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Australia ICC Palestine investigation

16 February 2020

The Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) calls upon the Australian Government to support international justice and accountability and withdraw its request to intervene at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On Friday 14 February, the Australian Government filed a request to intervene in proceedings at the ICC, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute grave crimes in Palestine.

ACIJ Director, Ms Rawan Arraf said:

“This position undermines Australia’s commitment to uphold and promote accountability and international justice on the global stage.

“The position of the Australian Government is unprecedented. This kind of direct engagement in an international court process simply does not make sense. Why is Australia going out of its way to hold back an investigation into Palestine?

“Australia has always been a strong supporter of accountability and the fight to end impunity. It should not stop now and it should withdraw its request.

“The ICC is a court of last resort for international crimes. In situations of chronic impunity, Australia must support accountability processes and not intervene to block attempts to conduct a proper investigation.

“In a broader context where the ICC is facing a critical point in its history, Australia should support universal ratification for the ICC and ensure it provides access to justice for all peoples, without discrimination.

“Australia must support the rule of law and pursue a policy that values human rights and upholds international justice and accountability. Australia should support a full and proper investigation by the ICC into allegations of grave crimes in Palestine.

“This is not just some academic exercise on questions of law. There are real victims and ongoing grave crimes which impact enormously on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people who are denied justice and dignity.”

END

Background:

On 20 December 2019, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), concluded a long running 5-year preliminary examination into the ‘Situation in Palestine’

On conclusion, the ICC Prosecutor found that there is a reasonable basis to start an formal investigation into the Situation in Palestine

The Prosecutor found there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been, or are being, committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip by members of the Israel Defense Forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and members of the Israeli authorities

Prior to initiating a formal investigation the ICC Prosecutor requested the Pre-Trial Chamber rule on the scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction

The Prosecutor is seeking judicial confirmation that the territory, over which the ICC may exercise its jurisdiction, comprises the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), that is the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber made an order on 28 January 2020, for interested parties, includes States, persons and organisations, to seek leave to file ‘amicus curiae’ observations by 14 February 2020

Australia is one of only six States Parties who filed requests to intervene and provide observations, including: Germany, Hungary, Austria, Brazil and the Czech Republic

There are 123 countries which are States Parties of the Rome Statute of the ICC

On 2 January 2015, Palestine became a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC under article 12(1)

On 29 November 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded Palestine’s observer status in the General Assembly to that of a non-member state, affirming its status as a State

For media enquiries contact Rawan Arraf on +61(0) 450 708 870.

Amal is only a green girl who emerged from the ashes of a homeland in a Phoenician nest a long time ago. Fates brought her onto a slope of a moment that burns with impossible dreams in a tumult of darkness that flourishes with tragedies. She is still devoting her life to chastity, playing on the flute of her hoarse sadness her cloudy radiances, and still swaying on the edges of a holy drop that is brimful with the pulse of a beam that is called "life!"

She fell in love with music and singing; she learned how to play the violin when the fingers of her childhood bloomed on the strings and musical scales. The school songs and hymns dallied with her throat, which chanted with the school chorus till her presence was donned with compulsory absence for years only to reappear in the choral of the Palestinian Jawqat al-Karawan / The Cuckoo Chorus!

Her matured feet fell deeply in love with the heritage of folk dancing; her sea steps had a watery flavor that dance with the shadows of a youth that is filled with elegance in a Dabka folk dancing group, in addition to scout activities and many other activities that fill a soul of a young girl that jumps voraciously to life!

As for the taste of extensive reading and stories and novels, there have been flights of desire that land on her breaths to the level of Sufism and worship since her eyes were connected with the ladders of letter decoding; the hidden pen in her pants and under her pillow has had a clank that talks to her whenever the drizzle of its pulse decreased in its whiteness; it would open its fiery mouth, drawling its magic, as if it urged her to embrace it whenever the places became narrow for it, and whenever it became thirsty to her wine. She would fly with it in the heavens of her floods; when she sobers up, she would tear what she had written and the threads that she has woven out of her passion to erase every trace that allows the other to realize what is boiling in her soul, and because literature has a lofty place and great awe, she feared to encroach upon it or push herself into a fix, from which she would not have salvation.

