[Peace] Fwd: ICAHD-USA: Urgent Message from Jeff Halper

[Belden Fields]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: ICAHD-USA <campaign at icahdusa.org>
> Date: September 8, 2008 11:15:16 AM CDT
> To: a-fields at uiuc.edu
> Subject: ICAHD-USA: Urgent Message from Jeff Halper
> Reply-To: campaign at icahdusa.org
>
>
>
> The S.S. Liberty arrives at port in Gaza
>
> "What we've done shows that people can do what governments should  
> have done. If people stand up against injustice, we can truly be  
> the conscience of the world."  --Jeff Halper
>
> Dear Belden,
>
> We write to you at this time to both CELEBRATE the historic voyage  
> of 44 international activists to Gaza and, at the same time, inform  
> you of some DIFFICULT NEWS about the future of ICAHD:
>
> As you know, ICAHD Director Jeff Halper, our partner on numerous  
> educational and Palestinian home rebuilding projects, was one of 44  
> activists from 17 nations who successfully sailed from Cyprus to  
> Gaza aboard two fishing boats in defiance of Israel's blockade.   
> The group was met by 40,000 "joyous Gazans."  Jeff and the others  
> brought with them 200 hearing aids; the main aim of the symbolic  
> blockade-busting action was to publicize the plight of the people  
> in this besieged territory.  As the only Israeli Jew on this  
> historic challenge to Israel's blockade, Jeff was arrested and  
> spent the night in an Israeli jail upon his return, where he tells  
> us he was protected from threatening Israeli right-wingers by his  
> Palestinian cellmates.  He still faces possible indictment. In his  
> latest communication, he describes how "reaching Gaza and leaving  
> has created a free and regular channel between Gaza and the outside  
> world.  It has ... forced the Israeli government to make a clear  
> policy declaration that it is not occupying Gaza and therefore will  
> not prevent the free movement of Palestinians in and out (at least  
> by sea)."
>
> To read more details about Jeff's experience and about the Free  
> Gaza effort, go to our website at www.icahdusa.org or visit the  
> ICAHD website at www.icahd.org.
>
> Unfortunately, right before this historic boat ride, ICAHD was  
> informed that they had lost their funding from the European Union,  
> funding essential to their operations.  Here is an excerpt from  
> Jeff Halper's email to us:
>
> We have just heard that our request for re-funding has been  
> rejected, in high probability because of pressure brought to bear  
> by right-wing Israeli neo-cons who have campaigned obsessively  
> against our funding while threatening publicly to close us down.
>
> So we now face a real crisis.
>
> That said, those who want us "gone" make a mistake in assuming that  
> we will close if our funding is withdrawn.  Our plan is to keep the  
> office open and retain two staff; I will work on a voluntary basis  
> until the financial picture improves.
>
> We continue to be very grateful for the support we've received from  
> the ICAHD-USA community; your contributions have been an important  
> supplement to the EU funding, allowing us to launch the  
> Constructing Peace Campaign.  Now we are turning to you for help;  
> we must work together to preserve ICAHD's position as a leader in  
> the Israeli peace movement.
>
>  I promise you, no matter what, ICAHD will not be silenced.
>
> We obviously want to help Jeff and ICAHD honor this critically  
> important promise.  As the board of ICAHD-USA, we have pledged to  
> raise at least $30,000 in the next couple of months.  Here is what  
> we have planned.
>
> First, we have invited Jeff to the States for a fall tour.  As you  
> know, Jeff's tours are one of the primary ways that we educate  
> people in the U.S. and build support for our joint work.  A tour at  
> this critical time will both serve the educational mission of our  
> two organizations and help raise desperately needed financial  
> support for ICAHD's work.
>
> Second, we are reaching out to you.  Our plan is raise money with  
> both this email appeal as well as a letter we are sending out  
> through the regular mail.  We will grant what we raise to ICAHD to  
> support our joint educational and house building efforts.   
> Individual board members have agreed to match what you give in  
> response to this specific appeal dollar for dollar.
>
> It is not our custom to send urgent appeals and we wish we didn't  
> have to now.  All of us appreciate how generous you have been with  
> both your moral and financial support in the past.  At this  
> critical time, we're asking you to consider making another  
> thoughtful and generous donation to get us to the $30,000 goal.  If  
> you have given ICAHD-USA $25 in the past, consider whether you  
> might be able to double that amount.  If you have given $50, or  
> $100, or $250, please also consider doubling, increasing, or  
> repeating that gift now.  Whatever you can give, at whatever level,  
> will be deeply appreciated.  Keep in mind that your gift will have  
> twice the punch, as we will match your giving dollar for dollar.
>
> We, along with Jeff, promise you that ICAHD will not be silenced.   
> Together, we will continue to be a loud and persistent voice for  
> justice.
>
> For a strong ICAHD supported by both a strong ICAHD-USA family and  
> a strong will to carry on,
> the ICAHD-USA Board
>
> Betsy Barlow
> Marc Braverman
> Hassan Fouda
> John Hickox
> Jack Holtzman
> Jennifer Loewenstein
> Dave Neunuebel
> Tom Stern
> Wafa Shami
> Mary Lou Smith
>
>
> Forward email
>
> This email was sent to a-fields at uiuc.edu by campaign at icahdusa.org.
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