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GUIDE FOR WRITING LETTERS:

Many of our alerts will be in response to biased reporting that negatively portrays Palestinians as the cause of the conflict.  We will ask you to write in, pointing out the flaws in those articles.  It's also very important to write in to support positive reporting.  In either case, you can email editors with an opinion or a correction of content.  In just a few lines you can get your view across.

For example:  "On Wednesday, December 8th, you published (“title of piece”).  In this article you stated that a relative period of calm had just ended in Israel.  Are you aware that according to the Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, there have been 30 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during this period of 'relative calm?'  Eleven of those killed were under the age of 16, and 22 were noncombatants.  There is never a 'relative calm' for Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation."

Please keep the following in mind:

(1) Write whatever you have time and energy for.  If you can dash out a sentence or two, please do.  If you want to craft something longer and more detailed, please do.  Most newspapers have a word limit for letters to be published: Seattle Times and Seattle PI both have limits of 200 words, for example.  If you want to write more than that and don't want to edit down, send it anyway.

(2) In your opening sentence refer to the news story, column, or previously published letter you are responding to by its headline (or author if it's a letter) and the date it was published, for example:  "Thank you for covering the event at Westlake ‘Remembering the Dead’, Dec.1."

(3) Keep the tone of your letter respectful.  Passion is fine, especially when backed up with solid facts, but avoid needlessly harsh language.  Be positive whenever possible.

(4) Resist the temptation to respond to every point in the article, and pick one or two points to focus on.

(5) If the article was generally positive towards Palestinians, but you are responding to misrepresentation or bias, e.g., the paper using “disputed territories” instead of  “occupied territories,” or stating there’s been a “period of relative calm” because no Israelis have died in a period of time when Palestinians have been killed, thank the paper for publishing the article to encourage more coverage, and then make your critical points.

(6) Send your letter to the address that we will provide in our alert.  Be timely.  Responding within 24 hours is best, though within 2 or 3 days is still okay, and letters are still noticed even after that.  Include your full first and last name, street address, and day/night telephone numbers.  Only your name and city of residence will be included if your letter is published.

(7) Newspapers will not always publish sources or links in the body of your letter.  If you want to include references to support specific facts, do so but be aware that they might not be included.

(8) Use whatever relevant authority you have, for example, if you’ve had personal experience living or traveling to the Occupied Territories, if you are knowledgeable about the Middle East, etc.  However, authority can also be established by using correct facts and by writing a polite, logical, well-written letter.

(9) Proofread your letter for errors.  If possible, have someone else read it for objective input.

(10) BCC or forward your letter to us separately at alerts@palestineinformation.org. It's important to us to know what response is generated by our efforts.
Don't be discouraged if your letter is not printed.  Every time you submit a letter you are educating the editorial board of the paper, and you are weighing in on the side of justice when it comes to tallying how the public received a published piece.
If you do get published, the same paper will probably not publish you again for a month or two.  However, please continue to write letters to the editor as numbers always count and you will be helping another person with a similar viewpoint get published.

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HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES:

Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your U.S. Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your Congress members:
http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.html

E-mails to most Congress members must be sent via their web sites. To access these sites, enter the URL supplied below into the address bar of your browser.
Senator Murray’s Foreign Affairs aide:
Ben McMakin in Washington: (202) 224-2621
To fax or e-mail Senator Murray: Fax: (206) 553-0891;
E-mail: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Senator Cantwell’s Foreign Affairs aide:
Sebastian Budoh in Washington: (202) 224-3441
To fax or email Senator Cantwell: Fax: 206-220-6404;
Email: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

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BREAK THE SIEGE: FREE GAZA CAMPAIGN

The Free Gaza project, which aims to send ships of exiled Palestinians, banned (by Israel) internationals 
and Israeli activists working against the occupation to the Port of Gaza in May of 2008 to 
deliver much-needed medical supplies and show support and solidarity to the people of Gaza.

http://freegaza.org/ 

2008: Sixty Years On

May 2008 marks the 60-year anniversary of the Nakba, "the catastrophe", when the overwhelming majority of Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their ancestral homeland to create the state of Israel. In contravention of International law, human rights, and basic principles of morality, Israel continues to deny these refugees and their descendants their right to return home. Israel has neither acknowledged nor attempted to amend this historic injustice that gave birth to the Jewish state. Instead, more than 5 million Palestinian refugees languish in refugee camps, while their homes, farms, and properties are inhabited by Jewish immigrants who arrived in Palestine from around the globe.

