily lives of the Palestinian people must be part of a road to peace, and Israel must take concrete steps to enable such progress.”

And yet, Palestinians have seen nothing but more death and destruction since then. Your fine words in Cairo did not even result in Palestinians getting cement to rebuild their homes, mosques and schools.

The siege of occupied Gaza is collective punishment of the entire population, in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. As a lawyer, you must know this Convention is binding on all its signatories, including the United States, who are required to ensure the Convention is upheld. Yet, over the last few weeks, the infamy of the Israeli siege has been compounded by the construction of a new wall which will inevitably tighten still further the siege of Gaza and the humanitarian crisis which the siege was always designed to inflict. This new wall is being constructed by the Egyptian government with technical assistance from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Last month, the US authorised $1,040,000,000 in Foreign Military Assistance to Egypt including “border security programs and activities in the Sinai”.

Mr. President,

The collective punishment of occupied Gaza in the name of “border security” – in direct violation of the 4th Geneva Convention – is the policy of your government.

You must also be aware that in Israel’s war of aggression on the occupied Gaza Strip, many civilians were massacred by Israel’s indiscriminate bombing – an act condemned by UN experts, including the respected South African, Judge Richard Goldstone – and leading human rights organizations, as war crimes and crimes against humanity. And yet you, a lawyer, ignore this incontrovertible evidence and continue to prop up the apartheid Israeli state. The assault in December 2008-January 2009 left over 1,440 Palestinians dead, predominantly civilians, of whom 431 were children. Another 5380 Palestinians were injured. These are not facts that we will forget, as we have not forgotten Deir Yassin, Sabra and Shatila, Jenin, Nablus, Beit Hanoun and over 60 years of Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.

In your Cairo speech, you acknowledge the Palestinians’ right to nonviolent resistance. You even gave them advice to pursue it like African Americans, Indians, and South Africans:

For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America’s founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia.

And that is precisely what we wanted to do in the Gaza Strip, Mr. President: We wanted to walk together with the people of Gaza to register our abhorrence of the collective punishment that has been imposed on them; We wanted to demand an end to the hermetic siege that has been imposed on them since the democratic elections of 2006. And yes, we were also citizens from South Asia, from Eastern Europe and from South Africa, all gathered together in Cairo, so we do know both the humiliation of segregation and the power of collective action. And we intend to use that power to support our Palestinian brothers and sisters as they fight to regain their stolen homeland.

We, the undersigned, call upon you to end the siege, Mr. President. It is an ethical and moral responsibility that you cannot avoid. We, 1400 international activists from 43 countries planned to be in Gaza on December 31 to march with the Palestinians of Gaza and demand that Israel lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip immediately and permanently. We could not do so because the Government of Egypt, an ally of the US, refused to allow us to cross into the Gaza Strip even as they began construction of a new wall to tighten the siege. We were denied the right to show Palestinians that we support their right to their homeland as guaranteed under international law. We were denied the right to show Palestinians that we remember their pain and suffering.

We were denied our right to show Israel and the United States that we will not watch what it does to the Palestinians and remain silent. But we refused to be denied the right to walk in solidarity with the oppressed, even if from afar: and we did. We chose to walk and protest in solidarity with the people of Gaza in Cairo.

You, President Barak Obama, choose to walk in solidarity with the oppressor. You choose to ignore the pain and dispossession of the Palestinian people. Like your predecessors, Reagan and Thatcher, who said in 1987 that Nelson Mandela would never be the President of a democratic South Africa, you too, choose to ignore the will of the people.

You are on the wrong side of history, President Obama, because we, citizens of the world, will not accept a Palestine that is occupied.

You are on the wrong side of history, President Obama, because our collective action, together with the action of Palestinians inside and outside Palestine and millions of people who recognise their just cause, will ensure a free Palestine in our lifetime. Of this we are certain.


Signed

1,361 international citizens from 43 countries

“How to protest” from Al-Ahram Weekly

By 6 Comments

 

The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly has a remarkable editorial titled “How to Protest” about the effects of the Gaza Freedom March and the events that unfolded in Cairo after the Egyptian government refused to allow 1362 international delegates to go to Gaza. Please substitute “internationals” for “Europeans” as our delegates represented 44 countries.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/980/op4.htm

How to Protest
By Salama A Salama

European protesters took over our streets last week. In a show of solidarity with Gaza’s inhabitants and to protest against all sorts of injustices and blockades, European demonstrators marched through our streets, picketed our public squares and told us what they thought of the wall we’re building on Gaza’s borders.

