National M.E.Ch.A. Endorses Palestinian Boycott Call Against Israel

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National M.E.Ch.A Endorses BDS!

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On the Web at: http://sjpalestine.com/?p=614

National M.E.Ch.A. Endorses Palestinian Boycott Call Against Israel

Latin@ Groups Across US Take Historic Stand at 19th Annual Conference; Decision Announced on National César Chávez Day

March 30, 2012 — At the 18th annual national conference of M.E.Ch.A. (Movímíento Estudíantíl Chícan@ de Aztlán), the largest association of Latin@ youth in the US, chapter leaders voted by a landslide decision to endorse the global call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) on Israel, due to its military occupation and settlement of Palestine.

The announcement that M.E.Ch.A. chapter leaders endorsed BDS comes on the coinciding international observances of “César Chávez Day” and “Land Day,” commemorating ongoing civil rights and anti-colonial struggles for Latin@s and Palestinians. The chapter delegations (including some 600 delegates) met in Phoenix, AZ, last weekend, the site of the very first M.E.Ch.A. conference in 1993.

The local ASU M.E.Ch.A. chapter, who hosted the conference this year, was the first to endorse the BDS call prior to the conference. Before M.E.Ch.A. could endorse BDS at a national level, ASU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) President, Lina Bearat, attended an ASU M.E.Ch.A meeting to discuss BDS and ask for their endorsement. Without that crucial vote of endorsement and support from ASU M.E.Ch.A. prior to the conference, ASU SJP could not have been able to ask for the endorsement of BDS by the national M.E.Ch.A. ASU SJP was also required to hold a workshop on BDS to educate the national members on the issue. Erin McGough, ASU SJP member, had the opportunity to discuss and hold a workshop on BDS at the national M.E.Ch.A. conference. The University of Arizona SJP collaborated with ASU, in all, on three educational workshops on Palestine given at the conference.

“Palestina 101,” a workshop run by ASU SJP Vice President, Aman Aberra, discussed the history and current situation in Palestine, as well as US involvement and complicity in Israel’s crimes and how the attendees could get involved in supporting justice in Palestine. “Conexiones Concretas/Concrete Connections,” run by Gabriel M Schivone of UofA SJP, discussed cross-border analyses — ranging from both walls to cultural attacks on Palestinian/Latin@ ethnic studies by the US and Israel — and provided prospects for cross-movement building between both struggles. Member representatives also distributed “A Plea from a Mexican-Palestinian and Chicano-Jew to National M.E.Ch.A.,” by Yasmine A. Moreno Yatim and Schivone, UofA SJP coordinators, urging the conference to adopt BDS.

Beyond ASU and UofA, some of the schools where M.E.Ch.A.s and Latin@ groups have ongoing cross-movement relationships with SJPs and Palestine solidarity groups include The Evergreen State College, University of New Mexico, Brown University, University of Illinois – Chicago, and UCLA.

The decades-old legacy of M.E.Ch.A. stretches back to the late 1960s US Civil Rights Movement. M.E.Ch.A. has traditionally supported intertwining struggles such as opposing police brutality and the US war on Vietnam.

This year, Land Day marks the 36th anniversary of the massacre by Israeli soldiers killing unarmed Palestinians citizens of Israel whom protested the illegal expropriation of Palestinian land. Like his Palestinian counterparts, Chicano civil rights leader, César Chávez, led boycotts and strikes for the rights of farmworkers — including the “Salad Bowl Strike,” the largest farmworker strike in US history — that inspired waves of social movements in the US.

In July 2005, more than 170 Palestinian civil society organizations created the BDS call, a year after the historic ruling by the United Nation’s International Court of Justice condemning Israel’s illegal apartheid wall and reminding the international community of its obligation to pressure Israel to end its prolonged occupation and illegal settlement of Palestinian lands. Together, these civil societies — from Arizona to Palestine — are working towards one goal of fighting oppression and resisting everyday injustice.

Contacts:

Lina Bearat -ASU SJP President

602-528-5124, Lbearat@asu.edu

Shifa Al-Khatib -ASU SJP Media/PR

602-349-5524, shifa.alkhatib@gmail.com

Gabriel M Schivone -UofA SJP Co-coordinator

520-302-6006, gabrielm@email.arizona.edu

Rebecca Iliana -National M.E.Ch.A.

