This year’s CRH Annual General Meeting in Dun Laoghaire was again the scene of calls for the company to divest from its Israeli business interests which are involved in building the illegal wall and settlements in Palestine. Two Palestinian women made impassioned pleas from the floor asking CRH to heed the 10,000 signature strong petition calling for CRH to “Stop Cementing Misery in Palestine”.  The petition and demonstration were organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

Outside, over 50 human rights activists created a colourful spectacle along Marine Road. 33 activists each held a single placard with one letter of the campaign slogan calling on CRH to divest while others held aloft 25 feet high Palestinian flags and 30 feet long Palestinian banners.

John Dorman, Divestment Officer of the IPSC, said that the intervention was because “CRH owns 25% of the Israeli company Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd, which in turn owns Israel’s sole cement producer Nesher Cement Enterprises Ltd. Nesher provide up to 90% of all cement sold in Israel, including cement used in the construction of Israel’s illegal separation wall in Palestine and illegal settlements and checkpoints.”

Palestinian human rights lawyer, Huwaida Arraf, drew a round of applause in the meeting after her heartfelt entreaty to CRH, which left board members stony-faced and decidedly awkward looking. In her speech, Ms Arraf implored CRH to divest from Israel. She said, “I am here to plead with you not be complicit in building Israel’s ghettos of the 21st Century that my family is living in right now. You say that CRH has no control over the end use of the cement that the Nesher company produces. I’m sorry but Palestinians simply can’t accept that. We cannot accept it because you knowingly invested in this company, and you are aware that the company has built this wall and these settlements, declared by the World Court to be a violation of international law.

Ms Arraf concluded with a warning for CRH and its shareholders, saying that “CRH should divest from Israel like other companies are doing right now, or else they face the loss of massive contracts as companies like G4S and Veolia have seen recently as a result of their complicity with Israeli apartheid. It is tainting the reputation of your company, so please do as other companies, who care morally and ethically about their investors and investments, have done and divest”.

Next to speak on the issue was Fatin Al Tamimi, a Palestinian woman from Hebron in the West Bank. Ms Tamimi pointed out that her “hometown is now an apartheid city because of the illegal settlements and checkpoints in its centre, built with cement from Nesher. CRH says it is committed to the highest standards of ethical, legal and moral standards. All I have to do is look at my home town, and CRH’s facilitation of Israel’s apartheid regime of occupation in Palestine, to see that this is a hollow claim. And I am not the only one.”

To prove her point, Ms Tamimi concluded: that she “would like to present the Board of Directors with a petition which has over ten thousand signatures calling on CRH to stop cementing misery in Palestine and to divest from its Israeli business interests. While most signatories are Irish, there are names here from Jacksonville to Johannesburg to Jerusalem, all united behind this call. The question is, will you listen CRH?”

At this point the petition was handed to the Board in cardboard boxes decorated to represent the Apartheid Wall, while Ms Tamimi held aloft a large placard calling on CRH to listen to the call.

During his intervention, John Dorman of the IPSC questioned whether falling profit rates for CRH were due to their continued investment in Israel. He also noted that the IPSC would be distributing a “CRH Annual Comic” in the lobby, but that it came with a health warning that “you may not find it funny that CRH profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestine”.  200 copies were distributed and the comic is available to download here: http://www.ipsc.ie/docs/crh/ipsc_crh_comic_2012.pdf

Already, US, Palestinian, Israeli, Turkish and Lebanese organizations have made requests for the Chili Peppers to not cross the international picket line and respect the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. We will continue to bring to light the injustices that Palestinians face as a result of Occupation and apartheid policies and show why BDS is a moral action for artists – including the Red Hot Chilli Peppers –  to take.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Tali’s original message:

The following is a letter I mailed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I had yet to get a response. If you agree with the content of this letter, please sign this petition to get the Red Hot Chili Peppers to cancel their show in Israel. It seems ridiculous to me that the Red Hot Chili Peppers would even consider crossing the picket line of the global Palestinian liberation movement, that’s been forming since the last time they cancelled. One thing remains the same though: It’s very hard to reach a band of their stature. I want to make sure that no artist can say they didn’t know. Not about the atrocities of the apartheid state and its brutal occupation, and not about the movement to boycott, divest and sanction it. Below is the letter I’ve sent the band via snail mail. So if you agree with the message, no matter where you’re from, sign the petition!

