The Key to Peace: End the Occupation

'The Key to Peace' will be the theme of a protest march organised by the Wellington Palestine Group on Tuesday (20th) in response to what the Group describes as 'the wholesale disinformation about the massacre in Gaza being peddled by Israel's friends.'

The Group is asking protesters to bring old keys to the march to Parliament to represent the original Palestinian mass dispossession and expulsion from Palestine in 1948.

Group spokesperson, Serena Moran, says many Palestinians fled Israeli attacks in 1948 taking only the key to their front door with them.

"Over the decades since, the key has become a symbol for the now five million Palestinians who Israeli adamantly refuses to return home, despite United Nation's instructions,' Serena Moran says.

"Unfortunately the media concentration on the Israeli attacks on Gaza have ignored the fundamental reasons for conflict.  That is, eight out of ten people in Gaza own homes in what is now Israel.  Israel has destroyed most of those homes, never paid any compensation and never allowed the people back."

Serena Moran is also critical of the lack of media coverage of the growing Israeli settlements and occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

"Gaza is reported entirely out of context. This is probably Israel's greatest success.  The Israeli government, and its academic friends who write newspaper articles to be published here, have managed to isolate the media images of Palestinians from each other and from the history of the past 60 years."   

Ms Moran says taking issues out of context results in ceasefires being perceived as solutions, rather than a prelude to more conflict.

"Israel can't disarm and suppress the expelled or occupied Palestinians of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem for ever.  Nor can the Israelis ignore for ever the legitimate claims of the Palestinian refugees.  It is more than about time that Israel stopped posturing and accepted a just solution."

Protest March Details:

Tuesday 20 January 2009 - 12:00 Midday

Meet Cuba Mall (near Bucket Fountain)

March to Parliament

ends

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