IPSC Endorses the Cairo Declaration We encourage all supporters to sign too The Cairo Declaration was drawn up by representatives from over 40 countries during the Gaza Freedom March. It represents a solid and principled basis for internationalising the Palestine Solidarity movement and the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has fully endorsed the document, and we are now urging individual members, supporters and supportive organisations such as trade unions, poiltical parties and community groups to also endorse it. You can sign the declaration (which currently has over 1,000 individual signatures and over 150 endorsing organisations) by clicking on the link below, thank you. Click here to read and sign the Cairo Declation IPSC Online Store - Now Accepting PayPal Keffiyahs & Neckscarves Back in stock! DVD of To Shoot An Elephant now available. The IPSC is happy to announce that at long last we have handmade Palestinian scarves back in stock. We have keffiyehs in black & white and red & white, as well as black & white neckscarves. Also we have copies of the brand new documentary about the Israeli attack on Gaza, To Shoot An Elephant. We are also pleased to announce that the IPSC Store is now accepting PayPal payments. Click here to go to the IPSC Store Reports from public meetings with Auschwitz survivor Dr. Hajo Meyer in Belfast and Dublin (now with Video) At large public meetings in Belfast and Dublin, Holocaust survivor Dr. Hajo Meyer spoke out against Israeli Apartheid, the Siege of Gaza, and endorsed the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. The meetings were also addressed by Dr. Haidar Eid of the Al-Quds University in Gaza (via video), Khalil Shaheen of the PCHR in Gaza, and Sara Kreshnar of IJAN. Dr. Meyer stated that: "Israel is a world champion at pretending to be an enlightened civilised nation – and nowhere more so than in the realms of academia and the arts. And therefore the BDS campaign, especially in the areas of the cultural and academic boycott, is one of the most effective weapons at our disposal". Click here for reports and pictures from Belfast and Dublin NEW! Click here for a VIDEO of the meeting Col. Travers: Gaza is a Gulag maintained by democracies "Gaza is the only gulag in the Western hemisphere; maintained by democracies; closed-off from food, water, air" says Colonel Desmond Travers, co-author of the Goldstone report, in an exclusive Middle East Monitor interview. Click here to read the full interview Protest greets Israeli Ambassador’s visit to Carrickmacross On an official visit to Carrickmacross on 29th January 2010, the Israeli Ambassador was met by a protest of over thirty locals and was confronted by local representatives including Sinn Fein Cllr. Matt Carthy and his colleague, Noel Keelan who is the Deputy Mayor of Carrickmacross. Also in attendance was the Mayor of Monaghan Town Council, Seán Conlon and the former Workers Party Mayor of Carrickmacross, Francie O’Donoghue. Speaking after the protest Cllr. Carthy, who himself is a former Mayor of both Carrickmacross Town Council and Monaghan County Council, said that the current Fine Gael Mayor should be ashamed of herself for hosting a civic reception for someone who simply wasn’t welcome in Carrickmacross. Click here for full report New IPSC Campaign Website Calling on CRH to divest from Apartheid Israel - your help is needed! Irish multinational CRH’s Israeli subsidiary company Mashav own 75% of Israel’s sole cement manufacturer, Nesher Cement Enterprises, who supply approximately 75-90% of all cement sold in Israel. There can be no doubt that Nesher cement is being used in the construction of the illegal West Bank apartheid wall, the illegal colonial settlements, the Jerusalem Light Rail (linking illegally annexed East Jerusalem to some of these illegal settlements) and the apartheid settler-only roads, bridges and tunnels in Palestine. All of these activities are clearly in defiance of many UN Resolutions, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Humanitarian Law, International Court of Justice ruling and provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. We believe that CRH plc is, through its ownership of Mashav, complicit in the worst elements of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and the human rights abuses of the Palestinian people. CRH boast on their website that they adhere “to the highest standards of corporate and social responsibility”. In light of this, we call for CRH to immediately divest from the Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd. Click here to visit the CRH Divestment Campaign Website IPSC Boycott Israel Map of Ireland updated on 22nd January 2010 Click here to go to the Map   Now Available in French! Maintenant disponible en français! The European Union's Blind Eye: How the EU ignores Israel's failure to fulfil its obligations under EU agreements Many thanks to Michelle