Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
التضامن الإيرلندي الفلسطيني

Academic Boycott

New Book: ‘Enforcing Silence: Academic Freedom, Palestine and the Criticism of Israel’

‘Enforcing Silence: Academic Freedom, Palestine and the Criticism of Israel’ is a new book edited by our colleagues David Landy, Ronit Lentin and Conor McCarthy from Academics for Palestine. Academic freedom is under siege, as our universities become the sites of increasingly fraught battles over freedom of speech. While much of the public debate has focussed on ‘no platforming’ by students, this overlooks the far graver threat posed by concerted efforts to silence the critical voices of both academics and students, through the use of bureaucracy, legal threats and online harassment. Such tactics have conspicuously been used, with particularly virulent … Continue reading

Watch: Palestinian Freedom Conference – Overcoming the Ongoing Nakba (Dublin, May 2018)

On 12th and 23th May 2018, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Trade Union Friends of Palestine and BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights were honoured to host an inspiring and action-focused weekend of talks from important voices in the Palestinian struggle for Freedom, Justice and Equality. Speakers over the course of two days included Omar Barghouti, Haneen Zoabi, Ali Abunimah, John Reynolds, Sahar Francis, Lubnah Shomali, Shir Hever, Mona El Farra, Jamal Juma’, Eitan Bronstein Aparicio, Fatin Al Tamimi and Eamon McMahon. Now we are pleased to present the … Continue reading

Israel’s blacklist of human rights orgs is appalling, anti-democratic, and a badge of honour for BDS

Although long suspected, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) yesterday learned via news reports that the organisation is one of 20 human rights advocacy groups on an official Israeli state blacklist, meaning that its members are banned from entering Israel, and thus, from entering Israeli-occupied Palestine. The Israeli apartheid regime fears solidarity so much it seeks to stop us from visiting our friends and colleagues in the Palestine-Israel region. Although appalling, saddening and manifestly anti-democratic, the IPSC views its appearance on this list as a badge of honour and a vindication of our work in solidarity with the people of Palestine … Continue reading

IPSC Statement on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Today, November 29th, is International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and we in the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) send greetings of solidarity from Ireland to Palestinians everywhere as they struggle for their freedom and self-determination. The UN chose this day, 29th November, to mark the shameful day in 1947 when the UN voted to partition Palestine against the wishes of the indigenous people – an act that would lead to the ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians during the Nakba (catastrophe) between 1947 and 1949. 70 years on, Palestinians continue to suffer the disastrous consequences of that imperial … Continue reading

The Palestine Podcast #22: Steven Salaita on ‘BDS and the Modern University’

The Palestine Podcast showcases a selection of lectures, talks and interviews featuring leading experts and social justice activists active on the Palestine-Israel issue. Brought to you by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Click here to view all podcasts. ===== PP#22 – Steven Salaita on ‘BDS and the Modern University’ [2017-09-11] – (Download here) INFO: This lecture was part of the TCD MPhil in Race Ethnicity and Conflict conference Freedom of Speech and Higher Education: The Case of the Academic Boycott of Israel, Trinity College Dublin. About the speaker Steven Salaita is an American scholar, author and public speaker formerly the Edward … Continue reading

WATCH: National Demonstration for Freedom & Justice in Palestine

On Saturday 10th June around 1,500 people from all over Ireland (and further afield) marched in a National Demonstration to mark the 50th anniversary of Israel’s occupation and illegal colonisation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) organised the event to convey a simple message, that  ‘100 years of injustice & 50 years of occupation is enough! It’s time for freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people!’ Click here to read the leaflet (PDF) we handed out to thousands of people along the way. Speaking at the rally outside the Israeli Embassy … Continue reading

200 European Legal Scholars Uphold the Right to Boycott Israel for Palestinian Rights

Marking the 10th December UN Human Rights Day, which this year raises the slogan, “Stand up for someone’s rights today,” about 200 legal scholars and practicing lawyers from 15 European states have issued a statement that stands for Palestinian rights and considers the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality as “a lawful exercise of freedom of expression.” The full text of the letter can be read below. The list of statement signatories includes world-renowned legal figures of the prominence of South African jurist John Dugard, who served at the International Court of Justice; Sir … Continue reading

Action Item: Write to Minister of State John Halligan urging no collaboration with Apartheid Israel’s education ministry

