Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
التضامن الإيرلندي الفلسطيني

EU

The EU is funding death, displacement and discrimination in Palestine

“Settlements are illegal under international law and their expansion must stop, as well as demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes. [Israeli] military operations must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law.” – EU High Representative Josep Borrell, March 14th 2023 “EU-Israel cooperation is strong, and we want to further deepen our relationship.” – EU High Representative Josep Borrell, May 2nd 2023 These two conflicting statements highlight the deeply hypocritical nature of the EU’s stance with regard to Israel’s violations of international law and human rights abuses. While frequently expressing “deep concern” and even “condemning” Israel’s most … Continue reading

WE WON! EU bosses must debate banning trade with Israeli settlements!

We have some incredible news for you – we have forced the European Commission to discuss banning trade with Israel’s illegal settlements! In February our European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to ban EU trade with illegal settlements ended, without the campaign reaching the threshold of one million verified signatures. However, this was only Stage 1: once the ECI closed, our international coalition moved to have the EU Parliament’s Petition Committee (PETI) turn the ECI into an official petition to the European Commission, thereby compelling the EC to respond even without the million signatures. Today the PETI Committee voted unanimously to do … Continue reading

IPSC condemns Israel, and international complicity, in death of Palestinian hunger-striker Khader Adnan

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) condemns the Apartheid State of Israel for overseeing the death by hunger strike of Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan. Adnan, 45, died yesterday after an 87-day hunger strike in protest at his unlawful detention without charge or trial. We in the IPSC echo the view of the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council that this was a “calculated and cold-blooded slow-killing.” Adnan’s death was a form of ‘murder by negligence’, and it is no surprise it has come at a time when Israel is moving to implement a new law that will allow executions of Palestinian … Continue reading

European Parliament’s PETI committee unanimously supports citizens’ call for ban on EU trade with illegal settlements

The European Commission must respond to a petition on EU trade with illegal settlements, and the European Parliament’s committee on international trade (INTA) should consider backing a ban, the European Parliament’s committee on petitions (PETI) decided unanimously today. The PETI committee today debated EU trade with illegal settlements following testimony from Dr. Tom Moerenhout, an international law expert and an organiser of the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) “Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law”. MEP Margrete Auken, a vice-chair of the PETI committee, initiated today’s discussion based on that ECI, which is supported by … Continue reading

Nine EU countries reject Israel’s criminalisation of Palestinian civil society organisations

Nine EU countries, including Ireland, issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying they will continue working with six Palestinian NGOs that Israel branded “terrorist organisations” last year, because Israel has failed to provide evidence to prove its claims. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign today welcomed the news. The nine countries are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Holland, Spain and Sweden. The six Palestinian NGOs in question are Addameer, Al-Haq, the Bisan Center for Research & Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. The joint statement from the nine Foreign … Continue reading

Irish human rights groups call to stop EU-Israel Association Council

In an open letter issued today, 18 Irish human rights groups, civil society organisations and trade unions called for the Irish government to act to stop the reconvening of the EU-Israel Association Council scheduled for next month. ADD YOUR VOICE BY EMAILING THE MINISTER – CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION! The letter follows on from other calls for cancellation directed to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, from MEPs, Amnesty International and Palestinian and international civil society groups. The signatories, which include Trocaire, Christian Aid Ireland, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Fórsa, the Communications Workers’ Union, ActionAid … Continue reading

Take Action: Ireland must oppose reconvening the EU-Israel Association Council

In July, despite Israel’s record of apartheid, human rights abuses and international law violations, the 27 EU Foreign Ministers voted unanimously to reconvene the EU-Israel Association Council for the first time since 2012. This is an entirely retrograde move that will serve only to embolden Israel in its denial of Palestinian rights and freedoms. The message it sends is clear; Israel can continue to act with impunity, and the EU – including Ireland – will not only ignore its continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, but reward it with greater access to the EU centres of power. … Continue reading

Two Minutes for Palestine: Sign the EU Citizens’ Initiative to ban trade with illegal settlements!

Today we are proud to launch our new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with a simple demand – we want the EU to fully and permanently ban trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories, including Israel’s colonial settlements in occupied Palestine. Our coalition includes over 100 international civil society organisations such as Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights and Avaaz, while here at home the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Trocaire, Action Aid, ICTU, UpLift, Christian Aid, Jewish Voice for a Just Peace, Financial Justice Ireland, Sadaka and Comhlámh are some of the 20+ Irish organisations involved. Click here sign … Continue reading

Legal victory against European Commission paves way to ending trade with illegal settlements

On 8 September 2021 the European Commission registered a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) that calls to end trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories such as Palestine and Western Sahara. This only came after the organizers of the Initiative won a lawsuit against the European Commission, which had first rejected the initiative claiming a lack of competence. Their rejection was annulled by a humiliating decision of the European Court of Justice. What this means now is that over the coming months Palestine solidarity campaigners all over Europe will begin the hard work of collecting one million signatures from EU citizens in order … Continue reading

100+ unions, parties and NGOs send letter to EU in defence of 6 Palestinian human rights organisations

Over 100 European political parties, trade unions, human rights organisations and civil society groups today sent a letter to Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, outlining their grave concern at Israel’s decision to label six Palestinian human rights NGOs as ‘terrorist entities’. The letter, the full text of which is below,  states that the EU has not done enough to protect these Palestinian groups, calls for a clear rejection of the designation by the EU, and asks the EU to suspend the acceptance of Israel into the highly lucrative Horizon Europe research and development programme. Aside from … Continue reading

Israel raids Palestinian children’s NGO; Garda & PSNI collaboration with perpetrators must end

In the early hours of Thursday 29th July 2021, Israeli occupation forces raided the headquarters of Defence for Children International – Palestine, confiscating computers, laptops, hard-drives and confidential legal files related to child prisoners. The raid was conducted Israel’s notorious Border Police unit, which operates under the command of the Ministry of Public Security. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign sent the below letter to the Irish government, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between the Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, and the Ministry of Public Security through the EU-funded ROXANNE research programme. A similar letter was also sent to the Minister for … Continue reading

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, … Continue reading

Crimes Against Humanity: Human Rights Watch says Israel committing Apartheid and Persecution and demands international sanctions

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has praised the publication of a new report by Human Rights Watch showing that Israel is committing the dual crimes against humanity of Apartheid and Persecution of the Palestinian people. The report, entitled ‘A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution’, is the latest in a long line of human rights organisations levelling similar charges against Israel, and also calls for international sanctions against the Israeli state and individuals implicated in these crimes. Click here to read our new Briefing Paper breaking down HRW’s report and recommendations IPSC Chairperson Fatin Al Tamimi welcomed … Continue reading

Briefing: Ireland, Palestine & the International Criminal Court

In August 2020 the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign produced its latest briefing paper ‘War Crimes in Palestine and the International Criminal Court’. Although primarily aimed at political representatives, we believe it will be of general interest to our supporters. You can read or download the whole document below.   Download the full Briefing Paper here   War Crimes in Palestine and the International Criminal Court Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign  | Briefing Paper | August 2020   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2015 the situation in Palestine was referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). After a preliminary examination, in December 2019 the Prosecutor of … Continue reading

Palestine Podcast #49: ‘Israel’s illegal settlement economy’

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#49 – ‘Israel’s illegal settlement economy’ with Maha Abdallah, David Kattenburg, Valentina Azarova & Giovanni Fassina [2020-08-14] – (Download here) INFO: For the Israeli state, its settlement project is not merely an ideological and political project, but an economic one. In this episode of the podcast we focus on the settlement economy, and the human rights abuses resulting from business activities with … Continue reading

← Older posts