The Wall – the Ongoing Nakba

Six years after the first mass protests started in the northern West Bank against the Apartheid Wall, Occupation bulldozers and military are targeting our land and people. We have continued to stand against the Wall, halting the construction works with our own hands, defending our land and mourning our latest martyrs – Ahmad Mousa (12 years) and Yousef Amira (17 years) – that have given their lives in the struggle against the Wall. We call on you to stand in solidarity:

Mobilize and raise your voice
during the Sixth Week against the Apartheid Wall,
November 9 – 16 2008.

TO SEE THE FULL CALL, CLICK HERE.

The call of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign and its popular committees for the Sixth Week against the Apartheid Wall is part of the national and international mobilization to mark the 60th year of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe), in which millions of Palestinians were either slaughtered or displaced by the Zionist militias and army.

1. Actions on the Ground – Programme organized by the National Committee to commemorate the Nakba

4. “The Wall – The Ongoing Nakba” campaign material for your activities

CALENDAR OF NATIONAL EVENTS – ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO COMMEMORATE THE NAKBA*

*The National Committee to Commemoration the Nakba is a national-level committee representing national movements and networks, including the Council of National and Islamic forces, the Global Palestine Right-of-Return Coalition, the Popular Committees and youth centres of the refugee camps all over Palestine, the Anti Apartheid Wall Campaign, Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), the Civic Coalition for the Defense of Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, the PLO Department for Refugee Affairs (DORA)

May 2008

May 1st

• Cultural events – Nablus: Presentation of films relating to the Nakba held at al-Najah University with the cooperation of the Yaffa Cultural Centre. Also, an oral documentation project will be held at the Yaffa Cultural Center.

May 2nd

• Awareness raising – National: Starting today and continuing on the 9th and 16th, Friday sermons will focus on the Nakba, its effects on the people and its ongoing nature. Done in collaboration with the Ministry of Awqaf.

May 3rd

• Education – National: Tamer Foundation to distribute educational brochures.
• Cultural event – Ramallah: 2008 Annual Right of Return Festival.
• Sport – Jenin, Nablus: Students in Jenin will participate in the Right of Return race. In Nablus, a community race will be held.
• Cultural event – Jenin: Photo exhibit.

May 5th

• Sit in – Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron: To take place in front of the UNWRA buildings.
• Cultural event – Gaza: Cultural presentation put on by the women’s center near al-Azhar University.
• Sport: Girls volleyball Right of Return Tournament begins today at the Samir Sa’ad al-Din school.

May 8th

• General strike – National: The general strikes will last from 12:00 – 13:00. Demonstrations and sit-ins planned in all districts.
• Central event – Bethlehem: The central demonstration will be accompanied by a festival that will consists of a number of events and presentations.
• Cultural and educational events – Ramallah: The Right of Return Camp will begin a run of daily lectures, the first of which is entitled: “Palestinian asylum: History and geography.” Today, the Return Camp also will begin to host a number of cultural events including: performances of dabka, readings of different types of poetry, and opening a gallery that will focus on Palestinian heritage and refugees. The Camp will also put on awareness raising programs and children’s activities. These cultural events will run from the 8th to the 17th of May.
• Sport – Jenin: Girls table tennis championships organized by the Women’s Center.
• Demonstration – 1948 Palestine: March for the collective right of return and the defense of the rights of the disposed.
• Cultural and sport events – Jericho: The ‘Aqbat Jabr Youth Center will host a photo exhibit and a talk on the Nakba as well as a children’s sports festival.

May 9th

• Education – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “Legal international resolutions.”

May 10th

• Education – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “Case scenarios to resolve the refugee issue.”
• Statement – National: Issuing the joint statement to: the General Assembly of the United Nation, Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Arab League and the Quartet.
• Cultural event – Bir Zeit: Beginning of a week of events centered on the heritage of Palestinian neighborhoods.
• Education – Jenin: Political symposium lead by the Jenin Youth Center.
• Cultural event – Salfit: Photo exhibit.
• Cultural events – Tulkarm: Nakba centered art exhibit and creation of a human chain.
• Demonstration – Jerusalem: March commemorating the destroyed villages will be held by the villages of Biddu and Beit ‘Anan. Marchers will be dressed in a united uniform.

