FOSIS joins the Palestine Global Movement of Non-Violent Resistance

FOSIS is proud to have joined the launch of the Global Movement of Non Violent Resistance. Many organizations around the world support the Palestinian cause. However, these organizations are unable to agree on a common vision and strategies, making it difficult to engage in multi-dimensional action and build a solid united front. To resolve the conflict we must begin with a minimum program of principles we can all agree upon:

1. The Israel-Palestine conflict is primarily a political one (even though it has a religious dimension that implies the obligation to respect religious freedom for all—Jews, Christians and Muslims—and freedom of conscience for all, irrespective of religious or non-religious persuasion.
2. There is an oppressor (State of Israel) and oppressed population (the Palestinian people).
3. The Palestinian resistance is, de facto, legitimate.
4. The Palestinians have the right to their own state, and to full freedom within it.
5. The equal dignity of the Palestinians requires full equality of rights and treatment, no matter the proposed solution.
6. Palestinians expelled from their lands have a natural right of return.
7. Our commitment is based on an unconditional and equal rejection of racism of any kind, be it anti-Jewish, anti-Arab, anti-Christian or anti-Muslim.

Based on these seven principles, we can build local, regional and national collectives and platforms. These local, regional and international coordinating committees should pursue the following objectives:

1. Disseminate constantly updated and relevant information on the Middle East, in the form of websites, newsletters, lectures and teach-ins, videos, books, etc.; develop and sustain a citizen's awareness of the issues, above and beyond moments of crisis and media coverage.
2. Determine appropriate non-violent, legal and global resistance strategies (boycotts and coordination of concrete action: demonstrations, appeals to political leaders, etc.) already developed by some organizations but lacking sufficient coordination and collaboration except in times of acute crisis.
3. Support and mobilize the economic solidarity movement for development and reconstruction projects (infrastructures, schools, etc.).

We must establish a platform of shared principles to shed light on our shared commitment; we must undertake actions that express the determination of our global resistance. Because we cannot stand idly by while the Palestinians are being humiliated, while their rights are being trampled, while they are victimized by atrocities, we are launching the Non-Violent Global Resistance Movement. We call upon public personalities (intellectuals, artists, etc.) to join the Movement; we appeal to activists and ordinary citizens around the world, to organizations committed to the defence of individual rights and dignity; we summon to our cause all those who refuse to tolerate the silent complicity of governments East and West, while in Palestine civilians are being slaughtered, or relegated to the new Bantustans that the Occupied Territories have become under Israel's policy of colonization and apartheid.