From: Huwaida Arraf
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 13:32:58 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ISM Solidarity Action Alert

Friends,

Our friend and colleague Tom Hurndall lies comatose - "clinically dead" in Saroka Hospital; Brian Avery has just undergone reconstructive surgery in his face, and will have to undergo a series of reconstructive surgeries over the next few months to repair his face from the bullet that shattered it; Rachel Corrie died almost instantly after being crushed by a gigantic bulldozer, but her memory lives on in all those working for peace and human rights.

Three serious injuries and deaths in less than four weeks to nonviolent peace activists. Three individuals, clearly visible and identifiable, posing no threat to the security of Israeli soldiers in their tanks, bulldozers and military guard towers The kind of violence that we have been working to prevent and end, is now being directed at us. This is the kind of violence that anyone living or residing even temporarily in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is daily witness to. We know that we are operating in a racist system, not only within the Israeli military but also in the international community. We know that Palestinians that are beaten, randomly arrested and shot down are not paid attention to. Israeli soldiers have no problem disregarding Palestinian human rights and the international community has shown zero willingness to hold Israel accountable for the well-being of the Palestinian people and for violations of their basic rights. It is this kind of blatant disregard for human life based on religion and ethnicity that we have been combating with our actions and our message. It is for this reas on that international peace activists have joined us in the Occupied Territories - to use their voice and their bodies to send a message to the Israelis and to the world. Due to the failure of the international community to provide a protection force for the Palestinian people who have long been pleading for international help, and in light of the US veto on the resolution to send an international monitoring force to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to witness the reality of the situation on the ground, international civilians from all over the world have stepped in.
People from around the world have given of their hearts and minds to be with us, knowing the danger involved yet believing in the justness of the cause. The international volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement count on their governments and on you not to stay silent when unarmed civilians are shot down - we are counting on you now..

We have no plans to abandon our efforts and we renew our call for you to join us if you can. If you can't please consider one or more of the following actions to support our work:

1) In the United States the Corrie family is asking for an independent US investigation into the killing of their daughter Rachel. So far the United States Government has refused to conduct this investigation, stating that they are confident that Israel will conduct a thorough investigation. Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 111, which calls for a US investigation. However, unless this resolution gets more co-sponsors and widespread support, it will not go anywhere. Though the resolution does not condemn or otherwise address Israel's policy of home demolitions nor the Israeli occupation and US support for, the ISM hopes that a prompt and fair investigation into the circumstances of Rachel's killing will open the doors for these larger oppressive policies that Rachel was killed fighting, can be addressed. Please help us get H.Con.Res.111 passed by contacting your congressional representative and asking them to support this. For more information, see: www.palsolidarity.org "Lobby for an investigation into Rachel's Death" and the link here

2) Please contact your State Departments or Foreign Ministries and ask that action be taken to stop Israel's targeting of innocent, unarmed civilians, whether Palestinian or international peace activists. Call on your foreign ministries to raise this issue with the Israeli Ambassador in your country. Rachel or Tom could have also been French, Belgian, Italian, Canadian, Swedish, South African, Japanese, or one of dozens of other nationalities that have stood with and protected Palestinians. The contact information for the US Department of State and the British Foreign Office who have an extra responsibility since their citizens have been seriously injured or killed from these policies and their failure to hold Israel accountable, are listed below.

If you are Israeli, contact members of Knesset and demand an end to the violence of occupation. http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/telephones_eng.asp

United Kingdom

Human Rights Department
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
By telephone: +44(0)207 008 3000 or use the following link: here
You can also access contact information for your Member of Parliament here

United States

US Department of State
Bureau of Near East Affairs
Office of Public Affairs
Tel: 202-647-5150
Tel: 202-736-4995 ask for Kim Richter
askpublicaffairs@state.gov or use the following link:here