New J Halper Article, Sanctions Debate, Gaza Statistics

Since 1947 more than 130, 000 Palestinian homes have been demolished in Israel and the OPTs. In 2020 alone, 865 demolitions displaced 1014 people from their homes and this year so far sees no let-up in this particularly cruel form of oppression committed by the state of Israel against the Palestinian people.

In the last few weeks, however, a series of events seems to have brought about a distinct shift in the climate of opinion on Israel’s actions in the media and elsewhere. The focus on its apartheid regime in the recent Human Rights Watch report, the mob violence by right wing extremists in East Jerusalem followed by the bombings in Gaza have all, once again, brought Israel’s crimes into the spotlight but, unlike before, there seems now to be an increased willingness to expose and condemn them. Since world governments still firmly stand with Israel, this change in mood must be because of increasingly effective pressure from civil society and the efforts of activists like ourselves- a fact which will spur us on to find ways of expanding our campaigning capability and devising ways of working even more effectively together.

In this webinar, our partners - Stop the JNF, Protecting Palestinian Families (PPF) and Stop the Demolitions- will bring us up to date on progress with their campaigns. There will once again be a focus on the complicity of the British company JCB in Israel’s demolition and displacement programme. PPF will update us on the impressive coalition of organisations that they have built up in their campaign to persuade the NSPCC to end its association with JCB, and Stop the Demolitions will report on other initiatives targeting JCB’s complicity in house demolitions.  Stop the JNF will review the JNF’s activities in East Jerusalem and the legislative basis used by the settlers to dispossess Palestinians from their homes and The UK Palestine Mental Health Network will report on their work on the understanding and treatment of the consequences for mental health of living under Israeli occupation. There will be a strong emphasis throughout on how ICAHD UK members and supporters can increase their
contribution to these impressive and imaginative campaigns.

Register for the webinar here

In Jeff Halper’s latest article, he explains why the only common ground with Israel’s new government is the desire to get rid of Benjamin Netanyahu but it could mark a turning point in Israel’s ability to avoid accountability for its actions.

Israel is currently passing through its Trumpian moment. Indeed, staunch Trump ally Benjamin Netanyahu is out-trumping Trump, calling the results of the March 23 “the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy…. [The new government represents] a scam against the public. The biggest election scam, maybe, in history.”

So extreme has Netanyahu’s rhetoric become that it has led to fears of physical harm or even the assassination of opposition leaders. The head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, made a rare public warning of “a serious rise and radicalization in violent and inciting discourse, specifically on social media [that] may be interpreted among certain groups or individuals as one that allows violent and illegal activity and could even lead to harm to individuals.” Recalling the violent atmosphere stirred up by Netanyahu and his allies that preceded Rabin’s assassination, leaders of Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party have been given round-the-clock security protection.

One would think that some radical—even mildly liberal—change in policy is in store if what Netanyahu calls a “dangerous left-wing government” depending on “extreme Left” and “supporters of terrorism” (the Islamic Ra’am party) comes to power. As we say in Hebrew: halevai, if only. In fact, Prime Minister–designate Bennett has tried to calm the waters by assuring voters (and especially his voters) that the new government will be more right-wing than that of the Likud. View the full article here .
May's Demolition and Displacement Report

Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem. Ruins of the Abu Hatab family home, Gaza Strip, 15 May ’21.

When viewed within the context of Israel’s unrelenting programme of punitive demolitions, displacement and land theft, the report for May for the Occupied Territories and Israel of 12 demolitions (displacing just 9 people) seems unremarkable. This is because in May it was the people of Gaza who, yet again, bore the full and horrific impact of Israel’s ongoing attempts to obliterate the indigenous people from what was mandate Palestine.

Now that pictures of the death and destruction have, once again, disappeared for the media and public attention is turning elsewhere, the people of Gaza have to face the horrendous consequences of the deliberate destruction of their already damaged and deeply inadequate infrastructure.

Our report for May describes damage to education facilities that have brought a halt to the education of 600,00 students, damage to 28 health care facilities (including 9 hospitals) and – crucially- damage to water pipelines, wells, pumping stations and the other essential infrastructure necessary for the supply of clean water and removal of waste so necessary for the health and survival of 800,000 Gazans*

Statistics such as these reveal the true reason behind Israel’s assaults on Gaza. Recent coverage of Israel/Palestine in the media strongly suggests that Israel’s interpretation of events is no longer so widely acceptable, that the death destruction committed in Gaza can in no way be justified under the right of Israel to defend itself, rather that the objective of Israel’s assaults on Gaza is simply to render the place uninhabitable and drive its citizens out.

