Silencing Palestinians, Demo Assembly Info, Organise Now Photo:Home demolition n Al-Walaja - Feb 2024 The sponsors of Saturday’s march ask that we redouble our efforts to maintain pressure on the British government. It must be called to account for its complicity in violations of international law. Our demand is to stop the arms trade and for there to be an immediate ceasefire. Saturday’s march will follow a new route which starts in Parliament Square and from there goes to Hyde Park where there will be a rally. Do join ICAHD UK as our supporters assemble at 12 noon with the Jewish bloc outside the Ministry of Defence on Whitehall by the Alanbrooke statue near the Cenotaph. The marches are peaceful and safe. They attract people of all ages and backgrounds who are united in their call for an inclusive, just and peaceful world where people are treated with dignity. Photos: London 13 April 2024 - S Philps Organise. Act. Now! "We are winning … get organized; don´t be discouraged!" We often feel helpless, so little we can do. But we are the majority, the people on the side of life, of freedom, against colonialism, apartheid, racism. We must organise better to match the colonial powers with all their money, arms, profits, lies and media. When we organise better - with more people - we force our leaders to change their politics. Small groups of committed citizens can change the world, we know that! Don’t be alone. Organise, be active! We are the stronger part. Palestine is winning, Israel is losing. Truth is winning, lies are losing. Our solidarity is winning. Organise. Act. Now! Here is an example of a recent post that illustrates how Israeli authorities aim to make life so difficult for Palestinians that they give up and leave, moving to another location where life is easier for them. The locations listed below are all within East Jerusalem where Israel seeks to change the demographics with Palestinians leaving (moving into area A, the high population centres in the West Bank, or moving out of Palestine altogether to another country) to then replace them with more Israeli Jews moving into East Jerusalem. DEMOLITION UPDATES: Palestinian families forced to self-demolish agricultural and livelihood structures for lacking an Israeli-issued building permit. On 16 April 2024, in Al 'Isawiya, a family was forced to self-demolish a grocery store they owned. The shop was built 14 years ago and was the family's only source of income. As a result, a family of three, including a child was affected. According to the family, they received the first demolition order before Ramadan, however, the Israeli forces raided the store several times during Ramadan and verbally threatened the family to demolish the shop or they would have to pay heavy fines. The same day, a Palestinian family was forced to self-demolish an agricultural structure they owned in Shu'fat. The demolition affected a family of six, including four children. Also, that day personnel from the Jerusalem municipality along with Israeli forces sealed off, with iron chains, a bakery and a supermarket in Beit Hanina. As a result, a family of seven was directly affected. During the incident, goods and equipment were confiscated. On 17 April 2024, a family was forced to self-demolish two animal-related structures in Beit Hanina. As a result, a family of four, including two children was affected. The demolished structures were built following a previous demolition that took place in the same location in December 2023. Follow ICAHD UK on Facebook . Silencing Palestinians Photo: Screenshot from video of Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian at Jerusalem District Court - Ahmad Darawsheh X Account Following the business section of ICAHD UK’s Annual General Meeting for our members on 13^th April, we heard from Jeff Halper and then Lubna Masarwa, each speaking to us from Jerusalem. Lubna is a Palestinian journalist, political feminist activist, and Bureau Chief of Middle East Eye in Israel and Palestine. She gave examples of Palestinians who have been arrested, lost their places at university, or fired from their jobs all for speaking out against Israel’s war on Gaza. In some cases, it was for simply putting a post critical of the Israeli government on social media. A painful example that we been following is that of Palestinian Prof Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, who holds both Israeli and U.S. citizenship. She was dismissed from her post at the Hebrew University, then reinstated but soon arrested by the Israeli police force. According to her family, while in detention Nadera was shackled and subjected to severe interrogation under torture for hours, incarcerated in a freezing, urine and cockroach-infested cell, prevented from sleeping, yelled at and intimidated, and denied essential medication. In court, the judge concluded that her arrest was unlawful, much to the distain of the Israeli police under Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security. Though released, Nadera has been called for further police interrogation behind closed doors and without legal representation. We await the outcome. A summary of Nadera’s case and how this is about silencing critical voices at Israeli universities was published in this Mondoweiss article, 'Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian and the ‘liquidation of all untruths’ , on 24^th April 2024. Pressure Your MP Photo: London demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament - ICAHD Our political representatives need to be reminded that they work for us. It is their duty to represent our voices, our concerns, and our demands for justice. Keep flooding them with letters that call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the arms trade. Since May 2015, the UK has licensedover £472m worth of arms to Israel. This includes licences covering components for aircraft, helicopters, drones, bombs, missiles, military technology, armoured vehicles, tanks, ammunition, and small arms. One of the most significant UK arms exports to Israel in the context of the current violations against civilians, is Britain’s contribution to the US F-35 stealth combat aircraft which Israel is currently using to bombard Gaza. In an open letter , three former supreme court justices are among the now more than 1000 lawyers, academics and retired senior judges warning that the UK government is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel. Upholding the rule of law should be fundamental to those who govern the UK. Demand accountability. Tuesday, 30^th April – CAMPAIN march from Lambeth Palace to Church House meet at 4pm at the Garden Café, part of the Lambeth Palace estate Saturday, 19th October 2024 – ICAHD UK Annual Conference - from 10.00am to 4.00pm (times TBC). Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP. Details to be announced but note the date in your diary From all at ICAHD UK. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Israeli-Committee-Against-House-Demolitions-UK/366423593418140 Facebook https://www.twitter.com/ICAHDUK/ Twitter http://icahduk.org Website mailto:info@icahduk.org Email Newsletter - April 2024 * Saturday’s National Demonstration * Message from Mads Gilbert * Home Demolitions Surge * Silencing Palestinians * Pressure MPs * Dates for Your Diary If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please join us (https://icahd.org/join-us/) to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history. National Demonstration for Palestine The Israeli army is ready and poised to go into Rafah and awaits the greenlight to proceed with the genocide. Having killed more than 34,000 Gazans, injured in excess of 77,000 and demolished 70% of the homes, Israel has also destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure which includes systematically dismantling the health care system. The war crimes and this manmade humanitarian catastrophe affects each Gazan. Dr Mads Gilbert Ethnic Cleansing Continues With most focus on what is happening in Gaza, Israeli authorities press on with its steady ethnic cleaning in other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This year, within the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel has demolished more than 370 Palestinian homes and structures vital for living. Those who follow us on ICAHD’s Facebook pages know that our posts provide regular updates about these demolitions. Contact your MP here Dates for Your Diary Saturday, 27^th April – National March for Palestine – central London 3 – 11 May – We Are Not Numbers, Bringing Voices of Palestine to London. P21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton St, London NW1 1JD. Full details here Saturday, 18^th May – National Palestine Nakba Day Demonstration – central London. Details to follow 4 – 14 November – ICAHD Recommended Study Tour to Palestine/Israel. Details here Many thanks for your ongong support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please join us (https://icahd.org/join-us/) or make a donation (https://icahd.org/donate-now/) to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history. — ICAHD (icahd.org) /newsletter/silencing-palestinians-demo-assembly-info-organise-now