Dr Jeff Halper of ICAHD - You Will Definitely Want to Hear Him Speak

I have written often about the courageous work of Dr. Jeff Halper, the Coordinating Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) including the Myth of the Generous Offer and a five part series on Israel's House Demolition Policies .

This is an excerpt from the promotional material:
"Dr. Jeff Halper, Coordinating Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) is an Israeli-American peace activist, professor of anthropology, distinguished author and internationally acclaimed speaker. His popular book, Obstacles to Peace is to be followed by a forthcoming work: An Israeli in Palestine. Dr. Jeff Halper was a 2006 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize and a 2007 recipient of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)’s Olive Branch Award."

I have participated in one discussion with Jeff and he is truly a very special person. I strongly encourage you to attend one of the following programs. If you are not able to attend any one of the these events, I suggest you contact ICAHD-USA at 919.277.0632 and find out what other locations are included in his US tour. (You may, of course, want to consider setting up a speaking engagement for him.)

I just received this from Rabbi Arthur Waskow at The Shalom Center :
Press Release: Israeli Activists Assaulted While Taking Part in a Non-Violent Protest Against Demolition of Palestinian Homes On Monday October 1, 2007, four activists from the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions were attacked during a non-violent sukkot holiday action. The activists built a sukkah to honor the Jewish holiday's values of shelter, protection, and home by raising awareness about discriminatory home demolitions in East Jerusalem. The "Sukkah of Just Peace" was set up at noon on Ben Yehuda street, where activists from the ICAHD and Rabbis for Human Rights handed out materials about home demolitions, human rights organizations, and sukkot. Around 1 pm, one of the activists was attacked by an outraged onlooker. A crowd gathered around the scuffle, mostly shouting rebukes against the activists. A small mob tore down the sukkah. Police arrived ten minutes after the incident but refused to remain at the scene to protect the activists from further harm. The demolished "sukkah against home demolitions" lay as rubble until the activists cleared the scene and took refuge in the nearby ICAHD office. No one was hurt in the incident.

Jeff will be speaking in
Long Island, NY Wisconsin Texas New Jersey Maine Massachusetts

Here is his Boston area schedule (from October 21 – 25, 2007)

Sunday October 21, 2007 7 – 9 PM
“The Key to Peace in Israel/Palestine: Dismantling the Matrix of Control”
Cape Ann Forum
City Hall (corner of Dale Avenue & Warren Street)
Gloucester, MA

Monday October 22, 2007 6:30 – 8:30 PM
"Human Rights and Politics in Israel-Palestine"
Jeff Halper & Anat Biletzki (Professor of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University and Former
chairperson of B'Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories.)
MIT building 66, room 110 (66-110)
Sponsored by The MIT Program on Human Rights and Justice and the MIT Center for International Studies

Tuesday October 23, 2007 7 – 9 PM
"Human Rights: The True Road Map to Peace"
Peace Abbey Conference Center, Peace Abbey
Two North Main Street, Sherborn, MA
Norm and Marion Mazer will provide light refreshments

Wednesday October 24, 2007 8 – 10 PM
"Israel/Palestine: Countdown to Apartheid"
Harvard University
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Belfer Building, Land Lecture Hall
Sponsored by KSG Palestine Awareness Committee

Thursday October 25, 2007 5:30 – 7 PM
Open fundraiser/reception for Jeff Halper ($25 suggested contribution)
Workmen’s Circle
1762 Beacon St Brookline, MA
--------To be followed by:
Thursday October 25, 2007 7 – 9 PM
"In Search of a Just Peace in Israel-Palestine: A View from the Ground"
Workmen’s Circle
1762 Beacon St Brookline, MA
Sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)-Boston and Workmen’s Circle Middle East Working Group

For further information on the tour
please email halpertour@comcast.net or call (781) 864-4008.