Below is an open letter to Minister Shatter in response to his press release.

===========

Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence
Alan Shatter TD
94 St. Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2
11/05/2012

Dear Minister Shatter,

In your press release (4^th May) you claim that the IPSG’s (by which we understand you mean the IPSC) “action in directing its members to ‘target’ the website of the musical group Dervish in order to intimidate the group into cancelling their planned concerts in Israel is nothing other than cyber-bullying”. This claim is inaccurate and defamatory. The IPSC issued an open letter calling on Dervish to cancel their tour of Israel and called on members and supporters to “consider leaving a message for Dervish on their official Facebook page”. In this letter and in messages left on the band’s Facebook page, IPSC members appealed to Dervish to respect the 2005 boycott call and not to be party to the normalisation and whitewashing of apartheid by playing in Israel.  This is normal campaigning work, and it is disturbing that you, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, have used your office to attack the peaceful actions of the IPSC.

You attribute Dervish’s decision not to play Israel to the “venom” on social media. However the official statement by Dervish issued on the morning of 30 April, explaining their decision to cancel their tour in Israel, states “[a]t the time we agreed to these performances we were unaware there was a cultural boycott in place. We now feel that we do not wish to break this boycott. Our decision to withdraw from the concerts reflects our wish to neither endorse nor criticise anyone’s political views in this situation”

In your press release you refer instead to a message from Cathy Jordan which was posted to the band’s website and Facebook page on the night of 1 May. This message was issued after Dervish had already made their decision and announced that they would not play Israel. Instead of deciding not to play Israel as a result of “venom” and “an avalanche of negativity”, it is clear from looking at the Facebook page of Dervish that the venom followed their decision to cancel. Furthermore, this venom came from apologists for Israel and was largely directed at those who had left messages of appreciation and thanks for Dervish following their decision to cancel their trip to Israel. We call on you to condemn such ‘cyber-bullying’.

The Palestinian call for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) was issued on 9 July 2005, exactly one year after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated, in its Advisory Opinion, that “construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime, are contrary to international law”. Moreover, there are legal consequences for “third states” as the ICJ found that all states are “under an obligation not to recognize the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction.”

In spite of this there has been a failure at international level to hold Israel accountable for its breaches of international law and human rights violations. In fact, the 2005 call for BDS – of which cultural boycott is a central tenet – arose as a result of the inaction of governments, including the Irish government, to act in order to address the oppression of Palestinians. For this reason, the BDS campaign seeks to “force Israel to comply with humanitarian law, to respect fundamental human rights and to end its occupation and oppression of the people of Palestine”.

You call on the IPSC to “recognise the value of cultural and artistic exchanges and the contribution such events make to fostering understanding and tolerance”. Regrettably, however, Israel prevents any such cultural exchange from taking place. While theatre groups like Habima are free to perform in the illegal settlements in the West Bank (performances which Palestinians are barred from attending) and travel abroad, Palestinian artists are frequently prevented by the Israeli authorities from travelling between the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and Israel. Within the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in East Jerusalem, the right of Palestinians to hold and attend cultural events is met with repression and brutality on the part of the Israeli state. In 2009 Israeli police raided the Palestinian National Theatre and shut down the opening of the Palestinian Literature Festival. In reality, far from “cultural exchange” being fostered by Israel, there is a concerted campaign by Israeli authorities to segregate audiences and in the case of Palestinians, repress cultural expression. If, Minister Shatter, you are truly concerned about the expression of culture in Israel/Palestine, we call upon you to issue a statement condemning repressive Israeli state practices.

You go on to claim, based on declassified documents, that “the actions of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Group (IPSG) [sic] and its associates have caught the attention of some of Osama Bin Ladens [sic] followers who now see Ireland as promising ground for support”. We would ask you to clarify what “actions” are referred to in this declassified report and how these “actions” can be attributed to the IPSC as the documents declassified on 3May do not mention the IPSC. You claim that the IPSC “ignores the constitutional rights of Irish citizens and those who live in this State to get on with their lives, to travel and perform around the world free from bullying, intimidation and discrimination”.  Yet, by linking the IPSC to Bin Laden and his followers in a ministerial press release and in such an incendiary fashion, you are putting Irish individuals in danger, compromising the constitutional rights of Irish activists to freedom of expression and opening the way for others to intimidate us.

