Miscellaneous
Do I have to agree with every conclusion presented on this website?
Why do you have a Palestinian flag on this website and no Israeli flag?
Why is P10K anti Israeli?

Getting there
Is P10K restricted to western countries? No
Can I still come even if my country isn't on the list? Yes, definitely.
But I can't go? Why not?
- because I'm working
- because the time commitment is too long
- because it's dangerous
- because I can't afford it
- because of my partner/family
- because I'm a student/studying
I want to be a part of P10K, but I can only make it for a week or less. Is there any point in me coming to Palestine at all?
When do I need to come to Palestine?
How much will it cost?

Useful Information for Travel to & Living in Palestine (article)

Staying there
How long do I need to stay?
What will we do as part of the P10K Force?
What about living in Palestine (accommodation, food etc)?
How much will it cost?
Can P10K Force participants join existing Palestinian volunteer programmes?

Strategy
It's impossible to get 10,000 people.
But what if Israel won't let us in?
Have the cease-fire agreements been brokered with either Palestinians or Israelis?
What if the Militant Palestinian Resistance breaks the ceasefire?
What good will it do?
Why not let our elected politicians sort it out?
Why Palestine? Surely Iraq, Columbia, Myanmar, Afghanistan...?

Miscellaneous
Do I have to agree with every conclusion presented on this website?
No, but you do have to agree with the P10K Mission and the terms outlined in the P10K Registration form.

Why do you have a Palestinian flag on this website and no Israeli flag?
If you want to see Israeli flags, just join P10K and come to the Palestinian Occupied Territories. There's thousands of them everywhere - at checkpoints, illegal settlements, along settler roads. When the state
of Israel decides to fully withdraw all it's illegal settlements, military outposts and all aspects of it's occupation, P10K will gladly post an Israeli flag on it's website.

Why is P10K anti-Israeli?
It is the Israeli Governments policies that are "anti-Israeli." The wall, the incursions, the assassinations, the curfews and house demolitions, these are anti-Israeli, anti-Palestinian, anti-Life. P10K is pro international law, pro-life, and when we arrive we will immediately save Israeli and Palestinian life.

The language used here to attack the Israeli Government is just, no matter how offensive to some. Those that join this action are not offended by strong words that are truthful, and those who will attack P10K will invariably offer no viable solution; their true role being merely to assist the status quo, which is as anti-Israeli as you get. There is simply no future in an occupied Palestine, for Palestinian's and Israeli's alike.

Getting there
Is P10K restricted to western countries? No
Can I still come even if my country isn't on the list? Yes, definitely.
A crucial aspect of P10K strategy lies in the sick reality that western, white life has long been and continues to be valued above non-western, non-white life. As evil as this sick reality is, it also has great strength; the racism of Israeli government policies is a great weakness which can be used against them and exploited.

P10K more than welcomes people from countries which aren't on the list of 10,000 Western Citizens. But we recognize that it is largely western governments throughout their long and shameful colonialist histories and neo-colonialist present day policies which have much to answer for. And it's the people of these countries who bear most of the moral responsibility and have much of the economic capability to oppose their own government's policies, not pointlessly on the streets of their capital cities, only to be ignored, but in the very places these policies wreak such havoc, destruction and despair.

'The West', however, does not have clearly defined boundaries, and we acknowledge that the countries of Eastern Europe, who themselves suffered under Russian colonialism, could easily be left of the list, whilst countries such as Japan and South Korea whose governments have joined western governments in neo-economic colonialism, could easily be added.

The important thing is that a fundamental idea underlying P10K is that we're all human brothers and sisters, who should live and work in co-operation in what is everyone's homeland, planet earth. Although some people are lucky enough to actually be proud of their nations (if not their states) the country in which you happened to be born is of little consequence in terms of joining P10K, opposing Israeli oppression of Palestinians, supporting international law and working towards global Truth, Justice & Peace.

P10K also recognizes that there are many countries around the world in which people are fighting their own battles for human rights; Iraq, Columbia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nigeria to name but a few from a long list. It could be argued that it's unreasonable for people in these countries to be expected to leave their own, unfinished battles to join others, but also that it is people who have known oppression first hand to be at the front of the queue to show solidarity and offer help to other oppressed people.