*Data supplied by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, Ministry of Education (Gaza), Ministry of Health (Gaza)

Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line, live under a recognized apartheid regime with Israeli exercising racial supremacy and where gross violations of international law occur daily. Under international law, the UK government is complicit with these crimes.

Respond to news about evictions and demolitions especially in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan where hundreds of Palestinians are threatened with being made homeless as Israeli courts deem themselves above international law.

Dates for Your Diary
Saturday, 12 June 1pm - Justice for Palestine demonstration, Downing Street, London

ACTIONS BULLETIN - June 2021

* Register for our June webinar on UK campaigns
* Understand why a new Israeli government could mark a turning point
* Read the May Demolition and Displacement Report with focus on Gaza
* Keep engaging with MPs
* Join our team of volunteers to lift ICAHD UK’s profile
* Watch the recording of the late Michael Brooks’ interview with Jeff Halper
* Mark your diary
ICAHD UK Webinar:
No More Status Quo: End Israeli
Demolitions and Displacement Now
Wednesday 23 June 2021 at 5.00pm (UK time)
Featuring:
Annie O’Gara & Sharen Green: Stop the JNF & Protecting Palestinian families,
Hilary Smith and Tom Anderson: Stop the Demolitions
Teresa Bailey: UK Palestine Mental Health Network
Linda Ramsden: ICAHD UK
Chair: Dr Monica Wusteman, ICAHD UK
This is the third in our series of webinars in which we join with our partner organisations to present progress in our campaigns against house demolitions and the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land.

Here in Israel the Perils of a

Government of 'No Politics'
Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett gestures during a special session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in June 2021. (Ronen Zvulun / Pool Photo via AP)

KEEP ENGAGING WITH MPs

More than 386,000 people have signed the petition (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/585314) calling for the British government to introduce sanctions on Israel so it will be debated in parliament on 14^th June. The government has already issued its response and amongst its points stated that the UK is firmly opposed to the boycotts, divestment and sanctions movement against its strong friend Israel and says our government’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering (note that nothing is said about Palestinian security). It repeats its opposition to demolitions, evictions and settlements and calls for a two-state solution through a negotiated peace process, but we know that despite repeating those words of condemnation over many years, they have not stopped Israel’s settler colonial desire to take the land of historic Palestine while displacing the indigenous Palestinian people.

* Sign the petition

* Watch the debate on the parliamentary channel (https://www.youtube.com/UKParliament) * Engage with your MP (https://icahd.org/2020/03/30/sample-lobby-letters/) – communicate gratitude if support for Palestinian rights and sanctions is expressed but demand accountability if ongoing complicity is voiced

Lift ICAHD UK's Profile at Demonstrations

ICAHD UK is preparing a selection of new flags to use during demonstrations to help lift our profile at public events in London and across the UK. Over the years, we’ve found that our flags and banner attract attention because people are curious to learn about critical Israeli voices and our work to end home demolitions. If you are interested in being part of this team, please contact Malcolm on info@icahduk.org (mailto:info@icahduk.org) so that we can be in touch with you. Bring your friends and family to march with us and help create an ICAHD UK presence!

Recording of Michael Brooks' Interview

with Jeff Halper
In July 2019, Jeff Halper was interviewed by the now late Michael Jamal Brooks who was an American talk show host, writer, political commentator, and comedian. This 37-minute interview is from the Michael Brooks Show and it starts with Jeff being drawn out on his earlier activism, why he moved to Israel and how ICAHD started. Jeff then goes on to talk about topics which are still relevant today including "Global Palestine" and the way that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is being used as a model for repression and militarization across the world. View interview here (https://icahd.org/2021/03/10/one-democratic-state-webinars-and-films/) .

Saturday, 12 June 3.45 pm - UK Palestine Mental Health Network - Cafe Palestine Webinar:  25 Voices from Gaza - Chaired by Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian. Join the webinar via this link

Monday, 14 June Parliamentary debate on the petition calling for sanctions on Israel, signed by over 386,000 UK citizens. Watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/UKParliament)

Wednesday, 23 June 5pm – ICAHD UK webinar - No more Status Quo: End Israeli demolitions and Displacement Now. Register for this webinar here

Ongoing - Global Emergency Actions for Palestine – find out what is happening near you at https://samidoun.net/events/list/ Many events including in London and locations around the UK. Many thanks for your ongoing support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please consider joining us (https://icahd.org/join-us/) 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.facebook.com/pages/Israeli-Committee-Against-House-Demolitions-UK/366423593418140) https://www.twitter.com/ICAHDUK/ Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/ICAHDUK/) http://icahduk.org Website (http://icahduk.org) mailto:info@icahduk.org Email (mailto:info@icahduk.org)

— ICAHD (icahd.org)
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