My speech at the launch of Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine - 2 April 2006

Dear friends of Palestine

Thanks for coming today to commemorate the Palestinian Land Day and remember the Palestinians who were killed while defending their lands. We are also here today to launch the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, the new voice for all of you, the friends of Palestine, in Sydney and NSW.

When a few of us came together about 7 months ago and talked about forming the coalition, we came together because we had big concerns about the situation in Palestine.

Sydney is the only capital on the eastern coast of Australia that has no organization to coordinate the activities of friends of Palestine. The situation was not normal, and we put in our mind to challenge it, and we are trying to do just this today.

By establishing this coalition we are aiming to create organization where organizations and individuals believing in the justice of the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom, independence and self-determination can come together and discuss strategies, campaigns and steps to both raise the awareness of the Australians about this issue and try to make it an important issue in Australian politics.

After the election of the new Israeli Parliament on the platform of unilateral drawing of borders – that is, on the Israeli government terms, regardless of the international laws and agreements - we know that the Palestinians are desperately needing every supporter and friend anywhere in the World. The Palestinians under occupation and in exile have a bitter feeling that the whole world abandoned them to face the most brutal occupation in the world. We are trying to send them a clear message that they are not alone.

Today I am, on your behalf, committing this coalition to do our best to raise the awareness about the genocide in Palestine and expose the apartheid policies of Israel. We cannot do this without your help, help of every peace and freedom loving person. I urge all of you to support this coalition by becoming member, subscriber on our emailing list, or donor.

We all have historical responsibilities towards the Palestinians and today I am putting you face to face with these responsibilities. The issue here is not concerning the Palestinian people; it is an issue of global justice, peace and security.

I hope we will not let them down.