Monday, December 29, 2008

Dearborn Emergency Protest Against the Massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, December 30, 4:00pm

Emergency Protest
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 4 PM
Warren and Chase
Dearborn, MI

In this email:
* Note from Hannya Eljammali
* Press Release
* info from wethepeople2008

In solidarity,
Mike Shane
MECAWI (Michigan Committee Against War & Injustice)

---------------------------------------------------------

Greetings of Peace,

As you may already know, Gaza, Palestine are in an extreme crisis since yesterday, the 27th of December. Due to the current Israeli massacre in Gaza over 285 deaths of innocent civilians and 750 injured and they are still counting. The Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO) has organized a protest, so please gather at the corner of Warren and Case in Dearborn, on Tuesday, December 30th at 4:00 pm.

If possible please bring signs/posters stating: "FREE PALESTINE", "STOP THE MASSACRE OF GAZA", "END US AID TO ISRAEL", "AGAINST ISRAELI AGGRESSION", "STOP THE MURDER OF INNOCENT CHILDREN", "JUSTICE IN PALESTINE", etc. etc. We cannot keep silent about whats happening in Palestine. Please forward this to all of your lists and inform everyone you know to attend this protest...the Palestinians have a just cause and WE NEED TO SUPPORT IT.

Thank you,
Hannya Eljammali

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Osama Siblan 313.505.4889
Date: 12/27/08

Stop the massacre against Palestinians in Gaza

Dearborn - The Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO) - Michigan, strongly condemns the current Israeli massacre in Gaza , in which more than 225 Palestinians have been murdered in the bloodiest one-day death toll in 60 years of conflict between the Palestinians and Israel .

More than 700 Palestinians have been wounded in the same time period.

For the last two years, Israel has imposed an inhumane economic seige on the one and a half million Palestinians living in Gaza, a seige that has created a huge open-air prison. Humanitarian organizations have long warned of impending disaster in Gaza , where Israel has prevented food and fuel from entering and people are starving to death.

"We call on the current and the incoming American administrations to take immediate action to prevent any more deaths of innocent civilians, by starvation and by bombing," said CAAO spokesman Osama Siblani. "The United States stands alone in the world in its unconditional support of Israeli aggression and genocide, and that is inexcusable," he added. "The economic seige should be lifted now, adequate food and fuel allowed in to warm and feed the people and all military aggression against this civilian population stopped immediately."

ACTION ALERT

1 - CAAO will hold a community leadership meeting to discuss further actions. The meeting will be held on Monday, December 29, 2008 at 6:00 PM at the Lebanese American Heritage Club, 4337 Maple Road in Dearborn .

2 - CAAO calls on all community members to participate in a (human chain protest) which will be held on Warren Avenue on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 4:00 PM. Gathering at corner of Warren and Chase in Dearborn. Following the protest a memorial service will be held at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road in Dearborn at 5:15 PM. Program will end at 6:30 PM.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Israeli government can shower terror and death upon the occupied lands of Palestine thanks to our extensive American foreign aid to Israel. These harsh blows are dealt by US-supplied Apache helicopters and F-16 jets. In a David vs. Goliath style drama, often with rocks as their only weapons, the Palestinian people continue to resist the illegal occupation of their land by Jews.

Starting in the 40's, Israeli terrorist forces drove the Palestinian people from their homes. And still, decades later, Palestinians are barraged with the constant encroachment of land developers and fundamentalist Zionist settlers who keep stealing what's left of their land.

The recent 2 day attack on Gaza left over 1000 Palestinian causalities. Those victims who weren't killed are trapped in their own country behind Israeli blockades and checkpoints without sufficient access to food and medicine. This is a humanitarian crisis. It must be stopped before the Arab countries are forced by our Israeli bias to save Palestinians from extermination.

How do you find out what really happened to cause all this? The truth is delivered in Sandy Tolan's book, The Lemon Tree, available in all bookstores, libraries, and on-line. Tolan is a world renowned journalist and winner of over 25 national and international journalism awards. You will be glad you read this book.

Also watch the DVD, Occupation 101. http://www.occupation101.com/about.html

"Over two years ago, in an election process advocated by the United States, the party of Hamas was elected to power in Occupied Palestine. In response, Israel and the United States imposed a near total blockade on the people of Gaza in an illegal act of collective punishment."

"If I were a Palestinian, watching Jews in Israel and around the world preparing to celebrate Hanukkah, I might be a bit confused. The holiday recalls a time, way back in the second century BCE, when Judea was ruled by a much stronger neighboring nation.

The Jews took up arms to free themselves from a military occupation. Yet when Palestinians even talk about taking up arms against the occupying army of their powerful neighbor today, the Israeli government and its supporters call that unjustified, immoral, an outrage. And the government of the United States generally agrees, no matter which party is in power."

Carol Christensen

No comments: