Thurs. July 13: Emergency Briefing on Gaza Crisis

[Kevin Spidel]

As a reminder, UFPJ is sponsoring an emergency briefing on the Gaza crisis this Thursday evening. We hope that someone from your group will be able to participate. Below is information on call logistics, the agenda, and groundrules for the call. Please read the groundrules before tomorrow’s call.

Thursday, July 13, 8:30 EDT, 5:30 PDT
Emergency Briefing for UFPJ Member Groups on Gaza Crisis
Dial 605-990-0200 code: 505727#

TENTATIVE AGENDA
I. 5 minutes – OPENING: review agenda and groundrules

II. 25 minutes – PANELIST PRESENTATIONS on:
- conditions on the ground in Gaza, including Israel's targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in violation of international law, the context for the current crisis, the Hamas government and Israel's objectives, etc.
- why the antiwar movement should speak out against Israel's policies, situation with Lebanon and Syria, suggestions for immediate tactics
- how to respond to questions/arguments on the crisis and messages we should be communicating

III. 40 minutes – QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Briefing panelists:
- Nadia Hijab - Author, human rights advocate, and Steering Committee member of US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation http://www.endtheoccupation.org/
- Phyllis Bennis - Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies. Her newest book is Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the UN Defy U.S. Power. http://www.ips-dc.org
- Mitchell Plitnick - Director of Education and Policy, Jewish Voice for Peace http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

GROUNDRULES
1. If you are not speaking or asking to speak, please mute yourself. On many phones you can mute by pressing 6 or the mute feature. Just before it is your turn to speak, unmute yourself by pressing 6 or mute feature again.

2. Stack: When we begin the Question & Answer section, the facilitator will ask who would like to be on the stack. That's conference call lingo for "who has a question?" Since she/he can't see you raise your hand, please call out your name (e.g. "James, stack"). The facilitator will make a list of people who want to speak, then she/he will call off names from the list. When your name is called, it is your turn to speak. When all the people on the list (stack) have had a chance to speak, the facilitator will ask if she/he should start another stack (if there is time), and we repeat the process. The facilitator may decide to take several questions at a time before asking panelists to respond. To ensure that a range of voices are heard (race, gender, geography, organization, etc.), the facilitator will use her judgement as to whether to change the order of the stack or ask people to step back.

3. Questions: To give the widest number of people the chance to ask questions, please limit your question to 30 seconds maximum. Also, if it is your turn to ask a question, please do ask a question rather than make a comment or launch a polemic (we’ve all been in meetings where that’s happened!). The facilitator reserves the right to ask for conversations better suited for another forum to be moved to UFPJ’s discussion list.

4. Respect your facilitator: Facilitating a conference call with tens of unseen people is not an easy task. Please support your facilitator by respecting his/her judgement as to how to proceed. If the facilitator needs help and you have a suggestion as to how to proceed, please call out your name (e.g. "James, procedural suggestion").

Additional resources are below. Talk to you Thursday!

Best,

Hany Khalil
UFPJ Organizing Coordinator


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
In the meantime, see the article at the end of this email, where Israeli writer Gideon Levy argues that Israel bears primary responsibility for the present situation in Gaza.

You can also get more information and ideas for action on the Gaza crisis from a range of perspectives at these websites.

- Alternative Information Center, http://www.alternativenews.org/
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, http://www.adc.org/
- American Friends Service Committee, http://afsc.org/israel-palestine/default.htm
- Electronic Intifada, http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml
- Jewish Voice for Peace, http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
- Middle East Children's Alliance, http://www.mecaforpeace.org/
- Stop the Wall Campaign, http://stopthewall.org/
- Tikkun, http://www.tikkun.org/
- US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, http://www.endtheoccupation.org/

Download these excellent background fact sheets:
- Freezing the Peace Process: Israel's "Disengagement" from Gaza http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1147
- Ending the Occupation: It’s the Law http://www.endtheoccupation.org/downloads/fact_sheet_2.pdf
Recent Statements Condemning the Offensive:
- A group of 300 British Jews: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5154838.stm
- The United Nations: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5154594.stm
www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19108&Cr=middle&Cr1=east
- The European Union: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5159050.stm
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3272507,00.html
- The National Lawyers Guild: www.nlg.org/news/statements/gaza0706.htm

For more on UFPJ’s approach to a just Palestinian/Israeli peace, visit http://unitedforpeace.org/article.php?type=73&list=type

[Tom Joad]

1. Thanks for posting this. I hope UfPJ and its member groups takes

strong actions and makes strong statements. Along with all its member groups.
Like to hear Progressive Democrats of America take a stronger stand.

[Kevin Spidel]

2. stronger stance coming...

getting the grassroots folks to sign off on it first.