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8. Juli: 'Welcome to Palestine" - Hundreds of Internationals and Hundreds of Palestinians Gear-up for July 8-16 activities [05.07.2011]

Some 40 Palestinian civil society organizations, popular resistance committees, and political factions announce the launching of the "Welcome to Palestine" initiative July 8-16 where hundreds of Internationals will work with hundreds of Palestinians for Peace. The hundreds of men, women, and children will arrive July 8 at the Lod Airport. The international community must recognize the basic human right to receive visitors from abroad and support the right of their own citizens to travel to Palestine without harassment. Where Israel works to isolate us, we invite all to join with us openly and proudly. We do not accept the attempts to keep us apart or to force us to speak less than with full honesty.

This July initiative comes in a planned series of events and follows similar events carried out in December under the slogan of "ending apartheid and ethnic cleansing." The week of activities starts on July 9 because that is the anniversary of the International Court of Justice ruling about the illegality of the Settlements and the apartheid wall in the occupied Palestinian Territories and the anniversary of the Palestinian Civil Society Call to Action: July 9 Ramallah area, July 10 Bethlehem area, July 11 North, July 12 Hebron and Jordan Valley, July 13 Neqab, July 14-15 Jerusalem.

The July "Welcome to Palestine" initiative will take participants (Palestinians and Internationals) to different parts of Palestine from the north to the Negev and highlight the power of nonviolence and peace building efforts. Visitors will be accommodated locally and will enjoy Palestinian hospitality and a program of networking, fellowship, and volunteer peace work in Palestinian towns and villages together with hundreds of local activists.

The full program of activities is available for credentialed media outlets. Volunteers and participants are needed and welcome. Some news stories that already appeared on this are linked below,

English articles and stories on the event

Challenging Racism by Israelis on Every Front
Activists Challenge Israel's Other Blockade by Air

Other related websites/links

Right to Enter
Palestine Justice Network
Bievenue en Palestine
Willkommen in Palästina am 8. Juli 2011

Press Contacts

PALESTINE: Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, mazin@qumsiyeh.org, +972(0)598939532
JERUSALEM: Sergio Yahni, sergioyahni@gmail.com, +972(0)526375032
FRANCE: Nicolas Shahshahani, bienvenuepalestine@orange.fr
GERMANY: Sophia Deeg, sophia_deeg@yahoo.de, +49(0)88 007761, +49(0)1799878414
UK: Sofiah MacLeod, secretary@scottishpsc.org.uk,+44(0)7931 200 36100, +44(0)131 620 0052
USA: Karin Pally, myizzy@gmail.com or kpally@earthlink.net, +1 310-399-1921

 (ts)

Ergänzende Links:
Kampagne "Willkommen in Palästina" - Friedlich für die Freiheit (qantara)
Berlin: Einladung, das Fly-In und die Gaza Freedom Flotilla live zu begleiten