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    EAPPI UK & Ireland - August 2015

 

PLEASE TAKE URGENT ACTION!
PALESTINE & ISRAEL

This urgent action alert has been sent to you by the UK and Ireland office of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

Dear Friends,

Many of you joined in our recent urgent action alert to prevent the demolition of the village of Susiya in the West Bank. Following huge international pressure, the Israeli authorities announced at the end of July that they would indefinitely delay the demolition and forced displacement of all of Susiya's residents. This shows the impact all of us can have when we work together to put pressure on our elected representatives. 


That pressure is now needed again, and just as urgently. 

While international attention has been focused on Susiya, the Israeli authorities have ramped up demolitions and forced displacements elsewhere in violation of international law. A sudden surge of demolitions across the West Bank has seen 167 Palestinians - including 101 children - left homeless in the last two weeks in temperatures of over 40°C. For some of them this is the second time since 2013 they have lost their homes to demolitions.

With plans quickly advancing to forcibly transfer over 7,000 Palestinians to make way for the expansion of settlements, the Israeli government shows no signs of slowing down its demolition policy.

If we can bring about the same pressure that led to the delay in demolitions in Susiya, we may be able to prevent more Palestinian families from facing the cruel reality of forced displacement and homelessness.

Please write to your Member of Parliament or TD asking them to raise your concerns with the government and take action. You can use the template email or letter below to contact your elected representative.

For more information, you can read this joint statement released today by EAPPI UK & Ireland and other faith and aid agencies, including our partners Christian Aid, Pax Christi, QPSW and Trocaire.

You may also be interested to read this editorial from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz - West Bank demolitions are not law enforcement but expulsions.


Thank you, as ever, for your support.
_______________________________________________


If you are in Ireland, please ask your TD to write to the Foreign Minister in the template below. You can find your TD’s email or postal address by clicking here
 
If you are in the UK, please ask your MP to write to the Foreign Secretary in the template below. You can find your MP’s email or postal address by clicking here
 
Please amend the template below as appropriate. Please also add your home address to your email or letter as MPs and TDs are only required to take action on correspondence from their own constituents. Thank you.
________________________________________________

Dear [name of elected representative],

I am contacting you as your constituent to ask that you write to the [Foreign Minister/Foreign Secretary] urgently to express my deep concern about the sudden surge in demolitions and forced displacement of Palestinians by the Israeli authorities that has taken place across the West Bank in the last two weeks.

On Monday morning (August 17), demolitions around East Jerusalem left 75 Palestinians – including 48 children – homeless. According to the UN, this is the largest number of Palestinians to be forcibly displaced in the West Bank in one day for nearly three years.

And on Tuesday (August 18), demolitions in the village of Fasayil in the Jordan Valley left 48 Palestinians – including 38 children – homeless in temperatures of over 40°C. For most of the affected families, this is the second time since 2013 they have lost their homes to demolitions.

These are just two examples of demolitions that have taken place during this recent surge in violation of international law. In total 167 Palestinians – including 101 children – have been left homeless across the West Bank in the last 13 days.

With plans quickly advancing to forcibly transfer over 7,000 Palestinians to make way for the expansion of settlements, the Israeli government shows no signs of slowing down its demolition policy.

The United Nations and the international community has clearly stated that this policy is both against international law and an impediment to the two-state solution.

The same international pressure – including from the UK, UN, US and EU – that led to the successful delay of recent plans to demolish the village of Susiya now needs to brought to bear again to prevent further Palestinian families from facing the cruel reality of illegal forced displacement and homelessness. 

I would therefore be grateful if you could write urgently to the [Foreign Minister/ Foreign Secretary] to raise my concerns and ask that the [UK/Ireland] issue a public statement and call directly on the Israeli government to immediately freeze all settlement activity and demolition orders, and cancel all transfer plans.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name and address]

_______________________________________________

For more information about the work of this World Council of Churches programme, please visit the EAPPI International website. To follow EAPPI UK & Ireland's work, find us on twitter and facebook or visit our blog and website.


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