Scoop Images: Palestine Israel Rally for Peace

Images Of Palestine/Israel Rally for Peace 2 June 2001, Aotea Square .

There will be a rally the first Saturday of every month 1-2pm Aotea Square.

The rally was organised by the Palestinian Human Rights Campaign with speakers from the Campaign group as well as Students for Justice in Palestine, Socialist Workers Organisation and the Communist Party.

Other groups present included members of Arabs at Green Bay, the Water Pressure Group and members of the Auckanld Palestinian community.

A stable crowd of 60 attended with interest from passers by on route to the Aotea Square Market Day.

The Palestinian Human Rights Campaign called on the people of Auckland to support Justice and Peace in Palestine/Israel based on

1. Removal of Israeli Occupation

2. Right of return of refugees

3. Sharing Jerusalem

4. Cessation of Jewish only settlements in occupied Palestine

They also called on the Government to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel as part of an international call to isolate Israel diplomatically because of its non-compliance with the fourth Geneva convention, UN resolutions and international law. The New Zealand Government was urged to not be caught out diplomatically as it was with East Timor.

Clarke was criticised for having congratulated Ariel Sharon, for his election earlier this year. Sharon is considered to be a war criminal by many present at the rally. Clarke reportedly explained this away by saying it was normal diplomatic procedure. The campaign believed that "congratulations" was an inappropriate response for a figure widely associated with human rights abuses.

Human rights abuses in Palestine documented in recent UN and Amnesty International reports since the latest uprising include

- 511 Palestinian deaths, 32.4% of which were children under 18 years, 52.8 % were not involved in demonstrations or clashes. 24 of the 511 were assassinations.

- 14,300 Palestinians have been injured and 70% of injuries were to the upper body and permanent disabilities are estimated at 2,500.

- Attacks on emergency medial personnel, services and hospitals

- 72 journalists shot or beaten to death by Israeli soldiers

- Isolation of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the Gaza strip with closures (checkpoints, trenches built around towns and villages) and curfews. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip are often completely sealed off, prohibiting safe passage between the two areas in contravention of the Oslo Accord (1993 and 1995)

- extensive property damage by Israeli forces through use of tanks, helicopter gunships, jet fighter bombers, heavy machine gun fire, dynamiting and bulldozing of villages for Israeli settlement

- many schools closed, disrupted, shelled and fired upon and even turned into military barracks. 42 Palestinian students killed in the first two months.

For more information you can call

David Wakim 09 5200201(Palestine Human Rights Campaign)

Tuma Hazou 473 8677 (Palestine Human Rights Campaign)

Zaeem Baksh zeebee001@hotmail.com (Students for Justice in Palestine).

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