[GushShalom] Thursday morning Qualqilia, joint action against the wall

[Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)]

GUSH SHALOM  pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org

Thursday, July 31 - Gush Shalom will join the protest of the Qalqiliya 
inhabitants and international peace activists against The Wall.

When (and if) Qualqilia might soon be handed to Palestinian rule it does not 
make a difference for it's suffering strangulation from The Wall.


                       BREAKING THROUGH THE WALL
                                    
   Palestinian, Israeli, International Groups to Rally in Qalqiliya, 
                    Demand End to Separation Wall, 
                   Expose Realities in West Bank City

When:    10:00 AM, THURSDAY JULY 31, 2003 
Where:  Qalqiliya, West Bank
What:    Giant Balloon Banner Launch, March, Rally, Paint on Wall, 
Performances
Who:      Palestinians, Israelis, International Activists

Participating Organizations from Qalqiliya:
Palestine Red Crescent Society, Al-Amal Deaf Association, Palestine General 
Federation of Trade Unions, Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Farmer’s Union, 
State Information Services, Al-Quds Open University, National Institutions 
Office

Participating Organizations from Israel:
Gush Shalom, Kvisa Shchora (Black Laundry)

International Solidarity Movement

Palestinian residents and community organizations from Qalqiliya, Israeli 
Peace groups, and Human Rights activists with the International Solidarity 
Movement will come together to demonstrate against the Separation Wall, 
which is now surrounding Qalqiliya and which Israel is using to annex 10% 
of the Occupied West Bank, attack the Palestinian economy and civil life, and 
force Palestinians to abandon their land.

Palestinians and internationals will gather in Qalqiliya at 10:00 AM on 
Thursday and march with balloons, banners, and kites to the  Separation 
Wall, where art performances, a balloon launch, speeches, and a dramatic 
painting of the wall will take place.  Israeli groups will convene at the same 
point along the wall, on the opposite side.  Palestinian and Israeli groups will 
attempt to reach a point where they can see each other.  

A 6x4 meter banner reading “No Apartheid Wall “ in Arabic, Hebrew, and 
English will rise over the wall, lifted by giant helium balloons, in addition to 
smaller balloons carrying the names of Palestinian prisoners from Qalqiliya.  
The floating banner, escaping Qalqiliya, will send an urgent plea to the world 
on behalf of Palestinians throughout the West Bank imprisoned behind the 
Wall.  

The Separation Wall has laid siege to Qalqiliya’s population of 45,000, now 
isolated within concrete and barbed wire, severely limiting or preventing 
movement between Palestinian cities and villages.  The wall, which lies far 
inside the Green Line, has confiscated 35% the city’s arable land and 33% of 
the city’s water resources.  Qalqiliya, once known as the “bread basket” of 
the West Bank now faces dire food and water shortages while the 
settlements that surround it enjoy a rich supply of these resources.  The wall 
has torn apart the local economy, causing a sharp rise in unemployment and 
stifling business. 


EnglishPress Contact: 	
AdamKeller (Gush Shalom) 056-709603 
    (also for transportation from Tel-Aviv)
LisaBhungalia:  055 673 452  
(international:972-55-673-452) 

  Arabic Press Contact: 	   
Mohamed Qubaa:  054 379 876  
(international:  972-54-379-876)

Hebrew Press Contact:  
Adam Keller (Gush Shalom) 056-709603
    (also for transportation from Tel-Aviv)
Ady Ben-Israel  058 459 780  
(international:  972-58-459-780)



--
A map of the separation wall:

http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (òáøéú)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English)

--
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http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English)

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