Brooklyn Parents For Peace Galleries

BFP Delegation on Gaza Visits Congresswoman Yvette Clarke : January 30, 2009, A delegation of five members of Brooklyn For Peace met with their Cognresswoman, Yvette Clarke, at her office on Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. They were expressing their anger and disappointment at Clarke's voite (along with the overwhelming majority of Congress) on Resolution 34 which, in effect, supported Israel in its war on Gaza, giving her a blank check to conduct illegal attacks on Gaza's civilian population. The meeting was successful because Clarke distanced herself from that vote and a one-sided position regarding the Gaza war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general. She subsequently signed on to the Olver letter to Secretary of State Clinton, urging immediate and unfettered humanitarian aide to the stricken population in Gaza. Privately, she voiced hope that the new Obama administration would pursue a more balanced approach to the Mideast than Bush and would make a priority of reaching a settlement a priority.

BFP Delegation on Gaza Visits Congresswoman Yvette Clarke

January 30, 2009, A delegation of five members of Brooklyn For Peace met with their Cognresswoman, Yvette Clarke, at her office on Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. They were expressing their anger and disappointment at Clarke's voite (along with the overwhelming majority of Congress) on Resolution 34 which, in effect, supported Israel in ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2009 8:42am PST

Rebuilding Hope: A Speaking Tour to Save a Palestinian Village from Demolition : Several dozen Brookly residents attended an informational meeting tonight, Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Brooklyn Friends Meeting House on Schermerhorn Street. The meeting was sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace, Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, The Brooklyn Society of Friends Peace & Social Action Committee and The Rebuilding Alliance The meeting was called so that Brooklyln residents could hear the story of the West Bank town of Aqaba in Palestine. Aqaba is a small village of 300 inhabitants located in one of the most fertile areas of the West Bank, between Jenin and the Jordan Valley. Since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967, Aqaba has been a closed military zone. Villagers have been denied access to healthcare and education facilities within their village as Israel is carrying out a highly restrictive policy that prevents the village from obtaining any legal permits to build houses or any public infrastructure. Many houses have been demolished and Aqaba's shepherds and farmers have been prevented from accessing their land. Two Israeli military bases are stationed near Aqaba, and until June 2003, when the village won a groundbreaking victory in Israel's Supreme Court, a third was located directly next to the village. For the last 40 years, the villagers have been surrounded by military training fields, where the officers train with live ammunitions, injuring tens of the residents. We heard first-hand accounts of the plight and struggle of the people of Aqaba. A discussion ensued with questions to the speakers and proposals were made to pressure Brooklyn members of Congress to speak out against the humanitarian tragedy that is befalling the people of this small besieged town. The speakers included -- Mayor Haj Sami Sadiq Sbaih has been head of the Aqaba Village Council since 1998. He is supervisor of the Rural Women's Society, Head of the Aqaba Agricultural Cooperative, and Head of Disabled Union in both the Jericho and Tubas Governorates. On 28 June, 1971, he was injured by Israeli soldiers training on Aqaba Village land. Ms. Rawhieh Sbaih is the head of the Aqaba Rural Women's Association and is the Director of the Al Haq Kindergarten in Aqaba. Mr. Shmuel Groag is an Israeli architect and town planner specializing in conservation and urban planning. He is a co-founder and board member of the Israeli human rights group, BIMKOM Planners for Planning Rights, and has been actively working to help Aqabah since the 1990's. Ms. Donna Baranski-Walker founded the Rebuilding Alliance in 2003 to rebuild communities in conflict zones and make them safe. She is an M.I.T. engineer and also holds an M.S. from the University of Hawaii. Here are photos from that meeting. - Matt

Rebuilding Hope: A Speaking Tour to Save a Palestinian Village from Demolition

Several dozen Brookly residents attended an informational meeting tonight, Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Brooklyn Friends Meeting House on Schermerhorn Street. The meeting was sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace, Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, The Brooklyn Society of Friends Peace & Social Action Committee and T ...

Updated: Sep 23, 2008 8:42pm PST

Peace Walk and Vigil at Senator Schumer's Home : Hundreds gathered for a peace walk and vigil at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza on Sunday night, September 24, 2006. There to protest the war in Iraq, mourn the dead and oppose Senator Charles E. Schumer's continued support for the disastrous Bush-war policy, they were led by a drummer and flutist as they somberly walked through Brooklyn's crowded streets. A vigil outside Schumer's home ended after walkers read the names of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians who had died, the victims of this immoral war.

Peace Walk and Vigil at Senator Schumer's Home

Hundreds gathered for a peace walk and vigil at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza on Sunday night, September 24, 2006. There to protest the war in Iraq, mourn the dead and oppose Senator Charles E. Schumer's continued support for the disastrous Bush-war policy, they were led by a drummer and flutist as they somberly walked through Brooklyn's cr ...

Updated: Sep 25, 2006 11:12am PST