They congradulated Mr Leech on his support for the Early Day Motion 127 being tabled in Parliament which ‘recognises that Israel’s blockade which has destroyed the economy of Gaza and deepened poverty still inflicts widespread suffering and, by imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza, is itself contrary to international law; and calls on the international community to require Israel to end its blockade’

In addition, Action Palestine asked Mr Leech if he would help a campaign which goes beyond merely issuing words of condemnation, and push the British Government to take real punitive measures against Israel. It was pointed out to him that Israel’s status within the EU was in the process of being upgraded and it was asked if he would ensure he would do what he could to prevent any rewarding of Israel in light of its actions of aggression against the Free Gaza Flotilla. Mr Leech said that he would present our concerns to his colleagues dealing with European affairs and raise the matter with the foreign Office.

Mr Leech accepted an invitation to meet again at the Students Union, and accepted the following letter written by Action Palestine promising to respond as soon as possible;

‘Dear John,

Firstly, we would like to congratulate you on signing the early day motion 127. However, we believe that now more than ever, real effective and punitive actions are necessary against the government of Israel.

Therefore we would like you as our MP to commit working towards ensuring that:

That the British government ends its complicity in the political and economical blockade of Gaza;

• That there is an International rather than an Israeli led enquiry;

• That the British government should demand of Israel that ALL hostages taken from the Free Gaza Flotilla be freed with the promise that those who are Citizens of Israel or Palestinians from the Occupied territories will not suffer any retribution for their participation in the aid convoy;

• That the parliamentary foreign affairs committee should meet with all the
  British participants in the flotilla to give an accurate account of
  the situation;

• Support the Palestinian civil society call for an Anti-Apartheid modelled campaign of Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions  against Israel;

• An end to the EU-Israel Trade Association Agreement.

• A formal statement from yourself that is disseminated to all media outlets expressing your condemnation of Monday’s massacre and incorporating the proposals from the above suggestions that you find yourself in agreement.

Action Palestine is a long standing student group within both Man Met and the University of Manchester. We have built a strong reputation for organising some of the biggest mobilisations of the student body over the continuing illegal Israeli violations of Palestinian Human Rights.

In addition, we have twinned our student union in solidarity with students trying to achieve an education in the difficult conditions of occupation at Nablus University in the West Bank. As part of the twining agreement, we have raised a plaque that expresses our commitment to our fellow students in the occupied territories, inhabiting the space, and embodying the spirit, of a building named after the anti-apartheid South African revolutionary ‘Steve Biko’.

We would like to invite you to come see it, and have a picture taken so that we may send it to Nablus, as a gesture of solidarity and help breakdown the large barriers which continue to exist in preventing them from enjoying the fruits of a full, free and peaceful education.

Manchester University Action Palestine and MMU Action Palestine.’

Nablus – Ma’an – An-Najah National University in the northern West Bank city of Nablus is preparing to twin with the universities of Manchester and London through cooperation between the student unions in these universities.

The University of Manchester Student Union passed a motion in its entirety on 7 March to go ahead with a twinning agreement with their counterparts at An-Najah University.

The agreement aims to support the Palestinian right to education, particularly in reference to the obstacles that face Palestinian university students such as curfews, checkpoints, barriers and the separation wall. The future of Palestinian universities is under threat in this way, and, besides, these measures are violations of international law which maintains the right to education and to live in dignity.

The articles of the motion include the suggestion to provide at least three scholarships for Palestinian students who wish to study at the University of Manchester. They will also try to persuade the administration to drop the international tuition fees for Palestinian students, so that they pay the same as local students.

In a different regard, the Palestinian student association in the University of London has launched a campaign to teach people about the Palestinian crisis and the obstacles facing Palestinian students. The agreement to be signed with the University of London aims to strengthen cooperation between the student unions of both universities through exchanging visits and pointing out the impact of the Israeli occupation on the daily life of Palestinian students.

The twinning between the universities will also include the establishment of an exhibition of photographs in addition to field trips aimed at achieving joint cultural education.

London, March 2(IRNA) Students at the University of Manchester in northern England are backing the Palestinians right to education by seeking links with al-Najah University in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

The right to education is being led by Birzeit University in the West Bank, which has been closed down by Israeli military forces 15 times in its history.

In a motion to be debated next Wednesday, the University of Manchester Students Union (UMSU) is proposing to send a twinning invitation to their al-Najah counterparts and erect a plaque `Palestine and the Right to Education’ in its Steve Biko building.

Over one third of the Palestinian population are students in full-time school or university education, but the Israeli army has shelled and destroyed eight of the 11 universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since September 2000, the motion says.

According to a copy obtained by IRNA, it also points out that students are prevented from attending al-Najah University by Israel’s illegal barrier wall and two major checkpoints that enclose the entire city.

Students from Gaza are already banned from reaching the eight Palestinian Universities in the West Bank.

In the case of Birzeit, the number of Gazan students was reduced from 350 to only 35 by April 2005, UMSU said.

The motion warns that the future of many Palestinian universities are at “grave risk” due to the blanket curfews, 700 Israeli army roadblocks and other military obstacles, including the recently constructed barrier wall.

These “violate international law, including provisions against collective punishment and guarantees for the protection of civilian populations under military occupation, students’ right to education and fundamental rights of human beings,” it said.

UMSU said it was raising the concerns with colleagues in the National Union of Students to encourage further support for the right to education for Palestinian students.

It warned that a whole generation of Palestinian students were denied an education when Israel closed down all Palestinian universities and the majority of schools by military orders between 1988 and 1992.