One thing the Israel-Palestine "conflict" is not, is a dispute of equals with comparable grievances. Israel stole land for its state, continues to steal it, and nowadays, there is no way into any part of Palestine other than through Israeli control points. Welcome to Palestine is an intiative to challenge this effective blockade of the West Bank and calls on governments to support the right of Palestinians to receive visitors and the right of their own citizens to visit Palestine openly (people usually need to lie to gain access).

As if this human blockade were not disgraceful enough, it is being maintained with the complicity of western governments and the corporate interests that serve them. Amazing but true!  The participants in Welcome to Palestine 2012 ask merely to be allowed to pass through Tel Aviv airport without hindrance and to proceed to the West Bank to take part in social and educational projects there.

Astonishingly, Israeli intelligence, the Foreign Office and International Airlines are all colluding to try and prevent this. The struggle against Israeli apartheid and racism becomes ever more bizzare.....

From moviemaker Jon Pullman
 
It's Sunday April 15th.
 
Across Europe and North America, over a thousand people committed to freeing the people of Palestine from a silent blockade, and more importantly at this stage, bring it to the attention of the world, are trying to reach the West Bank.
 
But Israel controls all the access points, and in an exercise that can best be described as "surreal", the Israeli intelligence services, Western goverments and international airlines are all colluding together to try and stop people travelling.....
 
In the likely suppression of any mainstream media coverage of this, please just be aware that it's happening...thanks.
 
Welcome to Palestine website here:

http://welcometopalestine.info/

...and my footage from yesterday's Edinburgh Waverley send off here....
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxoqFfRIT4