Gaza and the West Bank erupt as Trump moves the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
Chicago –(ENEWSPF)—May 15, 2018
Contact: Hatem Abudayyeh
On Monday, May 14th, Trump officially moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have escalated their protests across the West Bank and Gaza. These protesters have been met with unimaginable brutality, as 59 Palestinians have been killed in the past two days, with almost 3,000 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. This latest massacre comes on the heels of sustained Palestinian protests (113 total killed since March 30th, and over 10,000 injured, with hundreds in critical condition) demanding the Right of Return for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their original homes and lands in historical Palestine.
The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine will stage a press conference at 500 South Michigan Avenue on Tuesday, May 15th, at 4 p.m. followed by a rally and march to the Israeli Consulate, 500 West Madison Street in downtown Chicago. This is an emergency response to Israel’s brutality, and a rejection of the Trump administration’s dangerous and illegal embassy move. It will also coincide with the commemoration of 70 years of Nakba, what Palestinians call “The Catastrophe,” which marks the ethnic cleansing of almost 800,000 Palestinians upon the establishment of Israel in 1948.
“The Trump administration’s decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem is directly responsible for the massacres we’ve seen today” said Hatem Abudayyeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. “The message to the Israelis from Trump is clear: you may continue to massacre Palestinians with impunity, and the U.S. is behind you 100%.”
The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine is led by Al-Nahda Center, American Muslims for Palestine, Palestinian American Community Center, Palestinian American Council, Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago, and the United States Palestinian Community Network.
Rally and march endorsed by American Friends Service Committee, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Black Lives Matter-Chicago, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago, and Pilsen Alliance.
Source: www.uspcn.org
