BADIL Resource Center 
18 March 1999 
For Immediate Release 

CAMPAIGN TO END ID-CARD CONFISCATION 

The following is the campaign agenda to be implemented through an ever  
increasing network of organizations and activists.  The purpose of this campaign is to apply pressure on the Israeli court as it prepares to rule on the legality of Jerusalem ID card confiscation in the upcoming High Court decision scheduled for April 22. In order to most effectively lobby the Israeli court, the Lobby for Human Rights in Jerusalem, in partnership with a growing number of human rights organizations (see list below), has organized actions on both the legal and the popular front.  

CAMPAIGN AGENDA 

A.  Grass-roots Activities 

1.   Letter Writing Campaign  

• A sample letter will be circulated through activist and NGO e-mail networks to the general public, encouraging them to write the Israeli justices. The sample letter should be ready for dissemination by early next week.
• The sample letter will also accompany the PHRM publication on the UN Committee on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights. The publication will be broadly disseminated to the US congress, lobby groups, consulates, etc. urging recipients to write Israeli officials on the issue of ID card confiscation.

2.   Media Campaign 

• all participating organizations are encouraged to promote personal stories of ID card confiscation and the April 22 decision into the press. ACRI, B'tselem, JCW will put special efforts into contacting the international press.

3.   Demonstration New Gate Park on April 14  

• the main demonstration of the campaign will be held on Wednesday, 2-4pm, at the Old City New Gate Park.  Israeli and Palestinian activist groups are now mobilizing broad sectors of the public, including extending the invitation to PLC and Knesset members.
• the Lobby will also design and distribute a campaign sticker/flyer to promote the issue of ID card confiscation and publicize the April 14 Demonstration.

4.   Vigil at Israeli Supreme Court (April 22) 

• a vigil/demonstration will be made at the Israeli Supreme Court the day of the court hearing. Details will be clarified by the Campaign Sub-Committee.

5.   Press Conference (April 22) 

• The press conference with the international law delegation (described below) will be held the day of the High Court decision at al-Hakawati theater. Details of this press conference are subject to change and will be followed up by the campaign sub-committee.

B.  Legal Advocacy 

1.   Delegation of Legal Experts  

• a delegation of international law experts will be brought in to sit in on the High Court decision, April 22.  They will also visit various Israeli and Palestinian officials and ministries.
• International and domestic lawyers and judges will be sent an informational package, including a translation of the original petition that induced the present High Court decision.  They will be asked to write an Amicus Curaie or legal briefing, urging the Israeli justices to rule against the policy of ID card confiscation.

Lobby for Human Rights in Jerusalem/Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation: Addameer, Badil Resource Center, Citizen's Rights Center - Arab Thought Form, Freedom's Defense Center, Jerusalem Center for Women, Palestine Human Rights Information Center, Women's Affairs Technical Committee, Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling 

In Partnership With: 
al-Haq, Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Bat Shalom, B'tselem, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Defense for Children International, Hamoked, Jerusalem Center for Economic and Social Rights, Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid, LAW, Palestinian Housing Rights Movement, Physicians for Human Rights 

For further information contact the organizations listed above or: BADIL  
Resource Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights, PO Box 278, tel/fax. 02-2747346, email: info@badil.org

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