Take Action: Stop Gardaí & PSNI collaboration with Israel’s ministry of death, torture and racism

Both An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are engaged in an EU research project called ROXANNE, working in collaboration with the notorious Israeli Ministry of Public Security.

CLICK TO TAKE ACTION!

This is the Ministry responsible for both the Israel National Police (including the Border Police) and the Israel Prison Service. It oversees routine commission of serious human rights abuses and international law violations against the Palestinian people, and racism and violence directed at minorities within Israel. These well documented violations include brutal killings, the torture and imprisonment of children, medical negligence of political prisoners, home demolitions, persecuting human rights defenders, violent racism, and the entrenchment of Israel’s illegal settlements (the Ministry itself is even located in a settlement).

These abuses and violations committed by the Israel National Police and the Israel Prison Service under the watchful eye of the Ministry are not ‘abnormal’ or cases of ‘bad apples’, but are a vital, calculated, routine, and systemic part of the Israeli state’s wider system of oppression of the Palestinian people.

Any collaboration with this Ministry by police forces in Ireland is unacceptable, regardless of what project is being worked on – and in the past, Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and Belgium’s University of Leuvenboth withdrew from an EU project project due to the presence of this Ministry.

However, that the ROXANNE (Real time network, text, and speaker analytics for combating organized crime) project purports to research how advancements in technology “can help track and uncover criminals and terrorists” is deeply worrying on its own terms; Israel already considers all indigenous Palestinian resistance to its occupation and illegal colonisation as being ‘terrorism’, and all Palestinians as ‘potential terrorists’. It is obvious that the Israeli state will use any such technological innovation to help entrench its occupation, illegal annexation and colonisation, in racial profiling and racist policing practices, to assist in the arrest and torture of political prisoners and children, and in killings of anti-occupation activists.

If you want to delve deeper into this issue, you can read the full report we have authored concerning the activities of the Israeli Ministry of Public Security which you can download here as a PDF.

TAKE ACTION!

We ask supporters of Palestinian rights to take just a few minutes to send the two quick emails below – north and south – demanding the end of our police forces’ unacceptable collaboration with this violent, racist and colonial Israeli ministry.

The emails have already been filled out so you just need to enter your name and email address and hit send. But it’s always better to compose your own message if you have time – even just a few lines – as that has more impact than standardised letters. Thank you!

GDPR Notice: A copy of this email is sent to the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign so we can track campaign numbers, and will be deleted within 12 months.

In the south: Stop Gardaí collaboration with Israel’s ministry of death, torture and racism

To: Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris
CC: Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney

Your name

Your email

Subject

Your Message
Dear Commissioner Harris, I am writing to express my serious concern and anger after finding out that An Garda Síochána is engaged in an EU research project called ROXANNE, and they are working in collaboration with the notorious Israeli Ministry of Public Security. This is the Ministry responsible for both the Israel National Police (including the Border Police) and the Israel Prison Service. It oversees routine commission of serious human rights abuses and international law violations against the Palestinian people, and racism and violence directed at minorities within Israel. These well documented violations include brutal killings, the torture and imprisonment of children, medical negligence of political prisoners, home demolitions, persecuting human rights defenders, violent racism, and the entrenchment of Israel's illegal settlements (the Ministry itself is even located in a settlement). These abuses and violations committed by the Israel National Police and the Israel Prison Service under the watchful eye of the Ministry are not ‘abnormal’ or cases of 'bad apples', but are a vital, calculated, routine, and systemic part of the Israeli state's wider system of oppression of the Palestinian people. These are crimes and abuses that have been frequently and severely criticised by international organizations such as the United Nations, UNICEF and the EU Parliament, as well as by international, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations. Any collaboration with this Ministry by police forces in Ireland is unacceptable, regardless of what project is being worked on - and in the past, Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and Belgium’s University of Leuvenboth withdrew from an EU project project due to the presence of this Ministry. However, that the ROXANNE (Real time network, text, and speaker analytics for combating organized crime) project purports to research how advancements in technology “can help track and uncover criminals and terrorists” is deeply worrying on its own terms; Israel already considers all indigenous Palestinian resistance to its occupation and illegal colonisation as being ‘terrorism’, and all Palestinians as ‘potential terrorists’. It is obvious that the Israeli state will use any such technological innovation to help entrench its occupation, illegal annexation and colonisation, in racial profiling and racist policing practices, to assist in the arrest and torture of political prisoners and children, and in killings of anti-occupation activists. I don't believe that a criminal ministry such as the Israeli Ministry of Public Security is a suitable partner for An Garda Síochána. In fact, I find it perplexing and outrageous that An Garda Síochána would wish to be associated in any way with such well documented human rights abuses, international law violations and racist practises. The Code of Ethics for An Garda Síochána states that the Policing Principles say that “Policing services must be provided in a manner that respects human rights”, and that the Code commits members of the force to: “recognise and respect the dignity and equal human rights of all people.” Collaborating with a Ministry directly responsible for overseeing daily and horrific human rights abuses and war crimes, would seem to be a breach of both the letter and the spirit of these code of ethics. I also believe that by taking part in this collaboration, An Garda Síochána is acting against stated government policy and international law by cooperating with forces operating in illegal Israel settlements in occupied Palestine. I am asking An Garda Síochána to follow the principled examples of Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and Belgium’s University of Leuven by pulling out of this project that includes such a notoriously human rights abusing institution as Israel’s Ministry of Public Security, or the ‘Ministry of Death, Torture and Racism’ as it is more accurately known. I thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and again ask you to please reconsider the decision to collaborate on this project and to take a principled stand by withdrawing. Yours sincerely,

