Coalition Members
May 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel.
To the 750,000 Palestinians who were displaced at that time this event is known as
Al-Nakba -- the Catastrophe
A network of Seattle-based Middle East peace and justice organizations - Jews, Christians, Muslims & other activists - has come together to plan a series of events marking this anniversary in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Our goal is to tell the Palestinian story to the public in the Pacific Northwest; a story, not just about the displacement and disenfranchisement of a large indigenous population in 1948, but about the ongoing human rights tragedy that has resulted from the events surrounding the 1948 war and Israel's continuing occupation of Palestinian land.
These problems have not been buried by time, but continue to fester under the ongoing brutal occupation and continuing displacement of the Palestinian people. This situation currently influences all the political dynamics of the Middle East.
As part of the fight against racism we must stand in solidarity with Palestinians who have been struggling against domination of their lands fueled for decades by racist propaganda & policies.
Our coalition is united around the following three goals:
♦ educating the public about al-Nakba and its continuing effects;
♦ supporting the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their
homeland as provided for by international law;
♦ advocating equal rights for everyone in Israel/Palestine, regardless
of religion, ethnicity, or nationality.
- For more information about our coalition contact: info@nakba60th-seattle.org
- For more information about Al-Nakba, visit Palestine Remembered
♦
Al- Nakba Coalition announces the following events:
CELEBRATE PALESTINE - 60 YEARS OF RESISTANCE
Saturday,
May 10th, 2008 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m
Seattle Central Community College
on this 60th anniversary of the "Nakba" (Arabic for
"catastrophe") when 800,000 Palestinians were displaced from their
ancestral land and over 450 of their villages were destroyed, Palestinians
continue steadfastly to resist occupation and dislocation.
Al-Nakba Coalition commemorates sixty years of Palestinian resistance with a
day of cultural expression. Come honor Palestinian steadfastness with us at
this free event to showcase Palestinian heritage and culture, and to
celebrate its resilience.
WHAT: Palestinian traditional arts and crafts -- folk music, handicrafts,
dabka dancing, poetry reading, photography exhibit, and food.
WHEN: Saturday, May 10th, 2008 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Seattle Central Community College -
outdoors at the South Plaza (near the northwest corner of Broadway and E.
Pine)
and indoors in room BE 1110
Sponsored by al-Nakba Coalition
CONTACT: info@nakba60th-seattle.org
telephone: (206) 282-8023
Web site: http://nakba60th-seattle.org/
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Dr.
Norman Finkelstein speaks on
"Israel and Palestine: Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace"
Thursday
May 8, 1:00 p.m.
UW Ethnic Cultural Theater
3940 Brooklyn Ave N.E. Seattle
Dr. Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors and a renowned academic
& MiddleEast expert, is a passionate and persuasive defender of
Palestinian rights and is in the forefront of the fight for academic freedom
in the United States.
Free and open to the public, although seating is limited. RSVPs are more
likely to receive a seat.
Dr. Finkelstein is also speaking the same evening at The Evergreen
University in Olympia at 7:30 p.m.
For more information, pjip@u.washington.edu.
See also www.normanfinkelstein.com
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ONGOING: Saturdays -- End the Siege of Gaza
Demonstrate Noon to 2:00 at Westlake Plaza, 4th and Pine, in protest of ongoing strangulation of Gaza
Come help protest the Israeli attempts to crush the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Background:
The Gaza Strip is facing a humanitarian crisis, created by Israel and supported by the US. Israel has imposed a blockade upon Gaza, cutting food, fuel, medical supplies, and spare parts.
The lack of food, water, health care, and other material basics have made a poor area face catastrophe. Three quarters of Gaza’s population -- 1.1 million people --now rely on food aid. Manufacturing and food exports have ground to a halt because of the blockade. The UN has been warning of collapse for several months.
"The Gaza economy is no longer on the brink of collapse – it has collapsed."
— Coalition of British human rights groups and charities including Amnesty International, Care International UK, Oxfam and Save the Children UK.
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