Local Groups and individuals write Open Letter to Jewish Federation and sponsors of Food For Thought Festival asking that the Celebration of Israeli Independence Day event be separated from Oregon Food Bank benefit.

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Written by Peter Miller Peter Miller

Published: 19 April 2013 19 April 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Groups and individuals write Open Letter to Jewish Federation and sponsors of Food For Thought Festival asking that the Celebration of Israeli Independence Day event be separated from Oregon Food Bank benefit.

PORTLAND, OR (April 18, 2013) - Seven Oregon religious and human rights organizations and seventy-nine individuals yesterday issued An Open Letter to the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. The letter calls on the Federation to disassociate its planned Celebration of Israeli Independence Day from a four-day Food for Thought Event intended to raise food donations for the Oregon Food Bank.  The letter applauds the Federation for taking action to address food insecurity in Oregon, but goes on to say: “We find it troubling, however, that the Food For Thought Festival culminates with a Celebration of Israeli Independence Day, because the Israeli government is responsible for serious food insecurity among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”

The organizations signing the letter are: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Cascadia Chapter of Pacific Green Party, Christ’s Way Church of Portland, Friends of Sabeel Portland Action Group, Jewish Voice for Peace – Portland, Oregon Muslim Citizens Association, Peace Action Group First Unitarian Church.  The seventy-nine individuals include doctors, lawyers, and church leaders.

The letter notes that the Israeli government has imposed a siege on Gaza since 2005, resulting in an increase in malnutrition among children and causing food insecurity among two-thirds of Gaza's 1.5 million residents, according to the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Food. In view of this, the letter also requests sponsoring organizations of the food event to ask the Federation to disassociate the Food For Thought Festival from the Celebration of Israeli Independence Day.

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PSU Conference: Palestine, Imperialism and the New Middle East: The Arab Spring Two Years On

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Written by Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER) Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER)

Published: 18 April 2013 18 April 2013

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER)
invites you to attend a two-day conference


Palestine, Imperialism and the New Middle East:
The Arab Spring Two Years On


April 27th and 28th, 2013
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 
Smith Memorial Student Union, registration begins at 9am.
Room 333 (Saturday), Room 294 (Sunday)

The Arab Revolutions of 2011 rocked the world. Starting in Tunisia and Egypt and spreading to Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria, millions of ordinary people took to the streets and occupied their workplaces, challenging dictatorial regimes that had ruled for decades. The revolutions reshaped the geopolitics of the region, forcing the U.S. to adjust its strategy in an effort to maintain its hold and setting regional powers jostling for stronger positions in the emerging order. Democratic aspirations of the masses are reinforcing regional solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, setting Israel on edge. Successful boycott and divestment campaigns in the U.S. are changing the discourse surrounding Palestine. However, the conditions of Israeli occupation, apartheid and siege in the West Bank, Israel and Gaza continue to worsen. 

Read more: PSU Conference: Palestine, Imperialism and the New Middle East: The Arab Spring Two Years On

John Kerry: Two years left to reach two-state solution in Middle East peace process

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Written by Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem

Published: 18 April 2013 18 April 2013

US secretary of state tells House foreign affairs committee that 'window for a two-state solution is shutting' after 'years of failure'

John Kerry, US secretary of state, testifies on Capitol Hill. 'They’re all worried about the timing,' he told the foreign affairs committee. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

The chance to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel will be lost within one to two years, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, has said following his third visit to the region as part of a mission to revive the defunct peace process.

The high-level acknowledgement that the prospects of a "two-state solution" to the 65-year conflict are rapidly diminishing came in evidence to the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.

"I believe the window for a two-state solution is shutting," the secretary of state said. "I think we have some period of time – a year to year-and-a-half to two years, or it's over."

He added: "Everybody I talk to in the region and all of the supporters globally who care … want us to move forward on a peace effort. They're all worried about the timing here. So there's an urgency to this, in my mind, and I intend, on behalf of the president's instructions, to honour that urgency and see what we can do to move forward."

Read more: John Kerry: Two years left to reach two-state solution in Middle East peace process

Call Your Senator to Oppose the U.S. Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013

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Written by US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Published: 16 April 2013 16 April 2013

Call Your Senator to Oppose the U.S. Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013

If passed, the Senate version of the US Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 would codify Israel's discrimination against U.S. citizens, particularly Arab-Americans and people who work in support of Palestinian human rights.  It would also give Israel additional access to weapons stockpiles and designate Israel a 'major strategic partner,'  Sen. Wyden is currently 1 of 20 co-sponsors of this legislation - please call his office and urge him to withdraw his co-sponsorship.  Please also call Sen. Merkley and thank him for not cosponsoring.

Sen. Merkley DC Office # -- 202-224-3753  -- Message: Thank you for not co-sponsoring the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 (S. 462).  I urge you to publicly oppose any effort to codify Israel's discriminatory practic es into U.S. law.

Sen. Wyden DC Office  # -- 202-224-5244 -- Talking points below. 

Talking points for Sen. Wyden:

1.  American citizens deserve to travel without fear of being turned away based on their race, religion, or the countries they've visited.

2.  I strongly oppose any legislation that would codify Israel's systematic discrimination against Arab Americans and Americans working for Palestinian human rights. 

3.  This legislation could violate U.S. laws barring discrimination based on race, religion and ethnicity, and it would fundamentally undermine the U.S. government's call for the protection of all its citizens traveling abroad.

Letters to the editor and op-eds mentioning the Senator Wyden's name will also get the office's add pressure to withdraw support and be a shot acr oss the bow for Merkley and other senators in case they're considering co-sponrship.

The Guardian article is the best resource for people interested in more information: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/13/barbara-boxer-aipac-israel-discrimination

Here is a link to the action alert we sent when the legislation was introduced in case people also want to send emails: http://org.salsalabs.com/o/641/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12849

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