March 19, 2007

On bringing down the Israeli Separation Wall:

In an era when separation walls and apartheid systems have long outlived their time and are crumbling under the weight of public opinion we appeal to people of conscience worldwide to participate in a people’s movement to create a shift in the global consciousness by endorsing the following statement:

End Injustice, Dismantle the wall!

We, the undersigned, will no longer accept systems based on the apparatus of colonisation, occupation, and apartheid, wherever they exist. The apartheid regime in South Africa crumbled under the power of world opinion, similarly apartheid practised today in the Occupied Territories with its machinery of settlements & settler-only roads, checkpoints and the Israeli built separation wall must also be dismantled. We assert the inalienable birthright of just, peaceful co-existence in a world that guarantees the rights of peoples to self determination; a world without walls, that celebrates the oneness of humanity amidst our magnificent diversity; a world that guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of all people to worship according to their belief without encroaching on the rights of others; a world where compassion, co-operation and mutual understanding are the basis of human relationships.

Concurrently we request that the UN act to protect the rights of all inhabitants of all religious faiths and racial origins of Jerusalem to access to their city and holy sites, and to practise their religions in safety and security without interference, restrictions or provocation.

1) We request that whatever mechanisms may be necessary are initiated to place the city of Jerusalem under UN protection to ensure the safety of all holy sites, whether Muslim, Christian or Jewish, and the equal rights of all its citizens, whether Palestinian, Israeli or other, until such time as a just solution can be negotiated between the parties in conflict.

2) We request that serious consideration be given to placing Israel under international sanctions until such time as it agrees to abide by UN resolutions and international laws and conventions to which it is a signatory; with the intention of bringing Israel back into the family of nations governed by International laws and norms.

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To sign our statement, which will be sent to the UN Secretary General, the EU, the International Court of Justice, the Arab League and to relevant heads of state, please click here:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/qds44440/petition.html


To read further about the background of this statement, please continue below.

We, the authors of this statement, represent a group of concerned activists of diverse religious and racial backgrounds. We came together out of concern about the ongoing Israeli excavations under the site of Al Aqsa mosque, the second most sacred site to Muslims and a UN World Heritage site.

Many have pointed out that the excavations jeopardises the structural integrity of the mosque, Recently Israel destroyed the walkway at the Maghrabi gate, in a provocative act which is the latest in a series which began in 1948 when Israel seized Jerusalem and destroyed Arab neighbourhoods, including schools and mosques. In 2000, the entry of Ariel Sharon with over 1,000 Israeli soldiers to the site sparked the second Intifada.

The continuation of interference by Israel with the Islamic holy site, fuelled by apocalyptic fundamentalist religious sentiments of Christian zionist supporters, could result in a religious conflagration which would engulf the whole region and whose effects would be felt worldwide.

We are similarly concerned over the dwindling numbers of the Christian community in Jerusalem , under the pressure of Israeli restrictions and harassment. Along with the construction of the separation wall in East Jerusalem , these actions clearly point towards the zionist plan of Judaisation of Jerusalem, by reducing the number of Palestinians in the city.

A recent Muslim Christian conference on the excavation work which was due to be held at the end of February in East Jerusalem was silenced by Israeli police. This does not bode well for the rights of freedom of speech in the Middle East ’s "only democracy".

From journalist Micheal Jansen we learn:

In the latest report by UN Special Rapporteur John Dugard, he states that "The international community, speaking through the United Nations, has identified three regimes as inimical to human rights -- colonialism, apartheid and foreign occupation"…………… and accuses Israel of practising all three.

.Israel has long history of disregarding international law. It has persistently ignored UN resolutions on the occupation of Palestinian territory and has violated over 149 of the Articles of the Geneva Convention. Whilst Palestinians in the occupied territories face the prospect of malnutrition and starvation, Israel continues to spend billions of US taxpayers money to prop up the matrix of an illegal occupation. Minimal logic should force us to question whether that money wouldn’t be better spent caring for its own citizens, sharing its technology and knowledge, thus taking a far more positive step towards improving its deteriorating public image and ensuring its future security.

In the face of continued Israeli defiance of international laws and norms, the call for sanctions against Israel is gaining momentum, in order to enforce UN resolutions 242 which mandates an end to its occupation of the territories conquered in 1967, to end settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and reverse the apartheid measures it has adopted.

We encourage all those who support our cause to take action locally, by contacting local representatives, your Head of State and relevant embassies with our statement, in full or in edited version using your own wording and to take whatever actions may be locally appropriate, particularly in the form of divestment and boycotts of Israeli goods and companies, particularly those that operate in settlements.

We hope to collect 10,000 signatures the end of April 2007, when we will forward this letter to the Secretary General of the UN, the EU, the ICJ and to world leaders. Please sign and forward to all the people in your network.