Gaza 2009:
The latest chapter in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
Public Teach-in: Sunday, March 15, 3 pm - 5 pm
Culver City Veterans’ Memorial Center
On Sunday, March 15th, at the Veterans' Memorial Center in Culver City, the Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid - Southern California (CEIA-SC) held a successful public teach-in entitled: "Gaza 2009: Another Chapter in the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine." A group of about 75 people attended, both activists and members of the general public. Our goal was, and is, to give people in the community a basic understanding of the Palestine/Israel crisis from our point of view — a point of view not often heard by the general public.
After a brief introduction by Barry Weiss, Paul Hershfield spoke to the issue of anti-Zionism not being the same as anti-Semitism. Through the use of a Powerpoint presentation, Yael Korin provided a historical background to the situation. A philosophical and ethical exploration of the use of the term "genocide" to describe Israel's assault on the people of the Gaza Strip, and a critique of the Israeli justification for killing civilians, i.e.: Hamas' supposed use of human shields in Gaza, was provided by Professor Mohammed Abed of CSULA. Professor David Klein of CSUN spoke briefly about the U.S. Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, as well as about the BDS movement in the U.S. and the U.K.
We had a call to action in which we handed out postcards demanding that President Obama cut off all military aid to Israel, citing two U.S. laws (The Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act) that prohibit the transfer of weapons and the provision of assistance to countries that violate human rights. 51 people wrote their names and address on cards and returned them to us for mailing. We also circulated a petition calling on the Culver City Council to support the Palestinian Right of Return and to call for equal rights in Israel.
To facilitate the Q & A process, people were asked to submit their questions on cards. The audience was quite responsive; there were no interruptions, and a lot of good questions.
We look forward to increasing our active membership. It is essential that we have more members who are prepared to work with us if we are to expand our educational outreach and be successful in building public support for peace with justice in Israel/Palestine.
A variety of refreshments, all of which were happily consumed, helped to create an informal, welcoming atmosphere.
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