Call on Obama to push for end to settlements and Gaza siege

What: Rally at White House

When: Tuesday, July 6, 10am

Israeli PM Netanyahu will be meeting with President Obama to repair frayed U.S. relations and discuss peace talks. Peace activists will be outside the White House to protest Israeli policies that violate the rights of Palestinians. They are calling on President Obama to stand up to Netanyahu by calling for a freeze on settlements and lifting of the siege of Gaza.

The meeting between Obama and Netanyahu was originally scheduled for June 1, the day after the deadly Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. That brutal assault triggered a wave of international outrage, forcing the Israel government to ease the restrictions on consumer goods going into Gaza. But the restrictions on travel remain, as do the restrictions on building materials needed to rebuild thousands of Gaza's homes and businesses destroyed during the 2009 Israel invasion. The activists call for a complete lifting of the siege on Gaza.

"International outrage has forced Israel to start changing its policies in Gaza, and now is the time to keep up the pressure. The best thing that President Obama could to for peace in the Middle East is to stand firmly against Israeli settlements and against the siege of Gaza. This would put the U.S. squarely on the side of international law, human rights and world opinion," says CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin, who has taken four groups to Gaza.

The protest is organized by several groups, including CODEPINK, Global Exchange, ANSWER and Peace of the Action.