national lawyers guild

Israel's violence and aggression against the people of Palestine and Lebanon has already cost the lives of hundreds of people and may provoke a horrific regional or global war. The recent devastation in Palestine and Lebanon magnifies the ever-present reality of the brutal, violent, and racist occupation of Palestine and continued aggression against Lebanon. It is imperative for all people of conscience to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian and Lebanese brothers and sisters in their struggle against Israeli and U.S. occupation, aggression and imperialism. It is also imperative that we continue to fight for an end to the U.S. occupation in Iraq.

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) encourages local chapters to hold Press Conferences, Teach-Ins, Vigils and other activities in their cities and/or law schools to bring attention to the deadly Israeli military attacks on Palestine and Lebanon and to organize for the National Emergency March to Defend the People of Palestine and Lebanon on August 12th in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The August 12th March is organized by the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition, and the National Lawyers Guild has officially endorsed this action.

We suggest that you invite Palestinian and Lebanese members of your communities to speak and participate in your events so that their voices can be heard. We further suggest that in the events you promote the following actions items and immediately begin organizing support for the August 12th protest in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago.

Let us collectively speak up, act up, and refuse to let international silence in the face of occupation and aggression contribute to the continued injustice of war and occupation!

TAKE ACTION NOW:

1. CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS: Call and write to your elected officials, and demand that they call upon the United States to immediately introduce a resolution before the U.N. Security Council demanding that Israel halt its illegal and brutal aggression against Palestine and Lebanon. Demand that your elected officials hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity committed using weaponry and technology sold to Israel by the United States and funded by U.S. tax money. You can find out who your elected officials are at the following web link: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/. A.N.S.W.E.R. has a link, through their home page, to a template letter that can be sent directly to your elected officials: www.internationalanswer.org. The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has also provided a direct link to sending a letter to elected officials: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1215.

2. TALKING POINTS: For ideas and talking points to help you in speaking out about Israel’s aggression, you may want to refer to (1) the NLG statement on Gaza, issued on July 6, 2006; (2) sample talking points from an on-line petition for Lebanon organized by various NLG members; and (3) other additional sources for talking points, all of which are included below.

3. ON-LINE PETITION: Sign on to the on-line petition, “Take Action to Stop the Crisis in Lebanon and Gaza (http://www.petitiononline.com/hurriyeh/petition.html) and forward widely for additional sign-ons.

4. JOIN WITH LOCAL SOLIDARITY GROUPS TO ORGANIZE ACTIONS: Join with Palestine, Lebanon, anti-war and anti-occupation solidarity groups in your area, and organize teach-ins, demonstrations, protests, and awareness-raising events. For actions and demonstrations in your area, please check out the following websites:

***National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) (www.arab-american.net)
***ANSWER Coalition (www.internationalanswer.org)
***Al-Awda – The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (www.al-awda.org)
***U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (www.endtheoccupation.org)

5. AUGUST 12 DEMONSTRATION FOR PALESTINE AND LEBANON: PLAN NOW to take part in the National Emergency March to Defend the People of Palestine and Lebanon on AUGUST 12, in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Organize contingents from your local area to attend the demonstration, and organize surrounding activities (teach-ins, flyering to publicize the protest, awareness-raising activities). For more information, check out the A.N.S.W.E.R. website at www.internationalanswer.org.

6. ARM YOURSELVES WITH INFORMATION: Don’t believe the hype! Mainstream media’s racist and one-sided portrayal of the occupation in Palestine and aggression in Lebanon reflects imperialist U.S. foreign policy and the politics of aggressors and occupiers. The situation is not as “complicated” as people make it out to be. It is, at its core, an issue of occupation and oppression. Read alternative informational sites about the history and current violence in Lebanon and Palestine. Challenge misinformation and disinformation where and when you see it. Write letters and editorials to media sources in support of good reporting and challenging erroneous or problematic reporting. Important web links include the following:

• ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism): http://www.internationalanswer.org
• Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights: http://www.mezan.org/site_en/resource_center/mezan_publications/detail.php?id=147
• Palestine Center for Human Rights: http://www.pchrgaza.org
• Al-Awda – The Palestine Right to Return Coalition:http://www.al-awda.org/
• Stop the Wall – Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Campaign: http://www.stopthewall.org/
• Addameer: Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association: http://www.addameer.org/index_eng.html
• Sumoud – Political Prisoner Solidarity Group: sumoud.tao.ca
• Defense for Children International – Palestine Section: http://www.dci-pal.org/
• The Electronic Intifada: http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml
• Electronic Lebanon: http://www.electronicLebanon.net
• Palestine Remembered: http://www.palestineremembered.com/
• Palestine Land Society: http://www.plands.org/
• SHAML – Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Centre: http://www.shaml.org/zshaml/site/
• BADIL – Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights: http://www.badil.org
• Labor for Palestine: http://www.laborforpalestine.org/
• National Lawyers Guild Middle-East Sub-Committee website: http://www.nlg.org/mideast/index.shtml (with information on NLG positions and links to NLG reports)

7. GET OTHERS INVOLVED: Forward this information widely and encourage your friends, colleagues, co-workers, family to GET INVOLVED.

In solidarity and towards the continued struggle,
The National Lawyers Guild