Ref: 28/2009
Date: 30 June 2009
PCHR Organizes Press Conference for Canadian Author Naomi Klein
On Tuesday afternoon, 30 June 2009, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) organized a press conference to mark the conclusion of Canadian author Naomi Klein’s visit to the Gaza Strip. The press conference was held in PCHR’s main office in Gaza City and was attended by a number of reporters and correspondents of the local and international media.
During the press conference, Ms. Klein highlighted the objectives of her visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stressing that she has a responsibility to confront the Israeli strategy aimed at marginalizing and isolation the Gaza Strip. She asserted that she is ashamed that her government was one of the first governments to support the Israeli siege imposed on the Palestinian people.
Ms. Klein further emphasized that the strategy of boycotting Israel can be effective if it is well planned, as it can establish strong pressure on the Israeli government and society, pointing out that the activation of such strategy can influence decision-making in the international community.
During the conference, Ms. Klein talked also about her book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, that was published in 2007, becoming an international bestseller. She pointed out that neoliberalism is disastrous on two levels; first, it leads to economic recession and mass poverty, and second, it uses violent means, as it relies on political disturbances and natural disasters as pretexts to make economic reforms that aim at achieving free market policies that are unacceptable to people in normal conditions. She added that the shock doctrine makes use of public chaos in the aftermath of massive collective traumas that follow wars, terrorist attacks and natural disasters to achieve dominance through imposing specific economic solutions.
Ms. Klein highly appreciated PCHR’s efforts to support Palestinian human rights, expressed pride of being hosted by PCHR and thanked PCHR for facilitating her mission.
Ms. Klein then answered questions raised by local and international reporters.
It is worth noting that Ms. Klein started her visit to the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, 29 June 2009. She was hosted by PCHR, which prepared a program for her visit that included a field tour throughout the Gaza Strip to see the destruction caused by the Israeli military offensive, and meetings with victims of Israeli human rights violations and war crimes, Palestinian prominent figures, journalists, businessmen and representatives of civil society and women’s organizations.