Palestine: the time is now

Our 900,000 strong campaign for Palestinian independence has caught fire across the globe. But to win the crucial votes in key EU countries, we need to deliver our message of hope for Palestine spectacularly in the next 72 hours — and just 10,000 small donations can make it happen. Click below to chip in:

The Palestinian bid for recognition is down to the wire — and if we join forces in the next 72 hours we could get the crucial EU leadership needed to push it through.

Right now three key countries — France, the UK and Germany — are still wavering under pressure from nay-sayers who are trying to crush this new opportunity for freedom. To flip them we’re planning a spectacular delivery of our 900,000 strong petition with a gigantic 300 sq m Palestinian flag right outside the EU Council meeting. We also need to run 3 urgent public opinion polls that clearly show these leaders that their people support recognition, and flood the media with full page ads. 

We can grab the attention of these leaders, show them a massive public mandate to act and hammer home a message of hope for the Palestinian people. We may not get this chance again — if 10,000 of us make a small donation now, we can rush funds into the powerful public actions we need at this critical moment:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/time_for_palestine/?vl 

Recognition of Palestine could open up a new avenue for peace in the region, and give the Palestinian people the support they need for protection under international law. And this support could not come soon enough: a far-right government in Israel is expanding settlement building in the West Bank, and obstructing the possibilities for a viable two-state solution — a solution supported by the majority of citizens in Israel and Palestine.

More than a hundred and twenty countries have already pledged to support Palestinian statehood, but getting key EU countries on board now is crucial to give this bid the backbone and global legitimacy it needs. Public pressure pushed Spain to pledge its support for statehood. Public opinion polls that show that the majority of citizens want their leaders to support the bid and a stunning media-grabbing stunt at the heart of decision-making could shift the three decisive countries: UK, Germany and France.

It’s countdown time. Our actions in the next few days could flip leaders from a collision course to a decision that would usher in an era of freedom and rescue a path to a negotiated settlement. Just a small donation today will make a difference — click below to chip in:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/time_for_palestine/?vl 

Over 900,000 of us have already lent our voice to this hopeful call for self-determination and peace. Catapulting that call to key EU leaders, news media and the UN meeting itself is the vital next step. Together, we can drown out the fear and intolerance with a global call for non-violence, diplomacy and recognition for Palestine.

With hope,

Emma, Alice, Antonia, Ricken, Benjamin, Pascal, Diego and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Q&A: Palestinian statehood bid at the UN (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13701636

US tries to stall Palestinian statehood bid: report (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/04/us-palestinians-israel-usa-idUSTRE78308520110904

Palestinian Statehood bid ‘papers ready’ (Al Jazeera English)
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/09/201194145150327397.html

Tony Blair to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders in peace push (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/04/tony-blair-palestinian-israel-talks

U.S. Is Appealing to Palestinians to Stall U.N. Vote (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/world/middleeast/04mideast.html

Israel’s diplomatic drive to block Palestinian UN bid (The Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-diplomatic-drive-to-block-palestinian-un-bid-2296143.html