In short, if you agree with the P10K Mission and Registration Form, you're more than welcome to join the P10K Force.

- because the time commitment is too long
First of all, there is no exact time commitment required for the P10K Force - just as long as it takes for the occupation to end. Of course the longer people stay, the better, because one way in which Israel will try to negate the effect of P10K is by trying to sit it out - expecting people to stay for a short time, leave, allowing Israel to continue it's oppressive policies and occupation as normal. This is not acceptable. But if people can't manage a longer commitment, we'd rather they came for a short time, rather than not coming at all.

- because it's dangerous
As a westerner, your life has immense power. Death or injury to you will cause immense political damage to Israel, and they will strive to avoid it at all costs.
P10K will happen in the full gaze of the world's media.
Unless you've been there before, your perception of how dangerous Palestine is has probably been heavily influenced by the corporate media, who knowingly or unwittingly constantly sell us the idea that Palestine is actually far more dangerous than it is.
What about danger to Palestinians? 2,859 Palestinians have been killed by Israel during this intifada (28 September 2000 - 1 March 2004). Just you being there will stop more from dying.

- because I can't afford it
P10K will subsidise the travel and living expenses of people who wish to participate but can't afford to. Raise money from friends and relatives to help you financially.
How much do you spend each day, week, month or year on needless consumerism? Give up a luxury item and use it for something worthwhile.
What about Palestinian finances? More than 60% live below the poverty line. Between September 2000 to March 2003, the Palestinian economy’s losses topped 12 billion US dollars.

- because of my partner/family
Being an individual means separation from those closest to you. All the time, people make difficult choices between closeness to their loved ones and following their dreams. The decision to join P10K is one of these choices.
If you have dependents such as elderly parents or young children, can they be cared for by your partner, a close relative or trusted friend?
Bring your partner / family with you. Many families with children opt for 'unconventional' trips. Educate your own children for a few weeks about the world as it really is.
If we want a safer world for our children, we have to be prepared to make sacrifices in this generation for the good of the next. Ending Israel's occupation of Palestine and bringing about a just and peaceful resolution to this conflict will make the lives of everyone in the world safer.
What about Palestinian families? 647 Palestinian children have been killed by Israel during this intifada (28 September 2000 - 1 March 2004). Just you being there will save young, innocent lives.

- because I'm a student/studying
Ask your university or college to allow you to defer for a term / semester, especially if you can use the time that you will spend in Palestine for the legitimate benefit of your studies, for example by doing field work for your dissertation / thesis. You could study the geography, politics, law, art, music, literature, society etc of Palestine. Meet Palestinian and Israeli students, building personal friendships and academic links between universities / colleges.
Gain work experience by volunteering for P10K. If you've already had a gap year abroad, you'll realise how valuable and uplifting it can from experiencing different cultures and meeting new people. If you intend to take time off to travel after your studies, take it now. Experience history in the making, instead of old manufactured history on the tourist trail.
What about Palestinian students? Between March 1996 and January 1998, over 1,500 students from Gaza registered at West Bank universities were prohibited from traveling to their place of study because of the Israeli Government's arbitrary denial of travel and residence permits. Many now criminalise themselves by breaking closures to continue their studies.

I want to be a part of P10K, but I can only make it for a week or less. Is there any point in me coming to Palestine at all?
Yes, of course. Only by seeing for yourself the reality that Palestinians have to deal with every day of their lives can you truly understand the situation. Obviously, the longer that you can stay the better, but if you can only come for a short period of time, then it is much better you come over than not at all!
If this is the case with you, then it would be best if you can time your trip to cover one of the following periods:
* P10K festival from 8/9th - 11th September
* The 4th anniversary of the start of the 2nd Intifada on 28th September
* Christmas / New Year period.
So while we do need as many people as possible to stay for as long as they can, do not think that your contribution will not help if you cannot stay long. Don't forget, as well as spending time in Palestine, you can also donate money to P10k to help subsidise those who do commit to staying for longer. The more money we raise, the more people we can help to stay, and for longer.

