CINDY CORRIE, via Libby Lenkinski
Exactly seven years ago (March 16, 2003), Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American, was killed by an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer while attempting to protect a Palestinian home in Gaza from demolition. Her mother Cindy and other family members are now in Israel, where they have filed a civil suit charging the Israeli government with unlawfully killing her.
The webpage RachelCorrieFoundation.org features updates on the trial, which began last week, background on Rachel and information about vigils around the U.S. today.
For more background, see interviews on Democracy Now, CNN International and an interview with Rachel two days before she was killed.
JAMAL JUMA’
Coordinator of the Stop the Wall campaign, Juma’ was recently held without charge at an Israeli interrogation facility for 27 days; Amnesty International released a statement welcoming his release.
While many have focused on Israel’s announcement of more settlement building on occupied Palestinian land during Vice President Joe Biden’s recent trip, Juma’ points to an escalation of Israeli repression of nonviolent activists.
He recently wrote in the Christian Science Monitor: “Israel has taken this opportunity to crack down on Palestinians who advocate nonviolent protests against the Israeli West Bank segregation barrier and charged them based on questionable or false evidence.
“I know: I was arrested for talking too much. All we Palestinians want is a life free from racial discrimination.
“During 2009, 89 peaceful apartheid wall protesters were arrested; since January, more than 40 have been arrested.”
On Tuesday, Amira Hass reported in Haaretz: “The Israel Defense Forces yesterday designated Bil’in and Na’alin as closed military areas every Friday until mid-August, in a bid to halt the weekly demonstrations against the separation fence in those West Bank villages.”
See an interview with Juma’ by The Real News at: “Israeli repression wave targets activists.”
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
