Mads Gilbert supporting winter rebuild

Mads Gilbert endorses our winter rebuilding campaign, plus important dates and events coming up for 2015...

We hope you have had a relaxing break, and a chance to recuperate before starting this new year. Looking back at 2014, it has been a painful reminder of the relevance of our cause - as more than 18,500 structures were demolished in this year alone. So for us we are moving full speed ahead into a busy 2015 campaigning for a just and sustainable peace in Israel/Palestine. There is much work to be done.

Read on to find out some of our plans for the year, and the exciting news of how Mads Gilbert, with the aid of the Norwegian public, have helped turn our current rebuilding campaign around!

- A Palestinian woman having her ID checked at a demonstration on Dec 27th, following the killing of Palestinian Authority minister Ziad Abu Ein by Israeli forces. Source: @Yousef_Palestine via Christian Peacemakers team.

We now only have one week to go for our fundraising campaign to rebuild a home in Anata this winter, and we really need your help.

If everybody reading this gave £10, we’d have reached our target! Or even just giving £5 (the cost of a bag of cement) plus sending this request on to 3 friends would be beneficial. Our humble target is less than £15,000, which will cover all materials, labour and operations of a two-week final build. This house with then provide a home to a family of 7, who after being denied a building permit (for their pre-1967 family abode), were forced to demolish their previous home in front of their children.

- Children from the family gathered around rubble left from their former home in Anata.

The foundations have already been laid in preparation for our annual rebuilding camp last summer, losing us time and money when the camp had to be scrapped due to Gaza coming under an unprecedented attack (with the grossly misleading title of ‘Operation Protective Edge’). Yet we will not give up. This rebuild - ICAHD’s 188^th to date - will be yet another powerful demonstration of resistance to the Occupation. We will continue to stand with Palestinians who have lost their homes and their livelihoods.

Dr Gilbert plans to continue this humanitarian work despite last year being banned from returning, indefinitely denied reentrance by the Israeli government. His activism has included regular reporting from hospitals, documenting health-related atrocities in Palestine and the OPT, accusing Israel of “state terrorism at the highest levels” which no doubt have led to his being considered a ‘security risk’.

Mads Gilbert talking about why he chose ICAHD: in order to provoke a "change of opinion in politics in order to end the occupation and oppression of Palestine and its people". He acknowledges "a large number of important and respectable solidarity organisations working for the Palestinian people, but ICAHD leads a very brave-focused and concrete movement focusing on fundamental human rights and justice for ordinary but occupied and chased Palestinians".

Upon news of this award, we have additionally been notified that an anonymous donor has pledged to match this funding in the hope that this will encourage others to do the same. Can you support us or do you know anyone who can?

- ICAHD UK receiving a cheque from Market Harborough supporters.

Perhaps your organisation / church / community could pledge to support and raise money for ICAHD UK this year?

to arrange this.

WHEN: Saturday May 30th - 10am - 5pm WHAT: ICAHD UK AGM and Spring conference

- David Rosenburg leading a Radical East End tour.