Marillier for the translation. Click here to read in French (or English)   Report from IPSC Boycott Israeli Goods National Day of Action - 16th Jan 2010 On Saturday, January 16th, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and supporters held boycott actions across the country, asking shoppers not to buy Israeli goods in solidarity with the people of Gaza who are still being starved by the Israeli government. Protests and actions were held in Dublin, Cork, Arklow, Belfast, Letterkenny, Donegal, Sligo, Limerick and Newry. It is intended to build and continue the boycott in the coming months - including two actions in Kilkenny and Wexford this coming Saturday 23rd Jan. Freda Hughes, spokesperson for the IPSC, said: "The boycott campaign against apartheid South Africa had an enormous effect in terms of isolating that regime internationally and ultimately it assisted in its downfall. We are hoping that this new international campaign will have the same impact on Israel, which practises blatant apartheid against the Palestinian people. It is up to every Irish consumer to make a choice - does ones support human rights by refusing to buy Israeli goods or does one support Israel and give money to their war economy? It is as simple as that." Click here for the full report and lots of pictures Gaza Freedom March in Cairo - Eyewitness Account By Hilary Minch, IPSC Campaigns Officer Hilary Minch, an Irish woman who took part in the ‘Gaza Freedom March’ has written an account of her trip for Politico.ie, telling of the “incredible array of people, united in a refusal to be silent”. The Gaza Freedom March aimed to highlight and demand an end to the illegal siege of the men, women and children of Gaza by Israel. The March was a Palestinian and global citizen’s initiative to halt Israel and it’s US, Egyptian and EU allies in their draconian blockade, the collective punishment of a civilian population, the inefficacy of international human rights and humanitarian law. To read the rest of this incredible account click here. John Hurson on the Gaza GAA Club (RTE Radio 1) The following is an interview with John Hurson of Viva Palestina Ireland. He has just helped establish the GAA Club in Gaza, Palestine. The clubs presidents are GAA legend Peter Canavan and MIT Professor Noam Chomsky. The interview aired on RTE Radio 1's Sport at 7 program on Tuesday 19th January 2010. To listen to the interview click here. Gaza: A Month of Remembrance 27th Dec 2009 - 30th Jan 2010 In December and January last year Israeli warplanes, tanks and missiles struck at Gaza, killing over 1300 people, including hundreds of children, destroying schools and hospitals and thousands of homes. A year later the Israeli blockade of Gaza continues - Palestinians have been unable to rebuild their homes or rebuild their lives. To remember these horrific events, the IPSC has organised a nationwide series of commemoration events - including vigils, film screenings, rallies and boycott actions. We hope you will join us in remember the tragedy that was the Israeli assault on Gaza. Click here for a full calendar of events.   • Successful IPSC Protest at Bogus Israeli Embassy Conference on Migrant Rights • AkiDwA Director Cancels Scheduled Speech • Two Irish Pro-Palestinian Academics Refused Entry Members and supporters of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) today, Friday 18th December, staged a two-hour protest outside a lecture being hosted by the Israeli Embassy in the Dublin 4 Berkeley Hotel. The embassy invited many women's rights, migrant and refugee advocacy groups to attend what they described as a lecture on "Migrant Women: Sharing the Israeli experience in Migrant absorption". The human rights activists stood at the gates of the hotel holding flags and placards, and distributed leaflets asking invitees not to attend. Ms. Salome Mbugua, the Director of AkiDwA, who one of the scheduled speakers, chose not to when she was alerted to hypocrisy underlying the conference. Instead she went along to the event and handed the Israeli Ambassador a copy of the speech she was due to deliver along with the letter she received from the IPSC and a human rights report from Amnesty International. To read the full report please click here. Palestine Solidarity Activists Protest Presence of Israeli Products in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre On Wednesday 9th December 2009 at 6.30pm members of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and concerned residents of the Dublin 15 area held a peaceful protest against the presence of Israeli-made products in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre despite dreadful weather conditions. The group comprised of local residents, some of whom were originally from Palestine, ISPC members, Anti-War Ireland members and students from NUI Maynooth. They highlighted two products in particular – Danbar toys and Sea Spa beauty products – both of which are made in Israel and exported around the world. To read the full report please click here. Report on the Week of Solidarity Against the Apartheid Walls in Palestine and the Siege of Gaza (9th - 16th November 2009) The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign took part in this year’s International Week of Solidarity called by the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. An international call to activists was put out to launch a week of global mobilisation against the walls of apartheid in Palestine from November 9th to 16th 2009. The IPSC used this opportunity to highlight the necessity of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, with specific reference to the ongoing role of Irish construction company CRH (formerly Cement Roadstone Holdings) in the building of the Apartheid Wall and illegal colonial settlements in the West Bank. In addition, we also highlighted the ongoing brutal medieval-style siege of Gaza and the devastating aftermath of Israel’s winter offensive on the tiny coastal strip which left over 1,400 Palestinians dead and thousands wounded and homeless. Our aim was to promote as many different voices showing solidarity with the Palestinian people as possible, and to raise awareness among mainstream Irish civil society of Israel’s apartheid policies, the ongoing plight of Palestinians, and their heroic struggle to resist ethnic cleansing. To this end we hosted a series of film screenings, public meetings and fundraisers in Cork, Tullamore, Limerick, Belfast, Maynooth, Galway, Kilkenny, and Dublin. We also hosted a National Demonstration in Dublin on Saturday 14th November. To read the full report please click here. Second Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs debate the Goldstone Report On Wednesday 18th November, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs debated the Goldstone Report for the second time. The main speaker was Col (Ret). Desmond Travers who was a member of the UN Fact-finding mission to Gaza. IPSC representatives were present in the Gallery for the meeting, and the IPSC has drawn up a political lobbying document on the Report, and has met several representaives of the main political parties to discuss it. Click here to download the transcript Dublin: Hundreds Attend Rally Against Israeli Apartheid in Palestine Today Saturday 14th November 2009 hundreds of Palestinians and solidarity activists rallied in Dublin to protest against Israel’s apartheid practices in Palestine. The rally - part of an international week of global mobilisation against the walls of apartheid in Palestine from November 9th to 16th 2009, called by the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign – was compèred by Freda Hughes (IPSC PRO), Caoimhe Butterly (renowned Irish human rights activist), Ger Cassidy (Viva Palestina), Sameh Habeeb (Gazan Journalist and human rights activist), John Hurson (Where Do the Children Play?), Pete St. John-Jones (International Solidarity Activist in Bil’in). After the rally, an IPSC press conference was held in the Teachers’ Club. The reason for the conference was to raise awareness of the ongoing media difficulties surrounding the occupation of Palestine, to highlight the impressive role the Irish trade union movement has played in pushing for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, and to launch the IPSC’s campaign aimed at building public support to convince Irish multinational CRH to divest from Israel. Click here read more and view the pictures. IPSC commends Irish endorsement of Goldstone Report at UN General Assembly The IPSC would like to strongly commend Minister Micheal Martin and the Irish government for fully endorsing the recommendations of the Goldstone Report at the UN General Assembly last night. David Landy, IPSC Chairperson, today said: “We would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin for taking this principled stance on behalf of international law, human rights, and the Palestinian people.” The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of a resolution calling for independent inquiries into war crime committed during the Israeli attack on Gaza last winter. After a two-day debate on a report by former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, there were 114 votes in favour, 18 opposed and 44 abstentions. Click here to read the press release IPSC Briefing Document on the Goldstone Report and Letter to Elected Representatives On Monday November 2nd, the IPSC produced a briefing document on the Goldstone Report arguing that not only should the Irish government endorse its recommendations in full - in particular that those accused of war crimes be brought to justice - but that its conclusions add weight to the calls for the suspension of Israel from the Euro-Med Agreement. The IPSC sent this document and a covering letter to all national elected representatives and have requested