June 25, 2010
Richard Silverstein (Tikun Olam), in conjunction with other peace activist organizations, has organized a conference in Seattle about the recent Gaza Freedom Flotilla,
….that will focus on all the issues surrounding the Gaza flotilla attack and siege, as they relate to U.S. policy and its magnificent failure (so far). I’ve joined together with SABEEL of Puget Sound to produce the event. We’ll have Prof. Steve Nivas of Evergreen College, who will speak to U.S. policy towards Gaza and Hamas. I will address the current meltdown within Israel of its democratic values and how this impacts the possibility for progress on the peace front. Dave Schermerhorn was a passenger on and survivor of the Mavi Marmara attack and he will speak about his experience. Finally, Hazim Shafi, who lives and works here in the Seattle area will speak about current reality in Gaza on the ground. His father and brother have lived there for some time and Hazim’s larger family hails from there, though many have left since conditions worsened substantially over the past few years. Hazim’s uncle, Haider Abdul Shafi was a senior PLO negotiator at the Madrid conference.
Just letting you know.