The hunger strike held at the northern entrance to Jerusalem to protest the Israeli apartheid wall has entered its sixth day amid growing local and international support.

Today a large delegation of Palestinian judges from the Islamic Supreme Sharia Court, led by Chief Judge Tayseer Tamimi, himself on hunger strike, paid a solidarity visit to the hunger strikers. Justices came from all Palestinian counties, north and south. The Justices decided to hold their monthly meeting at the solidarity camp to discuss the impact of the Israeli Wall on Jerusalem where they issued a statement fully endorsing the actions called by the Central Popular Committee Against the Wall, and calling on people to participate in the Friday prayer at the solidarity tent set to take place tomorrow at noon. They also called on all national and Islamic organizations to set up solidarity tents in all Palestinian centers to rally people against the wall. Noon prayers were also held in the center of the tent, led by Tamimi and the rest of the delegation.

Minutes earlier the Women’s Center of Shu’faat Refugee Camp brought the children attending their summer camp to the solidarity tent where they declared their support and sang songs in solidarity with strikers.

A large delegation from the Women’s Center of Biddu , the Society for the Development of Rural Women also braved the checkpoints and army encirclements to come to the solidarity tent. The village of Biddu has lost four young men to the bullets of the Israeli army in their struggle against the wall which takes large swathes of their land. The women expressed their total commitment to the struggle to bring down the wall.

Shortly afterwards the leadership of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Jerusalem arrived to extend their greetings of solidarity with the hunger strikers, emphasizing the unity between the Islamic and Christian communities in their unity in struggle.

Yesterday evening a teach–in and debate on the recent ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court was held at the solidarity tent. The court had ruled that a 30 km section of the 700 km-planned wall should take into consideration the needs fo the Palestinian communities. Palestinian Attorney Muhammad Dahleh presented a short legal overview of the case, Mr. Jamal Jum’a, coordinator of the Aparthied Wall Campaign, representative from ARIJ organization and members of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, made detailed analyses of the social, economic and environmental impact that the wall will have on the Jerusalem area, while emphasizing the ultimately political aim of the wall to enclose the majority of the Palestinian within isolated cantons. In summing up, Azmi Bishara emphasized that the original lead in the struggle against the wall began with the Popular Comities in their own localities. In that respect, the current hunger strike represents a continuation of their original struggles and sacrifices.

Large groups of Palestinians from within the 1948 areas continued to pour in and participated in the teach-in, while hundreds of letters of solidarity from around the world declaring their support.

Yesterday six additional people joined the hunger strike. They are: Salah Abu Qteish, member of the executive committee of the Palestinian Trade Union Federation; the activist Ms. Amal Nashashibi; Farid Tawil, member of the administrative Committee of the Makassed Charitable Society; Ali Shami, Addameer Institute for Human Rights; Yafit-Jamileh Biso, Israeli activist-Ta’ayush organization; Mirielle Fanone, daughter of Franz Fanon.

For further details please contact:
Dr. Bishara: +972 54 290 729 abishara@knesset.gov.il
Mosa Diab: +972 54 290 726 mosadiab@yahoo.com
Awatef Shiekh: + 972 54 6656 605 awatefshiekh@yahoo.com