NGO Action News – 21 April 2015

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

NGO Action News
21 April 2015

EUROPE

• Association belgo-palestinienne (ABP) organized a training activity on 4 April in Liege on International Solidarity with the Palestinian people. ABP also held a discussion on the representation of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the arts during the Eye on Palestine festival.

• CAABU (UK) has launched an election webpage focusing on party policy and candidates’ views on the Middle East and encourages its supporters to write to their local candidates.

• The Dutch Palestine Committee held a discussion on 18 April on the Olive Tree Campaign, that aims to replant 50,000 olive trees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

• The European Coordination of Committees and Association for Palestine (ECCP) launched a platform in which European supporters can call on their European Parliamentarians to take decisive steps to suspend the association agreement with Israel.

• The Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights, in a report documenting Israeli harassment at the Erez border crossing, reveals that an increasing number of Gaza businessmen are being detained while attempting to cross into Israel for routine trips.

• Medical Aid for Palestinians (UK) called upon its supporters to take part in the thunderclap campaign to lift the blockade and rebuild Gaza.

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign (UK) has questioned Parliamentary candidates around Britain to find out their views on the Palestinian question and the blockade of Gaza and to help voters to make an informed choice.

• Rumbo a Gaza has succeeded in its crowdfunding campaign and has announced that the new Freedom Flotilla 3 will sail again this spring to challenge the illegal blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

• The University of Southampton organized a two-day conference from 17 to 19 April entitled International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility and Exceptionalismwith panelists including Professor Oren Ben-Dor and Professor George Bisharat.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

• Adalah Legal Centre for Arab minority rights in Israel with Al Mezan, Physicians for Human Rights in Israel and Public Committee against Torture in Israel issued a joint statement calling on the international community to urge Israel to abide by international law regarding the human rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

• The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) issued a handbook on the rights of minors during detention, arrest and interrogation in the OPT with the aim to provide them with tools to reduce the violations of their rights.

• The Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) issued a report condemning the international community and donors over slow Gaza reconstruction. The report said that ”Donors should make good on the pledges made at the Cairo conference and move forward with reconstruction and recovery projects for Gaza”.

• B’Tselem published a video showing how restrictions of movement of Palestinians in Hebron affect businesses and shops resulting in economic losses.

• Defense for Children International-Palestine has released a new report entitled “Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Gaza’s Children” detailing the high price paid by children during Israel’s assault on Gaza last summer.

• OneVoice Palestine (OVP) volunteers led a tree-planting effort near Hebron for Land Day on 30 March partnering with local government agencies.

• Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a statement denouncing the Israeli decision to put PLC member, Khalida Jarrar, under six-month administrative detention. PCHR also led on 6 April a training course on advocacy and campaigning dedicated to Palestinian human rights advocates.

NORTH AMERICA

• Adalah-NY organized a protest on 12 April against the Idan Raichel Project– an art project sponsored by the Israeli Government- at the Beacon Theatre in NYC.

• Al-Awda NY, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition’s speaker, Suzanne Adely was invited to discuss about the role of local movements in supporting Palestine and the future of Palestine.

• Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC) and Critical Resistance (USA-CA) organized on 17 April an art exhibit and discussion entitled Re-Visions: Black and Brown Resisting State Violence, Commemorating Palestinian Prisoners Day.

• Churches for Middle East Peace encouraged houses of worship nation-wide to display a banner stating, “We Support Peace with Justice for Palestinians and Israelis” for Easter celebration.

• Palestine Solidarity Legal Support director, Dima Khalidi, spoke on 10 April at the “Israel Lobby Conference” about freedom of speech on American campuses.

• Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network invited its supporters to take action and raise awareness about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day on 17 April.

• US Campaign to End the Occupation and Vermonters for a Just Peace in Israel/Palestine called for their supporters to leaflet and protest outside of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops during their annual Free Cone Day on April 14 to demand that the company stop selling ice cream in settlements.

• US Campaign to End the Occupation calls on its supporters to join and act to End Military Aid to Israel.

GLOBAL

• Amnesty International issued an urgent action alert on 8 April urging supporters to take action to advocate for the release of PLC member, Khalida Jarrar, arrested and detained pursuant to an administrative order.

• Human Rights Watch issued a report on 13 April on the violation of child rights in West Bank settlements. The 74-page report says children as young as 11 work on some settlement farms, often in high temperatures and are exposed to hazardous pesticides.

UNITED NATIONS

• The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in a statement expressed concern about the continued and increasing use of administrative detention by Israeli authorities against Palestinians in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

• UNRWA issued an emergency appeal for $ 30 million to provide life-sustaining assistance to the 18,000 Palestinian civilians trapped in Yarmouk refugee camp (Damascus, Syria), including 3,500 children, as well as to others affected by conflict and displacement in other areas.