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Voices for Mid East Counter Convergence
Dear friend of peace with justice:
3000 local churches and synagogues are being invited to a disturbing conference June 5-7th in Vancouver. There are 7 Israeli speakers, all extreme right wing Likudists, headlined by Benjamin Netanyahu. The Neo-cons running America were in Israel with Netanyahu in the 90's. The Likud platform is to never allow a Palestinian state and says the Jordan River is the permanent border of the state of Israel. The Jewish Federation of Portland is taking an active role in the conference, but nowhere on the conference website http://convergencenw.org do they reveal the sponsors or funding. There is evidence the Institute on Religion and Democracy is involved. This conference will be well attended and covered, unless we can discredit the speakers by exposing their biographies and extreme place in Israeli society and politics, and link the disastrous wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and possibly Iran, as well as the catastrophe in Palestine, to following Israel's agenda. Local activists have formed a group, Voices for Mid East Justice, to coordinate Vancouver protests, attempt to reduce the attendance and influence the opinions of attendees and the public. We ask peace and justice groups to join in our protests at the conference and actions before the conference in your own community. Strength in numbers: groups who agree with our mission can add their names to the list we will use in press releases and announcements.
June 5th - 11:00am to 2:00pm. Sidewalk signs at the main and side entrances to the Hilton (during the 11:30 am to 1:00 pm Local Leaders Luncheon - invitation only, and registration.)
June 6th - 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Memorial vigil in Esther Short Park, south end, to read the names of the 927 Palestinian children and the 118 Israeli children killed from September 2000 to March 2007 (during the 7:00 -9:00pm dinner and speech by Netanyahu).
June 7th - 7:30 -11:00am. Signs at Hilton entrances and in Esther Short Park, south end, (before and after the 8:00 am press conference.)
Voices will inform authorities about our actions. Signs encouraged. We want to stress these themes: 40 years of occupation, 60 years of dispossession, apartheid, international law, human rights, Geneva conventions, quotes from Desmund Tutu, etc. We will be respectful and non-confrontational. We will hand out map and Bethlehem cards. Voices can use your help in your community with these actions:
Voices plans to recruit letters or statements on the conference from prominent CLERGY of all faiths to circulate to invitees.
Voices will contact POLITICAL state legislators in our districts, Democratic and Republican committee chairs, mayor, and Congress offices here with a letter asking them not to attend.
Voices will contact the local MEDIA - The Columbian editors with the goal of balanced coverage.
Voices will attempt to set a press conference in the hotel after the Conference press conference to snag the reporters as they leave.
We need everyone's help distributing leaflets.
We have booked a room at the Hilton so some of us can be inside the hotel,
Please distribute this invitation widely
Thank you. Voices for Mid East Justice
Link to Craig's list advertisement for conference:
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mar/319234925.html
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