autumn2011 palestine NEWS 1 £2.00 / €2.00 ISSN 1477-5808 Autumn 2011 Defying oppression INSIDE: Bid for statehood Sheikh Raed arrest Rise in demolitions Young Vic triumph Ghada Karmi Samira Quraishy Itay Epshtain Hilary Wise page 4 page 7 page 14 page 30 Palestine Solidarity Campaign Box BM PSA London WC1N 3XX tel 020 7700 6192 email [email protected] web www.palestinecampaign.org 2 palestine NEWS autumn2011 Contents 3 Backing resistance with solidarity Bernard Regan comments on the PSC and the coming UN vote 4 Bid for statehood: good or bad idea? Ghada Karmi examines the arguments on both sides of a heated debate 6 Strength through unity Kamel Hawwash reflects on the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation bid 7 Pro-Israel lobby dictates to British government Samira Quraishy reports on the arrest of Sheikh Raed Salah 8 “We are undeterred” say Free Gaza Flotilla organisers refuse to be intimidated 9 Arrested for visiting friends Cover image: Naksa Day demo Audrey Gray recalls the fly-in – and going to jail at Qalandiya checkpoint, 5 June 2011. 10 “Lawfare” – Israel’s latest weapon Examination of new laws designed to criminalise opposition Photo: www.demotix.com ISSN 1477 - 5808 11 Supporting resilience in Gaza David Harrold recounts a visit by the Palestine Trauma Centre Also in this issue... 12 Help the PSC to grow! page 17 Sara Apps launches our vital fund-raising appeal 14 Summer of demolitions Itay Epshtain reports on massive destruction in the Jordan Valley 16 Ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem Eric Willoughby examines a new UN report 18 Archeological “proof” claimed by Zionists Margaret Vernon looks at the manipulation of historical finds 19 Islamophobia, Israel and the far right Hilary Wise comments on a disturbing trend Call to support Christian communities 20 Rebuilding a family home Anna Siefert describes a positive project If you want to contact a member 21 Union supports jailed women of the Executive Committee or The NUT resolves to help imprisoned women and children the PSC office, here is a list of those with particular areas of 22 BBC campaign victory responsibility. Contact via PSC. Amena Saleem reports on the climbdown over Death in the Med Chair – Hugh Lanning 23 In Brief Deputy Chair – Kamel Hawwash The UK backs Palestinian activists, Jenin Freedom Theatre targeted, crimes against babies, General Secretary – Ben Soffa women go for a swim, Cemex in the settlements, a visit to bees, and more... Honorary president – Betty 26 Great ideas, great progress Hunter Brilliant ways PSC members are getting the message across Trade Unions – Fiona Bowden Parliamentary Affairs – 28 Arts and Reviews Nicolette Petersen Kika Markham plays Amira Hass, Mark Thomas goes rambling, In the Penal Colony at the Publications – Hilary Wise Young Vic, Weeds Don’t Perish: Memoirs of a Defiant Old Woman, by Hanna Braun Campaigns – Ruqayyah Collector palestine NEWS Palestine Solidarity Campaign Trade Union Liaison – A Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) publication. n Campaigning against the oppression and Nick Crook, Simon Dubbins PSC does not necessarily agree with all opinions dispossession suffered by the Palestinian people Students – Fiona Edwards, expressed in the magazine. Khaled Al Mudallal E-mail: [email protected] n Supporting the rights of the Palestinian Director of Campaigns – people and their struggle to achieve these The editorial team rights including the Right of Return in line with Sarah Colborne Editor: Gill Swain Branches, members – Deputy editor: Hilary Wise UN resolution 194 Martial Kurtz Victoria Brittain, Ben White, n Promoting Palestinian civil society in the Administration – Steve Sibley Diane Langford interests of democratic rights and social justice Design and layout Mulberry Design n Opposing Israel’s occupation and its aggression against neighbouring states Check out If you would like to contribute or respond to one our website of the articles in this issue please write to: n Opposing anti-semitism and racism, including The Editor, Palestine News, Box BM PSA, the apartheid and Zionist nature of the Israeli www.palestinecampaign.org London WC1N 3XX state autumn2011 EDITORIAL palestine NEWS 3 Backing resistance with solidarity positively to assist the Palestinians in achieving their legitimate aim By Bernard Regan of creating an independent state.” As Palestine News went to press the debate was still raging he Palestinian people have a right to self-determination and amongst Palestinians inside and outside the Occupied Territories the right to a state. Palestinian refugees, like the refugees of (and most of them live outside) over the exact details of how to every other country in the world, have a right to return home. proceed. Our role in PSC is to act in solidarity with them when their These are statements which should be incontestable. The way forward is clear. UnitedT Nations, which has