ICAHD at 25 webinar, J Halper on Biden, demo at JCB golf tournament

That’s a long way to travel! In its years of political work and evolution, ICAHD has never lost its focus on resisting the demolition of Palestinian homes. We have rebuilt 189 demolished homes over the years as political acts of joint resistance with Palestinian communities and families. We also raise this key (and enormously painful) element of Israel’s expanding apartheid regime in international forums.

But much has happened in the past quarter-century. While ICAHD remains focused on house demolitions, we must also respond politically to events, which has led us into a joint liberation struggle with our Palestinian partners. ICAHD is today a critical member of the Palestinian-led One Democratic State Campaign. In our political journey we have evolved from a group of local Israeli activists protesting house demolitions to a political organization with branches abroad advocating for a political endgame: a single democracy. ICAHD’s evolution as a political organization contains valuable lessons for other civil society groups seeking to effect political change. Those lessons are the focus of this webinar marking ICAHD’s 25^th Anniversary. The speakers are:

- Jeff Halper, ICAHD’s Director since its founding - Linda Ramsden, Director of ICAHD UK - Atta Jaber, a Palestinian farmer whose home has been demolished twice and rebuilt by ICAHD.

We will also hear comments from Michael Spath, Co-Chair of ICAHD USA, Syksy Rasanen of ICAHD Finland and Doris Flack & Claus Walischewski of ICAHD Germany.

Join us for this critical review of the political evolution and strategy of a grassroots organization battling the vastly superior forces of colonization, imperialism and militarism. Register for this webinar here

Speaking of (super) normalization, a good part of Biden's agenda is establishing an Israel-led Middle East NATO. The "Jerusalem Agreement" (another poke in the Palestinians eyes from a President who opens his press conference by declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital) notches up the US-Israel "security" relationship, meaning empowering Israel to attack Iran acts as the US proxy in the region.

Embracing and pushing Trump's Abraham Accords of normalization with the Arab world helps Israel, of course, but like Biden's demand that the Palestinians normalize with Israel BEFORE dealing with their rights, normalization in the Middle East does no favour to its peoples. But the main reason Arab states want to normalize with Israel is to acquire its technologies of repression. Arab countries are led by non-elected dictators who face permanent unrest among their repressed and impoverished peoples, repeated Arab Springs demanding democracy. In order to stay in power, they need Israeli weapons, surveillance systems (like the NSO tool that allowed Saudi Arabia to track Khashoggi) and instruments of population control for their police & security forces far more than against any external enemy.

"Normalization" is a seemingly neutral, even benign term. But like many similar terms ("peace," for example), it covers brutal realities and intentions - especially in the service of perpetuating and expanding colonialism, whether settler colonialism in the case of Israel or American neo-colonialism, not to mention the repression of the Arab peoples by their own governments. Demonstrate at JCB's Legends Golf Tournament Friday, 29^th July from 7am - Demonstrate at entrance to JCB’s Legends Golf Tournament, Rocester

ICAHD UK calls upon its supporters to join the demonstration at JCB’s Legends Golf Tournament to raise awareness of JCB’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes amongst the attending public, the local community, JCB owners and staff, and the golfers participating in the tournament.

Gather with campaigners at the entrance to the JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, ST14 5HY, on Friday, 29^th July, from 7am when the tournament begins. Note that for those coming by rail, Uttoxeter is the closest train station.

Since February 2020, ICAHD UK has campaigned for JCB to instruct its Israeli agent, Comasco, that its machines are not to be used in the demolition of Palestinian property which are violations of the 4^th Geneva Convention and since then has collaborated with a small coalition steered by Protecting Palestinian Families (PPF). In recent months ICAHD UK has begun working with Amnesty, War on Want, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Amos Trust as this campaign intensifies.

During the golf tournament, JCB will seek to raise £1 million with proceeds going to the NSPCC’s Platinum Jubilee Appeal. Therefore, JCB and the NSPCC turn a blind eye to what is happening to Palestinian children despite their comments about how the lives of all children matter.

With ICAHD’s focus on home demolitions, it is important that we have good representation at the golf tournament. The major demonstration will happen on Friday, the 29^th, but demonstrators are also welcome on the 30^th and 31^st. Help raise ICAHD UK’s profile with posters and flags and hand out specially prepared flyers.

Full information is available here .

Since November 1967, when Israeli authorities issued Military Order 158, Palestinians have been forbidden from constructing new water installations without first obtaining a permit from the Israeli army. From that time, the extraction of water from any new source or the development of any new water infrastructure has required permits from Israel, which are rarely ever given.

Palestinians living under Israel’s military occupation continue to suffer the devastating consequences of this order until today. They are unable to drill new water wells, install pumps or deepen existing wells, and they are denied access to the Jordan River and freshwater springs. Israel attempts to control the collection of rainwater throughout most of the West Bank, and rainwater harvesting cisterns owned by Palestinian communities can be destroyed by the Israeli army.

Access to safe, clean, accessible and affordable water constitutes a part of the right to life along with an adequate standard of living, the right to food, and the right to health. The need for water has been recognized by the UN’s General Assembly as a fundamental element of life and sustainable development. However, there is gross disparity to access to water and equal distribution of water to Palestinians and Israelis.

For Palestinians living in the hot Middle Eastern climate where temperatures soar to over 40 degrees C during the summer, when their source of water is destroyed it adds another layer of cruelty to life. Water at prices inflated for Palestinians must be purchased and brought in by tanks. The water must be rationed between family members and their animals who must also be kept alive. Will there be enough water to irrigate their crops so that they have a source of income?

These demolitions are another example of apartheid – water apartheid and they are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Photo: Middle East Eye – Shireen Abu Akleh mural near Bethlehem Inn Hotel, Bethlehem

Mainstream media reports are not thorough, invariably telling a one-sided story in an asymmetrical reality. We are sure to hear about Israel’s more sporadic victims of violence, as we should, but do not learn of the constant atrocities and humiliations which is the daily ‘normal’ for the lives of Palestinians. Thus most of the world is unaware of Israel’s apartheid policies and its land-grabs which often happen following the demolition of Palestinian homes and structures vital for living. Governments continue to refuse to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law, therefore the situation will only change when a critical mass in civil society comes to demand it.

During our tours, participants witness the reality in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory and within the state of Israel. We meet with a range of people and organisations on the cutting-edge in order to enable tour participants to grow in understanding of the elements required for a just and sustainable peace. Previous participants testify to how their study tour experience enabled them to return home as stronger campaigners, more effective in telling the Palestinian story, especially to political representatives.

For more information and to contact us, visit our website . We look forward to hearing from you soon as you join us in helping to change history! Names of ICAHD UK members attending the Greenbelt Festival are being collected as we prepare the rota for assisting on our stall in the TakeAway section of the festival. Please be in touch with info@icahduk.org if you plan to attend the festival and can give us a few hours on our stall. Dates for Your Diary

18 – 27 October – Study tour to Palestine/Israel for professionals from the fields of mental health and social work – for information see here .

7 –17 November – Study tour to Palestine/Israel – for information see her . Many thanks for your ongoing support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please consider joining usor make a donation to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history. From all at ICAHD UK. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Israeli-Committee-Against-House-Demolitions-UK/366423593418140 Facebook https://www.twitter.com/ICAHDUK/ Twitter http://icahduk.org Website mailto:info@icahduk.org Email