Dear Friends,On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, Grassroots International wishes to express its solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for a just peace. Our work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories began in 1986, growing out of the work the organization had done since its founding in 1983 with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon after Israel’s invasion in 1982 and over the years we have had the privilege to work with and support some of the most dynamic and creative Palestinian organizations. As a member organization of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, we were excited to participate in the largest ever national demonstration against the occupation in Washington, DC this past weekend, where more than 5,000 demonstrators from all over the country declared that “40 years of Israel’s occupation are enough.” We realize that the road to a just peace in the Middle East goes through Washington. And so this past Monday, hundreds of activists met with their Congressional Representatives and Senators to call for a change in U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. This week we plan to send out an electronic newsletter focused on the 40th anniversary and we would welcome your thoughts and statements. We are honored to stand with our Palestinian partners but clearly there is so much more to be done. At Grassroots International, we see that the day-to-day struggle in Palestine is very much about land and water and that control of these resources is critical for achieving genuine Palestinian self-determination, national identity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We remain firm in our commitment to a just peace and self-determination for the Palestinian peoples.In Solidarity and For Peace with Justice,

Nikhil Aziz, Ph. D

Executive Director, Grassroots International