IPSC Work: Feb – Oct 2008
Political lobbying - Europe
· A detailed submission on the EU's 'blind eye' in relation to Israel has just been produced and 500 copies are currently being issued to politicians and senior civil servants (both within Ireland and the EU). There will be a public launch of this in November. This will be used for a major lobbying effort both in Ireland and throughout Europe (available on www.ipsc.ie)
· We have produced factsheets on the following:
· The EU-Israel Association Agreement (Euro-Med)
· The EU and the Rafah Crossing
· How the EU helps Israel to strangle Gaza
· Israel's violations of UN Resolutions
· A paper was also written on the EU's decision to upgrade its relationship with Israel (all of the above are available at www.ipsc.ie)
Political lobbying - Ireland
· Lobbying for political change regarding Irish foreign policy on Palestine has been one of the core elements of the work. We have written to all TDs (enclosing copies of the factsheets outlined above), informed them of our work and requested meetings.
· We have requested meetings with the Minster for Foreign Affairs and the Head of the Middle East Division in DFA and have met with Mary Lou Mc Donald MEP and a senior member of the French Embassy (in the context of the French Presidency of the EU). We have also met with the Iranian Ambassador and plan a further series of political meetings.
· A separate letter on the Wall was issued to all members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and the European Committee (following the Foreign Minister's comments after his visit to Palestine in June 08).
· We have held follow up meetings with Aengus O'Snodaigh TD (SF), Michael D Higgins TD (Labour), Ciaran Cuffe TD (Greens), Darragh O'Brien TD (FF), Pat Breen TD (FG) and Peter Kelly TD (FF). Most have been very productive and have to date resulted in the following:
· Oral and written questions on Gaza, the Wall etc. being asked of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Dail.
The outcome of the presentation to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs will be the test of the outcomes of much of this work.
Awareness raising / campaigning
· We have held 2 national demonstrations to commemorate the Nakba, one held in Dublin in April and the 2nd held in Belfast (and organised by the Belfast branch) in May. Speakers at these events included David Norris, Michael D Higgins, Mary Lou McDonald, Eamonn McCann, Dr. Bassam Nassar, Mags O Brien, and Patricia McKeown. We also staged an impressive 'shaming' protest at the Israeli 60th anniversary 'celebrations' in Dublin on May 7th, along with large short-notice demonstrations in Dublin during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza in February and March. We have also held various smaller Nakba commemoration events.
· We have organised public meetings with Caoimhe Butterly (Irish human rights activist), Raji Sourani (PCHR, Gaza), George Rishmawi (Siraj Center, Bethlehem), Eyad Burnat (Friends of Freedom and Justcie, Bil'in ), Ghada Karmi (Palestinian academic), Mira Dabit (Birzeit Right to Education Campaign), Hedy Epstein (Holocaust survivor) and Mohammad Alatar (director of the Iron Wall and Jerusalem: East Side Story).
· The branches have also been active. They have organised mini-Palestine Film Seasons in Cork and Belfast, held nationwide screenings of 'Occupation 101', and showed 'Bil'in Habibti' in Belfast, al-Haq's 'Memory of the Cactus' in Dublin and Galway, 'A Caged Bird's Song' in Dublin, and organised a mini-tour of Galway and Castlebar featuring Mohammad Alatar and his films 'The Iron Wall' and 'Jerusalem: East Side Story'. We have staged several photographic exhibitions and our volunteers have been holding regular awareness raising stalls around the country.
Trade Union work
· Along with our colleagues in the trade union movement in the North, we have been instrumental in establishing a southern branch of the Trade Union Friends of Palestine
Boycott
· A new "apartheid-free shopping zone" strategy is being piloted in the North West in relation to the boycott work.
Internal Development
· Registration of the organisation as a company is ongoing (to provide protection to you, the members), we have appointed an accountant (who is a member and has offered his services gratis) and are in the process of setting up thorough financial monitoring systems to meet the companies house requirements.
IPSC Work: Nov 2008 – Mar 2009
1 Political Lobbying
1.1 The Blind Eye report and outcomes
1000 copies of the IPSC report ‘The European Union’s Blind Eye – how the EU ignores Israel’s failure to fulfill its obligations under EU agreements’ have been printed and issued with tailored covering letters to the following:
a) All TDs and Senators
b) Irish members of the EU Parliament;
c) all EU Heads of State
d) all EU Foreign Ministers
e) Foreign Affairs Committee in the EU parliament
f) Heads of groupings in the EU Parliament
g) church leaders in Ireland (Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist).
• The report has been endorsed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It independently sent a copy with a strong covering letter to offices of the EU Commission in both Dublin and London.
• An article on the Blind Eye report was the feature article on the homepage of Electronic Intifada for a while.
• The report has also been emailed to numerous NGOs based in Palestine. It has met with a very warm response there and has been endorsed by organisations such as the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions.
• Follow up meetings have been held with Joe Costello and Ivana Bacik and more meetings are planned for January 09 – across the political parties.
The next batch of reports is to be issued to:
• all European Palestinian Solidarity organisations
• leading NGOs in Ireland (Amnesty, Trocaire, etc)
• Foreign Affairs editors in all the Irish papers and other leading media figures
• Ambassadors based in Ireland and Irish Ambassadors to Palestine and Israel.
1.2 Additional lobbying
• Three members of the National Exec attended a 3 day lobbying event in Brussels, organised by ECCP and attended by other Palestinian solidarity organisations throughout Europe at the beginning of November. Copies of the Blind Eye were distributed to senior EU officials with responsibility for the Middle East and Palestine and selected MEPs as part of that lobbying effort.
• A letter has just been issued to Minister Martin regarding his vote to upgrade EU relations with Israel.
2 Trade Union Work
A presentation was delivered by members of the National Executive and a leading individual member of the IPSC to the Executive Council of ICTU in November. The meeting was important in agreeing ways of working together in the future. ICTU is sticking resolutely to it strong motions on Palestine in the face of considerable opposition.
ICTU has established a high-powered committee to establish an active boycott strategy, based on the comprehensive proposals from Trade Union Friends of Palestine (prepared by Eamon McMahon). The committee includes Patricia McKeown (Pres., ICTU), Peter McLoone (Gen. Sec. IMPACT), David Joyce (Global Solidarity officer, ICTU), Eamon McMahon (TUFP), and Sally Anne Kinahan (Asst. Gen. Sec., ICTU). Finally, a special conference of ICTU on Palestine will probably be going ahead mid-June in Dublin Castle, with international speakers, and opened by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin.
3 Boycott / anti-apartheid campaign
The boycott campaign is focusing on the establishment of businesses, communities, villages and towns in Ireland as 'apartheid free zones'. Sligo was selected as the initial pilot area. The IPSC boycott officer has held meetings with a number of business owners there and some have already agreed that their business be designated apartheid-free. All businesses who sign up to this display a 'Boycott Israeli apartheid' sticker on their window...the idea is to build this campaign around the country and basically to have these stickers everywhere! The first ones are now displayed in Sligo.
4 Other events / activities
Some of the other main events and activities include the following:
• During the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, the IPSC was active on a near daily basis giving interviews, holding press conferences, hosting stalls, staging high-profile protests, boycott actions etc. We generated considerable media coverage during this period.
• National demonstration outside British Embassy to commemorate the signing of the Balfour Declaration; speakers included Jeremy Corbyn MP, Aengus O’Snodaigh TD and Marie Crawley, IPSC. Statements of support from George Galloway MP and the PSC in Britain were read out. This was followed by a public meeting which also featured those speakers along with Palestinian speakers Anaheed Al-Hardan and Prof. Mahmoud Muhareb, professor of Political Science in Al-Quds University in Jerusalem.
• Postcard campaign to the Taoiseach re American foreign policy on Palestine in advance of his meeting with Barack Obama on Paddy’s Day.
• A public meeting with Ilan Pappe in Trinity College Dublin which over 200 people attended.
• An IPSC delegation (with Ilan Pappe) gave a well received presentation to the Dail Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. The transcript can be read here: http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=FOJ20090211.XML&Ex=All&Page=1
• A speaking tour on the Academic Boycott of Israel featuring Saed Abu Hijleh and Ala Abu Dheer from An-Najah University in Nablus visited DCU, NUIG, UL, DKIT, Queens and NUIM. Maybe valuable contacts were made and an Academic Boycoot stragety is not being worked on.
• On Saturday 31st January, the IPSC took out a full page advert in the Irish Times which was signed by over 300 people. A copy of the ad can be seen here: http://ipsc.ie/pdf/IPSC%20Irish%20Times%20Advert%20-%20FINAL.pdf (The ad was paid for by donations from the signatories).
• Public meeting in Galway addressed by the IPSC Chair and Branches Officer on the work of the IPSC. This was organised and hosted by the Galway branch.
• Assisting the Bloom Movement for Global Justice with their launch conference in Dublin at which Iyad Burnat of the Bil’in non-violent resistance movement was a featured speaker.
• Weekly bulletin issued to members.
• Fund-raising Christmas dinner in Dublin.
• Production of new Christmas cards.
• Launch of on-line store.
• Fund-raising table quiz in Dublin and other fundraisers around the country.
• On 30th March, a Palestinian Land Day Vigil was held
Local branches have been involved in the following:
• Public meetings organised by the Limerick branch with Sahar Francis of the ADDAMEER Palestinian political prisoners support group.
• Public meetings organised by the Cork and Galway branches with Iyad Burnat of the Friends of Freedom and Justice in Bil’in.
Meanwhile, individual members continue their activities in their own areas and are busy with a wide variety of activities such as organising a boat to Gaza, travelling to Gaza, meeting local clergy to drum up church support, responding to local media coverage, etc.
As you know, while we have a National Coordinator employed on a part time basis, much of the above work is done by the National Exec on a voluntary basis; if you are interested in helping out – please give us a call.
On behalf of the National Executive, thank you for your continued financial support during the year. Without the generous contributions of our members and supporters, we would not be able to deliver on such an eventful and diverse range of activities. With this in mind, and in order to further enhance our campaigning abilities, we look forward to your continued support and ask that you encourage friends / colleagues and supporters of Palestine to join us.
If you are in a position to sponsor or co-sponsor any of the forthcoming events outlined above, please get in touch with us.
Thank you again for your continued and valued support in our struggle for justice for the Palestinian people. In the meantime – have a relaxing Christmas and much good health and happiness in the new year
Marie Crawley
Chair IPSC
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