The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in 1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that has squeezed Palestinians in the West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.

This tragic event has dispossessed and disinherited Palestinians all over the world; and a destitute population of refugees with only their memories of Palestine, crumbling property deeds, and an undaunted will to return.

Mission Statement

We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation. We want to uphold Palestine's right to welcome internationals as visitors, human rights observers, humanitarian aid workers, journalists, or otherwise.

Who are we?

We are these human rights observers, aid workers, and journalists. We have years of experience volunteering in Gaza and the West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians. But now, because of the increasing stranglehold of Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, many of us find it almost impossible to enter Gaza, and an increasing number have been refused entry to Israel and the West Bank as well. Despite the great need for our work, the Israeli Government will not allow us in to do it.

What are we going to do?

We've tried to enter Palestine by land. We've tried to arrive by air. Now we're getting serious. We're taking a ship.

For more information, visit the Free Gaza site at http://freegaza.org/ 

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SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

There are many different ways to visit Israel and the Occupied Territories: with tour groups, on professional visits, and with activist organizations. Besides the brief list below, see our ISM section. Also, go to the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation's page: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=95   to see an updated list of tours.

NOTE: Although an entry below  may occasionally appear out of date, it's always worthwhile to check out each organization's web site, as a most accurate way of finding out what is being planned. 

BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED      http://www.birthrightunplugged.org/

Are you thinking of going to Palestine/Israel this summer? Are you interested in meeting Palestinian families, activists, community leaders, and political figures, and learning about life under occupation? Are you committed to turning education into action and working for justice? Then BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED is for you! 

Join us for a 6-day educational trip through the West Bank to visit Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps. The trip is designed to put you in conversation with people who you may not otherwise have the opportunity to meet and equip you to return to your community and work for change. 

Birthright Unplugged trips dates are subject to change.
For more information contact info@birthrightunplugged.org (Please, note Birthright Unplugged is in no way affiliated with Birthright Israel).



CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS DELEGATIONS TO PALESTINE/ISRAEL:
http://www.cpt.org/ 

Delegates meet with representatives of Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights groups in Jerusalem and Bethlehem to gain perspective on the conflict. They will tour the "security wall" separating Israel from the West Bank. They travel to the tensely divided city of Hebron, where CPT has been based since June 1995, and to the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, where CPT has had a team since 2004. They will visit Palestinian families whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They experience firsthand CPT's work of violence deterrence and human rights documentation and challenge the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent witness. 

 For more information or to apply, contact CPT, (PO Box 6508,
 Chicago, IL 60680; phone 773-277-0253; fax 773-277-0291; e-mail
 delegations@cpt.org <mailto:delegations@cpt.org> ) or see CPT's
 website at: http://www.cpt.org/.



CODEPINK: Women Say No to War   http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=4817
CODEPINK is organizing its Peace Delegations to Gaza, entering through Egypt.

The delegation looks at the effects of the 22-day invasion and ongoing siege, from the devastating economic impact to the physical and mental trauma. Participants will hear about efforts at rehabilitation and reconstruction by the UN, NGOs and government agencies, and will lay the groundwork for the January 1 Gaza Freedom March. 



COMPASSIONATE LISTENING DELEGATION

Upcoming Delegations
May 22nd - June 4th, 2010
July 24th - August 6th, 2010

See: http://www.interfaithpeacebuilders.org/upcoming.html 
Apply today: http://www.ifpbdel.org/upcoming.html
For more information, contact the IFPB office directly by phone (202-244-0821) or email office@ifpbdel.org. 