Although the IPSC focuses specifically on the issue of Palestine, we would imagine that the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence is broader. In light of this and your silence on the way in which Israel violates international law and oppresses the Palestinians, depriving them of the freedom to travel and perform both internationally and within the OPT, it is your appeal to human rights that rings hollow – this is nowhere more apparent than in your reference to Syria given that the Golan Heights was illegally annexed by Israel in 1981. Your press release is an attack on the freedoms of Irish citizens to campaign peacefully as well as a defamation of human rights activists.

Unfortunately, we can only conclude that you, Minister, are abusing your position and the good offices of the state by pursuing a personal ideological vendetta against Irish citizens going about their lawful business in support of human rights.

Sincerely,

National Committee
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

1pm – 2pm, Vigil outside the Israeli Embassy in Ballsbridge, holding large photographs from Al Nakba and Palestinian flags. (Assemble at 1pm outside the Israeli Embassy, 122 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4)
More info / Facebook Page

4pm – 6pm, ‘Moving Gallery’, where people will walk from St. Stephen’s Green (Grafton St entrance) to the Spire on O’Connell Street carrying large photographs from Al Nakba and Palestinian flags. (Assemble at 4pm at the Grafton Street entrance to St. and will set off down Grafton St towards the Spire.)
More info / Facebook Page

The 35 Oireachtas members have called for an immediate response to the Palestinian non-violent protests. The current situation of Palestinians in Israeli jails is unacceptable. We call on both the Israeli government and international actors to recognise the following demands of prisoners:

1)        That International Law and its provisions with regard to administrative detention are respected.
2)        That Israel ends its policy of administrative detention.
3)        That Israel ends its policy of keeping prisoners in solitary confinement.
4)        That prisoners are allowed to see their families.”

The Oireachtas members who signed the petition are:

Gerry Adams TD                                     Senator David Norris
Minister of State, Joe Costello TD        Minister of State, Jan O Sullivan TD
Richard Boyd Barrett TD                       Olivia Mitchell TD
Robert Troy TD                                       Thomas Pringle TD
Mary Lou McDonald TD                        Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD
Gerald Nash TD                                     Senator Katherine Zappone
Maureen O Sullivan TD                          Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD
Michael Colreavy TD                             Senator Ivana Bacik
Seán Crowe TD                                     Pearse Doherty TD
Finian McGrath TD                                Senator Terry Leyden
Dessie Ellis TD                                      Martin Ferris TD
Senator Susan O Keefe                       Sandra McLellan TD
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD                  Jonathan O’Brien TD
Patrick Nulty TD                                    Joan Collins TD
Brian Stanley TD                                   Peadar Tóibín TD
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh           Senator Michael Mullins
Senator Jim Walsh                               Senator Kathryn Reilly
Senator David Cullinane

The tour will visit the following locations:

Thursday 17th May – Cork: The Pavilion, Carey’s Lane, Doors 8pm. Entry €8 / €5 concession.
More info here / Facebook Page

Friday 18th May – Dublin: The Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Doors 8pm. Entry €10. (Plus support from singer-songwriters Thom Moore and Joe Dunne)
More info here / Facebook Page

Saturday 19th May – Belfast: Crescent Arts Centre, University Road, Doors 8pm. Entry £10.
More info here / Facebook Page

Sunday 20th May – Derry: Sandinos, Water Street, Doors 8pm. Entry £5. (Plus support from singer songwriter Conor Kelly and poet Abby Olivera)
More info here / Facebook Page

The tour will take place during what Palestinians call Nakba Week, which marks the 64th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (‘Catastrophe’) which saw the expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians, forcibly uprooted from their homeland in order to facilitate the foundation of the State of Israel.

Poet Rafeef Ziadah, one of those on the bill, expressed her excitement: “This tour will be both a commemoration of the catastrophe that befell us Palestinians in 1948 and a celebration of the culture, creativity and continued resistance of the Palestinian people today; whether they reside in the 1967 or 1948 occupied territories, in refugee camps, or in the global diaspora. We are very excited about this tour and look forward to sharing our culture with Irish audiences.”

The tour is collaboration between the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), ICTU Trade Union Friends of Palestine (TUFP), Derry Trades Council, Derry Anti War Coalition (DAWC) and Poster Fish Promotions.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

RAFEEF ZIADAH is a Palestinian refugee, poet, trade unionist and human rights activist currently based in London. She received an Ontario Arts Council Grant from the ‘Word of Mouth’ program to create her debut performance poetry album Hadeel. Rafeef’s performances of poems like ‘We Teach Life Sir’ and ‘Shades of Anger’ went viral online, garnering over a quarter of a million views between them. Rafeef has toured many countries, performing poetry and conducting educational workshops on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Recently, Rafeef was chosen to represent Palestine at the Poetry Parnassus Festival at the South Bank Centre in London.
“Rafeef’s poetry demands to be heard. She is powerful, emotional, political. Please read her work and see her perform. You cannot then be indifferent to the Palestinian cause.” – Ken Loach

PHIL MONSOUR is an Arab-Australian singer songwriter with a history of producing music that travels beyond the mainstream to explore complex issues of identity, solidarity and politics. He is also a founder of the group ‘Artists Against Apartheid’. Phil’s songs speak with honesty and insight about people’s lives and personal experiences. His latest CD release Ghosts of Deir Yassin was written during a trip to Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. Inspired by the courage of ordinary people fighting for freedom and justice from Palestine’s refugee camps, to Egypt’s Tahrir square, through to the Occupy movement, the lyrics are a fearless rally cry for action and solidarity. Phil will be showcasing his unique collection of rock songs and folk ballads, combined to capture both the alarm and optimism of current times.
“Phil is passionate… with amp-rattling intensity” – Courier Mail (Australia)
“Five stars” – Limelight (Australia)

TEREZ SLIMAN, a Palestinian citizen of Israel born in Haifa in 1985, is a singer who works in the field of “sound and movement.” She has participated in a variety of musical projects with local and international musicians. She has authored and composed music for two plays as well as recordings for children’s plays. Terez is influenced by many genres, but what makes her sound unique is the mix between traditional Oriental music, world music and Jazz. Her stage presence and incredible voice are completely captivating.
“Beautiful… Terez keeps alive the music and culture of her ancestors”

The sentencing of the blood diamond-funded former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, for war crimes and crimes against humanity will take place on 30th May. Together with a Kimberley Process (KP) meeting in Washington on June 4-7th it is sure to generate a lot more media reports about blood diamonds and so offers an opportunity to push the issue of Israeli blood diamonds into the media spotlight once again.

Our EU representative will have a seat at the KP table. It is important that we voice our concerns about the trade in diamonds from Israel that fund war crimes and crimes against humanity but which evade the human rights strictures of the Kimberley Process and are sold all over Europe labelled conflict-free. NGOs are seeking to have cut and polished diamonds included in the remit of the KP but the vested interests are resisting any such move which would pose a serious threat to Israel’s burgeoning diamond industry.

Please take a few moments to contact your MEPs and ask them to raise this issue in the EU parliament and with the EU Commissions which previously stated: “Kimberley Process implementation cannot be accompanied by human rights violations”. A template is attached.

As the time frame for action is quite narrow it is important that you so as soon as possible.  You can email all MEPs using the contact form here: http://contact.ie/contact

Please help us to monitor the uptake on this action and BCC emails to diamonds@ipsc.ie

Another promising development is the action by solidarity activists in Italy who are planning an Israeli blood diamond demonstration in Vicenza next Monday to coincide with a meeting there of the World Diamond Council http://www.worldjewelleryforum.com/press1 that will be attended by all the movers and shakers in the global diamond industry.

Best regards,
Sean Clinton

@wardiamonds

https://www.facebook.com/Israelblooddiamonds

diamonds@ipsc.ie

**********
SAMPLE LETTER TO MEPS
**********

The EU must act to end the trade in diamonds from Israel that fund war crimes

The conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity has again cast the spotlight on the trade in blood diamonds. It is a timely reminder of the urgent need for reform of the Kimberly Process definition of a “conflict diamond” which presently only applies to rough diamonds that fund rebel movements and not to diamonds that fund government forces guilty of war crimes.

Last year the Kimberley Process allowed the export of blood-tainted diamonds from Zimbabwe where government forces stand accused of serious human rights violations. Human rights organisations wanted the definition of a “conflict diamond” broadened to take account of diamonds that fund rogue governments guilty of human rights violations but the KP failed to act and the diamonds from Zimbabwe were allowed to contaminate the global market.  As a result, Global Witness, a founding member of the KP, withdrew last December stating “most consumers still cannot be sure where their diamonds come from, nor whether they are financing armed violence or abusive regimes”. Other human rights organisations have indicated that they will also withdraw from the KP unless meaningful reform of the definition of a “conflict diamond”, accompanied by the inclusion of the cutting and polishing sector, is agreed this year.

Reform of the KP definition of a “conflict diamond” will be the main issue on the agenda at the KP Intersessional Meeting in Washington from June 4th – June 7th.  It is important that the EU representative at that meeting calls for a broadening of the KP definition of a “conflict diamond” to include all diamonds that fund gross human rights violations, including cut and polished diamonds which presently evade the criteria applied to rough diamonds.

The EU Commission has stated that Kimberley Process implementation cannot be accompanied by human rights violations;

Israel, a member of the KP, stands accused by the UN Human Rights Council of serious war crimes and possible crimes against humanity following the 2008/2009 assault on Gaza that left over 1400 people dead including more than 300 children;

The UN Human Rights Council investigation of the Israeli attacks on the humanitarian aid flotilla (including MV Mavi Marmara), bound for Gaza on 31 May 2010 during which nine people were murdered and many others injured, found that there was clear evidence to support prosecutions of the following crimes within the terms of article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: – Willful killing; Torture or inhuman treatment; Willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health.

The investigation also considered that a series of violations of Israel’s obligations under international human rights law have taken place, including: – Right to life (art. 6, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights); Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (art.7, International Covenant; Convention against Torture);  Right to liberty and security of the person and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention (art. 9, International Covenant);  Right of detainees to be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person (art. 10, International Covenant);  Freedom of expression (art. 19, International Covenant);

The EU is based on the values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Recognising that EU policies which directly or indirectly affect children must be designed, implemented and monitored taking into account the principle of the best interests of the child;

Considering that evidence presented to the London session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine in November 2010 indicated that the Israeli diamond industry contributes about $1 billion annually to the Israeli military and security industries and that every time somebody buys a diamond that was exported from Israel some of that money ends up in the Israeli military;

Diamonds exported from Israel are therefore helping to fund gross human rights violations in Palestine as well as Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons programme which it refuses the International Atomic Energy Agency permission to supervise or inspect.

Given these facts, I call on you to ask the EU Commission to instruct the EU representative to the Kimberley Process to call for:

the Kimberley Process definition of a “conflict diamond” to be broadened to include all diamonds that fund gross human rights violations by any group or government;
a ban on the export of diamonds from Israel until such time as it respects the human rights of the Palestinian people under its control and abides by the international human rights law and humanitarian law.

Over thirty people attended the walk alongside our two guides from Cork Rebel Hill Walking Group. Big thanks to James and Woz for getting safely up the mountain. People from Poland, Spain, Italy, Palestine, France, England and off course Ireland joined us to support the Palestinian struggle.

The first part of the walk was for everybody. There was no need for good equipment or good physical condition. It was a great opportunity for each of us to chat together about Palestine and get to know each other.

The group then divided in two: thirteen walkers who were determined to climb to the peak of Galtee Mor (919 metres) and the rest of the group walked back leaving us with a Palestinian flag.

We reached the top after 45 more minutes of climbing and took several group pictures beside our Palestinian flag and with proud and smiling faces!

The IPSC would like to thank again everybody who participated in the event.

Words and images: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cork Branch

Please consider leaving them a message of support on their Official Facebook Page here.

=======

Statement from Dervish, posted to the Official Dervish Facebook page at 11.25am, Monday 30th April:

Dervish wish to announce they will not be taking part in the Irish music concert series in Israel this June.

Our original decision to participate in the concerts was, like all our tours and appearances, completely non-political.

The organiser of the shows is a musician and friend of the band for many years. He has worked to bridge divides between people through music for much of his life. These concerts were organised in this same spirit.

At the time we agreed to these performances we were unaware there was a cultural boycott in place.

We now feel that we do not wish to break this boycott.

Our decision to withdraw from the concerts reflects our wish to neither endorse nor criticise anyone’s political views in this situation.

Dervish are a grouping of like musical minds, we are not a political party.

Our motivation as a band has always been and will continue to be our love of music.

ENDS

=======

Below is an open from the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) to Irish traditional music group Dervish asking them to cancel their three scheduled dates in Apartheid Israel in June 2012.

What YOU can do: Please ‘Like’ the “Dervish, Don’t Bring Your Travelling Show to Apartheid Israel” Facebook group, and consider leaving a message for Dervish on their official Facebook page here.

=========

Dear members of Dervish (Kathy Jordan, Brian McDonagh, Liam Kelly, Tom Morrow, Shane Mitchell and Michael Holmes):

Many lovers of Irish music have been deeply shocked and disappointed to learn of your plan to tour Israel next June, despite the 2006 Palestinian call for an international cultural and academic boycott of the Israeli state until it abides by international law.

On this tour you will be joined by the Irish band FullSet, which boasts that it has “already shared a stage with some of the hottest names in Celtic music, such as Moya Brennan, Lúnasa…, Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny.”

This is deeply ironic, because Irvine and Lunny – together with Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Damien Dempsey, Ronan Browne, Jimmy McCarthy, and many other giants of Irish music (and over 200 other creative and performing artists) – have signed a pledge “not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel… until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”

This means that if you perform in Israel you will be betraying both the Palestinian people and many of your most respected colleagues. You will be manipulated by the state of Israel to whitewash the utter criminality of  its occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands.

In 2005 an Israeli spokesman asserted that “We see culture as a propaganda tool of the first rank, and…do not differentiate between propaganda and culture.” [Ha’aretz, September 2005]

Here are some examples (among many) of the way that Israel represses the expression and dissemination of Palestinian culture:

* In 2002, Israel prevented the Palestinian poets Zakaria Mohammed and Ghassan Zaqtan from travelling to Ireland to read their work.

* In May 2009, Israeli soldiers prevented the opening of the Palestine Festival of Literature in Jerusalem. In April 2011, the venue hosting the final event of that year’s Festival was attacked with tear gas by the Israeli army.

* In May 2010, the Israeli authorities deported Spain’s most famous clown, Ivan Prado, who was planning to establish a clown festival in Ramallah.

* In summer 2011, Israeli commandos assaulted the Freedom Theatre in occupied Jenin, arresting several of its members.

* Also last year, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu suspended Israel’s financial contribution to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation which oversees the protection of the world’s cultural heritage. This was to “punish” the majority of the world’s states for having voted to admit Palestine to the UN agency. This constitutes an Israeli cultural boycott of most of the world. For the same reason, Israel larcenously suspended tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority.

If you cancel your trip to Israel, thus incidentally saving the members of FullSet from the infamy of breaching the Palestinian cultural boycott so early in their career, you will have joined the likes of Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Cassandra Wilson, and Carlos Santana who, having at first agreed to perform in that country, decided that it was of greater importance to support the just struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli oppression.

The governments of the EU see Israel as “a strategic partner” and offer it generous trading and diplomatic privileges. When governments refuse to take human rights violations seriously, then it is up to civil society to act. Please be on the side of justice: please cancel your tour of Israel!

Raymond Deane
Cultural Liaison Officer
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

The demonstrators marched for approximately one hour following the usual itinerary through the streets of Cork city centre (Paul Street, French Church Street, Patrick Street – Oliver Plunkett Street) and stopped in front of the main supermarkets along the way: Tesco, Dunnes Store and  Marks & Spencer.

Throughout the march those demonstrating shouted slogans such as “Boycott Israeli products” and “Free Palestine” to accompany the words pronounced by the speaker, who explained to the public the necessity of supporting the Boycott campaign as a powerful economical weapon that could help in stopping Israel’s continued illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and expropriation of Palestinian land, water and other natural resources.

The speaker also mentioned the most common Israeli products stocked on the supermarkets’ shelves, inviting the public to pay attention to the country of origin and to refuse buying these products if they come from Israel.

The other volunteers were involved in the distribution of leaflets and in face-to face conversation with the public.

The next demo is scheduled for the 28th of April, and also happening on the same day with by the Cork leg of the ‘CRH and the Israeli Apartheid Wall Roadshow‘.

Words and images by Marianna F