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<DIV align=center><FONT size=6>Rete Artisti contro le guerre</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>English follow ...</DIV>
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<DIV>La Rete Artisti contro le guerre esprime la propria solidarietà agli
operatori di Pace dell'International Solidarity Movement in questo difficile
momento e si stringe con affetto vicino alla coraggiosa Neta Golan, che vive
sulla propria pelle un arresto del tutto ingiustificato.<BR><BR>Gaza è divenuta
nella realtà un campo di concentramento a cielo aperto per tutti i palestinesi,
che vi abitano. Espressione moderna del concetto di sopraffazione violenta di un
popolo. Sopraffazione perpetrata, a memoria di uomo, solo ad
Auschwitz.<BR><BR>Dopo l'impedimento dato al Nunzio Apostolico Vaticano nel
raggiungere Gaza per dire "Messa" e l'espulsione del relatore per i Diritti
Umani dell'Onu, il giurista americano Richard Falk, per comprendere cosa
stia accadendo a Neta Golan dell'ISM è necessario ricordare le parole di Hermann
Goering al processo di Norimberga:<BR><BR>"Che abbia voce o no, il popolo puo'
essere sempre portato al volere dei capi. È facile. Tutto quello che dovete fare
e' dir loro che sono attaccati, e denunciare i pacifisti per mancanza di
patriottismo e in quanto espongono il paese al pericolo."<BR><BR>La Rete Artisti
contro le guerre chiede all'Onorevole Presidente Giorgio Napolitano,
recentemente ospite in Israele, e all'Onorevole Ministro degli Esteri Franco
Frattini di voler accertare le condizioni e la qualità di vita della popolazione
palestinese di Gaza e le condizioni in cui verte la dottoressa Neta Golan nelle
carceri israeliane.<BR><BR>Gli Artisti chiedono, inoltre, ai due Onorevoli
rappresentanti del Popolo Italiano di voler personalmente assicurarsi, che in
occasione delle festività Israele rispetti le convenzioni internazionali per il
Diritto alla Libera Professione della Fede Religiosa: dei Cristiani, dei
Cattolici e dei Mussulmani in Gaza.</DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Rete Artisti contro le guerre Italia</FONT><BR></DIV><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT>
<DIV><BR><FONT color=#ff0000><STRONG>TRADUZIONE
INGLESE</STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV align=center><FONT size=6>Network Artists Against War Italy</FONT></DIV>
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face=Arial size=2></FONT>
<DIV align=justify><BR><BR>The Network Artists against war expresses its
solidarity to the operators of Peace International Solidarity Movement in
this difficult time is running out and with affection to the brave Neta Golan,
who lives on her skin a completely unjustified arrest.<BR><BR>Gaza has become
reality in an open air concentration camp and for all Palestinians living there.
Expression of the modern concept of violent oppression of people. Oppression
perpetrated in memory of a man, only in Auschwitz.<BR><BR>After the ground-up to
the Vatican Apostolic Nuncio to reach Gaza for "religious rites" and the
expulsion of the reporter for the Human Rights Assembly, the American lawyer
Richard Falk, to understand what is happening to Neta Golan of the ISM is
necessary to recall the words of Hermann Goering during the Nuernberg
trial:<BR><BR>"Having voice or not, people can be brought to the will of the
chiefs. It's easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are attacked and
denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to
danger."<BR><BR>The Network Artists against war asks President Giorgio
Napolitano who has been recently in Israel and Foreign Minister Franco
Frattini to establish the conditions and quality of life of the Palestinian
population of Gaza and the conditions of Dr.Neta Golan in Israeli
prisons.<BR><BR>The Artists ask also the two important representatives of the
Italian People to make sure personally that during the holidays Israel will
respect the international conventions for the Right to Freedom of professing
religion: Christians, Catholics and Muslims in Gaza.<BR><BR><FONT size=4>Network
of Artists Against War - Italy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>per la Rete Artisti contro le
guerre</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify>Loredana Morandi</DIV>
<DIV align=justify>contact 348/7490558</DIV>
<DIV align=justify><STRONG><A
href="http://www.artistsagainstwar.info">www.artistsagainstwar.info</A></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><STRONG><A
href="http://www.bloggersperlapace.org">www.bloggersperlapace.org</A>
</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify>
<DIV><FONT size=4>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4>From: "ISM Media Group" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:media@palsolidarity.org"><FONT
size=4>media@palsolidarity.org</FONT></A><FONT size=4>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>To: "International Solidarity Movement" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:palsolidarity@googlegroups.com"><FONT
size=4>palsolidarity@googlegroups.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 6:40 PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Subject: [ISM Updates] Neta Golan arrested leaving
Gaza</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><BR></STRONG></DIV>> <BR><STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>> For
Immediate Release<BR></FONT></STRONG>> <BR>> 6pm 22nd December 2008 - Neta
Golan, an Israeli citizen and co-founder<BR>> of the International Solidarity
Movement (ISM), has been arrested by<BR>> Israeli police while attempting to
leave Gaza through the Erez border<BR>> crossing.<BR>> <BR>> Neta
Golan, 38, arrived Gaza on 20th December, along with 17 human<BR>> rights
observers on the SS Dignity, the fifth boat to break the<BR>> Israeli
blockade of Gaza, organised by the Free Gaza Movement.<BR>> <BR>> She will
be taken to court tomorrow (23rd December) in Kiryat Gat.<BR>> <BR>> Neta
Golan's lawyer, Adnan Aladdin, condemned the arrest;<BR>> <BR>> "Ms
Golan's actions in no way constitute a crime. Her actions in<BR>> entering
Gaza were acts of necessity based on international law and a<BR>> rejection
of the policies of collective punishment pursued by the<BR>> Israeli
government"<BR>> <BR>> "Humanitarian needs, such as those faced by the
Palestinian people of<BR>> Gaza due to the Israeli siege, make non-violent
acts that are clearly<BR>> a response to this act of collective punishment
necessary. This is<BR>> common sense and has precedent."<BR>> <BR>>
"The Defense of Necessity protects those who peacefully seek to<BR>> prevent
gross violations of human rights, grave breaches of<BR>> humanitarian law,
and war crimes from occurring. Non-violent civil<BR>> disobedience in
opposition to and aimed at preventing gross violations<BR>> of human rights,
grave breaches of humanitarian law, and war crimes<BR>> has been recognized
as justified by the necessity of self-defense and<BR>> the necessity of
defense of others in several jurisdictions around the<BR>> world. (Source -
The State of Israel vs.Ascherman, Arik; Omer, Ori;<BR>> Hamburger, Shai
Eliezer, January 2004, Criminal Case # 003751/03)<BR>> <BR>> Under the
Geneva Conventions of 1949, collective punishment is deemed<BR>> a war crime.