INDIGENOUS YOUTH DELEGATION TO PALESTINE

The Indigenous Youth Delegation to Palestine is a project of a collective of grassroots youth groups in the U.S. and Palestine. We have been committed to connecting Native and immigrant youth in the U.S with youth in Palestine by creating remote forums for us to reflect together and bridge our struggles. This first-ever cross-continental exchange is an opportunity for youth to learn first hand from each other by sharing tools of empowerment and education. Our journey to Palestine is part of an on-going process of connecting the shared experiences of Indigenous peoples across the world for the ultimate goal of land rights, justice and peace. Our trip is planned for August 2-17, 2009. 
For more information: http://indigenousdelegation.wordpress.com/ 



INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. Founded by a small group of activists in August, 2001, ISM aims to support and strengthen the Palestinian popular resistance by providing the Palestinian people with two resources, international protection and a voice with which to nonviolently resist an overwhelming military occupation force.

International Volunteers stand side by side with villagers in places like Bil'in as they continue their struggle to save village land from Israel's apartheid wall.

For further information on the ISM, go to the ISM website www.palsolidarity.org and http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/about-ism/  E-mail: contact info@palsolidarity.org

For a listing of faith-based travel and conference opportunities see Sabeel's site:
http://www.fosna.org/conferences_and_trips/AlternativeTravelOpportunities.html

Upcoming activities include
Sabeel's Fifth International Young Adult Conference
July 21st to August 1st 2010, Jerusalem 
Application Deadline June 1st, 2010
Our Vision: To provide young adults with an alternative pilgrimage experience
For more information go to http://www.sabeel.org/pdfs/2010%20Conference%20Flyer.pdf


Contact: Sabeel-Jerusalem
youth@sabeel.org
P.O.B. 49084 Jerusalem 91491
www.sabeel.org



PALESTINE SOLIDARITY PROJECT

PSP is envisioned as a project dedicated to supporting Palestinian communities resisting the Israeli Occupation. We also believe firmly in the concept of sumoud—steadfastness—as a form of resistance. For many of the communities we work with, simply remaining on their land in the face of intimidation, violence, economic strangulation, and a history of forced displacement, is an act of resistance.

What We Do
1) Demonstrations against the continuing construction of the Apartheid Wall, Israeli-only roads and Israeli settlements in villages in southern Palestine.
2) Removing illegal roadblocks and other structures designed to isolate one Palestinian community from another, and preventing Palestinian freedom of movement.
3) Joining farmers as they work their land which is in constant danger of being “confiscated” by Israel.
4) Replanting Palestinian crops that have been destroyed by Israeli settlers, with the aim of enabling those Palestinian communities directly affected by settler violence to remain on their land.
5) Working closely with families affected by frequent violence from nearby settlements by documenting the violence and providing an international presence to deter settler assaults

For information on how you can participate, see http://www.palestinesolidarityproject.org/, http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/about/, and http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/join/




SIRAJ CENTER FOR HOLY LAND STUDIES

Siraj is a non-governmental organization based in Beit Sahour, Palestine.
Siraj aims to create links between Palestinian people and people from around the globe through educational tourism, interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, and culture and youth exchange programs. 
Through its many local connections, Siraj works directly with communities and organizations in Bethlehem and the West Bank.
Through its connection with the Rapprochement Center and the Greek Catholic Church, Siraj has broadened its impact, reaching out to grassroots communities throughout the Holy Land.

Come and celebrate Palestine, learn Arabic, study history, know the people and their culture, share some time with local families and volunteer with a local community organization.

Programs include: studying Arabic, History and Theology at Bethlehem University, living with local families, volunteering with local community organizations in addition for touring Palestine and enjoy its beauty and culture and have a firsthand experience of the political situation.

Participants will have the chance to have Palestinian Cooking classes, Palestinian Debkeh Dancing training, and during the program, eight films will be screened in the Siraj office.

For more information and listing of many opportunities to vist Palestine:
http://www.sirajcenter.org/

TOURS IN ENGLISH  http://www.toursinenglish.com/

Fred Schlomka's Tours: Greater Jerusalem, Jerusalem Old City, Every
Bethlehem, Taybeh Brewery & Village, Nablus, Walaje Walking Tour, Jerusalem Seam Line, Hebron & Bethlehem, Jerusalem- Beyond the Wall, Central West Bank, Back Roads to Ramallah,
Special Day-Tours: Bedouin Reality Tour. Jerusalem Black Panthers, Jenin & Nablus

Private tours for any of the published itineraries, or a custom tour, can be scheduled at any time with airport pick-up, flexible itineraries, hotel bookings, and personal service.

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