Chicago 8/21: Die-in and protest of pro-Israel rally

Update:

Video: JVP-Chicago JUF Disruption 8/21/14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPZ1KD_x7uw

Article: Chicago Jewish activists disrupt Rahm Emanuel, Michael Oren at Israel fundraiser
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/video-chicago-jewish-activists-disrupt-rahm-emanuel-michael-oren-israel
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BREAKING: Chicago Jews Say NO! to Israeli War Criminals At JUF


             ****    Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago members interrupt former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren    ****
                           to say “shame on you” at Jewish United Fund celebration of Israeli war crimes

Hashtag: #Chi4Gaza  Twitter: @ChicagoJVP

WHEN: HAPPENING NOW (Thursday, August 21st, 2014. 7:00 p.m.)

WHERE: Chicago Hilton & Towers, Grand Ballroom. 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60605.

WHO: Jewish Voice for Peace – Chicago, local chapter of large and growing grassroots network of Jews organizing in solidarity with Palestinians against the injustice perpetrated by the Israeli government. Participants include both American Jews and Israelis.

WHAT: Members of Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago will disrupt the Jewish United Fund’s celebration of Israeli war crimes perpetrated during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza. JVP members will repeatedly interrupt the featured speakers throughout the event, denying injustice an uncontested platform in our community. As Jews we direct shame and rebuke toward the event’s organizers and the featured panelists, who include former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and an Israeli soldier who has served in Gaza.

WHY: Jewish tradition compels us to not only shun injustice, but to openly rebuke those who practice it. Israel's most recent attack against the Gaza Strip has killed over 2000 Palestinians, a majority civilians, yet Michael Oren and the Jewish United Fund have been unflinching in their support. Reported Israeli war crimes include the targeting of fighters' family residences, the bombing of civilian infrastructure and UN buildings, and the leveling of whole neighborhoods and towns throughout Gaza. Omer Hecht, a participant in the action who served in Israel’s armed forces, describes Israeli actions in Gaza as “collective punishment for political gain.”

“Israel is committing war crimes with brutal and destructive force against some of the poorest and most disenfranchised people on earth,” Hecht said. “As a Jew and as an Israeli, I cannot stand idly by. As an American and resident of Chicago it is my duty to stand up and say, no more! Not in my name!”

All the while, the JUF has remained silent about Palestinian suffering. JUF is shirking the duty to call out gross immorality and must be held accountable. Furthermore, the ostensibly charitable fund has devoted resources to promoting Israel’s geopolitical agenda, coordinating rallies and deploying Israeli talking points in its materials.

“JUF claims to represent Jews, but they're in denial about the growing numbers of us who support Palestinian rights,” said Michael Deheeger, a JVP protestor who left work in the Jewish non-profit world over programming complicit in oppression of Palestinians. “As an American Jew, I stand up to say shame on Israel for war crimes and shame on the Jewish United Fund for its silence. The way forward for the Jewish community is solidarity with the Palestinian call for a nonviolent, global, boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.”

For his part, Oren served as ambassador during the 2009 Gaza War, which killed over one thousand Palestinians. As a 2011 UN commission accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, Oren and other top Israeli officials should be facing international war crimes trials, not touring and raising money over dessert. People like Oren and his supporters will meet growing rebuke from Jews across the world if Israel does not end its illegal, 47-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, guarantee equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and provide a just settlement for all Palestinian refugee populations.

VIDEO/PHOTO: Live coverage with photo will be available on Twitter via the @ChicagoJVP account. Video will be made available on the JVP Youtube page after the action.

	Photos from inside the Hilton:

	https://twitter.com/RabbiBrant/status/502612124397760513
	https://twitter.com/RabbiBrant/status/502612887639429120

	Photos of Activists Who Disputped Rahm Emmanuel and others taken outside at protest, after they were
	kicked out of the event:

	pic.twitter.com/QrutiZgfrs
	pic.twitter.com/TpGJbzK8ru
	pic.twitter.com/hCVQ1FkUnu
	pic.twitter.com/z3z7mililt


Jewish Voice for Peace (www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org) is a national, grassroots organization dedicated to achieving a just and lasting peace that recognizes the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians for security and self-determination. Jewish Voice for Peace has over 175,000 online supporters, over 40 chapters, a youth wing, a Rabbinic Cabinet, and an Advisory Board made up of leading U.S. intellectuals and artists.

