Saturday, January 2, 2010

Gaza Marchers Issue "Cairo Declaration" to End Israeli Apartheid

Gaza Freedom Marchers Issue "Cairo Declaration" to End Israeli Apartheid

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/95304

CAIRO

Gaza Freedom Marchers approved today a declaration
aimed at accelerating the global campaign for Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli Apartheid.

Roughly 1400 activists from 43 countries converged in
Cairo on their way to Gaza to join with Palestinians
marching to break Israel's illegal siege. They were
prevented from entering Gaza by the Egyptian authorities.

As a result, the Freedom Marchers remained in Cairo.
They staged a series of nonviolent actions aimed at
pressuring the international community to end the siege
as one step in the larger struggle to secure justice for
Palestinians throughout historic Palestine.

This declaration arose from those actions:

END ISRAELI APARTHEID CAIRO DECLARATION

January 1, 2010

We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the
Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective response to an
initiative from the South African delegation, state:

In view of:

- Israel's ongoing collective punishment of
Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege
of Gaza;

- the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including
East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the
illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements;

- the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the
US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza;

- the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by
Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the
Palestinian elections of 2006;

- the war crimes committed by Israel during the
invasion of Gaza one year ago;

- the continuing discrimination and repression faced
by Palestinians within Israel;

- and the continuing exile of millions of
Palestinian refugees;

- all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately
on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;

- in the knowledge that our own governments have
given Israel direct economic, financial, military and
diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with
impunity;

- and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)

We reaffirm our commitment to:

Palestinian Self-Determination

Ending the Occupation

Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine

The full Right of Return for Palestinian
refugees

We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United
Palestinian call of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment
and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with
international law.

To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a
global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work
in full consultation with Palestinian civil society
to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.

Mindful of the many strong similarities between
apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in
South Africa, we propose:

1) An international speaking tour in the first 6
months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade
unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by
trade unionists and activists committed to this
programme within the countries toured, to take mass
education on BDS directly to the trade union membership
and wider public internationally;

2) Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in
March 2010;

3) A systematic unified approach to the boycott of
Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and
their unions in the retail, warehousing, and
transportation sectors;

4) Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports
boycott;

5) Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union
and other pension funds from companies directly
implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli
military industries;

6) Legal actions targeting the external recruitment
of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the
prosecution of Israeli government war criminals;
coordination of Citizen's Arrest Bureaux to identify,
campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals;
support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation
of its recommendations;

7) Campaigns against charitable status of the
Jewish National Fund (JNF).

We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to
this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a
reality.

Please e-mail us at cairodec@gmail.com

Signed by:

(* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)

1. Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in
Black*, USA

2. Nomthandaz-Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South
African Trade Unions (COSATU),
Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

3. Zic-Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African
Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate
International Officer*, South Africa

4. Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African
Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate
International Officer*, South Africa

5. George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa

6. Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa

7. Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity
Committee*, South Africa

8. Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*,
South Africa

9. Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity
Alliance*, South Africa

10. Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity
Alliance*, South Africa

11. Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa

12. Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity
Alliance*, South Africa

13. Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA

14. Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity
Committee*, Ireland

15. Anthony Loewenstein, Australia

16. Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom

17. Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA

18. Ulf Fogelström, Sweden

19. Ann Polivka, Chic-Peace and Justice Center*, USA

20. Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

21. Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die
Linke*, Germany

22. Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty
I*, USA

23. Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*, USA

24. Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria

25. Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain

26. Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA

27. Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA

28. David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist
Network (IJAN)*, USA

29. Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA

30 Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*, USA

31. Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA

32. Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-
Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France

33. Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice
in the Middle East*, USA

34. Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of
the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

35. Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project
of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

36. Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*,
England

37. Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New
York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA

38. Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*,
Australia

39. Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*,
USA

40. Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity
Campaign*, England

41. Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/
Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*,
Austria

42. Mate-Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*,
USA

43. Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*,
Switzerland

44. Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*,
Switzerland

45. Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada

46. Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada

47. Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*,
Canada

48. Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*,
Canada

49. Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada

50. Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada

51. Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada

52. Cleopatra McGovern, USA

53. Miranda Collet, Spain

54. Alison Phillips, Scotland

55. Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response
Network*/Jews Say No*, USA

56. Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response
Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA

57. Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA

58. Hope Mariposa, USA

59. Ivesa Labben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten
Frieden in Nahost*, Germany

60. Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA

61. Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice
in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA

62. Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children's Alliance*,
USA

63. Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children's
Alliance*, USA

64. Anna Keuchen, Germany

65. Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*,
USA

66. Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*,
Indypendent*, USA

67. Ina Kelleher, USA

68. Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-
Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA

69. Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA

70. Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen's University)*,
Canada

71. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity
Campaign*, Scotland

72. Agnes Kueng, Pas-Basel*, Switzerland

73. Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA

74. Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands

75. Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands

76. Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Israel, The Netherlands

77. Sandra Tamari, USA

78. Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA

79. J'Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA

80. Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*,
USA

81. Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task
Group of United Church of Canada*, Canada

82. Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*,
France

83. Sylvia Schwarz, USA

84. Alexandra Safi, Germany

85. Abdullah Anar, Green Party - Turkey*, Turkey

86. Ted Auerbach, USA

87. Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA

88. Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA

89. Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

90. Emma Grigore, CodePink*, USA

91. Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim
Progressives*, USA

92. Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice
Center*, USA

93. Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA

94. Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA

95. Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA

96. Hanan Tabbara, USA

97. Marina Barakatt, CodePink*, USA

98. Keren Bariyov, USA

99. Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black - Vienna*,
Austria

100. Ann Cunningham, Australia

101. Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*,
USA

102. Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for
Peace*, USA

103. Athena Viscusi, USA

104. Marc-Viscusi, USA

105. Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA

106. Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA

107. Ellen Graves, USA

108. Zoe Lawlor, Ireland - Palestine Solidarity
Campaign*, Ireland

109. Miguel Garcia Grassot, Al Quds - Malaga*, Spain

110. Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza
Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain

111. Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada

112. David Heap, London Anti-War*, Canada

113. Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*,
England

114. Aimee Shalan, UK

115. Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-
Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain

116. Priscilla Lynch, USA

117. Jenna Bitar, USA

118. Deborah Mardon, USA

119. Becky Thompson, USA

120. Diane Hereford, USA

121. David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada

122. Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights*, Canada

123. Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*,
Canada

124. Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights-UBC*, Canada

125. Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights-UBC*, Canada

126. Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France

127. Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India

128. John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA

129. Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal

130. Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the
War (NYCLAW)

131. Labor For Palestine

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