After secondary school, the period of her exile from her shining childhood started. The snowy rooms of her university studies robbed her of the fire of her activity, and consequently, the responsibilities of marriage, family and her teaching job occupied her, and her main role became exclusive to a new stage - building another lovable world to her, which is far from her and very close to her- the family in its whole large responsibility, and at the same time, and under the fascination of motherhood, a crazy passion for giving grew in her, despite the tenderness and cruelty of life; the incense of memories was filled with her pride, and saturated her with the perfume of the fleeing childhood.

Between the eyelashes of her days and the pillows of her nights, Amal toured in the depth of a barrenness that has no borders of emptiness; once she is taken by a nap of lethargy in exploring the past, and once she wakes up from the amazed shell of her feelings; soon the age-old gap between the I, the other, and the universe; between the buffoonery of loss that roars disturbance and the unquenched flaming cups of the inns of sins, while homeland is lying in sighs of pain that squeeze a hope from the orchards of the impossible!

The bitter sweetness of the transparency of reality nor did the festivals of life succeed in crucifying her on the pillars of the theatres and stadia of life; she silently and quietly took refuge in the cave of the alphabet, and secluded herself in it like a hermit, possessed by the magic of meditation, where she could select meteors of letters that sparkle with ripeness, and that were about to fall accidentally into the crematory of pain, or the temptations of the roads were likely to throw burning pebbles at her, but she tried to pick with the fingers of her imagination those stinging and burning letters in order to wet the passion of her tattooed aspirations with a sobbing of salvation that might come!

The gleams of faith waved in the purity of her souls frequently, clamouring with seasons of penetration and faces of beauty into a warm future; her breaths inscribed her an engraved and coded sigh onto a gravestone of a lifetime that chases her and escapes in her wakefulness, paying no attention to a side-glance that is crowded with sorrow.

"The Magic of Words" is my borrowed Oldman, the shepherd of my postponed waiting at the mouth of his green cave, guarding by his amulets and torches the arbors of my orchards when the vine leaves of my heart climbed my heart and robbed memory, and my emotional texts, which are accumulated on the shelves of unpicked spaces, and which the clusters of their face lineaments were dissolved onto the plates of innocence through the Net pages, in order to eternalize the wonder of silence that moved like the wind upon the shadows of seasons and lifetime, till a fertile gleam flashed into the laps of a masked cloud from whose gown Amal Awwad drizzled, and since then, Amal's hopes have been sparkling till now with the following works:

1.    Basma Lawziyya Tatawahhaj, (Poetry), 2005
2.    Salami Laka Mataran, (Poetry), 2007.
3.    Rihla ila Unwan Mafqud (Poetry), 2010
4.    Adamawzuki wa Tata'ashtarin (Poetry), 2015
5.    Ru'a (Essays) 2015.
6.    Hatfi Yatarama 'al Hudud Nazfi (Poetry readings in Amal Awwad Radwan (Poetry), 2012
7.    Sindyanat Nur Abuna Spiridon Awwad. (Prepared) by Amal Radwan. 2014.
8.    Amthal Tarweeha Qissas wa Hakaya. (Prepared) by Amal Radwan
9.    al-Ishraqa al-Mujannaha/ Lahzat al-Bayt al-Awwal min al-Qassida: Certificates to 131 poets from the Arab world. (Participation). Introduction by Cherbel Dagher. 2007
10.    Nawaris min al-Bahr al-Ba'id al-Qarib. Al-Mashhad al-Shi'ri al-Jadeed fi Falastin al-Muhtalla.
11.    Mahmoud Darwish / Surat al-Sha'ir bi 'Uyun Falastiniyya Khadra' 2008.

Books about Amal's poetry:
1.    Min A'maq al-Qawl – Qira'ah Naqdiyya fi Shi'r Amaal Awwad Radwan. By Critic: Abd al-Majid Amir Atmizah/ Manshurat Mawaqif.2013.
2.    Kitab bi al-Lugha al-Farisiyya: Ba'idan 'an al-Qarib. Beh Dor Az Qaywq. Amal Awwad Radwan. Preparation and Translation by: Kamal al-Nassari. 2014
3.    Kitab Istintaq al-Nass al-Shi'ri (Amal Radwan Unmothajan). By Alwan al-Salman. Printed by: al-Jazira, 2105.

