Tell your friends and family.

Canada Palestine Association * Ad Hoc Committee to Defend Palestine * Canadian Union of Postal Workers * Pan Canadian Bil'in Solidarity Network

To endorse or for more information:

E-mail: shunpike@shunpiking.com * Tel: 902.477.0470

The demand to end the siege of Gaza, considered illegal and an act of collective punishment under international law, must be stepped up at this time. The siege was originally imposed in retaliation for the democratic election of Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, in the 2006 Palestinian elections.

With two more ships on their way towards Gaza with humanitarian aid for the besieged civilian population, the US-sponsored Netanyahu administration and its military is not wasting time in hatching a new strategy to stop them. Once again, the plan calls for violence and possibly more loss of life. "Next time we'll use more force," a top Naval commander told the Jerusalem Post. "We will have to come prepared in the future as if it was a war."

(Max Blumenthal, "The Flotilla Raid Was Not 'Bungled.' The IDF Detailed Its Violent Strategy In Advance," MaxBlumenthal.com)

In the face of this new challenge, we shall move forward from the successful GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION of June 5th with the one response we can offer: unity in action.

The Friday Picket provides a converging point for Haligonians to voice their solidarity, demonstrate to the public that it is Israel which is isolated, discuss the developments, and introduce friends and family to action.

The Friday Picket stands in solidarity with the weekly Friday demonstrations in the Occupied West Bank - in the Palestinian villages of Bil'in and Ni'ilin, and Nabi Salah in the Ramallah area, and in East Jerusalem (Shiekh Jarrah) against the illegal attempts to forcibly "Judaize" their neighbourhoods and expel the indigenous population from their homes. (http://www.bilin-village.org/english/)

Moreover, the US, EU, UN and Russia -- representatives of which form the self-appointed "Quartet" that dictates the terms of the eternal "peace process" -- are hatching yet another plan aimed at creating what they label a "state," which will in fact be a formalization of the current Palestinian ghettos, or Bantustans, undermining basic Palestinian rights.

The heroic resistance of the long suffering Palestinian people and the international opposition to Israel's criminal blockade of Gaza and the crimes against humanity it is committing against the Palestinian people has achieved major success:

- the indefinite opening by Egypt of the Rafah Crossing which de facto acknowledges the failure of the siege of Gaza;

- the commitment on Monday by Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that his government was prepared to supply the Gaza Strip with "everything it needs";

- Nicaragua, Turkey and South Africa recalled their ambassadors from Israel;

- Venezuela and Cuba reaffirmed their stance against the "state-terrorism" of the Israeli government, differentiating between the Israeli and Jewish people, and the actions and policies of their government;

- Norway confirmed an arms embargo of Israel and called others to follow suit;

 

- Swedish and South African port workers vowed to block Israeli cargo;

- Britain's largest trade union, Unite, unanimously passed a motion in support of BDS;

- Pixies and Gorillaz Sound Systems cancelled their respective concerts in Israel.

Now is the time for all of us to come together, invite friends and join in, standing shoulder to shoulder against the criminal attacks of Israel on the Palestinian people and all those who support their just cause.