Several hundred protesters came from 42 European countries to take part in pro-Gaza protests. So what did we do? We sent our security forces to contain them. We also prevented them from going to Gaza. Interestingly, the protesters refused to be intimidated. Instead, they picketed the French Embassy, they marched around the Giza Zoo, and they even stood guard at the famous steps of the Press Syndicate.

Curiously enough, the police did not prevent them from demonstrating in front of the Israeli Embassy. But clashes took place, and in some instances the Europeans had a taste of what Egyptians regularly experience at the hands of the police and their karate- trained auxiliaries.

During the past few days, Egyptians had proof that our police can act humanely, but only with foreigners. In front of the French Embassy, I saw a foreign man standing alone, surrounded by three circles of policemen. He was carrying a picket sign, but the police refrained from harming him in any way.

The Europeans came all the way to express their views, peacefully and orderly. In doing so, they gave us a rare glimpse into the working of peaceful resistance. And they stood for what they believe in. They vented their anger at a policy of blockade into which some Arab countries have become actively involved, either out of fear or desire to placate the Israelis.

The demonstrators slept in the streets and the squares. They occasionally obstructed traffic. And they sent to the Egyptians, Arabs, and the world a clear message, one which television stations relayed without delay across the world.

In this country, we don’t have a culture of protest. In this country, protest is treated as an act of sabotage, as a challenge to law and order. This is why we missed a rare opportunity to expose Israel’s crimes. How hard would it have been to let the European demonstrators walk into Gaza? Why did we fail to give them the chance to come face to face with an Arab nation living under occupation?

In Egypt, we don’t know how to encourage protest marches against Israel. But we know how to come up with lame excuses for building a controversial wall on our borders with Israel. Are we really worried about our own security, or are we protecting Israel?

In this country, it is wrong to protest. It is even wrong to be different. This is why our government gets so angry when opposition parliamentarians demand an explanation for the wall. Even in a parliament that prides itself on being a leader of all Arab parliaments, the opposition is demonised and abused for asking the right questions.

Worse still, our Islamic Research Council found itself pressured into issuing a statement in support of the wall. You would think that Sharia has nothing to do with security walls, but no. Our leading clergymen have decided to call anyone who opposes the wall an apostate. Don’t ask me why.

Many may ask what’s the point of it all. Did the Europeans achieve anything by marching in our streets? If you ask me, they achieved a lot. For starters, they sounded the alarm bells for the entire world, which is more than what our governments and nations have done so far. The protesters not only put Israeli actions on the line, but also underlined our own failings.

Democracy Now! covers the Gaza Freedom March (VIDEO)

By Leave a Comment


Check out Democracy Now!‘s  amazing coverage of the Gaza Freedom March in Cairo!

In Egypt, hundreds of solidarity activists from around the world are being prevented by the Egyptian government from entering Gaza. Dubbed the Gaza Freedom March, organizers were planning to cross the border last Sunday to commemorate the first anniversary of Israel’s assault on Gaza that killed 1,400 Palestinians and thirteen Israelis. We get a report.


Freeing Gaza from the Pyramids (Photos & Video)