May 11th

• Education – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “UNRWA and the High Commission for Refugees.”
• Education – Jericho: Talks on the Nakba at the ‘Aqbat Jabr Youth Center.

May 12th

• Education – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “Peace negotiations and the right of return.”
• Cultural events – Nablus: Popular poetry and presentations of different arts in the theatre at al-Najaah University. A photo exhibition focusing on the Nakba will also be held in cooperation with the Yaffa Cultural Center. The Hawwa Center will hold a political symposium.
• Cultural event – Jericho: ‘Aqbat Jabr Youth Center will present a number of plays.
• Education and demonstration – Tulkarm: Presentations on the Nakba as well as a children’s march will be held.
• Commemoration – Beit Sahour: A week of remembrance will begin for the neighborhoods destroyed during the Nakba.
• Art – National: Beginning today and lasting through June, sessions for children’s painting will be held in 10 camps across the West Bank.

May 13th

• Education – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “The Palestinian conflict and its effects on the right of return.”
• Demonstration – Tulkarm: Youth march will be held at noon.

May 14th

• Political and cultural events – Ramallah: A number of events will take place in Ramallah. The school heritage fair at Khalil Rahman School will be held, which will include theatre presentations about the Palestinian Nakba. In the Right of Return Camp, the daily lecture will be: “Activating the role of the popular defense of the right of return.” Educational material will also be distributed to school students at the camp, focusing on the issue of the ongoing Nakba. Abu Mazen is scheduled to give a speech at 17:00 in the Cultural Palace.
• Sport – Dheisheh to Aida camps: Right of Return marathon beginning in Dheisheh refugee camp and ending in the Aida camp. A banner will be set up in Aida and people will tell the story of the camp.
• Art – Bethlehem: Festival to be held in the refugee center.
• Education – National: In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, time is to be allotted to all schools for discussions about the Nakba on the 14th and 15th.
• Commemoration – National: In cooperation with the Patriarchate, church bells will be sounded from the 14th-16th across Palestine.
• Demonstration – Balata to Askar: March will be held between the two camps, ending with the placing of wreaths and flowers on the tombs of Iraqi army martyrs.
• Demonstration – Tulkarm: March to be held in cooperation with the Tamer Institution.

May 15th

• Political and cultural events – Ramallah: A number of events will take place in Ramallah. In the Right of Return Camp, the daily lecture will be: “Host countries for Palestinian refugees.” 10,000 CDs that deal with the towns and villages that were destroyed during the Nakba, along with maps, will be distributed from the Camp. 21,900 black balloons will be released in memory of the days of the Nakba and documentaries will be presented. A march and festival are scheduled for 12:00. Theatre presentations are scheduled to be held in the Cultural Palace.
• Central Event – Nablus: The central festival will take place in the center of the city. Events will also be organized for children.
• Demonstration – Jenin: A mass march will be held in Jenin.
• Demonstration – Salfit district: March and sit in at a checkpoint
• Demonstration – Qalqilya: March to be held at noon.
• Demonstration – Gaza: Central march
• Education – Jericho: Political symposium put on by the ‘Aqbat Jabr Youth Center
• Cultural event – Tulkarm: Cultural event focusing on the Nakba.
• Central events – Bethlehem district: Release of black balloons to commemorate the Nakba. Festival and rally will be held in Beit Sahour that will include tents exhibiting Palestinian food and cultural performances.

May 16th

• Education and sport – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “The refugee issue.” A right of return themed race will also be held at the Bani Zeid club.
• Demonstrations – National: Marches towards the central will be undertaken in collaboration with the Stop the Wall campaign.
• Sport – al-Bireh: 3rd Right of Return youth football championship.
• Children’s activities – National: The Tamer Foundation is organizing activities for children across historic Palestine and in Lebanon.

May 17th

• Education and demonstration – Ramallah: Right of Return Camp lecture: “How to use each of the one-state solution, two states with the right of return.” A candlelight march will begin at the Return Camp and end in the Amari refugee camp.
• Festival – Beit Anan: A festival for the commemoration of the Nakba will be held in Beit Anan in the Jerusalem district.
• Demonstration and festival – Salfit district: A festival commemorating the Nakba will be held in addition to a march to the Wall.

May 18th

• Sport – Qalqilya: Volleyball tournament.
• Political event – Jericho: The Aqabat Jabr Youth Center will hold an event to honor the families of the wounded, martyrs and prisoners.

May 22nd

• Media – Jericho district: An open forum will be held by TV Noor for people who lived through the Nakba.

May 23rd

• Sport – Jericho: Various sports activities.
• Presentation – Jenin: Stories will be told about the Nakba in the Youth Center.
• Demonstration – Qalqilya district : Sit in at the threatened village of Izbit at-Tabib.

May 24th

• Education – Jericho: A political symposium will be put on by the Aqabat Jabr Youth Center.

May 25th

• Education – Qalqilya: A political symposium will be held in the Qalqilya lounge.

May 26th

• Education – Jericho: A political symposium will be put on by the Aqabat Jabr Youth Center.

May 29th

• Cultural event – Bethlehem: International Artistic Heritage Festival to be held from the 29th until the 31st.

“THE WALL – THE ONGOING NAKBA” CAMPAIGN MATERIAL FOR YOUR ACTIVITIES

a) Factsheets:

Threatened Villages – Palestinian population centres between isolation and expulsion

78 Palestinian villages, neighbourhoods, communities and cities are threatened in their very existence by the isolation imposed on them via the construction of the Wall, the settlements and their infrastructure. Throughout the West Bank some 266,442 Palestinians are facing living conditions that soon will force them to abandon their homes and communities and to turn into refugees or internally displaced people. This fact sheet gives the basic information about this wave of forced expulsion at the hands of the Occupation.

To download the Fact Sheet, click here.

Fact Sheet: Apartheid in Palestine—Definition, History up to the Wall, and Tool for Mobilization

This fact sheet highlights the meaning of the term “Apartheid”, its different oppressive apparatus, and how Apartheid continues to take place in Palestine from its roots in a colonialist and racist project to today’s Apartheid Wall. The fact sheet looks at the policies of suppression, segregation, labour exploitation, expulsion, land control, humiliation and murder enacted by the Occupation that are: Apartheid in Palestine. The Wall is today the most evident expression of Israel’s Apartheid nature, aiming to complete the Bantustanization of Palestine and the Palestinian people.
DOWNLOAD THIS FACT SHEET IN ENGLISH [446K]

b) Reports:

Palestinian Towns and Villages: Between Isolation and Expulsion

This report draws on testimonies from Palestinians living all over the West Bank about their experiences living the ghettos created by the Israeli Occupation. In the course of our research, we have identified seventy-nine villages that are in a particularly critical situation, having been completely isolated by the infrastructure of apartheid. The level of restriction placed on these villages by the Occupation makes life within them socially and economically unsustainable. [MORE]

c) Powerpoints:

Apartheid in Palestine

October 21st, 2007 — An extensive PowerPoint presentation to download and use in your awareness raising events. It illustrates the racist separation and expulsion perpetrated by the Occupation all over Palestine and highlights how the Occupation’s policies in the West Bank and Gaza are mirrored inside the Green Line. (For SWF format, press here.) [MORE]

d) Posters:

Coming up soon.

e) The Memories of the land and its people:

Hajj Suleiman and his grandson: witnessing the ongoing Nakba

February 5th, 2008 — Osama ‘Amad Suleiman Hazahaza is seven years old and lives in the village of Far’un, south of Tulkarm. What is happening today to Osama’s family is sadly similar to the experiences of his grandfather, Hajj Suleiman, who was forcefully expelled from his home in the village of Qalansuwa in 1948 by armed Zionist gangs. Now, 60 years on, Osama too faces the threat of expulsion from his home. The Occupation has called for the demolition of his family home, ostensibly because it lacks the proper permit. [MORE]

“The Wall and the Occupation is taking every part of our life away from us, not just my land.”