From Mo Norwood

Saturday, 2 August 2014

Great atmosphere at the Trades club gig, very good speakers and thanks for the information about how to boycott Israeli goods and support the action to get supermarkets to refuse to stock them. I think many more people willl add support if they know what to do. Many shoppers in Halifax were interested today when leaflets given out.

From Ron Taylor

Wednesday, 6 August 2014

I don't know what the final total was but when I left well over 500 GPB had been raised for Medical Aid to Palestinians. It was a really good turn out. I would also like to praise Chris the amazing woman who has stood in St George's Square most days to protest Israel's action against the people of Gaza. She suffered disgusting abuse from at least one ignoramus and yet she stood her ground. Well done, Chris, and thank you.

From Allen Keep

Thursday, 7 August 2014

I stood with Chris for a while in the square recently and her actions are an example to us all. Well done also to the organisers of the trades club benefit.

My own concern is that when the terrorist Israeli state decides, at least temporarily, to stop kettling a population and murdering their children and "withdraw" we will stop protesting and applying pressure.

For the people of Gaza, the scale of what the Israeli's have done, aside from the barbaric killings, is almost beyond belief. Who will feed and home the displaced? Who will tend to the injured and ill? Who will counsel and educate the children?

So yes, give money - but please continue to protest as Chris has done (there is a national demonstration in London this Saturday). You can boycott Israeli goods but also join the call for Israel to be called to account and sanctioned for their inhumanity and war crimes. Join the call too for our government to stop arming and supporting this brutal, racist regime.

Information and how to sign up can be found via the Palestine Solidarity Campaign here

From Jon B

Thursday, 7 August 2014

I can't really say anymore than what has already (quite rightly) been said, I just wanted to offer this link to a petition that may go some way to helping our government realise that we're not happy with our country's stance.

From Ron Taylor

Sunday, 10 August 2014

Allen is right. Once the bombing has come to a halt it can be all too easy to end the protests and forget about the plight of the Palestinians - until the next time. What both Palestinians and Israelis who are opposed to the occupation call for is massive international pressure on Israel as the only way to bring about real change. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement calls on everyone, wherever they are in the world, to take action. Here is their website.

Here is another source of information about companies which profit from the occupation.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, it is business as usual as settlers aided by the Israeli military steal more and more land. I received this video last week from Taáyush (the Arab/Jewish partnership). An American has stolen some Palestinian land but doesn't like the fact he has been challenged.

From Margaret Robson

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

I narrowly missed buying some Israeli mangoes in Hebden Bridge Coop today. I returned them at the checkout and asked to see the manager. He told me there wasn't a policy on stocking Israeli produce - he was expecting one from Head Office as a number of people had been asking! Said policy is expected in the next couple of days and will be posted up - so keep asking, folks!

From Ron Taylor

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Some people distinguish between produce from Israel itself and that from the illegal settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - they may buy the former and not the latter. I and many others don't make the distinction and will boycott anything to do with Israel because of its continuing breaches of international and humanitarian law and because often product labelling is not accurate.

There is some very recent good news relating to the issue of boycott. See here

From Jonathan D

Sunday, 24 August 2014

Are you advocating the boycott of products of Arab Israeli businesses or is it just the Jewish ones? Will you be boycotting products made in other countries with poor human rights records? Are you avoiding Israeli technology and research? Are you refusing to give money to Gaza in the knowledge that it will end up in the hands of Hamas who will use it to try to kill Jews? Have you got anything to say about the human rights record of Hamas who executed 18 of their citizens today?

If Hamas hadn't started the present war, storing weapons in schools, hospitals and mosques and conducting their fighting in the middle of civilian populations then do you think we would have seen the death toll we've seen?

Hamas want to rid the middle east of Jews and establish an Islamic state in place of Israel. They won't give Israel any peace, ever.

Using child labour to build tunnels into Israel in order to slaughter innocent Israelis; have you got nothing to say about that?

From Ron Taylor

Sunday, 24 August 2014

Of course, I cannot answer for other posters on this thread, Jonathan D, but here is my response to your questions.

Do I advocate boycotting Palestinian businesses in Israel or just the Jewish ones ?

No, I refuse to buy anything that is labelled as being made or produced in Israel even though I am aware that Israel has many laws which discriminate against non-Jews (ie Palestinian citizens of Israel).

Am I avoiding Israeli technology or research?

Yes, whenever I can.

Am I refusing to give money to Gaza in the knowledge that it will end up in the hands of Hamas who will use it to try to kill Jews?

I have given money to Medical Aid for Palestinians to help it to give aid to Palestinians who have medical needs caused by Israel's bombardment of Gaza. I would not knowingly give money to Hamas nor would I give money to Jewish organisations which promote the building of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Have I got anything to say about the human rights record of Hamas who executed 18 of their citizens today?

Yes, I have. I think the human rights record of Hamas is extremely poor and I utterly condemn the reported executions. I do not like Hamas. Nor do I like the racist regime which runs Israel.

If Hamas hadn't started the present war, storing weapons in schools, hospitals and mosques and conducting their fighting in the middle of civilian populations then do I think we would have seen the death toll we've seen?

This is a loaded question, of course, and therefore difficult to answer in a straightforward way which does not involve a lengthy look at the history of Israel-Palestine. However, I will give it a go.

It is a matter of dispute as to who started the current round of armed conflict. Certainly the Israeli government was extremely angry when it was announced that a Palestinian unity government (Fatah and Hamas reconciled) was to be formed. Such unity is threatening to Israel and it was obvious at the time that it would try to prevent it and provoke a response from Hamas giving itself an excuse to behave the way it has been. So it is my view that sooner or later there would be armed conflict. Israel, as with most colonial projects, likes to divide and rule and any resistance whether violent or non-violent is met with force.
Regarding the issue of Hamas storing weapons in mosques, hospitals and so on is concerned, I am not sure whether there is sufficient evidence to be sure about this. But Gaza is a very densely populated piece of land which is still under occupation. Hamas would be foolish to keep its weapons in full sight of the Israeli army and air force in the remaining open areas.

As for the death toll, if Israel was really concerned about peace it would be talking to its enemies rather than trying to batter them into into submission and killing many innocent Palestinians. Most Palestinians agree that Israel only wants peace on its own terms - all the land without the Palestinians. The Oslo agreements were a clear chance for Israel to work towards a lasting agreement with the Palestinians but it squandered it by continuing to steal more and more Palestinian land and build more and more colonies thereby making a Palestinian state impossible. Even as the bombs land on Gaza more West bank land is being taken.

Using child labour to build tunnels into Israel in order to slaughter innocent Israelis; do I have nothing to say about that?

If your statement is true then I would condemn the practice but is there real evidence for this - I have not seen any ? What I have seen is a great deal of Israeli propaganda which tries to paint Israel as the only victim - standard stuff.

What I would ask you, Jonathan, is whether you believe that if Hamas did not exist, if not one single Palestinian possessed a weapon would Israel abide by international law and allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, lift the siege on Gaza, dismantle the apartheid system it has built in the West Bank, demolish the Separation Barrier, remove the illegal settlements/colonies in East Jerusalem, the Golan heights and the West Bank ?

Update:

Sorry but I omitted my response to one of your questions, Jonathan.

You asked, "Will you be boycotting products made in other countries with poor human rights records?"

Indeed, I will and wherever possible I always have done. I am pleased to note that you agree that Israel has a poor human rights record. Will you be joining me in boycotting it and all those other countries