By 2 Comments


gaza_pyramids

Today, for our last day in Cairo, we decided to take a group and head over to the pyramids for one last group activity while doing exactly what Egyptian authorities have been wanting us to do since we’ve been here: tourism! But of course, for GFMers, no activity is complete without a little activism sprinkled in 🙂
So, what we originally planned to do was to go to the pyramids and take a picture in front of it. We intended to just gather as a group at the base of the pyramid, hold the signs, and take the picture. However, in all the excitement and confusion, at the last minute it was just a 4 or 5 of us that spontaneously decided to run up the side of the pyramid, drop the flag, banner, and signs, and pose for the picture. Needless to say, Egyptian cops were NOT happy with this.
After we took the picture (we also had a member of the Egyptian press capturing the moment as well!), we scurried and raced down the pyramid to avoid further complications. As we’re on our way, we realized they had gotten a hold of Basem and his backpack which was packed with the signs we held, as well as many of our valuables, ie: money, laptop, camera, etc. The rest of our group converged on the scene (with our cameras, of course) to dissolve the situation, but the cops were just not having it.
I arrived to the scene yelling and screaming at the cops in Arabic — BIG mistake! Once they saw I spoke perfect Arabic with an Egyptian dialect, their attention shifted from Basem and his bag, to me and my Arabic. They were convinced that I was an Egyptian citizen although I assured them of my American citizenship. Not only this, but they were also sure that I was a journalist too! I can’t even explain the escalated rage they expressed when they heard me speak Arabic and saw my camera…if I really was an Egyptian journalist, the scene would have been unimaginable! Thankfully, the two press people who took the photo were long gone by that point.
As we tried to leave in order to extinguish the situation, we had 3 cops following us asking us to stay with them until their supervisor arrived. We obviously refused and continued walking, explaining to them that we had given them our signs and banners, hadn’t taken any pictures, and would just like to leave the pyramids area since we didn’t appreciate the way we were treated. They followed us all the way from the small pyramid to a small road alongside the large pyramid. Once we got there, the supervisor arrived in and intercepted us in a “Tourism Police” truck. By now, we were surrounded by a group of about 20 different police officers who  now wanted us to get into the truck and go God-knows-where! After adimently refusing, I was advised by a member of our group to call the US Embassy to ask for help and assistance with the situation.
I called and spoke to someone at the embassy and when I tried to get any of the cops to speak to her (holding my phone up for them to take and speak into), not one man stepped forward to take the call. I said something along the lines of “Nobody wants to take this? NOW you don’t want to talk? Alright, fine I’m leaving!” I finally got someone to talk to her and when she spoke to me again, it got very…educational…The US embassy told me that I need to cooperate with the cops, that I did something illegal, and that I’m on Egyptian land and must abide by those laws. Of course I interjected after each statement in my defense; afterwhich she was on the phone with a cop again. At this time, I’d started to inconspicuously walk away from the large crowd with Basem and another friend. They were so caught up in their indecisiveness, they didn’t even realize I was gone.
At this time, the embassy called my phone back and Basem spoke to her. The only thing that came out of that conversation? That if I wanted help from the embassy, they couldn’t do anything until I offically filed a police report!!! Do you know where I could be by then? God only knows, but this really taught me a real lesson in not being too trusting or depending too much on the “power” of the US embassy to save me when I need them to. Basem even asked them if they could send someone to where we were in order to help alleviate the sitation, but they refused.
With the help of some amazing new friends, we were able to make it out of the Pyramids compound and meet at a cafe across the street. The second I walked in, I noticed the secret cop sitting in the back corner looking a his “phone” which happened to make a camera sound just as I’d turned around a few minutes later. I swear, these guys are so not good at what they do, lol! The cafe owner later referred to him as his “son” which was just laughable. Later on, the restaurant owner ordered us a minibus which he said would take us all the way downtown. I thought this was sketchy, but didn’t want to say anything since I’m obviously not an objective voice.
When we all went downstairs, the same cop from upstairs was waiting downstairs and the guy asking us to get into the bus looked like one of the guys from inside the pyramids area! I got really scared and told everyone that we’re not getting in the bus and we refused the offer. We walked all the way to the main road and took a public bus (which was crawling with secret police) to the metro station and back to Tahrir Square.
Later that night, we found out that a small group of Canadian GFMers also went to the pyramids that day, wearing their GFM shirts. They were spotted immediately and yelled at by the tourism police. To learn more about their experience, go here:

Today, for our last day in Cairo, we decided to take a group and head over to the pyramids for one last group activity while doing exactly what Egyptian authorities have been wanting us to do since we’ve been here: tourism! But of course, for GFMers, no activity is complete without a little activism sprinkled in 🙂

So, what we originally planned to do was to go to the pyramids and take a picture in front of it. We intended to just gather as a group at the base of the pyramid, hold the signs, and take the picture. However, in all the excitement and confusion, at the last minute it was just a 4 or 5 of us that spontaneously decided to run up the side of the pyramid, drop the flag, banner, and signs, and pose for the picture. Needless to say, Egyptian cops were NOT happy with this.


[youtube v6x-gtnDCWc Egypt pyramids Gaza Action to Open Borders]

Video: Ziyaad Lunat


After we took the picture (we also had a member of the Egyptian press capturing the moment as well!), we scurried and raced down the pyramid to avoid further complications. As we’re on our way, we realized they had gotten a hold of Basem and his backpack which was packed with the signs we held, as well as many of our valuables, ie: money, laptop, camera, etc. The rest of our group converged on the scene (with our cameras, of course) to dissolve the situation, but the cops were just not having it.


[youtube hnulP_ng0jg Egyptian police have run-in with GFMers]


I arrived to the scene yelling and screaming at the cops in Arabic — BIG mistake! Once they saw I spoke perfect Arabic with an Egyptian dialect, their attention shifted from Basem and his bag, to me and my Arabic. They were convinced that I was an Egyptian citizen although I assured them of my American citizenship. Not only this, but they were also sure that I was a journalist too! I can’t even explain the escalated rage they expressed when they heard me speak Arabic and saw my camera…if I really was an Egyptian journalist, the scene would have been unimaginable! Thankfully, the two press people who took the photo were long gone by that point.


[youtube kV8WKXJt0No Egyptian police escort GFMers out of pyramids]


As we tried to leave in order to extinguish the situation, we had 3 cops following us asking us to stay with them until their supervisor arrived. We obviously refused and continued walking, explaining to them that we had given them our signs and banners, hadn’t taken any pictures, and would just like to leave the pyramids area since we didn’t appreciate the way we were treated. They followed us all the way from the small pyramid to a small road alongside the large pyramid. Once we got there, the supervisor arrived in and intercepted us in a “Tourism Police” truck. By now, we were surrounded by a group of about 20 different police officers who  now wanted us to get into the truck and go God-knows-where! After adimently refusing, I was advised by a member of our group to call the US Embassy to ask for help and assistance with the situation.

police_crowd

Photo: Danah Abdulla


I called and spoke to someone at the embassy and when I tried to get any of the cops to speak to her (holding my phone up for them to take and speak into), not one man stepped forward to take the call. I said something along the lines of “Nobody wants to take this? NOW you don’t want to talk? Alright, fine I’m leaving!” I finally got someone to talk to her and when she spoke to me again, it got very…educational…The US embassy told me that I need to cooperate with the cops, that I did something illegal, and that I’m on Egyptian land and must abide by those laws. Of course I interjected after each statement in my defense; afterwhich she was on the phone with a cop again. At this time, I’d started to inconspicuously walk away from the large crowd with Basem and a new friend, Ziyaad. The police were so caught up in their indecisiveness, they didn’t even realize I was gone.

At this time, the embassy called my phone back and Basem spoke to her. The only thing that came out of that conversation? That if I wanted help from the embassy, they couldn’t do anything until I offically filed a police report!!! Do you know where I could be by then? God only knows, but this really taught me a real lesson in not being too trusting or depending too much on the “power” of the US embassy to save me when I need them to. Basem even asked them if they could send someone to where we were in order to help alleviate the sitation, but they refused.

With the help of some amazing new friends, we were able to make it out of the Pyramids compound and meet at a cafe across the street. The second I walked in, I noticed the secret cop sitting in the back corner looking a his “phone” which happened to make a camera sound just as I’d turned around a few minutes later. I swear, these guys are so not good at what they do, lol! The cafe owner later referred to him as his “son” which was just laughable. Later on, the restaurant owner ordered us a minibus which he said would take us all the way downtown. I thought this was sketchy, but didn’t want to say anything since I’m obviously not an objective voice.

When we all went downstairs, the same cop from upstairs was waiting downstairs and the guy asking us to get into the bus looked like one of the guys from inside the pyramids area! I got really paranoid and told everyone that we’re not getting in the bus and we refused the offer. We walked all the way to the main road and took a public bus (which was crawling with secret police) to the metro station and back to Tahrir Square. The public bus ride experience deserves a whole blog post in itself! 🙂

Later that night, we found out that a small group of Canadian GFMers also went to the pyramids that day, wearing their GFM shirts. They were spotted immediately and yelled at by the tourism police. To learn more about their experience, go here: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/gazadelegation/2010/01/topless-pyramids-cant-tourist-just-be-tourist


pyramids_banner

Photo: Ziyaad Lunat


Our story was covered by Al-Shorouk newspaper and can be viewed here (in Arabic): 
http://www.shorouknews.com/ContentData.aspx?id=168212


Note: This post would not be complete without mentioning the inspiration for our actions at the pyramids today. Earlier in the week, members of the French delegation visited the pyramids, created a diversion to detract attention from themselves (someone “fainted” to bring police attention to her instead), then quickly climbed about half-way up the small pyramid and hung a 30 foot Palestinian flag down the side. The sight was absolutely amazing; the image became an icon of our week in Cairo and the French immediately made a name for themselves! Below is some video and photos of this awesome action in Cairo:

pyramids_palflag

[singlepic id=1125 w=320 h=240 float=center]


[youtube gUNUMHCyhT4 French hang Palestine flag on Pyramids]



Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the “Cairo Declaration” to end Israeli Apartheid

By Leave a Comment

(Cairo) Gaza Freedom Marchers approved today a declaration aimed at accelerating the global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli Apartheid.