Article 33 of the the Fourth Geneva Convention states;<BR>> "No protected
person may be punished for an offense he or she has not<BR>> personally
committed," and that "collective penalties and likewise all<BR>> measures of
intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited." (http://<BR>> <A
href="http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/92.htm">www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/92.htm</A>).<BR>>
<BR>> After successfully breaking the blockade with the Free Gaza
Movement,<BR>> Neta Golan spent three days in the Gaza Strip observing the
effects of<BR>> the Israeli siege on Gaza. She visited schools, hospitals and
farmers<BR>> who's lives have been devastated by Israel's policies of
collective<BR>> punishment.<BR>> <BR>> She stated;<BR>> <BR>>
"How can an act against the collective punishment of over 1.5 million<BR>>
people be a crime? The policies of the Israeli State towards the<BR>> people
of Gaza is the real crime".<BR>> <BR>> "I feel it is my duty to come to
Gaza and attempt to raise awareness<BR>> as to what the Israeli state is
doing to the people here. We broke the<BR>> siege on Gaza, now it is time for
more from the international<BR>> community to do the same in solidarity with
the Palestinian people."<BR>> <BR>> Neta Golan is one of the co-founders
of the International Solicarity<BR>> Movement which was nominated twice for a
Nobel Peace prize. She has<BR>> actively resisted the occupation,
participating in hundreds of<BR>> demonstrations against the wall and the
illegal settler roads. She is<BR>> married and lives in Ramallah with her
Palestinian husband and two<BR>> children.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> For More
information:<BR>> <BR><STRONG>> Adnan Aladdin (Neta Golan's lawyer) -
(+972) 0 546 664 571<BR>> Adam (ISM Media Office) - (+972) 0 598 503
948<BR></STRONG>> <BR>> -------------------<BR>> <BR>> The
collective punishment of the people of Gaza has, according to the<BR>> UN
Relief and Works Agency, had a devastating effect on the local<BR>>
population. The siege has seen Israel allow only the bare minimum of<BR>>
essential materials allowed into the Strip. Last week even the UN food<BR>>
and cash distribution that was to be transferred was suspended by<BR>> Israel
(<A
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/21/israel-gaza-strip">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/21/israel-gaza-strip</A>-<BR>>
middle-east).<BR>> <BR>> Figures collected by the UN also show that 51.8%
of the people of Gaza<BR>> are now living below the poverty line, a figure
the UN described as<BR>> "unprecedentedly high" (<A
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/21/">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/21/</A><BR>>
israel-gaza-strip-middle-east). The UN also announced last week that<BR>> it
had been forced to stop distributing food to the 750,000 people in<BR>> need
and forced to suspend financial distributions to a further<BR>>
94,000.<BR>> <BR>> The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a
Palestinian-led<BR>> movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation
of Palestinian<BR>> land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and
principles. Founded<BR>> by a small group of activists in August, 2001, ISM
aims to support and<BR>> strengthen the Palestinian popular resistance by
providing the<BR>> Palestinian people with two resources, international
protection and a<BR>> voice with which to nonviolently resist an overwhelming
military<BR>> occupation force.<BR>> <BR>> The International Solidarity
Movement re-established its presence in<BR>> the Gaza Strip following the
first voyage of the Free Gaza Movement on<BR>> the 23rd August 2008. ISM
volunteers have been accompanying Gazan<BR>> fishermen as they fish with
Palestinian waters, working with farmers<BR>> who have land situated along
the Green Line and documenting aspects of<BR>> the siege and occupation of
Gaza. On the 18th November, three ISM<BR>> volunteers were abducted from
Palestinian waters by the Israeli navy<BR>> together with fifteen Palestinian
fishermen. The internationals were<BR>> later deported from Israel, despite
never having entered Israeli<BR>> territory until taken into Israeli waters
by the Israeli navy.<BR>> <BR>>
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~<BR>> Thank you for your
continued interest and support for the International Solidarity
Movement!<BR>> <BR>> Please consider a financial donation to help continue
the important work of the ISM. You may donate securely online at our website: <A
href="http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations">http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations</A><BR>>
<BR>> For more information, visit the ISM website at <A
href="http://www.palsolidarity.org">http://www.palsolidarity.org</A><BR>>
PLEASE FORWARD THIS UPDATE WIDELY<BR>> <BR>> To unsubscribe from this
group, send email to <A
href="mailto:palsolidarity-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com">palsolidarity-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com</A><BR>>
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---<BR><STRONG>>
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