•    Her poetry has been translated into several languages including: English, Italian, Romanian, French, Persian, and Kurdish.
•    Her book Basma Lawziyya Tatawahhaj was translated into French by: Farah Souames, Algeria.

Awards:
2008: She was awarded the title of: The poet of the Year 2008 at Forums that join the group of Poets with no Borders.
2011: She was awarded the Creativity Award in Poetry. Dar Ni'man li al-Thaqafa in its 9th Season.
2001: She was awarded the Shield of Diwan al-'Arab, for writing a large number of articles and high-level literary texts.
2013: She was granted The Woman's Award by Mu'assasat al-Muthaqqaf al-Arabi in Sidney, Australia, for her creative writings in the Press, and her press interviews about Palestine.
Forthcoming Books:
•    A book about the cultural scene among the Palestinians of 1948.
•    Six books that include reports about the literary scene among Palestinians of 1948.
•    The Green Cultural Scene: 48. Cultural Reports. (from 2006-2015).
Current Position: Editor of : alwasattoday:
http://www.alwasattoday.com/ar/culture/11193.html

سيرةٌ ذاتيّةٌ- آمال عوّاد رضوان/ فلسطين
آمال؛ ليست سوى طفلةٍ خضراءَ انبثقتْ مِن رمادِ وطن مسفوكٍ في عشٍّ فينيقيٍّ منذ أمدٍ بعيد!
أتتْ بها الأقدارُ، على منحنى لحظةٍ تتـّقدُ بأحلامٍ مستحيلةٍ، في لجّةِ عتمٍ يزدهرُ بالمآسي، وما فتئتْ تتبتـّلُ وتعزفُ بناي حُزْنِها المبحوحِ إشراقاتِها الغائمةَ، وما انفكّتْ تتهادى على حوافِّ قطرةٍ مقدَّسةٍ مفعمةٍ بنبضِ شعاعٍ، أسْمَوْهُ "الحياة"!
عشقتِ الموسيقى والغناء، فتعلّمتِ العزفَ على الكمانِ منذ تفتّحتْ أناملُ طفولتِها على الأوتار وسلالم الموسيقى، وقد داعبتْ الأناشيد المدرسيّةُ والتّرانيمُ حنجرتَها، فصدحتْ في جوقةِ المدرسةِ، إلى أنِ اتّشحَ حضورُها بالغيابِ القسريّ مدّة سنوات، لتعاودَ ظهورَها في كورال "جوقة الكروان" الفلسطينيّة!
كم عشقتْ أقدامُها المعتّقةُ بالتّراثِ الرّقصَ الشّعبيّ، وكانَ لخطواتِها البحريّةِ نكهةً مائيّةً تراقصُ ظلالَ شبابٍ طافحٍ بالرّشاقةِ في فرقةِ دبكةٍ شعبيّةٍ، إضافةً إلى نشاطاتٍ كشفيّةٍ وأخرى عديدة، تزخرُ بها روحُ فتاةٍ تتقفّزُ نهمًا للحياة!