played such a thoroughly dubious role But if there is a General Assembly vote in favour of recognising a in the history of the Palestinian people, should acknowledge those Palestinian state, the real challenge facing the UN and states which rights and work towards their implementation. endorse the call is what they are going to do to implement that When the UN General Assembly voted in 1947 by 33 votes to decision. They have an obligation to make plain to the government 13 with 10 abstentions to support the Partition Plan and thereby of Israel that continuing oppression of the Palestinian people is legitimise the creation of the state of Israel, it was not a truly unacceptable. representative body; most countries of the world were not members They need to pressurise the Israeli state, for example, by backing of the UN, being colonies or protectorates of the colonial powers. the growing campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and The UN, like the British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and the by making clear that those responsible for acts like Operation “Cast League of Nations, decided on the fate Lead” and the siege of Gaza will be of the Palestinian people without any treated as war criminals. acknowledgement that they formed the The constant prop of United States overwhelming majority of the inhabitants patronage, British complicity and Quartet of the land, as they had for many impotency must be subject to withering centuries. scrutiny and criticism. Support for the The UN General Assembly today is a Palestinian people is growing fast but different animal but its powers are limited must be built into a real international force and subordinate to those of the Security giving solidarity to the resistance that the Council. Its members, in a free vote, will Palestinians have shown and continue to undoubtedly endorse the recognition show. Israel’s highly aggressive reactions of a Palestinian state. As Ghada Karmi to opposition of any kind (see pages points out (page 4), a vote in the Security 8–10) are proof that campaigns are having Council would be something different, a serious impact. with the United States and the United Their response is also linked to the Kingdom vetoing any such proposal. But potential reconfiguration of Middle East an overwhelming General Assembly vote Women of Nabi Saleh singing Palestinian politics following the Arab Spring; the in favour would reflect the widespread resistance songs at soldiers. Photo: Silvia expression, “the road to Jerusalem view that the Palestinian people have Baorini, www.demotix.com lies through Cairo” has a very real suffered a grave injustice for too long and significance. that it is time to right that wrong. President Obama too must be fearful that the regional upheavals, The PSC has issued a statement about the recognition call (full text as well as formal recognition of a Palestinian state, will challenge on the website) which says: “The full implementation of international not only America’s closest ally but all their allies responsible for law, including the end of Israel’s illegal occupation and the right of oppressive regimes, such as Saudi Arabia. return of Palestinian refugees, are essential for a just solution. The obstacles that the Palestinian people face are huge but daily “The United Nations, since 1974, has recognised the Palestine they show their answer to the world’s politicians by refusing to submit Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative to the injustice inflicted on them. If governments vote at the UN to of all the Palestinian people in their struggle to achieve their rights. support the establishment of a Palestinian state it is in part testimony PSC supports actions in the UN that reinforce these legal principles to the courage that the Palestinian people have shown. Rightly they and which uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. will not accept that this is the last word on the matter. It is our job to “The PSC calls on the British and EU governments to act make sure that the voice of all the Palestinian people is heard. PSC PATRONS n Dr. Salman Abu Sitta n John Austin n Tony Benn n Rodney Bickerstaffe n Sir Geoffrey Bindman n Victoria Brittain n Julie Christie n Caryl Churchill n Jeremy Corbyn MP n Bob Crow n William Dalrymple n Pat Gaffney n Rev Garth Hewitt n Bruce Kent n Ghada Karmi n Ken Loach n Lowkey n Kika Markham n Dr. Karma Nabulsi n Prof. Ilan Pappe n Prof. Hilary Rose n Prof. Steven Rose n Alexei Sayle n Keith Sonnet n Ahdaf Soueif n David Thompson n Baroness Tonge of Kew n Dr. Antoine Zahlan n Benjamin Zephaniah 4 palestine NEWS COMMENT & ANALYSIS autumn2011 Bid for statehood: good or bad idea? worth of anti-riot equipment has been As Palestine News went to press, the purchased by the Israeli army. What compounds this hysteria is the Palestinian Authority was pressing US attitude that echoes and encourages it.