The Palestinian national political parties, the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) and civil society organizations call for a demonstration to protest against the request of the Palestinian Authority to postpone the vote at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva regarding the report of the Fact Finding Mission. This mission was led by Judge Richard Goldstone, and its subsequent report highlighted Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war on Gaza, and recommended that Israel be referred to the International Criminal Court.
Date: October 5 2009
Time: Noon time
Place: The gathering for the demonstration will be at the Orthodox Club in Ramallah. The demonstration will march to Al Manara central square in Ramallah.
STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE PALESTINIAN GRASSROOTS ANTI-APARTHEID WALL CAMPAIGN
Against the postponement of the vote on the Goldstone Report
The Palestinian Grassroots Anti Apartheid Wall Campaign denounces the irresponsible action of the Palestinian ambassador to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and his request to postpone voting on the Goldstone Report.
This report forms a decisive and unequivocal condemnation of Israel, accusing it of serious war crimes, to the level of crimes against humanity, during its barbaric assault on the Gaza Strip and recommends that Israel be referred to the International Criminal Court.
This irresponsible action is detrimental to the interests of our people, their rights and their struggle. It denies justice to the sacrifices of our people and the blood of our martyrs. It is a slap in the face of all those who stand in solidarity with our peopleâs struggle for justice, and all of the human rights organizations and institutions which have mobilized their forces to hold Israel accountable for its massacres and violations of Palestinian rights. In order to stop Israel from being a state outside the rule of law, it has to stand trial in front of an international court and face boycotts, divestments and sanctions.
As such, postponement of the vote is not excusable under any pretext and will deepen the current internal division between the people and the current leadership. It is a blow to our peopleâs struggle and legitimizes the practice of the international community not to punish the crimes of the Occupation, while giving a green light for additional crimes and massacres.
We demand that the Palestinian leadership and the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization take up their responsibilities. We also demand the formation of a committee to investigate what happened, as well as an entity that guarantees accountability to the people and make the results of the investigation known to the general public. At the same time we demand that all political forces and all national and grassroots institutions step up their struggle and continue to pressure the Occupation in all international and regional forums, recognizing it as practicing the ugliest forms of colonialism and racism.
We call on all of our people, political forces and their representative institutions to express their refusal of this position, which is alien to the traditions and ethics of our peopleâs struggle.