Tag: Palestine Solidarity Campaign

More words but no action on Israeli illegal incursion in Palestine

Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the European Commission, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus on the E1 West Bank Settlement Plan:

The Israeli Government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project is unacceptable.

The international community has long opposed this settlement expansion, and has voiced their grave concerns privately and publicly. 

The E1 settlement will undermine the prospect of the two-state solution by driving a wedge through the West Bank and harming the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian Territories.

International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. This is the position of the international community reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council.

At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning.

We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel’s international standing.

Businesses should not consider bidding for construction tenders. They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.

We reiterate our commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. We will continue to act in its interest.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Statement on the Hunger Strike

PSC expresses its immense relief that that imprisoned activists Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello have ended their hunger strikes.

This announcement follows the disclosure that Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems has been denied a £2billion army training contract by the Ministry of Defence.

We remain concerned for the safety of Umer Khalid, who is on day 6 of his resumed hunger strike.

We welcome that as a result of the hunger strike, some of the prisoners have started to receive withheld mail and that a meeting between leaders of prison healthcare and representatives of the prisoners has taken place. 

However, we continue to demand that prison authorities do everything required to ensure the safety and rights of these prisoners, including providing them with the necessary ongoing medical care and that they be held in prisons accessible to visits from family and loved ones as is their right.

We thank all PSC members and supporters who joined protests, lobbied their MPs, and phoned the prisons in order to support the hunger strikers.

The continued imprisonment of Palestine solidarity activists is a disgrace. It is the architects and enablers of Israel’s genocide in Palestine – both arms companies like Elbit Systems and the British political leaders who provide Israel with diplomatic, military and political support – who should be facing trial.

As Kamran says in his moving statement, referencing the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “perhaps the government thinks that they’ve turned out our lights. But the wick remains long and full, ready for me and you to continue being a candle in the dark.”

We must all redouble our efforts to end Britain’s shameful complicity in Israel’s genocide, military occupation and apartheid against Palestinians.