Spreading Information

Number one priority must surely be to enable the public to gain a greater understanding of what is going on – and so to put pressure on politicians. The Jewish Zionist lobby has been so influential and often so deceitful. Since the Gaza war the eyes of many have been opened but little as yet has changed in regard to policy. This website may be said to be my own small attempt to do something, enabling others to find a way in.

A crucial issue at present is to stop the EU granting Israel ‘favoured nation’ trading status - as though Israel was acting according to the tenets of a western democracy! (See the outstanding Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign document above.) The European Commission’s London Office is at 8 Storey’s Gate, London SW1P 3AT.  Acting head: Sarah Lambert: Sarah.Lambert@ec.europa.eu. See their website for other UK offices.

I have heard comments critical of the BBC from both a Palestinian and a concerned Israeli in Palestine/Israel. (I was astonished for example that, reporting on the Amnesty International human report on Operation ‘Cast Lead’ (the Gaza campaign) on BBC4, this was immediately followed by saying that Israel was critical of this; and then a later news bulletin simply said that Israel was critical of the report!) I have heard it suggested that Channel 4 is better at getting out knowledge of what is going on.

One wishes that the many who go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, frequently without realising that they are on the West Bank or what that means, could have their eyes opened. Would that tour companies organised that they should meet with some local Christians, for example in Bethlehem where there is a considerable Christian population and Catholic university. Palestine should be marketed as Palestine, or more correctly the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and not simply as ‘the Holy Land’. Some tour companies actually give the impression that Bethlehem is in Israel! (See A-Z, Checkpoints for the Israeli Tourist Information practice!)

Campaigning

Organisations to Join (in the UK)

1. •Palestine Solidarity Campaign: in the UK the largest campaigning organisation, with many local branches and excellent magazine Palestine News.
   

2. •War on Want Palestine Campaign: campaigns/justice-for-palestine
   

3. •Jews for Justice for Palestinians: Has a very good website giving the latest news.
   

4. •Trade Unions have been very active; see under BDS, Trade Unions.
   

5. •Professional organisations: BRICUP for academics; Architects and Planners for Justice Palestine; Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights: etc.
   

6. See also under Further Information and BDS.  
   

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Campaigning Issues

1. •Work (for example through Palestine Solidarity) for supermarket produce which has been grown by settlers in the West Bank to be clearly labelled as such.
   

2. •Work to stop the EU from ‘normalising’ relations with Israel in the current situation (write to your MP, MEP etc.). A ‘favoured nation’ trade agreement with Israel was put on hold in disgust at the Gaza situation, but now it looks as though this may be merely a postponement. An excellent source of background information is the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign paper (see bibliography).
   

3. •Campaign against house demolition: ICHAD  UK; ICAHD-USA
   

4. •Work on boycotting campaigns, see under BDS.
   

It ought not to be necessary to say that to campaign against Israel’s current behaviour is not to be anti-semitic. Most Jews, thank goodness, recognise this. Jews who equate ‘Jewishness’ simply with ‘Israel’ do Jewish people a dis-service. To go to Israel and meet with Jewish people working against the present regime is to be awed by their courage and integrity.

Giving Money

1. •Through any of the organisations listed. It may be good to give to an organisation through which one can have some kind of affiliation or contact with one’s opposite number in Palestine, that the people there may not feel so deserted by the outside world.
   

2. •MAP: Medical Aid for Palestinians: is a very fine charity.
   

3. •War on Want Palestine Campaign.
   

4. •ICAHD: Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (see branches above). ICAHD UK is not a registered charity.
   

5. •Amnesty International: Select country ‘Israel and the Palestinian Territories’
   

6. •BSST: British Shalom-Salaam Trust, Jewish organisation which supports projects both within Israel and in the OPT working closely with Palestinians.
   

7. •The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People. Palestinian and foreign journalists working together to provide knowledge of and accurate reporting of developments.
   

8. •The Palestine Legal Aid Fund (an initiative of the Human Rights Legal Aid Fund) provides legal advice, representation, and investigates human rights violations.
   

9. •HOPING: Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation.
   

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Specifically for Gaza

1. •Oxfam.
   

2. •MAP: Medical Aid for Palestinians, Gaza Emergency Appeal.
   

3. •OCHA, Gaza Flash Appeal. (This appeal was incorporated into OCHA oPT and I’m not sure what’s happened to it now: it would be necessary to contact OCHA oPT.)