760-265-3880, Gomez_rl@yahoo.com

Tony Verdugo IV -ASU M.E.Ch.A.
623-225-3708, tverdugo@asu.edu

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From the University of Michigan to Northwestern U., Students Fast in Support of Hana Shalabi, Palestinian Prisoner and Hunger Striker --

"Students fast in support of Palestinian prisoner"

by Haley Goldberg, Daily News Editor

MICHIGAN DAILY

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus

March 30, 2012

At: http://michigandaily.com/news/safe-members-participate-hunger-strike

"As the clock struck 11 p.m. last night, plates of hummus, chicken, fattoush, pizza and cookies were placed atop the desks in room 2436 of Mason Hall, as 14 members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality hungrily dug into the spread after spending the last 23 hours participating in a hunger strike in honor of Hana Shalabi.

"In response to an international call for a day of hunger by one student at every American and European college, about 25 University student members of SAFE began a hunger strike at 12:01 a.m. yesterday to raise awareness for Shalabi, a Palestinian woman who was arrested and detained last month by Israeli forces without charge for allegedly supporting the Islamic Jihad militant group. In protest of the arrest, Shalabi began a hunger strike that lasted for 43 days, spurring movements for solidarity around the world.

"LSA senior Abbas Alawieh, education chair for SAFE, said the organization decided to participate in the hunger strike at its meeting on Wednesday night. While only one student was asked to participate, Alawieh said about 25 members agreed to strike.

"Members wore orange ribbons around their arms in solidarity of the international hunger strike, and Alawieh said the strike raised awareness for the more than 300 Palestinian prisoners being held without charge in Israeli prisons....

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"Four NU students fast in support of Palestinian prisoner"

By Paulina Firozi

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)

Friday, March 30, 2012

At:

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/campus/four-nu-students-fast-in-support-of-palestinian-prisoner-1.2722430

Four Northwestern students, along with students from other universities across the country, chose Thursday to go on a 24-hour hunger strike in support of Hana Shalabi, a Palestinian prisoner who had been on a hunger strike for 42 days.

Since her arrest by Israeli Occupying Forces at her home in Burquin, Jenin, Shalabi had been in administrative detention, or detention without a charge or trial, according to a prisoner report by the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

Plans were made Thursday to release Shalabi, which prompted the end of her hunger strike. Students had already made plans for their strike.

In October, Shalabi was released from two years in prison after being detained because of a prisoner exchange between the Israeli government and Hamas. One thousand and twenty-seven political prisoners from Palestine were later released reportedly in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, according to the prisoner report.

The four students represented NU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Weinberg sophomore Salek Khalid, Weinberg senior Natasha Singh, Weinberg freshman Serene Darwish and Weinberg sophomore Nouha Boundaoui were the four SJP students involved.

“I feel like on college campuses, solidarity is a really important thing,” Darwish said. “That’s how it started with South Africa — apartheid fell and we will get there with Palestine.”

Khalid said the students had heard of about 320 prisoners who are currently under administrative detention and that many of them have also been inspired to begin hunger strikes.

More than 30 universities including Harvard University and Columbia University have students who were involved in the one-day strike.

“When we got the call to action by organizers, we thought it was important for us to respond,” Khalid said. “It’s not just to raise awareness, but it’s an act to be presented to Hana’s family, that we stand with her and they are not alone....”

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"Divestment from Israel discussed at UM-Ann Arbor vice presidential debate"

"Divestment from Israel discussed at UM-Ann Arbor vice presidential debate"

ARAB AMERICAN NEWS
March 24-30, 2012
Page 17:

(Click on article to enlarge it)

Update:

The candidate who proposed expanding the student government's role in the divestment debate has just won the election.

Activists re-name a Paris street after Palestinian hunger striker Hana Shalabi:

(Click on images to enlarge them)

Activists re-name a Paris street after Palestinian hunger striker Hana Shalabi.

On YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwLPyVH62kM

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Boycott against Israel supported by the University of Regina Student Union (URSU):

"Actions called 'anti-Jewish' "

By Emma Graney

Regina Leader-Post (Canada)

March 19, 2012

At: http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Actions+called+anti+Jewish/6322260/story.html

"...Organized by the Regina Solidarity Group, IAW [Israeli Apartheid Week] included films, poetry readings and a lecture at the University of Regina, where the student union (URSU) voted at their February Annual General Meeting to support Palestinian rights through boycotts of Israel.

The motion was brought to the meeting by Students Against Israeli Apartheid, which, together with the Regina Solidarity Group, argues for boycotts, sanctions and divestments "as a means of pressuring Israel to comply with international and human rights law."

Paige Kezima, URSU spokeswoman, says the union will now be guided by the group to examine URSU investments and possibly introduce a boycott against Israeli academics....

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"URSU members pass motion to support call for Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions of Israel"

From the University of Regina Students' Union (URSU) Web site, at http://www.ursu.ca/ursu_media?n=2261

February 15, 2012

During its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, February 8th, the University of Regina Students' Union (URSU) passed a motion to join student organizations to support Palestinian rights. Although the motion touches on a contentious and controversial issue, the decision was made democratically and in accordance with the URSU procedures.