أمّا لمذاقِ المطالعةِ والقصصِ والرّواياتِ فكانَت أسرابُ شهوةٍ؛ تحُطُّ فوقَ أنفاسِها حدَّ التّصوّفِ والتّعبّد، منذُ أن تعلّقتْ عيناها بسلالم فكِّ الحروفِ، وكانَ للقلمِ المخفيِّ في جيبِ سترتِها وتحتَ وسادتِها صليلٌ يُناكفُها، كلّما شحَّ رذاذُ نبضِهِ في بياضِها، فيفغرُ فاهَهُ النّاريَّ مُتشدِّقًا بسِحرِهِ، كأنّما يحثّها لاحتضانِهِ كلّما ضاقتْ بهِ الأمكنةُ، وكلّما تعطّشَ إلى خمْرِها، فتُحلّقُ به في سماواتِ فيوضِها، وما أن تصحُوَ مِن سكرتِها، حتّى تُمزّقَ ما خطّتْهُ ونسجَتْهُ مِن خيوطِ وجْدِها، لتمحوَ كلّ أثرٍ يُبيحُ للآخرَ أن يُدركَ ما يعتملُ في نفسِها، ولأنّ مكانةً سامقةً وأثرًا جمًّا ومهابةً للأدب، تخشى أن تتطاولَ إليهِ، أو تُقحمَ نفسَها في ورطةٍ لا خلاصَ منها.
ما بعدَ الفترةِ الثّانويّةِ حلّتْ مرحلةُ منفاها عن طفولتِها الزّاهيةِ، حينَ استلبتْها مخادعُ الدّراسةِ الجامعيّةِ الثّلجيّةِ مِن أجيجِ نشاطاتِها، ومِن ثمّ؛ تملّكتْها مسؤوليّاتُ الزّواجِ والأسرةِ ومهنة التّدريس، واقتصرَ دورُها الأساسيُّ على مرحلةٍ جديدةٍ؛ هو بناءُ عالمٍ محبّبٍ آخر بعيدًا عنها قريبًا جدًّا منها، الأسرةُ بكاملِ مسؤوليّاتِها الجمّةِ، وفي الوقتِ ذاتِهِ وبفعل سحر الأمومةِ، نما في قلبِها عشقٌ جنونيٌّ للعطاءِ، رغمَ طراوةِ الحياةِ وقسوتِها، وكانَ بخورُ الذّكرياتِ يعبقُ بكبريائِها، ويُمرّغُها بعطرِ الطّفولةِ الهاربةِ!
ما بينَ رموشِ نهاراتِها ووسائدِ لياليها، ساحتْ آمال في عُمقِ بُوارٍ لا يَحدُّهُ خواء، تارةً، تأخذُها سنّةٌ مِن سباتٍ في استسقاءِ الماضي، وتارةً، تستفيقُ مِن قوقعةِ أحاسيسِها الذّاهلةِ، حينَ تهزُّها الفجوةُ الدّهريّةُ بينَ الأنا والآخر والكون، وبينَ مجونِ الضّياعِ المُزمجرِ فتنةً، وبينَ حاناتِ الخطايا المشتعلة كؤوسُها بلا ارتواء، والوطنُ يرتعُ في شهقاتِ ألمٍ تعتصرُ أملاً مِن كرومِ المستحيل!
لم تفلحْ شفافيّةُ الواقعِ المُرّ حلوُهُ، ولا مهرجاناتُ الحياةِ مِن صَلبِها على أعمدةِ مدرّجاتِ ومسارحِ الحياةِ، بل التجأت بصمتٍ وهدوءٍ إلى كهفِ الأبجديّةِ، واعتكفتْ فيهِ كناسكةٍ تحترفُها فتنةَ التـّأمـّلِ، حيثُ تصطفي نيازكَ حروفٍ متلألئةٍ بالنّضوج، كادتْ تسقطُ سهوًا في محرقةِ الألمِ، أو كادتْ ترجُمها إغواءاتُ الدّروبِ بحصًى يتجمّر، لكنّها حاولتْ أن تلتقطَ بأناملِ خيالِها تلك الحروفَ اللاّسعةَ الكاويةَ، كي ترطّبَ وجدَ آمالِها الموشومةِ بنشيجِ خلاصٍ قد يأتي!
كم تماوجتْ في طُهرِ روحِها شعاعاتُ إيمانٍ، صاخبة بفصولِ التّوغّلِ وبوجوه الجمال في غدٍ دافئٍ، وكم نقشَتْها أنفاسُها تنهيدةً منحوتةً ومُشفّرةً، على شاهدةِ عمرٍ يلاحقُها، ويُولّي في صحْوتِهِ، ولا يلوي على التفاتةٍ تكتظُّ بالحسرة!
"سحر الكلمات" هو عجوزي المستعارُ، وراعي انتظاراتي المؤجّلةِ بفوّهةِ مغارتِهِ الخضراء، يحرسُ بتمائمِهِ ومشاعلِهِ عرائشَ كرومي، عندما تسلّقتْ عليها دوالي قلبي وذاكرتي المنهوبةُ، ونصوصي الوجدانيّةُ المكدّسةُ على رفوفِ فسحاتٍ تعذّرَ التقاطُها، وبعشوائيّةٍ لذيذةٍ انفرطتْ قطوفُ أساريرِها على أطباقِ البراءة عبْرَ صفحاتِ النّت، لتؤبّدَ دهشةَ صمتٍ عبَرَتْ كالرّيح، فوقَ ظلالِ الفصولِ والعمر، إلى أنْ كانتْ ومضةٌ مخصّبةٌ بأحضانِ سحابةٍ متنكِّرةٍ، تراذذتْ من جلبابِها "آمال عوّاد رضوان"، ومنذُها، وآمال لمّا تزل آمالُها حتّى اللّحظة تتلألأُ بـ :
