WEST MIDLANDS PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN

CALL TO OUR SUPPORTERS : HELP US TO BUILD THE CAMPAIGN FOR SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE

This is a critical period for Palestine and for the whole Middle East. The struggle of the people of Egypt and Tunisia against the regimes that had ruled them for so long has been inspirational to millions, both here and to countries across the Middle East including Palestine.

We need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by this movement to push forward our campaign, but with the impact of recession hitting many people, our income has dipped recently. This is why we are writing to you now; WMPSC relies almost exclusively on individual donations for its funds. If you can, we would urge you to make a donation or set up a standing order so that we do not let this opportunity slip. Our key strength is the impressive levels of activism of members and local groups, but supporting this costs money :

• £10 pays for flyers to advertise an event

• £40 pays for a film screening or a stall at an event

• £60 pays for an effective PA system for outdoor rallies and demos

• £100 pays for the room hire and speaker expenses for a public meeting

The activities for which we need funds include the campaign to persuade Birmingham City Council to terminate its waste management contract with Veolia, a company complicit in Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank; a range of boycott-Israeli-goods activities including supermarket leafleting; lobbying of councillors, MPs and MEPs; and our regular programme of public meetings, rallies and demonstrations; our Saturday Birmingham City Centre stall; vigils, other stalls and talks at a range of other events; and Palestinian film showings.

We need to increase our activity as Israel continues its building of illegal settlements in the West Bank; is moving fast to annex East Jerusalem in defiance of international law; continues its inhumane blockade of Gaza; and commits atrocities such as the killing of international activists on the Mavi Marmara and of Palestinian demonstrators in the recent Nakba demonstrations on Israel's borders.

There are a number of causes for optimism. There are the revolutions in the Arab states, which mean that Israel can no longer rely on the acquiescence of these countries in its continued occupation; the partial lifting of the Rafah crossing by Egypt; the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas; the forthcoming vote in the UN General Assembly on Palestine's proposal for recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders; and the evidence of growing national and international support for a fair settlement for Palestine.

We must build on these important developments. That is why we are asking you for a donation towards our activities in the West Midlands as part of the wider national campaign. Please contribute.

You will find details of how you can donate on the form on the home page of our website at: http://www.westmidspsc.org If you have any difficulty in accessing the form, please let us know (e-mail pscwm@yahoo.co.uk) and we will send you a copy of the form

You can :

a) make a one-off donation by bank transfer from your account to ours
b) make a one-off donation by sending us a cheque
c) set up a standing order using our form

Thank you

West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign Branch Committee