____________

Facebook Event: Mass Die-In for Gaza
https://www.facebook.com/events/338196239681950/

Facebook Event: Protest Against "Chicago Stands with Israel" fundraiser
https://www.facebook.com/events/1534369910107819/

Press Release: Die-in and protest will tell ‘Chicago Stands with Israel’ rally: “Stop excusing Israel's crimes against Palestinians” | http://pastebin.com/mMEWdvfJ

Video of Rally Outside the Hilton:

@AliAbunimah: Video: Protest outside Chicago Hilton. Israel fundraiser inside with Rahm Emanuel and Senator Kirk http://youtu.be/R37ijGJwg6c

Photos of Rally Outside the Hilton:

Via @ChicagoJVP:
pic.twitter.com/o1qlpUbGyw
pic.twitter.com/4bs1oHoTZE
pic.twitter.com/yGGL2HVKBr

Via @MinkuMedia:
pic.twitter.com/A62aafI51C
pic.twitter.com/G9pFBCCSkv
pic.twitter.com/WIIVxhch11
pic.twitter.com/GMwBI9bVeD
pic.twitter.com/JatI7cZErI
pic.twitter.com/N6tUeaSwCu
pic.twitter.com/H717YIDC2O
pic.twitter.com/59hvpZOef8
pic.twitter.com/lQQjLB3VYE

Via @huliganjetta48
pic.twitter.com/Mh3ocQlkfa
pic.twitter.com/0g93bzVrOP
pic.twitter.com/ugwbXPiJmt

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coalition for Justice in Palestine

Die-in and protest of pro-Israel rally:
6 PM, Thursday, August 21
Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave.


                      ****    Die-in and protest will tell ‘Chicago Stands with Israel’ rally:    ****
                                    “Stop excusing Israel's crimes against Palestinians”

Chicago 8/21 -- In an effort to continue to whitewash Israel’s crimes against Gaza civilians and the Palestinian people as a whole, the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) is organizing a rally and fundraising event billed, "Chicago Stands with Israel." Students for Justice in Palestine will organize a die-in at 6 PM at the Chicago Hilton & Towers at 720 S. Michigan Avenue to oppose that rally, and will be joined in protest by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine and others, including Jewish Voice for Peace, Anti-War Committee, and Jews for Justice in Palestine.

Palestinians and their supporters have put tens of thousands on Chicago’s streets since July 8th, to oppose Israel’s lethal assault on the people of Gaza, which has killed over 2,000 Palestinians, injured more than 10,000, and made close to half a million homeless. Almost 500 of the Palestinian dead are children.

The keynote speaker for the JUF event is Michael Oren, former Ambassador of Israel to the U.S., and it was just announced yesterday that U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and Mayor Rahm Emanuel will be joining him. At a time in which Israel has pulled its cease fire negotiators from Egypt and continued its attacks on Palestinians, killing 19 yesterday, protesters have vowed to not allow Israeli apologists to gather unopposed.

"Our community and our supporters have been rallying constantly for six weeks to call for peace and justice in Palestine. Zionist organizations, on the other hand, continue to rally in support of Israel's devastating war on a civilian population," says Coalition for Justice in Palestine member Senan Shaqdeh. "It is even more upsetting to see that Senator Kirk and Mayor Emanuel will be at the Israel rally. They are supposed to be our representatives, and instead are supporting crimes against humanity."

Thursday’s protest is being convened by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine, whose members include American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Chicago Islamic Center, Palestinian American Community Center, Palestinian American Council, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)-Chicago, and United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN); plus by supporters from the ANSWER Coalition, the Anti-War Committee-Chicago, the Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Jews for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Group.


Facebook Events

Protest Against "Chicago Stands with Israel" fundraiser:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1534369910107819

Mass Die-In for Gaza:
https://www.facebook.com/events/338196239681950