*1- بسمةٌ لوزيّةٌ تتوهّج/ كتاب شعريّ/ آمال عواد رضوان/ عام 2005.
*2- سلامي لك مطرًا/ كتاب شعريّ/ آمال عواد رضوان/عام 2007.
*3- رحلةٌ إلى عنوانٍ مفقود/ كتاب شعريّ/ آمال عوّاد رضوان/ عام 2010.
*4- أُدَمْوِزُكِ وَتَتعَـشْتَرِين/ كتاب شعريّ/ آمال عوّاد رضوان/ عام 2015.
*5- كتاب رؤى/ مقالاتٌ اجتماعية ثقافية من مشاهد الحياة/ آمال عوّاد رضوان/ عام 2012.
*6- كتاب "حتفي يترامى على حدود نزفي"- قراءات شعرية في شعر آمال عواد رضوان 2013.
*7- سنديانة نور أبونا سبيريدون عواد/ إعداد آمال عوّاد رضوان/ عام 2014
*8- أمثال ترويها قصص وحكايا/ إعداد آمال عوّاد رضوان/ عام 2015
وبالمشاركة كانت الكتب التالية:
*9- الإشراقةُ المُجنّحةُ/ لحظة البيت الأوّل من القصيدة/ شهادات لـ 131 شاعر من العالم العربيّ/
تقديم د. شاربل داغر/ عام 2007
*10- نوارس مِن البحر البعيد القريب/ المشهد الشّعريّ الجديد في فلسطين المحتلة 1948/ عام 2008
*11- محمود درويش/ صورة الشّاعر بعيون فلسطينية خضراء عام 2008
صدرَ عن شعرها الكتب التالية:
*1- من أعماق القول- قراءة نقدية في شعر آمال عوّاد رضوان- الناقد: عبد المجيد عامر اطميزة/ منشورات مواقف- عام 2013.
*2- كتاب باللغة الفارسية: بَعِيدًا عَنِ الْقَارِبِ/ به دور از قايق/ آمال عوّاد رضوان/ إعداد وترجمة جَمَال النصاري/ عام 2014
*3- كتاب استنطاق النص الشعري (آمال عوّاد رضوان أنموذجًا)- المؤلف:علوان السلمان المطبعة: الجزيرة- 2015
إضافة إلى تراجم كثيرة لقصائدها باللغة الإنجليزية والطليانية والرومانيّة والفرنسية والفارسية والكرديّة.
*محررة الوسط اليوم الثقافي الشاعرة آمال عواد رضوان
http://www.alwasattoday.com/ar/culture/11193.html
الجوائز:
*عام 2008 حازت على لقب شاعر العام 2008 في منتديات تجمع شعراء بلا حدود.
*عام 2011 حازت على جائزة الإبداع في الشعر، من دار نعمان للثقافة، في قطاف موسمها التاسع.
*عام 2011 حازت على درع ديوان العرب، حيث قدمت الكثير من المقالات والنصوص الأدبية الراقية.
*وعام 2013 منحت مؤسسة المثقف العربي في سيدني الشاعرة آمال عواد رضوان جائزة المرأة لمناسبة يوم المرأة العالمي 2013 لابداعاتها في الصحافة والحوارات الصحفية عن دولة فلسطين.
وبصدد طباعة كتب جاهزة:
*كتاب (بسمة لوزيّة تتوهّج) مُترجَم للغة الفرنسيّة/ ترجمة فرح سوامس الجزائر
*كتاب خاص بالحوارات/ وستة كتب خاصة بالتقارير الثقافية حول المشهد الثقافي في الداخل
*ستة كتب (تقارير ثقافيّة) حول المشهد الثقافي الأخضر 48: من عام 2006 حتى عام 2015