Roughly 1400 activists from 43 countries converged in Cairo on their way to Gaza to join with Palestinians marching to break Israel’s illegal siege. They were prevented from entering Gaza by the Egyptian authorities.

As a result, the Freedom Marchers remained in Cairo. They staged a series of nonviolent actions aimed at pressuring the international community to end the siege as one step in the larger struggle to secure justice for Palestinians throughout historic Palestine.

This declaration arose from those actions:


End Israeli Apartheid

Cairo Declaration

January 1, 2010

We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective response to an initiative from the South African delegation, state:

In view of:

o Israel’s ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza;

o the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements;

o the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza;

o the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006;

o the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza one year ago;

o the continuing discrimination and repression faced by Palestinians within Israel;

o and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees;

o all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;

o in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with impunity;

o and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)

We reaffirm our commitment to:

Palestinian Self-Determination

Ending the Occupation

Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine

The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugees

We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with international law.

To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.

Mindful of the many strong similarities between apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:

1) An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider public internationally;

2) Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;

3) A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;

4) Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;

5) Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;

6) Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli government war criminals; coordination of Citizen’s Arrest Bureaux to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals; support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its recommendations;

7) Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality.

To sign the declaration, please visit: http://cairodeclaration.org/sign

Signed by:

(* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)

1. Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA

2. Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

3. Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

4. Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

5. George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa

6. Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa

7. Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*, South Africa

8. Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa

9. Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

10. Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

11. Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa

12. Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

13. Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA

14. Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*, Ireland

15. Anthony Loewenstein, Australia

16. Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom

17. Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA

18. Ulf Fogelström, Sweden

19. Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA

20. Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

21. Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany

22. Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA

23. Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*, USA

24. Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria

25. Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain

26. Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA

27. Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA

28. David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, USA

29. Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA

30. Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*, USA

31. Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA

32. Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France

33. Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*, USA

34. Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

35. Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

36. Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England

37. Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA

38. Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia

39. Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA

40. Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, England

41. Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria

42. Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA

43. Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland

44. Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland

45. Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada

46. Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada

47. Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada

48. Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada

49. Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada

50. Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada

51. Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada

52. Cleopatra McGovern, USA

53. Miranda Collet, Spain

54. Alison Phillips, Scotland

55. Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*, USA

56. Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA

57. Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA

58. Hope Mariposa, USA

59. Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*, Germany

60. Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA

61. Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA

62. Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA

63. Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA

64. Anna Keuchen, Germany

65. Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA

66. Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*, USA

67. Ina Kelleher, USA

68. Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA

69. Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA

70. Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*, Canada

71. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Scotland

72. Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland

73. Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA

74. Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands

75. Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands

76. Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands

77. Sandra Tamari, USA

78. Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA

79. J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA

80. Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA

81. Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada*, Canada

82. Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France

83. Sylvia Schwarz, USA

84. Alexandra Safi, Germany

85. Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey

86. Ted Auerbach, USA

87. Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA

88. Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA

89. Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

90. Emma Grigore, CodePink*, USA

91. Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*, USA

92. Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA

93. Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA

94. Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA

95. Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA

96. Hanan Tabbara, USA

97. Marina Barakatt, CodePink*, USA

98. Keren Bariyov, USA

99. Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria

100. Ann Cunningham, Australia

101. Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA

102. Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA

103. Athena Viscusi, USA

104. Marco Viscusi, USA

105. Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA

106. Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA

107. Ellen Graves, USA

108. Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Ireland

109. Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain

110. Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain

111. Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada

112. David Heap, London Anti-War*, Canada

113. Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England

114. Aimee Shalan, UK

115. Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain

116. Priscilla Lynch, USA

117. Jenna Bitar, USA

118. Deborah Mardon, USA

119. Becky Thompson, USA

120. Diane Hereford, USA

121. David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada

122. Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*, Canada

123. Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada

124. Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada

125. Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada

126. Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France

127. Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India

128. John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA

129. Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal

130. Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW)

131. Labor For Palestine

132. Basem Emara & Sarah Mahmoud, Canada