Take Action Monday, 1 June: Free Ubai Aboudi! #Freedom4Ubai

This call to action is taking place amid an uprising across the United States sparked by the police murder of George Floyd, led by Black communities and movements struggling for justice, against anti-Black racism, for an end to police repression and for meaningful social transformation, including the liberation of Black political prisoners and the dismantling of police structures built on racism and oppression.

We strongly support the call of the Movement for Black Lives for a week of action to #DefundPolice and #DefendBlackLives, and we urge all Palestinian and solidarity activists to build and participate in this week, including the widespread marches, demonstrations and online actions.

Endorsing Organizations | Call to Action | Action Items | Graphics and Signs | Additional Info | Tweet Sheet

Endorsing Organizations

Call to Action

Palestinian-American researcher Ubai Aboudi, executive director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, was abducted from his home by Israeli occupation forces on 13 November, 2019 and put in detention without charge.

Ubai, who had been working with Scientists for Palestine to organize the Third International Meeting on Science in Palestine, which took place on 10-12 January, 2020 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was later transferred from “administrative detention” to an Israeli military court, once his case caught international attention.

Ubai, a Palestinian civilian, now faces an Israeli military trial which offends the most basic US and international standards of due process, on charges which were manufactured months after he was abducted. Moreover, it appears Ubai is being charged purely for his public, civilian work in the field of education and community service, activities which are lawful for Israelis to undertake, but which are smeared as “terrorism” when conducted by Palestinians.

And despite Ubai’s United States citizenship, as well as the U.S. government’s $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel, the U.S. has largely left Ubai and Hind Shraydeh, his wife and the mother of their three children, to suffer alone. The State Department has done nothing to ensure that Ubai is safe, has done nothing to ensure that he is receiving due process as required by international law, and has done absolutely nothing to protect Ubai from false and unlawful military charges.

Your calls and emails have been helping protect Ubai from even more Israeli violence. Now more than ever, Ubai and his family need us to take action to demand freedom for Ubai. On Monday, 1 June take action to demand freedom for Ubai and 4,700 other Palestinian political prisoners: Join us first thing in the morning on Monday, continue all day long, and join the coordinated social media storm on Monday, 1 June at 1 pm Eastern. (10 am Pacific/5 pm UTC/8 pm Palestine time.)

TAKE THESE ACTION STEPS:

  1. Demand the U.S. government intercede for Ubai and his freedom. Call and email the U.S. State Department at (202) 647-4000. Calls are best, but if you cannot call, email: OFM-Info@state.gov, OFMNYCustomerService@state.gov, OFMCGCustomerService@state.gov, and OFMMICustomerService@state.gov.
    Further, if you are a U.S. citizen or resident, find your Congressional representative here. Use these talking points:

    • Israel is currently subjecting U.S. citizen and civilian, Ubai Aboudi, to trial before a military court, without due process, and for recently manufactured charges. 
    • The U.S. government must immediately intercede to secure Ubai’s immediate and unconditional release, and must reject any charges against Ubai as illegitimate.
    • Ubai was interred in an Israeli military center for months without charge under “administrative detention”  – along with over 400 fellow Palestinians – until international pressure forced the Israeli military to manufacture charges against him.
    • Israel, and its military, is now being investigated for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including for its breach of due process, torture and abduction of Palestinians.
    • Israeli military courts convict Palestinian defendants at a rate of 99.76%.
    • Israel routinely subjects Palestinians in military detention to mistreatment, including torture.The Israeli military apparatus is estimated to torture over 95% of Palestinians they abduct, including children.
    • The US must also impose meaningful sanctions for Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, including over 4,700 Palestinian political prisoners. These crimes include its abduction and torture of Palestinian men, women and children. The U.S. must immediately end its $3.8 billion in annual military aid.
  2. Ask your organization to endorse this call to action. Please use the form here – visit the link at https://bit.ly/action4ubai.
  3. Join a social media storm at 10:00 am Pacific time (1:00 pm Eastern time, 5:00 pm UTC, and 8:00 pm Palestine time.) Share content about Ubai with the hashtags #Freedom4Ubai and #Science4Palestine. Use this handy tweet sheet for suggestions: https://bit.ly/tweet4ubai
  4. Post pictures and videos of yourself and your organization demonstrating in solidarity or holding up the signs to support Ubai.

    Check below for signs that you can print out and hold, or design and share your own! Use the hashtag #Freedom4Ubai to help others find them.Take a selfie, like this one of Samidoun’s international coordinator, with one of the signs.
  5. Demonstrate publicly where local conditions and restrictions allow. If possible, organize a car caravan, protest or rally in a public area, then share photographs and footage of it online with the hashtag. Bring the signs above to your local actions and demonstrations for social justice and against anti-Black racism and take a photo along with your banners and signs in defense of Black lives and for Black liberation.

Graphics and Signs

Printable sign (Download PDF):

Printable Sign (Download PDF):

Printable Sign (Download PDF):

Printable Sign (Download PDF)

Within Our Lifetime Image for Social Media:

Samidoun image for Social Media:

Resources on the Case of Ubai Aboudi

Join the @samidounnetwork channel on Telegram

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