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<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em"><big><big><strong><em>A
statement issued by the Union of Palestinian Women’s
Committees (UPWC)</em></strong></big></big></p>
<big><big>
</big></big>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em"><strong><em><big><big>Life
for Palestine and Freedom for our People</big></big><br>
</em></strong></p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em"><strong><em><small><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://samidoun.ca/2014/07/union-of-palestinian-womens-committees-life-for-palestine-freedom-for-our-people">http://samidoun.ca/2014/07/union-of-palestinian-womens-committees-life-for-palestine-freedom-for-our-people</a></small></small></small>/<br>
</em></strong></p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">The Zionist occupation, led by
a government of settlers, continues to commit war crimes against
our people. They commit crime after crime, massacre after
massacre. The rights of women and children, the elderly and
families, are violated and their right to their land and to enjoy
the sea lapping at their feet stripped from them: They use the
most powerful means of killing: aircraft, tanks and advanced
missiles.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">The number of martyrs is
approaching 200, half of them women and children; and more than a
thousand have been injured. And still the Occupation Army
continues to kill, attacking the besieged Gaza Strip and
destroying the homes of families making them homeless while they
are mourning their dead. They destroy their homes over their heads
and destroy institutions providing care for those with
disabilities.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">In the West Bank, and in the
heart of Jerusalem, they are continuing their campaign of
oppression, murder and torture against our people. Invading their
homes, institutions and arresting. Now they have taken their
Zionist crimes to a new level by kidnapping the a child, Mohammed
Abu Khudair, burning him alive. And still the number of martyrs,
wounded, prisoners and displaced persons is on the rise.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">All this is happening with the
support of the Governments of Western imperialism. These
Governments see freedom, independence and liberation of our people
and our land as a threat to their interests in the region. The
crimes of the Occupation are allowed to continue, all with the
suspicious silence of the Arab regimes.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">We in the Union of Palestinian
Women’s Committees (UPWC) are engaged in a battle of steadfastness
and confrontation. We continue to denounce the crimes committed
against our people and our land, and condemn Western support and
political cover that is provided for the crimes of the occupation,
whether that support is clear and direct or veiled. We affirm the
right of our people’s resistance to settler colonialism in
Palestine and insist on the right of return for Palestinian
refugees to the homes from which they were displaced. In addition,
the right of self-determination and the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty with Jerusalem
as its capital.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">We are the reality of pain and
suffering, and the manifestation of steadfastness and
determination. As our inevitable victory approaches we call the
international community to assume its responsibilities towards our
people, through the mechanisms of a clear vindication of our
rights to our land. We also demand a provisional international
protection force for our people and the accountability of the
Zionist war criminals.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">It is time for the
international community to stop falsely claiming there is a "peace
process," which has in reality only benefited the Occupation,
allowing it to strengthen its control over our land and institute
racist policies through a system of apartheid, which is the
ugliest in the history of mankind.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">We applaud the resistance of
our people in all its forms and spectra, and we salute the young
men and women rebelling in the fields in all parts of Palestine.
We also salute the Arab peoples and all people around the world
that have shown solidarity with us.</p>
<ul style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; padding: 0; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">We also call for the
implementation of the following:</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">We demand that the
Palestinian leadership to tackle the task of unity of our
people, protecting our cause. A leadership that is working to
develop a national strategy for the struggle, and thus ending
the negotiations and security coordination with the occupation,
which is a dagger in the side of our people and their struggle.</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">We call on the masses
of our people for increased participation in the struggle and
direct confrontation with the Occupation. We call upon it to
achieve victory for our people and our cause and to fulfill the
wishes of our martyrs, our wounded, our prisoners, our bereaved,
our orphans and the homeless of our people.</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">We call upon
Palestinian women to provide more even more initiative and
direction for national events and to increase their militancy,
as positive role models for women and people around the world.</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">To the people of the
free world and to the Arab people we ask you all to show even
greater solidarity through events, and apply more pressure on
your Governments to provide real support to the struggle of our
people and for the accountability of the Zionist war criminals.</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.6; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.4em; color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica
Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">We call for the
expansion of the campaign to boycott the state of the Zionist
entity "Israel" and the imposition of sanctions and divestment
at the global, Arab and national levels. We call for a mass
campaign to boycott "Israel."</li>
</ul>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">Life for our people, in spite
of all the crimes committed against them;<br>
Glory, eternity and loyalty to our martyrs; and<br>
Healing of our wounded and freedom for our prisoners.</p>
<p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;
color: #444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em">Union of Palestinian Women’s
Committees<br>
13/07/2014</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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