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| War on Gaza 2009 - Aftermath : December 2009: Tzipi Livni Cancels UK Trip , New Report on Change of Israeli Military Policy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear Friend, Another senseless war is taking place, and our position, as in the past is: stop the war, condemn all attacks on civilians (on all sides) , negotiate a peace treaty and end the criminal Israeli occupation in the west bank and Gaza strip (which did not end in 2005). Activities against the current war in Gaza are taking place in Israel and abroad. We encourage you to participate. Some ideas: organizing a vigil in your town, sharing your views on your blog, circulating information about the war and those trying to stop it. The Occupation Magazine contains information about the war and about activities to stop it: http://www.kibush.co.il/ see also this important human rights update blog: http://gazaeng.blogspot.com/ Footage from a demo in Tel Aviv last night, attended by up to 2000 people: http://hadash2009.org.il/archives/hafgana_271208/ For those of you living in the US 1. The US Campaign to End the Occupation has a list of street actions taking place around the US now: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1773 2. Contact the US White House to protest the attack and demand an immediate cease-fire. Call 202-456-1111 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov . 3. Contact the State Department at 202-647-6575 4. Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress at 202-224-3121 5. Contact your local media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor. (for those not living in the US, you can act in a similar way in your country) Peace Yesh Gvul | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Report *** Urgent Appeal to Maintain Universal Jurisdiction and Enable the Prosecution of War Criminals December 2009 "No Second Thoughts": Changes in the IDF's Combat Doctrine In Light Of Operation ‘Cast Lead' : http://www.stoptorture.org.il/files/no%20second%20thoughts_ENG_WEB.pdf So far 60 organizations from around the world have joined the letter to the British PM and Foreign Secretary. Thanks to all of them, the international call to enable the prosecution of Israeli war criminals will be strongly heard the anniversary of the brutal assault on Gaza. Your organization can still join the letter - the deadline is in three hours (9 pm. Jerusalem time). Please send us your organizations name and contact information if you would like to join to yoana@coalitionofwomen.org. Many thanks. CALL FOR ACTION December 21, 2009 Urgent Appeal to Maintain Universal Jurisdiction and Enable the Prosecution of War Criminals Dear Friends, The Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) calls feminist organizations from around the world to join us in signing a letter to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband, following their proclaimed intent to change the law that enables British local courts to issue warrants against foreign war criminals. This decision was declared following an arrest warrant issued last week by a London magistrates court against Tzipi Livni, who was the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs during the assault on Gaza last year (Operation Cast Lead). If the British government will execute this decision, it will be a dangerous precedent that will risk future attempts to bring other war criminals to justice. We believe that feminist organizations – which are familiar with the devastating impact of war and institutionalized violence on women and other socially disadvantaged groups – must voice their concern and act against such dangerous policies. As a feminist organization of Palestinian and Israeli Women, we believe that all Israeli officials who made operational decisions during Operation Cast Lead, including Tzipi Livni, should face charges for their involvement in war crimes. For further information, you are welcome to contact Eilat Maoz, CWP's General Coordinator: eilat@coalitionofwomen.org (Tel.: +972-508575729) Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or comments. In Solidarity, The Coalition of Women for Peace --- 16/9/09 Adalah * Association for Civil Rights in Israel * Bimkom * B’Tselem * Gisha * HaMoked * Physicians for Human Rights-Israel * The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel * Yesh Din Human Rights groups in Israel provide initial response to Goldstone Report: Israel Must Investigate 'Operation Cast Lead' With the publication of the Goldstone Committee report today, human rights organizations in Israel are studying the report and its conclusions, and they call upon the Israeli Government to take the report seriously and to refrain from automatically rejecting its findings or denying its legitimacy. Already it is clear that the findings of the report - written after gathering extensive information and testimonies from Israeli and Palestinian victims - will join a long series of reports indicating that Israel's actions during the fighting in Gaza, as well as the actions of Hamas, violated the laws of combat and human rights law. Human rights organizations in Israel believe that the State of Israel must conduct an independent and impartial investigation into these suspicions and to cooperate with an international monitoring mechanism that would guarantee both the independence of that investigation and the implementation of its conclusions. The organizations have written to Israel's Attorney General to demand that he establish such an independent body to investigate the military's activities during “Cast Lead”, but he rejected their request. The groups expect the Government of Israel to respond to the substance of the report's findings and to desist from its current policy of casting doubt upon the credibility of anyone who does not adhere to the establishment's narrative. Organizations on this statement: Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah, Bimkom, B’Tselem, Gisha, HaMoked, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Yesh Din | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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