When do I need to come to Palestine?
Preferably in time for September 11th, or as soon as possible afterwards.
P10K starts on September 11th 2004. We expect most people to arrive in Palestine during the previous few days or weeks – flights are cheaper after August, so the first 10 days of September is ample time for 10,000 people to arrive. If you want to travel to Palestine long before this date, perhaps during the summer, and stay on after September 11th then you can still be a part of P10K. If you can't come before September 11th, then please come whenever you can.

How much will it cost? Flights are available right now to Amman from London for £286 at; http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Amman/Heathrow/ More information about cheap flights will be posted in the updates section of our web site and if you know of cheap flights then you are encouraged to join the P10K Forum and post these deals in our 'Cheap Flights' thread or you can email;

"When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart." John Wesley

Staying there
How long do I need to stay?
As long as you can, as long as possible or best of all until the mission is accomplished, do the best you can of these options.

The P10K Force will maintain its presence until the end of Israel's illegal occupation. It's impossible to estimate how quickly historical events will develop, but it's clear that the P10K Force will have to remain for months, rather than weeks. As a rough guide, additional P10K Force members may still be welcome for up to 6-12 months after September 11th 2004.

What will we do as part of the P10K Force?
whatever we want... (but in keeping with the P10K principles of non-violence, and respect for Palestinian wishes)

What about living in Palestine (accommodation, food etc)? How much will it cost?
The cost of living in Palestine is generally much less than almost anywhere in the west, and accommodation will be provided by our hosts; indeed this aspect of actually living with Palestinians in their homes is one of the most powerful aspects of the action. You can very reasonably live on less then $10 a day and if you buy food from markets and cook most of your meals there is no reason why you cannot live on less then $5 a day. So the answer to this question is reliant on you and your spending habits.

"What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing."
Oscar Wilde

In addition, Palestinians are an extremely hospitable people, but it's important that Palestinian hospitality is not taken for granted. The last thing we want is to come off as spoiled westerners who take advantage. It is the intent of the organizers to provide subsidies to the Palestinian people who host us with donations that are publicly committed to complete transparency. We as organizers intend to insure the vast majority of donations go directly into the Palestinian economy.

Can P10K Force participants join existing Palestinian volunteer programmes?
P10K Force members are free to participate in any activities they want to, as long as it's in keeping with the P10K Mission. Obviously it's not within P10K's remit to organize this, so please visit the Palestinian NGO network at www.pngo.net for a comprehensive list of organizations, conduct your own research, or look on the P10K Forum for ideas about what other people are doing.

Strategy
It's impossible to get 10,000 people.
No, just one from every 88,000 western people makes up 10,000.
Whilst at first 10,000 people might seem like a lot, it's not. From more than 800 million people in the west, plus people from many other countries who will join P10K, 10,000 is actually a conservative estimate.
On February 15th 2003, more than 15 million people marched around the world to say they did not want an invasion of Iraq, yet still the invasion happened. Marching, rallies, banners and petitions can raise the profile of an issue but can easily be ignored too. If just one from every 1,500 of those people who marched for peace actually 'marches' to Palestine, then we can have it, in one country at least.

Have the cease-fire agreements been brokered with either Palestinians or Israelis?
If the Israeli government honoured the ceasefires declared in the past by the Palestinian Militant Resistance and also honoured it's obligation under International Law to end its illegal occupation, P10K would not be necessary. And despite millions of well informed people throughout the world appealing to the Israeli government to act with restraint, it continues to increase its oppression.

With this in mind, P10K is sending a legal notice by registered mail to the Israeli government informing them of our mission, and calling for them to also honour the commitment to end offensive operations that we are currently negotiating with a wide range of Palestinian leaders, who have the position to discuss P10K with those who can choose to accept or reject it.

P10K is an offer for Palestinian Militants to end their offensive operations because they have in the past. A similar amount of effort has not been invested in asking the Israeli government, because by it's actions, it shows no signs that it is willing to end it's aggression. On the contrary, despite international condemnation from people who know the truth (and who through P10K now have the power to effect change) and governments (who have long had the power to effect change but actually materially and economically support Israel) Israel continues its aggression.

