USPCN Commemorates Al-Nakba & Launches Political Prisoners Campaign

Today marks the 68^th year of the Palestinian Nakba, or “Catastrophe,” and we join fellow Palestinians and Arabs, along with our allies all over the world, to commemorate the ethnic cleansing of over 450 Palestinian villages by zionist settler gangs, the killing of almost 15,000 people, including the 250 massacred at Deir Yassin, and the displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians forced to flee their homes and become refugees.

On May 14^th,1948, European Jewish settlers declared the illegal, white settler-colonial state of Israel on 78% of historic Palestine, while owning less than 6% of the land.  Ever since, Palestinians have maintained the Right to Return to our homes and lands in the entirety of historic Palestine, as enshrined in international law. The Palestinian nation is indivisible, whether in the diaspora in the United States or Europe, in the refugee camps of Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria, or within historic Palestine; and all Palestinians have the right to resist the continued, illegal, colonial occupation of our lands.

Today, USPCN also announces the launch of our national Political Prisoners Campaign.  Thousands of Palestinians – including children – are currently in Israeli jails as political prisoners.  Regardless of the charges brought against them by occupying Israeli military courts, we stand in defense of all Palestinian prisoners.  Those held by Israel are all prisoners of conscience and national heroes, and we reject the criminalization of our resistance. To defend and advocate for them is to support the sacred right of the Palestinians to National Liberation and Independence.

We mark the launch of this campaign with the first Palestinian Prisoners Weekly Review, a news digest shared via email, social media, and our website, with important developments and news in the realm of Palestinian political prisoner defense.  This first installment includes important primary documentation from Addameer, Defense for Children Palestine, and other institutions and news sources.

We aim to stay connected and informed. We also aim to TAKE ACTION.

• Alongside the weekly review, today we launch our Petition to Stop Administrative Detention-#StopAD.
• Connect with us. Remain engaged in action by following our website, Twitter, and Facebook, and tweeting with the hashtag #StopAD.
• Don’t miss the opportunity for immediate action by registering to attend Rasmea Odeh’s next status hearing June 13^th in Detroit. The next phase of the Rasmea defense campaign will be determined there, and it is imperative that we have a strong showing of support for our beloved community icon and survivor of brutal Israeli torture and detention.

Another year since Al-Nakba and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine calls on us all to recommit and continue fighting to see a Free Palestine in our lifetimes.

Until Liberation and Return,

U.S. Palestinian Community Network, May 15th, 2016