follow up meetings to discuss our arguments further. Click here to read letter and briefing document Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs debate the Goldstone Report On Thursday 8th October, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs debated the Goldstone Report. The main speaker was Col (Ret). Desmond Travers who was a member of the UN Fact-finding mission to Gaza. IPSC representatives were present in the Gallery for the meeting, and the IPSC is in the process of drawing up a political lobbying document on the Report. Click here to download the transcript Department of Defence's shameful deal with Israeli company Write to Defence Minister O'Dea The IPSC has just learned that an Israeli company, Elbit Systems Ltd, has just won a defence contract to supply surveillance equipment for new Irish army armoured cars. See our press release on the issue here. Elbit Systems also supply the surveillance equipment for the apartheid separation wall. Under International Law Ireland has obligations not to not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the wall. Entering into a contract with a company who is directly implicated in the oppression of the Palestinian people is illegal and unacceptable. We are asking members and supporters to write to Willie O Dea, the Minister for Defence requesting that he rescind this contract immediately and not to enter into any further deals with Israeli companies until such time as Israel complies with International law. Attached is a sample letter which you may copy, email or post to the Minister, preferably to both his email addresses or write directly to his office. Copy your local TDs and MEPs, and the Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Click here to read more and write a letter of protest. New Resource The IPSC Boycott Map of Ireland The IPSC have developed a new resource for activists to log the presence of Israeli products in shops around Ireland. The 'Boycott Map of Ireland' will display up-to-date information about the presence of Israeli products in stores in every county of Ireland. You can download the Boycott Map here (MS Excel file - when opening, please allow macros and/or set macro security to 'low') However, in order for this tool to be effective, we need your support. At present there is very little information in the map. We need people, when out doing their shopping etc, to log the presence of any Israeli goods they see, what store they are in, what town, county etc. Then you can fill in one of our forms and email it to the IPSC Boycott Officer who will add the information to the Boycott Map. Click here for full details on the Boycott Map. We look forward to hearing from you all! We look forward to hearing from you all! For older front page news, please click here IPSC APPEAL: Are you in a band or a solo artist? Would you be interested in doing a fundraiser gig for the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign? If you are, please contact us at events [at] ipsc.ie - Thanks! Please sign our petition - "Stop EU support for Israeli attacks" - You can also download it in MS-Word format and collect signatures on the street - click here. Download, print and distribute our new Boycott Leaflet! - Write a letter to outlets allowing DEAD SEA SPA products to be sold on their premises.

Current Campaigns Who are the IPSC? The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign was set up in late 2001 by a group of established Irish human rights and community activists, academics and journalists who were deeply concerned with the current situation in the Occupied Territories. In partnership with Palestinians now living in Ireland the IPSC was formed to provide a voice for Palestine in Ireland. We are an independent, non-party political organisation, run by volunteers all committed to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East. Read more. What do we do? The IPSC campaigns for justice for the Palestinian people, through raising public awareness about the human rights abuses in the occupied territories, the violations of international law and the historical causes of the injustices to the Palestinians that lie at the heart of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The IPSC lobbies the Irish government and the EU, campaigns on the streets and urges for a vigorous Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign similar to the one that played a part in ending Apartheid in South Africa. The IPSC also holds public talks with Israeli and Palestinian speakers and various cultural and fundraising events. Read more. How to get involved? The IPSC is a volunteer based organisation and is always looking for new people to get involved. Read more

Disclaimer: The articles in the News Database are for informational and analytical purposes only and do not represent the views of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, unless otherwise stated.