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End the Cycle of Violence

Support the Cycle for Peace

 

Thank you for taking an interest in ‘The Peace Cycle 2006’.  The Peace Cycle is a voluntarily organised bicycle ride from London to Jerusalem.  It is not only a unique seven-week physical challenge but also an experience of a lifetime.  As it crosses Europe it will take with it a message of solidarity and hope for a just peace for all people in the Middle East and beyond.  The Peace Cycle welcomes people from all walks of life – all ages, all backgrounds and all faiths – to take part in this moving demonstration to demand justice and peace for the people of Israel and Palestine.

The Peace Cycle is organised by volunteers, all of whom have followed the situation in Israel and Palestine, and believe that the cycle of violence in those countries is caused by the ongoing Israeli occupation. We believe that the only way to reverse that cycle and bring about real peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people is by ending the occupation as demanded by International Law, and enabling a viable Palestinian state to exist alongside Israel.

 

Our Mission Statement:

 

1.     To encourage people from all over the world to take part in a peaceful

demonstration to bring an end to the cycle of violence and begin a cycle of

peace in the Middle East.

2.     To raise public awareness of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and how it affects the lives of the people in the region, and to call for an end to this occupation as stipulated in United Nations Resolution 242. 

3.     To show solidarity with those who continue to live in fear and turmoil as a result of the occupation and in particular, to call for justice for the Palestinian people as being the only way to a lasting peace for all people in Israel and Palestine.

Our aims:

The Peace Cycle aims to raise awareness of the real and often misrepresented situation in Israel and Palestine –

The fact that the Israeli occupation of internationally recognised Palestinian land is illegal under International Law.

The fact that Palestinian owned land is still being confiscated for illegal Israeli settlement building, often with the bulldozers arriving in the middle of the night to demolish homes, and with no compensation paid.

The system of apartheid which now exists because of separation, roadblocks, checkpoints, and closures of whole towns and villages, often making it impossible for Palestinians to go to school, work or visit loved ones.

Israel's policy of collective punishment of the Palestinian people, and of extra-judicial assassinations where hundreds of innocent bystanders – civilians and children have been killed.

That all this is being done by the state of Israel in defiance of international law, UN resolutions and Geneva Conventions.

Of course this leads to despair among the Palestinian population, with no army to defend them and the world turning its eyes away from their suffering. Some turn to violence against the Israelis and this inevitably leads to the deaths of innocent civilians on the Israeli side – an ongoing cycle of violence, suspicion and hatred which can only stop if the root cause is ended – the occupation.

 

 The Peace Cycle aims to publicise this situation and demand an end to the occupation, and justice for the Palestinian people in a viable and independent Palestinian state. We will show our solidarity with the people of Palestine who strive for peace and support their struggle for self-determination. We will encourage those Israelis who speak out against the policies of their government and work for peace with their neighbours. We will ask the governments of the world to increase their pressure on Israel to withdraw to internationally recognised borders and end its incursions into Palestinian territory. We will simply ask for justice to be done.

Our Local and International Supporters:

  • Association of Palestinian Communities UK,
  • Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
  • International Solidarity Movement,
  • Muslim Association Of Britain,
  • Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc),
  • The Holy Land Trust,
  • Annur Youth Association,
  • Friends Of Al-Aqsa,
  • Jews for Justice for Palestinians,
  • Arab Media Watch,
  • Jews Against Zionism,
  • Al-Awda Right of Return Coalition,
  • The Coalition for Palestine,
  • The Palestinian General Delegation to the UK and the Holy See

 

The Peace Cycle began as a completely new initiative in 2004, and the inaugural ride that year proved to be a great success, making national headlines in almost every country it passed through.  Whilst numbers fluctuated across the whole route, some 25 cyclists from around the globe reached Jerusalem together, in solidarity with one another and with all those working for a just peace in Israel and Palestine.

 

The group of cyclists included people whose ages ranged from 12 to 60, whose faiths included Muslim, Jewish, Christian and none, and whose nationalities included British, Irish, Swiss, German, American, Australian, Italian, Swedish, Greek, Palestinian and Israeli –

 

what united them all was their belief in a just peace.

 

One cyclist, Rebecca Tyrer (who has stayed on to work in the West Bank) proudly quoted, “There were so many times when I thought I wouldn’t make it, but we did it!  More to the point people are still talking about us and everything we still represent.  I think one of the most powerful aspects of The Peace Cycle for me was our reception in Palestine.”

Another cyclist, Khurram Yaqoob recalls The Peace Cycle 2004 as being, “… a great journey of adventure, self-realisation and tears.  Be prepared for a fantastic challenge as you pass through a variety of countries on your bike!  I mean, you are actually using your own energy and a metal contraption to travel to the other side of the globe!”

 

Plans for the next Peace Cycle are underway!

The Peace Cycle 2006 will be launched from a public rally in central London on Sunday the 6th August 2006.  After crossing the channel by ferry, we will cycle through the Benelux regions, Switzerland and part of Italy.  The ferry crossing to Turkey will afford a well-earned rest before resuming cycling into the Northern Middle Eastern regions before finally crossing into Israel and the West Bank.

For more information on the ride, and taking part as a cyclist, please see our Information for Cyclists page.

The Peace Cycle welcomes people from any religion, race or culture - we believe that Israelis and Palestinians, Arabs, Christians, and Jews can live side by side as neighbours, in peace.  But we believe this can only happen when equality, justice and security exist for all people, not just some.  We hope that all peace-seeking people will come together with one voice and support us in our mission.

 

 

“We call upon those leading the world, people of faith and people in politics to come to Jerusalem and make peace here.  For once peace comes to Jerusalem; peace will come to the whole world.” 

The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.

 

 

The Peace Cycle is organised on a voluntary basis, thus we would greatly appreciate any donations to cover our costs.  Any surplus funds are donated directly to Palestinian humanitarian aid by the cyclists once they reach the West Bank.

We also welcome people who would like to get involved with The Peace Cycle, whether by taking on an organisational role or just handing out some flyers!

For more information on how you can help, please email:thepeacecycle@aol.com

Thank you!

 
 

 

 
 
 

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