In the north: Stop PSNI collaboration with Israel’s ministry of death, torture and racism

To: PSNI Chief Constable, Simon Byrne
CC: Minister for Justice, Naomi Long
Members of the NI Policing Board

Your name

Your email

Subject

Your Message
Dear Chief Constable Byrne, I am writing to express my serious concern and anger after finding out that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is engaged in an EU research project called ROXANNE, and they are working in collaboration with the notorious Israeli Ministry of Public Security. This is the Ministry responsible for both the Israel National Police (including the Border Police) and the Israel Prison Service. It oversees routine commission of serious human rights abuses and international law violations against the Palestinian people, and racism and violence directed at minorities within Israel. These well documented violations include brutal killings, the torture and imprisonment of children, medical negligence of political prisoners, home demolitions, persecuting human rights defenders, violent racism, and the entrenchment of Israel's illegal settlements (the Ministry itself is even located in a settlement). These abuses and violations committed by the Israel National Police and the Israel Prison Service under the watchful eye of the Ministry are not ‘abnormal’ or cases of 'bad apples', but are a vital, calculated, routine, and systemic part of the Israeli state's wider system of oppression of the Palestinian people. These are crimes and abuses that have been frequently and severely criticised by international organizations such as the United Nations, UNICEF and the EU Parliament, as well as by international, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations. Any collaboration with this Ministry by police forces in Ireland is unacceptable, regardless of what project is being worked on - and in the past, Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and Belgium’s University of Leuvenboth withdrew from an EU project project due to the presence of this Ministry. However, that the ROXANNE (Real time network, text, and speaker analytics for combating organized crime) project purports to research how advancements in technology “can help track and uncover criminals and terrorists” is deeply worrying on its own terms; Israel already considers all indigenous Palestinian resistance to its occupation and illegal colonisation as being ‘terrorism’, and all Palestinians as ‘potential terrorists’. It is obvious that the Israeli state will use any such technological innovation to help entrench its occupation, illegal annexation and colonisation, in racial profiling and racist policing practices, to assist in the arrest and torture of political prisoners and children, and in killings of anti-occupation activists. I don't believe that a criminal ministry such as the Israeli Ministry of Public Security is a suitable partner for the PSNI. In fact, I find it perplexing and outrageous that the PSNI would wish to be associated in any way with such well documented human rights abuses, international law violations and racist practises. The Code of Ethics 2008 for the PSNI states that it is “a comprehensive human rights document which draws upon the European Convention on Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments”, including Article 5 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Principle 6 of the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment. The Code expressly states that “no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked as a justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” It should be clear from the public record that Israel’s Ministry of Public Security and those institutions it controls fail to uphold any of these human rights principles and indeed, regularly subject Palestinians to cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Collaborating with a Ministry directly responsible for overseeing daily and horrific human rights abuses and war crimes, would seem to be a breach of both the letter and the spirit of these code of ethics. I also believe that by taking part in this collaboration, the PSNI is acting against stated government policy and international law by cooperating with forces operating in illegal Israel settlements in occupied Palestine. I am asking the PSNI to follow the principled examples of Portugal’s Ministry of Justice and Belgium’s University of Leuven by pulling out of this project that includes such a notoriously human rights abusing institution as Israel’s Ministry of Public Security, or the ‘Ministry of Death, Torture and Racism’ as it is more accurately known. I thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and again ask you to please reconsider the decision to collaborate on this project and to take a principled stand by withdrawing. Yours sincerely,

Share this!

Posted November 24, 2020 in Action Item, Apartheid, BDS, Campaigns, Child deaths, Child Prisoners, Email Campaign, EU, Gaza, Home Demolitions, Horizon 2020, Human Rights, Hunger Strike, Impunity, International Law, Irish Government, Jerusalem, National Rights, Palestinian Citizens of Israel, Political Rights, Press releases, Prisoners, Refugees, Report, Right to BDS, Settlements, Settler Violence, UN, United Nations, UNOCHA, War Crimes, West Bank.