The motion was brought forward by a student, and was seconded, before members were invited to speak on the motion. After speakers, for and against the motion, were heard, a vote was taken, which resulted in a near unanimous decision to pass the motion.

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At the U.N.: Urgent call for the Release of Hana Shalabi, Palestinian woman prisoner on hunger strike

For weeks, the Michigan Daily has refused to allow any opinion piece calling for the release of Hana Shalabi, Palestinian woman kidnapped and held without charges by the Israeli government.

The Daily's Editor-in-Chief is Joseph Lichterman. His numbers at the Daily are: 734-418-4115 ( dial ext. 1251, or opt. 3). The Daily is the University of Michigan student newspaper.

Palestinian women join a march in Gaza City, March 8, 2012. Palestinian women rallied across Gaza and the West Bank on International Women's Day, calling for the release of a female prisoner on hunger strike in an Israeli jail.

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"ISRAEL: UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS EXPERT APPEALS FOR URGENT RELEASE OF PALESTINIAN WOMAN PRISONER ON HUNGER STRIKE"

14 March 2012

Source: United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)

At: http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/1bc734ce8088a190852579c1006dd138?OpenDocument

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, expressed deep worry regarding Hana Shalabi, a Palestinian woman currently detained by Israel who has been on hunger strike for nearly a month.

“The situation of Ms. Shalabi is morbid and life-threatening. This is an appeal to the conscience and to humanity and a desperate call to all of us,” Mr. Falk stressed, urging the international community to intervene on her behalf. “Israel ought to end its inhumane treatment of Ms. Shalabi. Release her immediately.”

The human rights expert noted that “Ms. Shalabi’s hunger strike is against Israel’s abusive use of detention without charges and the degrading and physically harsh treatment administered during her arrest, interrogation, and detention process.”

Ms. Shalabi was arrested on 16 February and has been on hunger strike since. “She is being held in solitary confinement. She has been treated inhumanely. In the presence of her family she was blindfolded and treated roughly by several of the 50 Israeli soldiers sent to arrest her, as was her brother who tried to protect her,” the United Nations Special Rapporteur said. He expressed further concern that Ms. Shalabi’s 65-year old mother and 67-year old father also committed themselves to a hunger strike on 23 February.

Mr. Falk denounced the silence to Ms. Shalabi’s fate in Israel and the international community, and called on the Israeli authorities not to continue to disregard its responsibilities under international law. “The abusive treatment of Palestinian prisoners by Israel remains a cause of grave concern and the international community must continue to raise its voice for those risking their own lives to end injustice,” Mr. Falk said.

Earlier this year, the independent expert twice appealed for the release of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who held a 66 day hunger strike protesting his humiliating detention and treatment by Israeli security forces, and his objection to Israel’s use of detention without charges. The Israeli authorities agreed to release him in mid-April.

Last February, during his latest mission* to the region, the Special Rapporteur focused on the Israeli practice of detaining Palestinians without charges. “The Government of Israel calls this ‘administrative detention,’ but it is more honestly termed detention without charges, or arbitrary detention,” he said.

Several experts on prison conditions consulted by the independent expert during his mission raised concerns regarding physical, verbal and psychological abuse; lack of access to proper medical treatment; medical neglect; widespread use of solitary confinement for extended periods; overcrowding and decrepit cells; and the lack of family visits.

At the end of his mission, Mr. Falk noted that Israel currently has approximately 300 Palestinians detained without charges. “I have requested information regarding each of these persons,” he said, “and I intend to follow up on each case and address this matter in my forthcoming report to the Human Rights Council,” due in June 2012. There are also an estimated 4,400 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

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(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s end-of-mission statement: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11846&LangID=E


In 2008, the UN Human Rights Council designated Richard Falk (United States of America) as the fifth Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The mandate was originally established in 1993 by the UN Commission on Human Rights. Learn more, log on to: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/countries/ps/mandate/index.htm

The Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative are calling for the release of Hana Shalabi, Palestinian woman imprisoned without charges by Israel:

On International Women's Day, the Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative issued a statement in support of the calls of the Coalition of Women for Peace to the Israeli authorities to immediately release Hana Shalabi.

They noted that Hana has been in administrative detention since February 16 and immediately began a hunger strike to protest her arrest. The Laureates called upon the Israeli government to heed the calls of the international community in eliminating the unlawful practice of administrative detention.

They also noted that over 300 Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel without charges or trials.

For details, see:

http://nobelwomensinitiative.org/2012/03/laureates-call-for-release-of-hana-shalabi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=laureates-call-for-release-of-hana-shalabi

See the Laureates' letter, below: