WASHINGTON - January 8 - To plea with President-elect Barack Obama to speak out against Israel's war on Gaza, CODEPINK and Muslim women will deliver a flood of white roses at 12 p.m. Friday to Obama's Washington, DC hotel, the Hay-Adams Hotel at 16th and H Streets NW.

WHAT:  CODEPINK, Muslim women deliver white roses to Obama's DC hotel, plea for ceasefire
WHEN:  12 p.m. Jan. 9 - TOMORROW
WHERE:  Begin at 16th and H Streets NW (across from the Hay-Adams Hotel where Obama will be staying)
Speakers: Anisa Abd el Fattah, chairwoman, National Association of Muslim American Women
    Mary Kate Chaath, Palestinian-American
    Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK co-founder
    Moderated by Gael Murphy, CODEPINK

They will host a press conference outside the hotel with their message, "Please do not be silent. The children of Gaza need your help."

Of the 600 Palestinians killed in the attacks of the past 13 days, one in five have been children. Obama has been made no condemnation of the massacre, nor a call for an immediate ceasefire.

The white rose plea to Obama to speak out harkens back to the White Rose Society — the World War II non-violent resistance group in Germany — a tiny band of college students and their professor adopted the motto "We will not be silent" and exposed what they saw and knew was happening around them.

"We must push Obama to show moral leadership and truly be the peace president the American people elected," said Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK co-founder.

Following the press conference, the women will gather in front of the White House and march at 1 p.m. to Upper Senate Park on Capitol Hill for a rally from 2 to 4 p.m. The march and rally are organized by the National Association of Muslim American Women.

CODEPINK will also sell white roses through its Web site for people to send to Obama and is asking its members to contact Obama's transition team at 1-202-540-3000 (x 2) to ask for an immediate ceasefire and massive humanitarian aid to the civilians.

For information about the action, please call Medea Benjamin at 415-235-6517. To learn more about the current crisis in Gaza, click here.