ARCHITECTS & PLANNERS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE (APJP): STATEMENT

Void Network express solidarity to the struggle of the people of Palestine for Freedom and Self-Determination. We introduce the statement of the activist's group "Architects & Planners for Justice in Palestine (APJP)
 

Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine (APJP) is an independent international pressure group of design professionals. We are seeking international support for an ethical and just practice for our professions in Palestine and the Occupied Territories. We oppose the building of such projects as the illegal settlements, check points, settler–only highways and above all the Separation Wall. Palestinian land has become so fragmented that a viable Palestinian State has been rendered impossible. The map of Palestine, for the indigenous Palestinians, has shrunk from being 97% of the land in 1917 to 44% in 1947(see maps below) Today only 13% of the former Palestinian lands are being recognised by Israeli unilateral ‘convergence’ policies, and that small part is being further divided by planning and architectural devices and the matrix of control.

Since 1947 Israeli kibbutzim, towns and cities have been built over the ruins of Palestinian, villages, houses and heritage that were wiped from the map by a form of architectural erasure. Israeli architects and planners, knowingly or not, have become a part of this situation. Israeli settlements built after the 1967 War, considered illegal under international law, could not have been realized without their help. Professional ethics, long enshrined in architectural and planning codes, demand that we confront these unwelcome truths and not remain silent or complicit. It is with this in mind that we are supporting particular campaigns that challenge this unprofessional conduct.

1. Currently, on the slopes of east Jerusalem, in the village of Silwan some eighty-eight Palestinian homes are under threat of demolition. This is part of a master planned development on annexed land for the benefit of Israeli citizens, which would consolidate the presence of illegal settlers to the exclusion of the current Palestinian inhabitants. The clearance is made under the pretext of gaining a large green space.

2. A further campaign includes what is called Israel’s E1 Plan. This master plan aims for the expansion of the largest illegal Israeli settlement, Ma’ale Adumim, linking it with the Jerusalem metropolitan area. This plan would dissect the northern and southern areas of the West Bank, destroying the possibility of contiguity for a future Palestinian state.

APJP calls on Israeli and international architects, planners and those in the construction industry to express their concern in each and every instance of unjust action in annexing Palestinian land, and the projects to be built on them. The future security and justice, in both Israel and Palestine, are at stake.

more info:
www.apjp.org

Closed Zone : a short film by Yoni Goodman (director of "Waltz with Basir") for Freedom of Movement in Gaza

Yoni Goodman, one of the creators of “Waltz with Bashir”, which won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award, today launched a new animated short film entitled “Closed Zone”. He created the short for “Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement”.

The 90-second film mixes animation with realistic shots to depict the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel for more than 1.5 years. Through a single character, Goodman seeks to evoke the empathy of viewers and get them to see the residents of Gaza for who they really are – a million and a half human beings who are being prevented from pursuing their aspirations because of restrictions on their movement.

you can see the film and more info about it in:
http://www.closedzone.com/

Despite declarations that it has "disengaged" from the Gaza Strip, Israel maintains control of the Strip’s overland border crossings, territorial waters, and air space. This includes substantial, albeit indirect, control of the Rafah Crossing.
During the past 18 months, Israel tightened its closure of Gaza, almost completely restricting the passage of goods and people both to and from the Strip.
These policies punish innocent civilians with the goal of exerting pressure on the Hamas government, violating the rights of 1.5 million people who seek only to live ordinary lives – to be reunited with family, to pursue higher education, to receive quality medical treatment, and to earn a living.
The effects of the closure were particularly harsh during the military operation of Dec. 2008 - Jan. 2009. For three weeks, Gaza residents had nowhere to flee to escape the bombing.
Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement calls on the State of Israel to fully open Gaza's crossings and to allow the real victims of the closure - 1.5 million human beings - the freedom of movement necessary to realize their dreams and aspirations.

According to Yoni Goodman: “It was important to me to create a human figure to whom everyone can relate. I hope that when people watch the short, they will be able to detach themselves from their automatic associations of good and evil”.

He began working on the short before the start of the military operation in Gaza, but the conflict eventually had a major impact on the film. Yoni needed to emphasize in the screenplay, as well as in the artistic design, the fact that Gaza residents literally have nowhere to run – even when their lives are at stake.

