The Palestine Solidarity Group- Chicago (PSG) will join Palestine solidarity activists around the world on this international day of action to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the historic Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until it ends the occupation, respects the right of return of Palestine refugees, and respects the rights of Palestinian citizens in Israel. We will renew our calls on the Chicago Sister Cities International, whose offices are located at the Chicago Cultural Center, to drop Petach Tikva, Israel from the Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) program and call on Israel to release political prisoner Ameer Makoul, tortured at Petach Tikva.
We reject an official relationship between the City of Chicago and the Municipality of Petach Tikva in Israel. Under the guise of promoting cultural and education ties, and under the false premise of a people-to-people program, Petach Tikva”s inclusion in the CSCI promotes Israel-US business ties while it simultaneously whitewashes Israel”s occupation and human rights abuses.
Ameer Makhoul is the latest Palestinian grassroots activist to be held and tortured at Petach Tikva. It is bitterly ironic that the chairperson of the CSCI”s Petach Tikva program is also president of the America Israel Business Chamber of Commerce, which earlier this year advertised a “Fight Back Against the Boycott” to undermine the movement grassroots Palestinian activists Ameer Makhoul have been arrested and persecuted for leading.
At a national meeting earlier this year, Jewish United Fund – one of the racist Israeli governments main champions in the US – identified the threat posed to Israel”s “legitimacy” by our campaign. Join our campaign and directly challenge Israel”s supporters in Chicago, and demand real policy change!
TAKE ACTION: contact Leroy Allala – Sister City Program Executive Director
(leroy.allala[at]cityofchicago.org, 312.744.1372) and demand an end to the Sister City partnership between Chicago and Petach Tikva!
www.psgchicago.org | Find us on Facebook! Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago
