A week filled with educational, informative and fun events taking place everyday in solidarity and support with the Palestinians and most importantly to raise awareness of their on-going plight.

*Schedule of the week*
Monday 19/3: ”History of Palestine & Quiz”. (Academy 2, UoM Student Union. 6.00 PM – 8.00 PM)

Tuesday 20/3: ”Boycott from within Israel” : Leehee Rothschild [Boycott from within] (MMU John Dalton Building T0.03
6.00 PM – 8 PM)

Wednesday 21/3: ”Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land” (Film)
(MMU John Dalton Building E32 5.30 PM – 8 PM)

Thursday 22/3: ”How Palestine became Israel” Nasim Ahmed [Palestine Return Centre] (MMU John Dalton Building T0.03 6.00 PM – 8 PM)

Friday 23/3: ”Palestine Cultural Night” Dabke, Food, Music, Talks etc. ( Academy 2, UoM Student Union. 5.30 PM – 10.00 PM)

Come along to one, if not all of our many great events planned for the week or drop by for a quick chat on one of our stalls (you will recognise us by our friendly faces and the beautiful Kuffiyahs around our necks) outside the UMSU or MMU union during the week. (We will have many amazing limited Palestinian merchandise on sale for discounted prices!)

Peace and blessings )

His first article (http://www.e-ir.info/?author=1125) deals with the impact of the anti-boycott law on ‘democracy in Israel’.

Tanzil-Zaman’s second publication (http://www.eurasiareview.com/legal-rights-legal-wrongs-palestine-and-the-perils-of-international-law-oped-04082011/) looks at how International Law is the flase Messiah of the Palestinians.

Please feel free to read, comment, criticise and spread.

Many Thanks

If you have any articles you would like published on this website please send them to mmu@actionpalestine.org

Peace All,

MMU and UMSU Action Palestine societies have teamed up to bring a whole week of events dedicated to Palestine.

8 Events, 2 Universities, 1 Cause: Palestine

Programme of Events:

Monday 21st:

Film Showing and Talk from LIFESOURCE: A Palestinian water rights charity working to document and prevent abuses of water rights committed in Israel and Palestine. The documentary will look at the issues surrounding the Jordan River, and will be followed by a discussion about water rights and LifeSource.
6:00pm – 9:00pm, UM North Campus SU, Conference Room.

Tuesday 22nd:

A photo exhibition “Committing Memory” by the Palestinian Photographer Ahmad Daghlas about life in Palestine with a stall selling all sorts of Palestinian goodies. All profits go to LifeSource.
All Day, UMSU Foyer

Art and Humanitarian Aidas Resistance: A talk from  artist Shahid Iqbal about how art is used as a form of resistance to the illegal Israeli occupation. He will also touch on the importance of the Gaza aid convoys and the role they play.
6:00pm – 8:00pm MMU, John Dalton Building, Room T0.03

Wednesday 23rd:

Charity Stall: A stall selling all sorts of things Palestinian, from scarves and necklaces to sweets, cakes and Palestinian embroideries. Definitely worth popping to see whats on offer.
All Day – MMU Students’ Union Foyer

BDS, The Case for Boycotting Israel: Jill Lovecy from Manchester University will be talking about the campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions for Israel, it’s importance, and how we in Britain can help the Palestinian cause.
6:00pm – 8:00pm, John Dalton Building, Room T0.03

Thursday 24th:

Film Showing- Jerusalem, East Side Story: A film that explores the issues of settlements and life in East Jerusalem, the proposed capital for any Palestinian state.
6:00pm – 8:00pm, MMU, John Dalton Building, Room C0.14

Friday 25th:

Fundraiser Social of LifeSource: A night filled with food, friends, music, poetry and a chance to meet everyone involved in Palestine week. Come to relax, taste some delicious goodies, ask any questions you may have.
8:00pm – 11.30pm – Happiness Café

So there you have it, one jam-packed week. We look forward to seeing you there. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch, mmu@actionpalestine.org

In Solidarity,

MMU and UMSU Action Palestine.

Map of Event Locations: http://tinyurl.com/5rc29gh

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.’

End the Siege of Gaza

No to an Israeli enquiry, yes to an International enquiry

Sanctions on Israel – End the EU-Israel Association Agreement

The massacre of at least 9 international humanitarian activists illustrates to the world the extent to which Israel’s words are at odds with its deeds. Despite its professed commitment to democratic ideals and international cooperation in pursuit of long lasting peace in the region, Israel’s assault on the Free Gaza Flotilla adds to its record of putting obstacles in the way of Justice.

This massacre comes in the aftermath of Israel’s 2006 invasion of Lebanon, Israel’s three year siege of Gaza, its assault on Gaza in 2009, recent political assassination abroad, as well as the continuation of illegal settlement building in the West Bank, all of which has continued to hamper the development of regional stability and thus undermined the prospects for real peace with Justice in the Middle East as well as for Palestine.

In light of this record we feel that it is our duty to not simply speak out against Israel’s policies but also now imperative to take inspiration from the anti- apartheid struggle in South Africa and step up our grassroots campaign for solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for Justice and Peace.

Called by: Action Palestine
Supported by: Manchester PSC, Manchester Green Party, MPACUK,

On page 21 the report says:
“Islamic societies often work in conjunction with other university societies generally. For example, at the University of Manchester, the ISOC works closely with the Palestinian Society, often co-hosting events and sharing email subscription lists.”

The University of Manchester Palestine society seeks to cooperate with all like-minded students and students’ groups over the last year and have co-hosted several events with several students’ groups and university departments, the University of Manchester Islamic Society is not one of them. We have never shared mailing lists with the Islamic Society nor any other group for that matter. We are also careful to only publicise our own events and actions organised by our own society. We don’t send out emails on our mailing list from other groups.

Having said this, we have a good relationship with many of our fellow students’ groups in the University of Manchester including the Islamic Society. We look forward to working with as many fellow students groups in the University of Manchester and beyond, when ever the opportunity arises for joint campaigns and events.

We are not in a position to provide a statement about the full content of the report but we have clearly shown that is has included inaccurate information. Also the language of the report appears to seek to attack Muslim students and provoke anger and suspicion towards Muslims on campus. Therefore we commend NUS and Wes Streeting (NUS president 08-09) for taking a clear position against the report, We also support the FOSIS statement against the report.

University of Manchester Palestine Society Committee

*End*

CSC “Islam on campus” (PDF) (HTML)

FOSIS statement on the CSC report

I am currently staying five minutes away from where this atrocity took place – in the Al-Sal’ous neighborhood in the Al-Makhfiyeh area of western Nablus.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Israeli offensive forces were carrying out one of its many illegal incursions into the city of Nablus where upon they ruthlessly killed, in cold blood 2 Palestinians, one of whom was 24-year-old Iyad Khanfar, a final-year student at An-Najah. We had the opportunity of visiting the apartment soon after and it was laced with blood, broken glass and bullets. The apartment had been
ransacked and torn apart by explosions used to instill life threatening fear in these innocent palestinians. Several matching reports say that one, a student, was filled
with 16 bullets to the chest whilst in bed.

The university is (was) on general strike with all classes cancelled and the local volunteers on my program were shocked as was I.

This is by now means an isolated incident and is common practice for the apartheid forces. We pray for their families.

T.C

Saturday 2nd Feb 12 noon

BBC Building, Oxford Road, Manchester

Action Palestine, with the support of Stop the War and Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has called a northern demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The Israeli blockade of Gaza has made life in the world’s most densely populated region in the world even worse in recent weeks. The blockade is an obvious case of collective punishment.

Much of Gaza is once again in darkness, as Israel cut off the fuel to its only power plant. Hospital patients have reportedly died, communications are out, and movement and commerce in an already beleaguered economy have come to a near halt.

Michele Mercier, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said Gaza hospitals still had medications “but it won’t last for more than two or three days.” Now, Gazans must also contend with the possibility of already scarce food supplies being cut off. Christopher Gunness of UNRWA, the UN relief agency, said the agency could be forced to suspend food distribution to 860,000 people because of the shortage of fuel and plastic bags.

The New York Times, always to be counted on to provide the right euphemisms, reported that “Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, ordered a temporary halt on all imports into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip late last week. The measure, along with stepped-up military operations in Gaza, was meant to persuade Palestinian militants there to stop firing rockets at Israel.” (Isabel Kershner, “Fuel Shortage Shuts Gaza Power Plant, Leaving City Dark,” 21 January 2008.)

Terms like “measures” and “persuasion” sound so gentle. But they cover up a brutal reality that Israeli leaders are keen to boast about: they are acting with premeditation to inflict suffering on the Palestinian civilian population, and they display an extraordinary degree of callousness for their victims.

“We are impacting the overall quality of life in Gaza and destroying the terror infrastructure,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak boasted.

As news of mounting suffering came out of Gaza, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert provided further confirmation that civilians were on Israel’s target list: “We are trying to hit only those involved in terrorism, but also signaling to the population in Gaza that it cannot be free from responsibility for the situation.” With fuel running out, he scoffed, “As far as I’m concerned, all the residents of Gaza can walk and have no fuel for their cars because they have a murderous terrorist regime that doesn’t allow people in the south of Israel to live in peace.”

The punishment of Gaza’s population is apparently succeeding beyond Israel’s wildest dreams. Unnamed Israeli “defense officials” told The Jerusalem Post on 20 January “that food supplies were running low in Gaza and would dry up by the middle of the week.” (“Gaza food will run out by midweek,” 20 Jan 2008). Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Haaretz cited “Israeli security officials” who said “that the electrical supply difficulties in the Gaza Strip were greater than Israel had previously expected when it cut off fuel to the coastal territory earlier in the day.” (“Barak: Gaza to get one-time fuel, medicine delivery,” 21 January 2008.)

Israeli leaders are usually careful to lace their statements with pro forma denials that they are deliberately trying to create a “humanitarian” crisis — though they never define what level of deliberately inflicted suffering might cross that threshold. Gaza’s residents “are hostages of a deranged regime, but there is no real humanitarian crisis there,” said housing minister Zeev Boim, apparently referring to Hamas, not his own government.

The logic seems to be that Israel can do whatever it wants, as long as officials use euphemisms to describe it. As Dov Weissglas, Olmert’s advisor, so notoriously put it when Israel began its strangulation of Gaza in early 2006, “It’s like an appointment with a dietician. The Palestinians will get a lot thinner, but won’t die.” But they do die, in large numbers.

Some top Israelis make it clear that they do not actually believe that Palestinian civilians even exist. Yuval Diskin, head of the Israel Security Agency (ISA), or Shin Bet secret police, responsible for hundreds of extrajudicial executions of Palestinians, told the cabinet on 13 January that the army and Shin Bet agents had “killed 1,000 terrorists in the Gaza Strip in the past two years.” By B’Tselem’s count Israel had killed 816 Palestinians in Gaza in the previous two years, of whom 152 were children and many others were adult civilians “who took no part in the hostilities.” Thus, B’Tselem concluded, the “head of the ISA defines every Palestinian killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip as a terrorist.” (B’Tselem, “Head of ISA defines a terrorist as any Palestinian killed by Israel,” 13 January 2008.)

From electronic intifada
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Action Palestine