fyi - Rachel Corrie anniversary

[msheesha 548]

TODAY! Rachel Corrie ACTION ALERT

Sat. March 20: End Wars and Occupations Protest in DC, SF or LA!

Seven years ago today, 23 year-old Rachel Corrie of Olympia, Washington was crushed to death by a Caterpillar D-9R bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier. Rachel was part of an International Solidarity Movement group trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian pharmacist's home in Rafah, Gaza.

Seven years later, Rachel's memory is still vibrant and her family is still fighting for answers. Rachel's parents and sister are currently in Israel participating in a civil case against the state of Israel for intentional and unlawful killing and gross negligence in Rachel's death. In addition to seeking accountability for Rachel's death through the Israeli court system, the Corrie family has requested that we support Rachel's vision of freedom for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip by participating in a national call-in day to the White House.

Please honor the request of this bereaved family and do the following:

§ Call the White House at 202-456-1111

§ Urge Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell to visit Gaza and demand that the United States break the blockade of Gaza by providing immediate humanitarian aid and building materials.

§ Click here to report back to us about your call.

You can also send the White House an email making these demands, but truth be told, phone calls are taken more seriously. Click here to send President Obama an email calling for him to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Congressman Brian Baird, whose constituents include Rachel's parents Cindy and Craig, has already sent a letter to President Obama requesting that the United States break the siege of Gaza. Click here to read his words.

In addition to participating in our national call-in day, you may be able to attend a Rachel Corrie memorial event in your area. Click here to find out what's happening in your neighborhood.

Another way to show your support for the Corrie family as they move forward with their civil case in Israel is to sign up for updates from the trial. The Corries and their supporters will be posting reports from the courtroom, media mentions of the case, and other updates on the Rachel Corrie Foundation website. Click here to view the trial updates page on the Rachel Corrie Foundation website. Monitor coverage of the trial in your local media and post favorable comments about trial coverage for on-line media stories and write a letter-to-the-editor if your newspaper includes trial coverage. For tips on how to write a letter-to-the-editor, click here.

--From the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Saturday, March 20, 2010

End Wars and Occupations

Join a Protest in DC, SF or LA!

People from all over the country are going to march in Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Iraq.

We will march together to say "No Colonial-type Wars and Occupations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine!" We will march together to say "No War Against Iran!" We will march together to say "No War for Empire Anywhere!"

Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing.

More Events

Palestine Cinema: A Shorts Program

3/16, 7:15 and 9:15pm, SF

Red Vic Movie House

Film Screening of Cornerstore

3/27, 3pm & 7pm, SF

Victoria Theater

16th and Capp Streets

Film followed by a discussion with Michel Shehadeh, protaganist Yousef Elhaj, and Director Katherine Bruens.

Reading of Lysistrata

A fundraiser for MECA, Fairfax

3/28, 3pm, Fairfax Women's Club

142 Bolinas Road

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

[sandinista! 1,816]

thank you for posting this msheesha and wom.

[merijan 0]

good to remember.. how sad so many just sweep it under the carpet... Beautiful pics Wife of Mohammad

[msheesha 548]

More info if anyone is interested....the links didn't come thru on this cut and paste, but here's a link to the actual webpage. Seems like MENA could be a good place to share info, ideas on ending the Israeli occupation....

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/

Take Action: Hold Israel Accountable by Ending Military Aid

March 18, 2010

All joking aside, Biden had strong words for Israeli leaders last week. Help us translate the Obama Administration's promise of accountability into action (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann). Last week, Vice President Biden promised that the Obama Administration would hold Israel "accountable for any statements or actions that inflame tensions or prejudice the outcome of talks." We couldn't agree more.

That's why we've been busy hitting the media with this one consistent message: the Obama Administration needs to translate its promise into action by ending military aid to Israel as a consequence for its ongoing violations of U.S. and international law and its defiance of U.S. policy goals.

In the last few weeks, we published an op-ed in the Huffington Post, were cited at the top of an article in Ha'aretz on reactions to Biden's comments, and took to the airwaves in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, New York, and even Kingston, Jamaica to get our point across.

Now it's your turn. As we approach Tax Day-April 15-here are ten ways for you to take action to help us press the Obama Administration and Congress for accountability and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel:

1) Send a letter to your Members of Congress opposing the President's FY2011 budget request for $3 billion in military aid to Israel by clicking here.

2) Join a conference call tonight, Thursday, Mar. 18, 9PM Eastern, to hear activists share their inspiring ideas for Tax Day actions and find out how to get involved. RSVP and get call-in info by clicking here.

3) If you're coming to Washington , DC for the anti-war protest on Saturday, March 20 at the White House, and would like to help us distribute and collect signatures on postcards to President Obama calling on him to end U.S. military aid to Israel , click here.

4) Sign up as a volunteer organizer to challenge military aid to Israel , and we'll send you an organizing packet with postcards to the President, petitions to Congress, fact sheets, flyers, and more. Sign up today to get your packet in time for Tax Day by clicking here.

Take Action

* Tell your Members of Congress: no aid to Israel.

* Join our conference call tonight to plan Tax Day actions. RSVP here.

* Help us organize at the anti-war protest in DC on Saturday. Sign up here.

* Get a packet to organize in your community to end aid to Israel here.

* Get ideas for Tax Day actions here.

* Find out how much aid to Israel you provide here.

* Watch our new Obama video here.

* "Offset" your taxes to Israeli occupation here.

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5) Set up a meeting with your Members of Congress during spring recess, March 29-April 9, to discuss your opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel . Find talking points and resources for your meeting by clicking here.

6) Organize a Tax Day action outside your local post office. On April 15, last-minute tax filers line up at local post offices to get their tax returns in before the deadline, and local newspapers and TV stations often show up to interview people. This is a great opportunity to organize an action outside of your local post office and educate the people waiting in line how their tax dollars are being used. Get an organizing packet for your action and more details by clicking here.

7) Host a Tax Day house party to educate your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers about the effects of U.S. military aid to Israel . If you organize a house party, we'll send you a copy of the award-winning documentary Occupation 101, or you can organize an April 18 live internet broadcast of a hearing, "Does U.S. Policy on Israel and Palestine Uphold Our Values?" Sign up to organize a house party and get more details by clicking here.

8) Find out how much military aid to Israel your state, Congressional district, county, and city will provide and what that money could have been used for instead in your community on our new website aidtoisrael.org. Find out by clicking here.

9) Watch our new video of us encouraging President Obama to hold Israel accountable and then tell all your friends about it. Watch the video by clicking here.

10) Last but not least, make a tax-deductible contribution to us in increments of $19.19 to "offset" the average U.S. taxpayer contribution to Israeli military occupation this year. We'll send you one of each of these stickers below for each person's contribution you offset. To make your tax-deductible contribution, please click here.

Thanks for taking action!

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