Zakaria Odeh, Executive Director of the Union of the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem speaks about the the non-violent campaign to resist Israel's efforts to ethnically cleans the historic Palestinian population from Jerusalem. He explains the original designation of Jerusalem as an International City under the United Nations. In 1967 East Jerusalem was occupied by the Israeli military and then quickly annexed. That move denied the Palestinians living there protection under the Geneva Convention. Mr. Odeh details the various means that the Israeli government uses to confiscate Palestinian owned homes under the pretext of public planning. The long term aim of the Israeli government has been to claim all of Jerusalem as the capital of the state and he speaks about how language, bulldozers and concrete walls are used to advance a plan, a Master Plan to insert a majority population of settler religious extremists who function as shock troops while receiving protection and support from the State.
His is an inspiring story of resistance in the face of State violence and racism against his community.
Mr. Odeh is also the President of Defense for Children International - Palestine. He speaks about the arrests and brutalization of children that the Israeli government conducts and a perversion of "house arrest" that Israel has developed to turn children against their parents.
Hyde Park Union Church Arab Jewish Partnership - arabjewishpartnership.org.
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