The Irish Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation John Halligan is on an official visit to the Palestine-Israel region at the moment. We are informed that as part of his itinerary he is due to meet Naftali Bennett, the Israeli Minster for Education, to discuss “innovation and education”. Bennett is one of the most reprehensible and racist figures in the current Israeli government, which itself is widely considered to be the most extremist in Israel’s history. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) believes that such a meeting should not take place, and furthermore, that there should be no cooperation … Continue reading

EU Foreign Affairs chief affirms the right to Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions

Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, has condemned attacks on human rights defenders and affirmed the right of European citizens to freedom of expression and association, including through participation in the global Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In response to a question on whether the EU commission will commit to defending BDS activists’ right to exercise their democratic freedom of expression, put forward by MEP Martina Anderson, the EU High Representative stated: “The EU stands firm in protecting freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the … Continue reading

David Lloyd: On the malevolence of occupation and necessity of BDS

David Lloyd, the Distinguished Professor, poet, activist and signatory to both the Irish Academics’ and Irish Artists’ pledges to boycott Israel, has a wonderful piece entitled ‘The Malevolence of Occupation’ in the new issue of the Dublin Review of Books. Below is an excerpt, you can read the full piece here. Above all, boycott is an instrument of civil society. We call for a boycott when the means to redress an ongoing injury are denied by the legal or political institutions that ought to intervene. In December 2009, Israel launched its catastrophic “Cast Lead” assault on Gaza ‑ as it … Continue reading

Dozens of MEPs call on the EU to support the right to boycott Israel

More than 30 MEPs have called on the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, to take measures assuring freedom of expression regarding the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for justice and equality and recognising Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the BDS movement, as a human rights defender. Irish MEPs Martina Anderson and Nessa Childers are among the signatories. Note: For the full letter and list of signatories please see here. While the signatories views on the BDS movement differ, they expressed concern regarding “growing attempts to silence and repress advocates of BDS” and called on the EU to “guarantee that it will not introduce … Continue reading

Irish public figures’ statement in support of Israel boycott welcomed by human rights campaigners

In an open letter published in today’s Irish Times and Irish Independent, thirteen of Ireland’s best-known musicians, writers, artists and sports stars have called on the Irish government to join them in supporting the growing worldwide boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. The statement has been welcomed by Palestinian and Irish human rights campaigners. The letter’s signatories are Christy Moore, Mary Coughlan, Robert Ballagh, Donal Lunny, Frances Black, Trevor Hogan, Dervla Murphy, Seamus Deane, Felim Egan, Margaretta D’Arcy, Jim Fitzpatrick, Honor Heffernan and Gavin Kostick. The letter welcomes Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan’s support for BDS as … Continue reading

#RightToBoycott: 356 European & Irish human rights orgs, faith groups, unions & parties call on EU to support the Right to Boycott Israel

More than 300 human rights and aid organisations, faith groups, trade unions and political parties from across Europe have called on the EU to uphold its legal responsibilities and hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and to defend the right of individuals and institutions to take part in the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for justice and equality.  Signatories to the letter called on the EU commission to “introduce the human rights guidelines guaranteeing freedom of speech and right to boycott and to use all other means you have in your disposal to support European … Continue reading

Irish and Dutch governments join Sweden in speaking out for right to call for BDS

Irish foreign minister says BDS is a “legitimate political viewpoint” and that his department is monitoring Israel’s repression of BDS movement co-founder Omar Barghouti Dutch foreign minister says BDS “protected by the freedom of expression” 352 European bodies call on the EU to support right to boycott 23,000 people appeal to UN on the #RightToBoycott The Dutch and Irish governments have publicly stated that calls for a boycott of Israel are legitimate, with the Dutch foreign minister saying that advocating and campaigning for Palestinian rights through the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel are “protected by the … Continue reading

Letter signed by 120+ scholars backing Irish academic boycott of Israel published in Irish Times

A letter in today’s Irish Times sees more than 120 Irish and Irish-based academics declare their support for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The scholars said they were “disturbed by the involvement of Israeli higher education institutions in Israel’s military and security industries, by EU institutional involvement in funding Israeli research, and by the research and development collaboration between Irish and Israeli higher-education institutions”. They said they would respond to the appeal from Palestinian civil society and avoid co-operation with those institutions. Contrary to the order presented by the newspaper, the letter’s lead author is Dr Ronit Lentin, retired … Continue reading

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