What if the Militant Palestinian Resistance carry out an offensive operation in Israel?
A serious look at the Militant Palestinian Resistance reveals a much ignored fact, that these same groups have actually honoured ceasefires while the Israeli Government continues and often increases the brutality of it's illegal occupation. The Wall continues to illegally annexe Palestinian land and surround the remains of Palestine creating the world's largest prison. The incursions continue and civilians are routinely killed. The bulldozers continue to enforce collective punishment by destroying family homes and Olive Tree groves. The checkpoints deny the right to travel and curfews deny children access to school and families to food and social services. Humanitarian aid is shut out of Palestine and the root cause of the violence, the illegal occupation itself, continues unchecked. But none of this will be possible with ten thousand western witnesses; we will have neutralized Israel's unofficial policy of inciting violence in order to justify much greater violence and an increasingly brutal occupation. That is exactly why western citizens are so critical to affecting and maintaining the ceasefire; only we can we stop Israeli aggression.

The P10K Force will be the greatest peace-keeping force in history, because Israel's Government will no longer be able to continue the business as usual cycle of violence; that will in turn provide the basis for justice. The Palestinian resistance know this better than practically anyone and to think they will resume violent tactics is to buy into the lie that these people are all merely crazed psychopaths who prefer violence to justice. Simply not true, and when you escape the indoctrination born of western propaganda you realise how absurd and warped our understanding of Palestine and its people is.

If the ceasefire is broken it might well be those claiming to be the victims who are in fact the perpetrators. One thing is for sure, the Militant Palestinian Resistance does not deny its actions so we shall see if they claim responsibility should an offensive operation in Israel take place.

What good will it do?
For months now, Palestinians and Israelis, backed by a few internationals, have been waging a campaign of non-violent direct resistance against Israel's illegal construction of the Apartheid Wall. Israeli soldiers have regularly fired live ammunition at the crowds of demonstrators, sometimes injuring Israelis and internationals, and killing Palestinians. If the number of international citizens at these demonstrations were to reach a critical mass, we could swing the balance in the favour of those who are already resisting, and prevent the wall's continued construction. The more people who attend such demonstrations, the more international attention becomes focused on this crime, and the more difficult it is for Israel to use brutal methods to oppress peaceful demonstrators who merely demand the halting of an illegal act.

Even more urgent action is required to help the population of the world's largest open air prison - the people of Gaza. Recently, Israel blocked UN food aid from entering Gaza, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands of already malnourished people on the brink of starvation. P10K would bring sufficient numbers of people to enforce the delivery of much needed emergency aid.

More generally, the Palestinian people have been oppressed and occupied now for an entire generation, while the world looks on and does little to help. The presence of P10K would be a huge act of solidarity with the Palestinian people, would show them that there are indeed millions of people in the west who despise the policies of their governments, and that thousands of them are actively willing to do something about it. TV and newspaper images of rallies and marches in solidarity from around the world do much to lift Palestinian spirits, but are nothing compared to having a rally of 10,000 march side by side with them in Palestine in their struggle against occupation.

Why not let our elected politicians sort it out?
There is a long list of "calls", "demands", "pleas" and so on from governments, NGO's, groups and individuals to get international observers to Palestine, yet nothing happens. P10K is answering the call rather then waiting any longer while genocide continues to be committed against the Palestinian people and nation.

Why Palestine? Surely Iraq, Columbia, Myanmar, Afghanistan...?
Palestine tops the list of current global injustices, and will just be the start of a new citizen led approach which must spread to many other countries. In no other place in the world is the injustice so one sided as in Palestine. Israel is givens billions in arms and other funding each year by the USA, commits acts of state terrorism, and yet George Bush calls war criminal Ariel Sharon a 'man of peace'. Palestinians had their land stolen, were forced to flee as refugees, have few other means to resist except by blowing themselves up, and are called 'terrorists'. Supporting the Palestinians in their struggle, and exposing the injustices committed by so called democracies would be like cutting off the head of the snake of lying, corrupt and war criminal politicians such as Bush, Sharon, Blair, and many others.

"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." - George W. Bush - 20th September, 2001... next