Palestine

As we witness the continuous massacres against the people of Gaza , who are fighting for their survival as a society, we also share with them the sorrow of losing a beloved leader, Dr. Ahmad Maslamani who died suddenly as a result of a blood clot in his brain. He was fifty years old, and leaves behind him a wife two sons and a daughter.

Dr. Maslamani devoted his life to the struggle for liberation for the Palestinian people. He was truly a people's leader and will be missed very much. We would like to express our condolences to Dr. Ahmad Maslamani's family, his comrades and his colleagues from Union of Health Workers Committees and Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign.

Israel has recently released a few hundred people from its prisons. Over 650,000 Palestinian men have been locked up in Israeli prisons at some point in their lives (Gideon Levy in Haaretz) - over 40% of the male population in the occupied/colonized territories. Israel stripped the native Palestinians of most of their land leaving 5 million people as refugees or displaced. Israel impoverishes the remaining Palestinians and squeezes them into large concentration camps behind high separation walls including the true leaders of all rank and file working people. Israel persecutes Palestinian leaders, labor and political activists to undermine the Palestinian people's political activities.

"Support this worldwide Divestment and Boycott Campaign Against Israel and Apartheid" appeals Palestinian Labor Leader in SF Speech.

Boycott

"We actually don't have any other way to exercise international pressure except calling our friends and supporters in the trade unions around the globe to call for this Boycott and Divestment." stated Manawel Issa Abdellal, member of the Executive Committee of the 250 thousand member Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in a recent speech to union activists and labor movement supporters in San Francisco.

"Factories actually exist inside the settlements and their products are going to the markets in Europe and in the United States. The whole world is saying these settlements are actually illegal settlements. So why would it be wrong to boycott them?", he continued.

"My message to you as labor activists is to follow the lead of unions in Canada and Britain."

Labor Night at Made in Palestine:
An Evening of Art, Music and Solidarity

Made in Palestine is the first U.S. museum exhibition of the contemporary art of Palestine. It is a survey of Palestinian artists of the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and the diaspora.

Labor Night is a reception for the Labor community of the Bay Area. Working families in Palestine face many of the same problems that we do in the U.S.: union busting, lack of health care, low wages and unemployment. We hope that Labor Night will help to link our two struggles, and give our local community a glimpse of the triumphs and tragedies of life in Palestine.

Labor Night sponsored by the Justice in Palestine Coalition Labor Committee and the Arab American Union Members Council.

Tuesday, April 19
6:30-9:00 PM
SomArts Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street, San Francisco