Independent Catholic News

July 29, 2014

Description: Gaza: Catholic Church told to evacuate ahead of Israeli bombing | Holy Family Latin Church in Gaza , Israel, evacuation order

Holy Family Church, Gaza

The Holy Family Latin Church in Gaza has just received an evacuation order warning them that Israei is planning to bomb their neighbourhood tonight. In a message, a priest writes: " The church of Gaza has received an order to evacuate.. they will bomb the Zeitun area and the people are already fleeing. The problem is that the priest Fr George and the three nuns of Mother Teresa have 29 handicapped children and nine old ladies who can't move.

"How will they manage to leave?? If anyone can intercede with someone in power, and pray, please do it. We are trying.. may our impotence be taken up by his Omnipotence!!"

The House of Christ in Gaza, is a care home dedicated to looking after disabled children. The disabled children were removed from the care home into the Holy Family Church recently because Israel was targeting the area.

The parish appeal for prayers. [Already Two Churches and one Christian cemetery have been Partially Damaged].

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=25263

State of Palestine

Palestine Liberation Organization

Negotiation Affairs Department

30 July 2014

SPECIAL REPORT

GAZA UNDER FIRE

Israel's Criminal Assault on the Occupied State of Palestine

OVERVIEW:

The Israeli ground invasion in Gaza continued, injuring at least 7,110 people and taking the lives of over 1,269. Only since midnight 54 Palestinians were killed and 170 injured. The humanitarian crisis has been expanded all over Gaza, and mainly the eastern side that has been occupied by Israeli Forces (44% of the total size of the Gaza Strip). Effects of Israeli bombardments can be seen in the lack of access to basic services whereby for first time since the beginning of the latest Israeli aggression, all of the Gaza Strip Palestinians had their electricity and water systems interrupted, either completely or partially. Hospitals and medical centers continue to be targeted by Israeli forces as well as the Palestinian Civil Defense (firefighters). UN buildings sheltering refugees have been targeted, including the Jabalya Refugee Camp School were 15 people were killed and 190 injured. Once again Israel has targeted offices providing services to Palestinian and International media. Over 240,000 people have been forcibly displaced[1].

Statistics of 23 Days of Israeli Aggression Against the Gaza Strip[2]

July 8th 00:00 AM – July 30rd 12:00 PM

· Palestinians killed – 1269 (up until midnight, 287 were children and 57 elderly).

· Palestinians Injured – 7,110 (up until midnight, 2164 were children and 282 elderly).

· Demolished Structures[3]: 2333

· Partially Demolished Structures[4]: 2080

· Damaged Homes[5]: 23,160.

· Schools Damaged –133

· Damaged Hospitals and Health Centers – 13 hospitals and 10 PHC clinics were damaged, 34 health facilities were closed, 12 ambulances were damaged, and 38 health personnel injured, 2 pharmacists, 3 paramedics, 1 assistant pharmacist, 1 Labs and blood bank manager. 1 nurse and 1 administration manager died after Israeli airstrikes

· Attacks against Religious Sites – Eight mosques destroyed; 80 mosques partially damaged. Two Churches and one Christian cemetery have been Partially Damaged.

· Over 240,000 people have been displaced –1,700,000 people (all the population of the Gaza Strip) have been affected by

the destruction of electricity, water and waste water infrastructures.

Israeli disregard to the lives of Palestinians have resulted in the killing of hundreds. Instead of learning from previous experiences, some countries gave green light to Israeli forces to bombard and invade the Gaza Strip. The international community has the legal and moral responsibility to protect the Palestinian population living under Israeli occupation and to hold Israel accountable regarding its severe violations of the international humanitarian law. Lack of accountability will continue to fuel Israeli atrocities and crimes. Lack of international action will continue to increase the list of people killed.

[1] The number is believed to be higher since it counts mainly people requesting the UN of humanitarian support. There are also civil society and church organizations hosting internally displaced people.

[2] Sources: Palestine Monitoring Group and Palestinian Government Media Center

[3] Updated July 28th

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid

This is an open letter from representatives of the international volunteers and staff members, the friends, supporters and foundation of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin to the Israeli security apparatus including the Shabak, the IDF and Israeli Police.