According to Sari Bashi, Gisha Director: “The unusual choice of animation as a medium is intended to help viewers understand who the real victims of the closure policy are – 1.5 million people who just want to live their lives”.

Gisha is a human rights organization which defends the right to freedom of movement of Palestinians through legal and public advocacy.

Over the past 20 months, Israel has tightened its closure of the Gaza Strip, almost completely restricting the passage of goods and people both to and from the Strip. These policies, which punish innocent civilians with the goal of exerting pressure on the Hamas government, violate Gaza residents’ freedom of movement, which is a basic precondition for their ability to exercise other basic rights.

Gisha calls on the State of Israel to fully open the Gaza Strip’s crossings and to allow Gaza residents the freedom of movement necessary to pursue their dreams.

you can see the film and more info about it in:
http://www.closedzone.com/

more info about
Gisha- Legal Center for Freedom of Movement
http://www.gisha.org/

Videos and Photos from Palestine

info comes from the International Solidarity Movement
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/
gathered with the help of members from
Anarchists Against The Wall
http://www.awalls.org/about_aatw

Unedited footage:
Sunday 28th December 2008 -
pharmacy in Hi Alijnina, Rafah
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/638627350/e779b3fe56d949f81b46f8b930d272d8
Shortly before 7:00am on Sunday 28th December, yet another Israeli missile strike hit the residential neighbourhood of Hi Alijnina in the southern Gaza town of Rafah , just 50 metres down the street from where I'm staying. This time a pharmaceutical supplies store was targeted, totally destroying the building and causing severe damage to surrounding homes. Electricity lines were torn down during the blast and the street was littered with medicines. This footage was filmed within minutes of the attack as fire fighters battled to control the blaze. Shocked residents poured into the streets, some still wearing pyjamas.

Tuesday 30th December 2008 - homes in Hi Alijnina, Rafah
(part 1)
https://download.yousendit.com/bVlETkFoZEtubVZMWEE9PQ
(part 2)
https://download.yousendit.com/bVlBclVHRStUME9Ga1E9PQ

This footage was taken on Tuesday 30th December in a residential neighbourhood of Rafah called Hi Alijnina, following an Israeli air strike at approximately 5.00am local time. One house was totally destroyed and adjacent homes were severely damaged. A teenager was injured when his bedroom wall collapsed on him as he lay sleeping. Other civilians were also injured.

Thursday 1st January 2009 -
Shabora refugee camp, Rafah
Footage part 1
https://download.yousendit.com/bVlERE90NmNiV3dLSkE9PQ
Footage part 2
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/638528382/9ff54cbb6c909aef957e4a15af233385

Photos
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/638537028/26ee0a809163f154846465ffdc575a19
This material was taken on the morning of Thursday 1st January, following an attack on the Shabora refugee camp of Rafah, close to the city centre. This civilian neighbourhood (one of the most densely populated places in the Gaza Strip) was hit during an Israeli air strike shortly before midnight on Wednesday. The missile struck a small park without warning, destroying large numbers of surrounding homes and shops.
Dr. Abdullah Shehada, director of the Abu Yusef Al-Najar Hospital in Rafah, confirmed that a 33 year-old woman and a 22 year-old man were killed and nearly 60 people were injured, 18 of them woman and 16 of them children. Several elderly people were also injured, a couple of them seriously.
Witnessing the attack from Hi Alijnina, hundreds of metres away, an F-16 fighter jet was heard in the sky followed by a massive explosion. The wall of our house facing the direction of the attack shook and it seemed as though the windows were about to blow in. The wail of multiple ambulances was heard long afterwards.

Links to You Tube videos
27th December -
bombing of police station in Rafah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHD4UlcxwnM
28th December -
bombing of medical store in Rafah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2tDQmz69Gc
28th December -
multiple air strike on Rafah border
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3wcKRLsrYo
28th December -
audio interview with Ewa Jasiewicz from the Free Gaza Movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muLlFdcK3EA
29th December -
audio interview with Jenny Linnell from the International Solidarity Movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g74j4HMMSg