Palestine: 40 Years of Occupation and 60 years of Dispossession

2007 marked the 40th anniversary of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip. 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel. Until the Iraq war, Palestinians were the largest refugee population in the Middle East numbering 4.4 million with over 1.3 million living in 58 UN operated camps in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza. Palestinians have been refugees longer than any other group in modern history. UN General Assembly Resolution 194 states "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date." The international community, especially the United States and Israel, has ignored this resolution.

Now, of course, the Middle East has two large refugee populations, with over 4 million Iraqis (both internal and external) joining the stateless Palestinians.

Over 20,000 Palestinians who were living as refugees in Iraq since their expulsion by Zionist forces during the creation of Israel have been made refugees by the US invasion of Iraq. Amnesty International and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees both recognize this group as the most vulnerable refugee group because of their specific targeting within Iraq and because they are denied entry into third countries. Most Palestinians of Iraq live in no man's lands at the Syrian border. Very few have been offered resettlement outside of the Middle East.

Please check the Palestine tent for a schedule of speakers and activities. Speakers will discuss topics such as the Fair Trade Olive oil project, an overview of the Nakba, the Palestinian Catastrophe, and the Role of the United States in the conflict.

ALL DAY – Central Lutheran Church will be selling Fair Trade, Organic Palestinian Olive Oil, AUPHR will be presenting maps and a series of U.N. black & white photos with images focused on the events of 1948, and there will be literature and books available.

The organizations involved in putting on activities for this tent are AUPHR, Friends of Sabeel, and Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land