Giving Tuesday – May 5, 2020
Indiana voice for peace, justice, human rights, and intercultural encounter
Dear friends and supporters of Indiana Center for Middle East Peace,
We are living in a new COVID-19 reality that has impacted all our lives. We at ICMEP send each of you and your families our very best, hoping that you are all staying safe and healthy. And we extend our heartfelt gratitude for those medical workers, first responders, and all “essential workers” for their service during these difficult days.
We want you to know that ICMEP has remained active during this time, even as we have had to change the way we do our work. Our friends in Palestine have been enduring a “double occupation,” the Israeli military occupation and now quarantining because of the pandemic. And while they’re still on alert, fortunately, quick action by Palestinian authorities has resulted in relatively small number of cases in the West Bank as well as in Gaza. Nevertheless, the Israeli government, with US support, and in violation of international law, is moving ahead with plans for egregiously annexing illegal settlements, parts of East Jerusalem, and the Jordan Valley.
We at ICMEP continue to stand on the side of justice and work to change the conversation about Palestine and Israel here in the US. In the last six weeks, we have conducted Zoom interviews with and financially support:
+ Zoughbi Zoughbi, Wi’am Conflict Resolution & Transformation Center, Bethlehem;
+ Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, Al-Rowwad Culture & Arts Center, Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem;
+ Dr. Jeff Halper & Awad Abdelfattah, One Democratic State Campaign;
+ Steve Sosebee, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, providing humanitarian and free medical care for
Palestinian kids, including their pediatric cancer clinics in Beit Jala and Gaza;
+ in mid-May, Josh Ruebner, author, formerly of US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, now Georgetown
University Professor of Middle East Studies, and with American Muslims for Palestine.
Next Tuesday, May 5, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace is participating in the #GivingTuesdayNOW campaign, “a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”
We at ICMEP are so grateful for our many friends who have stood with us throughout the last 15 years. We hope you will find a way to support us in whatever capacity you can on this day of “giving back.” Follow us at our website (indianacmep.org) or on our Facebook page.
In solidarity!
Michael Spath
Executive Director