A Statement by the Committee of Political and Religious Leaders on the Hunger Strike in Jerusalem
By Strike Media Committee
July 06, 2004

We, the people are on a sit-in and hunger strike in this tent, in the city of Jerusalem, have witnessed the Israeli Occupation wall illegally annex our land at an alarming rate, quickly separating and splitting Jerusalem from its surroundings. The wall has created massive schisms, forcefully dividing Palestinian families and isolating Palestinians from their land and their livelihoods. The committee is calling on people to act in order to preserve Arab identity, culture and heritage in Jerusalem. We reach out to representatives in the PNA to make resistance against the wall their number one priority and to initiate activities against it.

Accordingly, we call upon people to adhere to the following program:

1. A total commercial strike on Thursday July 8th 2004 in solidarity with the leaders striking at Al-Dahiya crossroads.

2. To conduct Friday prayers at Al-Dahiya crossroads near the sit-in tent.

3. To erect sit-in tents at places were the wall is being built or where it already exists, in order to unite and ignite this form of popular resistance on all fronts, and to use every available means to protest against the Israeli Occupation wall.

4. To announce solidarity with the striking leaders and to conduct solidarity visits to their tent and other tents to be erected throughout the West Bank, in order to unite our people against this illegal means of segregation.

List of Participation in the Hunger Strike:


1. Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi (Chief Judge of the Islamic Court)
2. The Archmandrite Attallah Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church)
3. MK Dr. Azmi Bishara
4. Ahmed Ghneim (local leader of Fateh)
5. Hatem Abdel Qader (member PLC)
6. Abdul Latif Ghaith (PFLP)
7. Hani Al-Issawi (Democratic Front)
8. Suhel Khader
9. Mousa Abu Gharbiyeh
10. Mahmoud Abdul-Baqi
11. Ra’fat Ulayan
12. Judeh Al-Jamal
13. Hani El Eisawi
14. Michail Varshawski
15. Assad Maslamani

http://www.miftah.org