Human Rights: 'Welcome to Palestine'

Important updates from Palestine...

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(BETHLEHEM) - It was one of the busiest (with little sleep) period in our lives but perhaps one of the most productive. As the July 9-16 "Welcome to Palestine" July Campaign came to an end (see below for call to a press conference), we are mostly grateful for the volunteers around the world who put in so much time and their own money to make this such a remarkable success. We promise you to do even bigger and better campaigns in the months to come until Palestine is free. Below the press release are three other relevant items.

But as always, you are always Welcome to Palestine.

Invitation to Concluding Press Conference from the "Welcome to Palestine" Campaign 12 pm (noon) on Monday, July 18th, Alternative Information Center (AIC), Queen Shlomzion Street 4, Jerusalem In response to a Palestinian invitation, hundreds of international visitors reserved flights to Ben Gurion airport for July 8th.

The Israeli government did everything in its power to stop them, including pressuring seven commercial European airline companies into abruptly canceling a huge number of the flight reservations.

The Israeli authorities detained and then deported en masse those who did arrive in Tel Aviv.

Only a few dozen international guests were finally able to come to Palestine and only after overcoming many obstacles: for example, Vivienne Prozsolt from Australia, who was with the Freedom Flotilla II, flew from Athens, was detained, but unexpectedly prevailed in her court appeal against the deportation.

The international guests who did get through to us participated in a week of fellowship and solidarity from July 8th until July 16th.

The organizers of "Welcome to Palestine" invite you to a press conference to review our accomplishments, despite the massive Israeli government obstructions, and to discuss future directions for international solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Speakers in Jerusalem:
- Lubna Masarwa, leading organizer who worked with both the flotilla to Gaza
and with "Welcome to Palestine"
- Vivienne Prozsolt, of Sidney, Australia, a member of Jews against the
Occupation and international guest of "Welcome to Palestine"
- Shireen Al-Araj, activist from Al-Walaja, who organized and accompanied
the visitors who were with us in Palestine July 8th-16th
- Sergio Yahni, media coordinator at Alternative Information Center

Speakers available via Skype-Video:

- Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, of Beit Sahour near Bethlehem, professor of genetics
and author, and co-organizer of "Welcome to Palestine"
- International organizers of "Welcome to Palestine," including, among
others, Elsa Rassbach of Germany and Karin Pally of USA
"This was not the first or the last project we, civil society in Palestine,
do to shed light on the illegality of occupation and colonization," says Dr.
Mazin Qumsiyeh of Bethlehem, a leading organizer of the initiative.  "More
and more people are becoming aware, and our next projects will build on this
momentum until Palestine is free."
Laura Durkay of New York, who was detained at Ben Gurion airport on July 8th
and then jailed and deported says: "Everyone I have spoken to has come back
to their home countries more determined than ever to continue the struggle
for Palestinian freedom and equal rights."

Media Contacts:
GENERAL: info@palestinejn.org
JERUSALEM: Sergio Yahni, sergioyahni@gmail.com, +972(0)526375032
BETHLEHEM: Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, mazin@qumsiyeh.org, +972(0)598939532 (English
and Arabic), and Fadi Kattan (French)press.welcometopalestine2@gmail.com
+970 (0) 595 754 100
FRANCE:  Nicolas Shahshahani, bienvenuepalestine@orange.fr +33(0)1 42 94 39
94 and +33(0)673 38 24 84
GERMANY: Sophia Deeg,  sophia_deeg@yahoo.de, +49(0)88
007761,+49(0)1799878414 and Elsa Rassbach (contact information below)
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
INTERNATIONAL Media Coordinator: Elsa Rassbach, elsarassbach@gmail.com, +49
(0) 30 326 01540 or +49 (0) 170 738 1450 Skype: elsarassbach

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In good news, public pressure is mounting on politicians to do something about the uncontrolled media empire built by extremist Zionist Rupert Murdoch. The illegality and arrogance of phone hacking is just the tip of the iceberg. What is left of independent media should investigate how this empire grew and all the other immoral and ilelgal behavior including vilifying Muslims and Arabs to benefit the apartheid racist state of Israel.

Good Editorial from the (Jewish daily) Forward Magazine: We can't say this
http://forward.com/articles/139822/

Action: Call 202-647-4000 and email acseurope@state.gov the US State
Department about the unreasonable and ilelgal isolation of the US boat to
Gaza (dubvbed "the Audacity of Hope"). Tell them that 3 people are still
enduring the inhumane, dangerous conditions on the boat (Regina Carey, Ann
Wright, Jenny Linnell).

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. Those are just a small list, visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.

Americans for a Stronger Israel