After the attack on The Freedom Theatre's office and multimedia centre, during which you arrested our head technician Adnan Naghnaghiye and Bilal Saadi, the chairperson of The Freedom Theatre Board in Jenin; and after you have for two weeks refused Adnan and Bilaal access to a lawyer, treated them inhumanely and denied them their basic human rights, and after the arrest of our acting student Rami Hwayel, we hereby state:

We encourage all efforts to find whoever is responsible for the brutal murder of Juliano Mer Khamis and we are deeply concerned over the fact that the murderer has not yet been found. Nevertheless we reject the inhumane methods that you apply in investigating the murder. The Freedom Theatre has been seriously damaged by your actions which have further implanted fear and trauma not only among our students and employees but also into the very society we aim to empower.

By acting the way that you act you have once again proved to the residents of Jenin refugee camp as well as to the outside world that the only methods you know are the ones involving violence, terror and fear. We in The Freedom Theatre have nothing to conceal regarding the murder of Juliano Mer Khamis.

We have made that very clear and we state it again that everyone in the theatre has given statements to the Palestinian Police when they were asked to do so and are willing to do so again.

No matter what harm you cause to us or the theatre, we will continue our struggle for individual and collective liberation. We have joined our comrades in Jenin Refugee Camp in their struggle for liberation using culture and non-violence in order to not only shake off the occupation that you keep the Palestinian people under, but also other forms of oppression that they are faced with.

We demand that our friends and colleagues who have been subjected to severe cases of human rights abuses will be treated with absolute respect for all their basic human rights according to international conventions, receive immediate access to their lawyer and be promptly released.

The international staff, friends and supporters of The Freedom Theatre as represented by:

Jacob Gough, acting general manager at The Freedom Theatre

Micaela Miranda, Pedagogical Director at The Freedom Theatre

Jonatan Stanczak, co-founder of The Freedom Theatre

Udi Aloni, film and theatre director at The Freedom Theatre

Dror Feiler, co-founder of The Freedom Theatre and board member of The Freedom Theatre Foundation

Jan Tiselius and Britt-Louise Tillbom, chairpersons of the Friends of The Freedom Theatre (Sweden)

Constancia Dinky Romilly, president, Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre (USA)

Mrs Zahia Oumakhlouf and Mrs Marie-José El-Haimer, co-presidents of The Friends of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin (France)

You can also make your voice heard!

Contact your local The Freedom Theatre friendship association, or contact The Freedom Theatre if you want to start a group in your own country.

For more information on local groups: http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/support-friend.php

or contact us at: info@thefreedomtheatre.org

( 6thJuly 2011)

Slavery has gone and Palestinian people still under the severity and the violence of the Israeli occupation intending continuously to execute our national Palestinian identity and our legitimate rights . Our initiative comes from the strong belonging to a holy Palestinian land and from our deep faith in freedom as a part of this free world where human rights prevail This initiative intends to gather and mobilize all world liberals in favor of our stolen historical right to create a worldwide public pushing situation to support the independent Palestinian state on the 4th of June 1967 borders and its capital east Jerusalem in conformity with the UN

resolutions 181,242

Nations have been agreeing since the establishment of the first international organization on the safeguarding of the humanitarian dignity , promoting peace and protecting the self determination right, but we are

still facing the Israeli arrogance protected by the American veto that refuses our right to establish our independent sovereign state.

For this we call all the world liberals to support this Palestinian dream by participating in the first public pushing movements marches on the 6th of July 2011 in front of the American embassies all over the world protesting the American policy and the damper president Obama's speech on 19th May in which he is denying his promise that was on the 23rd of September 2010 before the general assembly about the full membership of the Palestine in the United Nation The public pushing movements will continue in the United States and the rest of the world countries till the State deserving.

Together to freedom All for a Palestinian state and ending the occupation … on this land what deserves to live for."

Coordinating Committee and the briefing to the global youth initiative to support a Palestinian state

Ahmed arar / 00972598702035

Moaz al-Tllaa/ 00972599950596

Youssef Nouri,/ 00972599187031

Khalil al-Wazir/ 00972599930030

Selim Al-agha /00972599602803

Ibrahim al-Tllaa/ 00972599248347

Email:

international.youth.initiative@gmail.com

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