Mideast Crisis

Jane Toby: Stories From the West Bank

About 65 people attended, including our wonderful security volunteers. There was no disruption by the people who've been threatening us for weeks and calling this an "anti-Jewish training session." Our goal was to reach the non-activists, Jews and non-Jews, who have had their default allegiance to Israel challenged by the events of the past two years, and give them an alternative. We reached our target audience, with a large number of new people in the audience, some of whom got up to speak during the Q&A.

The speakers were extraordinary: Holocaust survivor Suzanne Ross described her odyssey to become an activist for Palestinian rights; and Columbia student Aharon Akiva Dardik spoke about his journey from West Bank settler to IDF refuser to Columbia anti-genocide activist. I recommend them both to other groups for future events.

We would have been helped by more support from regional Palestine support groups, in terms both of publicity and attendance. I was surprised to see so few activists from other groups, even though we have been under attack weekly for two years. Maybe we failed to promote the event sufficiently? I'd be glad to hear some suggestions about this.

BDS for a better world

Learn how to shop for justice and support a Free Palestine.
SUN 11/16
4-6 PM
INQ. MINDS BOOKSTORE
200 MAIN ST . SAUGERTIES

Ametek Aerospace & Defense

We received a flier with details of the next demonstration on Route 375 in Woodstock on Nov. 10, 4-6pm. Here it is.

Don't miss Part 2 of the documentary "From Ground Zero"

Part 2

SUNDAY, November 2, 2 - 5 pm at the Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St., Kingston, NY. Showing of the international, award-winning film “From Ground Zero - Part 2.” Follow the lives of 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war and annihilation in Gaza. See how art and the human spirit can survive in the darkest of times. Michael Moore is Executive Producer. Free admission with community discussion after the film. Cosponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response <mideastcrisis.org>, Mid Hudson Valley DSA, Rally Middletown, JVP Hudson Valley, Peace Education Center, Veterans For Peace, and Women In Black - New Paltz. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906

Pat Ryan: Listen to Hudson Valley Voters

Rep. Pat Ryan co-sponsors pro-Israel resolutions, but refuses to Block the Bombs.

Pat Ryan: listen to Hudson Valley voters, not AIPAC donors.

How about you writing an email to Pat Ryan

right now!

Ask him why he takes hundreds of thousands from the Israel Lobby while an active genocide is being waged on the Palestinian people.

See what kind of a guy Pat Ryan really is!

https://patryanrecord.org/

From Ground Zero - Part 1

SUNDAY, October 26, 2 - 5 pm at the Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St., Kingston, NY. Showing of the international, award winning film “From Ground Zero - Part 1.” Follow the lives of 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war and annihilation in Gaza. See how art and the human spirit can survive in the darkest of times. Michael Moore is Executive Producer. Free admission with community discussion after the film. Cosponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Mid Hudson Valley DSA, Rally Middletown, JVP Hudson Valley, Peace Education Center, Veterans For Peace, and Women In Black - New Paltz. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906

David Rovics live in Woodstock

Please put this in your calendar and tell people about it. David’s songs are powerful testimonies about Gaza, Palestine, and social justice here and everywhere. His songs are not only good music, they are insightful, entertaining and informative. David is a very prolific activist songwriter in the tradition of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.

Note: There will be plenty of tabling space for all you activists.

Tuesday night Oct. 14, 8:00 PM Mountain View Studio Woodstock, NY

Vassar College Vigil: Sun, Oct 5 and Mon, Oct 6

Pat Ryan you can't hide...

Urge Pat Ryan to Support the Block the Bombs Act

We had another full house for our latest movie about the West Bank and Israeli occupation. A good many stayed at the end to encourage others to contact Rep. Pat Ryan and urge him to stop supporting the genocide.

Students had questions

Eli and I spent about a half hour handing out flyers between classes at Dutchess CC.

I only had two students who didn't take a flyer. Quite the opposite, a number of students had questions. Here is Eli talking about Gaza. No security asked us to leave.

Film: "The Teacher" on Sunday, September 28

SUNDAY, September 28, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM at the Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St., Kingston, NY. Showing of the international, award winning film “The Teacher," a story about a Palestinian educator who struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with the chance for a new relationship. Free admission and community reflection/discussion after the film. Cosponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Mid Hudson Valley DSA, Rally Middletown, JVP Hudson Valley, Peace Education Center, and Veterans For Peace, Women In Black - New Paltz. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906

Two campaigns to free Palestine

These two campaigns deserve our special attention. It is too bad the titles sound very similar. But all that we are asking is two phone calls. I just made them myself, and it took about three minutes. -Fred

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"Block the Bombs to Israel" campaign:

Since the beginning of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in

October 2023, the US has given more than $30 billion in taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel to enable its atrocities. The US is not only complicit in Israel’s killing of more than 60,000 Palestinians–our weapons make us partners in crime.

Rep. Ryan's office reports they're not hearing much from constituents about the Block the Bombs to Israel Act (HR3565) - but your voice can change that. Constituent pressure is working. Representatives who were always pro-Israel and take AIPAC money are now co-sponsoring this bill because voters called their offices and put pressure on them. 37 House Democrats have already signed on.

URGENT: Call Rep. Pat Ryan's DC Office About HR3565 (Block the Bombs Act).

Call Rep. Ryan: (202) 225-5614

As Israel escalates its genocidal violence by killing and starving Palestinians, and by driving them from their homes, it’s time to Block the Bombs!
https://www.blockthebombs.org/

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"Break the Bonds" campaign:

Did you know that the New York State pension funds own hundreds of millions of dollars of Israel bonds that support the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the West Bank? The Break the Bonds campaign is asking New York residents to call Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to urge him to divest the state of these bonds.

You can call Comptroller DiNapoli at either of the following phone numbers:

NY City Office: 212-383-1600
Albany Office: 518-474-4044

This campaign is sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace.
Learn More & Sign the Petition
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource/btb-nys/

BDS Teach-In