Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
التضامن الإيرلندي الفلسطيني

Settlements

IPSC expresses anger over Irish Government’s shameful refusal to support Settlements Divestment Bill

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign this evening expressed anger and frustration that the Irish government earlier refused to support the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill, introduced into the Dáil by John Brady TD. Instead, the government will tomorrow vote to amend the Bill to delay any further discussion for nine months. The Bill seeks to prevent the Irish Strategic Investment Fund from investing in companies that appear on the ‘UN Database of Companies Operating in Illegal Israeli  Settlements’, of which the fund currently has shares in nine such entities, including four Israeli banks that finance the building of settlements. Zoë Lawlor, … Continue reading

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

Urgent Action: Contact your TDs TODAY to support the Settlements Divestment Bill! 

We need your help! We have learned that the hugely important Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill will be voted on in the Dáil this coming Tuesday, 16th May. The legislation, moved by John Brady TD, seeks to end Irish state investment in companies that are complicit in the building and maintenance of Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestine. All Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine are illegal under international law, and are war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. Essentially, if passed, it would compel the Irish Strategic Investment Fund to divest shareholdings in companies listed on the UN Database of businesses operating … 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

Amnesty condemns Israeli Apartheid and calls for international action to end oppression of Palestinians

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has praised today’s publication of a detailed new report by Amnesty International showing that Israel is committing the crime against humanity of Apartheid against the Palestinian people. The 211 page report, entitled ‘Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity’, is the latest in a long line of human rights organisations levelling similar charges against Israel. It calls for international sanctions, including an arms embargo, against the Israeli state and individuals implicated in these crimes, for the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli Apartheid, and for the United Nations to re-establish the Special Committee against … Continue reading

Stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinian lands – Join the Day of Action!

From the Naqab to Sheikh Jarrah to the West Bank —Palestinians are resisting land grabs and the destruction of their homes, and calling for solidarity in their battle against Israel’s ethnic cleansing policies. Palestinians have called a weekend of protest across their historic lands, and are asking internationals to standing in solidarity with them as they face down the brutality of Israel’s apartheid regime. We ask you to please join us at one of our actions around Ireland this Thursday 27th and Friday 28th January to show your opposition to Israel’s actions, and to tell our government that words are … 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

Take action to #SaveSilwan and #StopJerusalemExpulsions

Silwan is an area in Israeli-occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem that, like Sheikh Jarrah, is facing ongoing and imminent threats of ethnic cleansing. 1,500 Palestinians are under threat of having their homes demolished as Israel attempts to expel them and replace them with illegal Israeli settlers. This week the Apartheid State of Israel has begun a series of illegal demolitions in the area. The Irish government must both speak out and take concrete meaningful action – so we ask you to take one minute to send the below mail to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney. Words are not … Continue reading

New Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs Report calls for Irish Government action on Israel’s illegal settlements, demolitions and displacement

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) welcomes the publication of a new report by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence entitled “Demolitions and Displacements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The 112-page report, the product of several months of investigation by the Committee, is clear in its critique and condemnation of the illegal nature of Israel’s home demolitions, population displacements and settlement construction. The report also makes a list of recommendations (pp.47-49), most of which are broadly supported by the IPSC, in particular the calls for Ireland to: • Take steps towards realising its responsibility to not render aid or … 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

Take Action to #SaveSheikhJarrah & #StopJerusalemExpulsions

Over 1,500 Palestinians from neighbourhoods in occupied East Jerusalem are facing threat of forced displacement and home demolitions by Israeli authorities. Children make up a large percentage of the families threatened with homelessness. Recently Israeli courts have ruled in favor of Israeli settlers and given four Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood until May to leave their homes. In the Silwan neighborhoods of Al Bustan and Batin al Hawa, a total of 21 Palestinian families are facing home demolition as soon as May 11th to make way for an Israeli tourist site. This is part of Israel’s larger plan … Continue reading

Ireland becomes first EU country to recognise ‘de facto’ Israeli annexation

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) welcomes last night’s recognition by the Dáil (Irish parliament) of the de facto Israeli annexation of those parts of the West Bank on which illegal settlements are built. We believe that this recognition represents a very important step towards accountability for Israel’s violations of international law, human rights abuses, and its commission of crimes against humanity, namely Apartheid and Persecution. We hope this will be a watershed moment, that others states will follow suit, and that our government and other states will immediately take action to end these crimes and our complicity with them, to … 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

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