WASHINGTON - March 15 - Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel will participate tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16 in a national day of action to remember and honor Rachel Corrie, a 23 year-old U.S. peace activist who was killed by an Israel Defense Forces Caterpillar bulldozer while nonviolently trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian house in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003.

JPPI will join other organizations in a protest and candlelight vigil from 4-7 PM on Tuesday. The protest begins outside the office of Caterpillar, 818 Connecticut, NW, Washington, DC. At 5:45 JPPI and other organizations will walk to nearby Farragut Square for a candlight vigil.

More than 30 vigils and educational events, marking the one-year anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s death, are taking place in 29 cities in 19 states plus the District of Columbia. Events include a vigil at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Helena, Montana and a demonstration at a Caterpillar dealership in Elmhurst, Illinois. Details for all of the events can be found at: http://endtheoccupation.org/calendar.php.

Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel also has endorsed a petition to each Member of the House of Representatives. The petition, signed by more than 210 organizations in at least 33 states plus the District of Columbia, asks Congress to pass the Rachel Corrie Resolution (H.Con.Res.111) calling for an independent U.S. investigation into her death. Endorsing organizations include United for Peace and Justice, the country’s largest coalition of peace and justice organizations, the United States Green Party, and the City of Santa Cruz, California (population 55,633), whose Mayor, Scott Kennedy, proclaimed March 16 to be “Rachel Corrie Day”. The list of endorsing organization can be found at: http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=320.

"As Jewish Americans, it is important for us to raise our voices against human rights abuses committed by the Israeli government. Israel's killing of Rachel Corrie is a flagrant violation of pikuach nefesh--the Jewish notion that an individual life must be protected. We demand an independent U.S. investigation into her death and call on Israel to protect citizens from around the world who have come to Palestine to do humanitarian work," said Josh Ruebner, cofounder of Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel.

The Rachel Corrie National Day of Action is being coordinated by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a diverse coalition of more than 120 member organizations that supports a U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine based on peace, justice, human rights, and international law rather than on military occupation. For more information, see http://www.endtheoccupation.org.

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