[WCUSP] Fwd: [womeninblack] Fw: Agreement between Fatah and Hamas reached on 9th February in Mecca

Fri Feb 23 16:55:10 CST 2007

--- lieve snellings <lieve.snellings at pandora.be>
wrote:

> From: "lieve snellings" <lieve.snellings at pandora.be>
> To: <womeninblack at listas.nodo50.org>
> Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:33:17 +0100
> Subject: [womeninblack] Fw: Agreement between Fatah
> and Hamas reached on 9th
> 	February in Mecca
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Paula Abrams-Hourani 
> 
> 
> Dear friends,
> 
> We (Women in Black Vienna and the Jewish Voice for a
> Just Peace Austria) dispatched this letter,  which
> was drafted by and sent out by the Women in Black
> Italy, to both Javier Solana and Benita
> Ferrero-Waldner (in German), who is EU Commissar for
> Foreign Relations.  I thought it might be of
> interest to you.
> 
> Paula 
> 
> Javier.Solana at consilium.eu.int 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To: Javier Solana, High Representative for Common
> Foreign and Security Policy 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Sir, 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> we are writing to urge you to react positively to
> the agreement between Fatah and Hamas reached on 9th
> February in Mecca under the auspices of Saudi
> Arabia. 
> 
> 
> 
> Since the election of Hamas on 25th January 2006 in
> elections which were recognised as being democratic,
> free and fair, the European Union has joined the
> United States in enforcing a paralysing boycott of
> the Palestinian Authority and has introduced the
> Temporary International Mechanism to bypass the
> elected government.  In addition it has allowed the
> illegal withholding of Palestinian tax and customs
> revenues amounting to $ 700 million by Israel to
> pass in silence. 
> 
> 
> 
> One year from the elections,  this policy of
> isolation, boycott, and silence in the face of
> Israel's illegal unilateral actions has horrifying
> results, including: 
> 
> In Gaza around 75% of the population lives in
> poverty and is dependent on food aid. In the West
> Bank the figure is "only" 50%. 
> 
> Unemployment in the occupied territories is between
> 40-50%. In addition, government employees make up
> 23% of the population and most have not received
> their salaries for months. 
> 
> 
> 
> The blockade of goods entering Gaza has prevented
> the repair of damaged water supply and sewage
> systems, causing an increase in water-borne
> diseases, especially among children. 
> 
> The increased tension caused by the terrible living
> conditions, combined with the construction of an
> alternative government caused by the transfer of aid
> from the Palestinian Authority to the Office of the
> President have contributed to the outbreak of
> violence between Fatah and Hamas. Certainly, those
> involved in the violence must take responsibility
> for their own actions, but there is no doubt that
> the policies of our governments have favoured this
> result. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We call on you to take the opportunity presented by
> the agreement between Fatah and Hamas, to recognise 
> the democratically elected  Palestinian government
> immediately: this could be the last chance. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We also call on you to adopt a more active and less
> one-side policy, designed to promote the dialogue
> between Israelis and Palestinians that is necessary
> to restart formal negotiations. Negotiations must
> lead directly, without procrastination, to a just
> end to the conflict: a Palestinian state alongside
> the state of Israel in reciprocal security.  As a
> first step, we urge you to make every effort to halt
> the Israeli policy of expanding settlements in East
> Jerusalem and in the West Bank, as well  as the
> continual killing of innocent civilians  and the
> demolition of houses - actions that remove any
> possibility of the peace and justice that are
> necessary to both Palestinians and Israelis. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> European policy cannot continually be held hostage
> by Israel, a state that continually violates
> international law and which has been occupying
> Palestinian territory in defiance of UN resolutions
> for more than 40 years. 
> 
> 
> 
> We truly hope the European Union will stand by its
> founding principles of peace, security, and justice
> for all. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Paula Abrams-Hourani 
> 
> for "Women in Black (Vienna)" 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Samuel Welber 
> 
> for the "Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle
> East (Austria)" 
> 
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> 
> -- 
> Mit friedlichen Grüßen, 
> "Jüdische Stimme für gerechten 
> Frieden in Nahost" 
> 
> homepage: www.nahostfriede.at 
> --------- 
> 
> Liebe FriedensfreundInnen! 
> Für diejenigen, die sich über die tägliche
> Nachrichten aus den Besetzten Gebieten (Palästina) 
> gründlich informieren möchten, empfehlen wir diese
> websites: 
> 
> http://www.arendt-art.de/deutsch/palestina (auf
> ,Palästina Portal' klicken) 
> 
> http://www.kibush.co.il 
> --------- 
> 
> Viele fragen sich, was kann ich angesichts dieser
> politischen Lage 
> überhaupt tun? Gegen Unrecht kann man nicht dadurch
> ankämpfen, dass man 
> darüber schweigt! Informieren Sie Kollegen,
> Bekannte, Freunde! Leiten Sie 
> unsere Infos weiter! Reden Sie darüber! 
> Das i s t ein Beitrag zum Frieden! 
> 
> Wir freuen uns über Diskussionsbeiträge zu unseren 
> Aussendungen an: <nahostfriede at gmx.at> 
> --------- 
> 
> Wenn Sie unsere Zusendungen nicht erhalten wollen,
> teilen Sie uns dies bitte 
> unter mail to: <nahostfriede at gmx.at> mit. 
> 
> 
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> Browser-Versionen downloaden:
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>
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