CIA studios, 480 Newcastle St, West Perth

Khristo Newall is a social justice activist and a peace campaigner who has recently returned from 3 months in the middle east and will be speaking particularly about Palestine and the struggle for peace there.

Khristo joined a Christian Peacemaker Team delegation into Israel and Palestine for 2 weeks, and then made a similar trip into Kurdistan (Northern Iraq), followed by a further 2 months of independent travels in Palestine and the region.

Come along to hear his personal account not only of tragedy but also of hope, including stories not heard often in the West, and learn about ways to be involved.

Drinks and nibbles provided, entry by donation.

For more info check out the blog:

http://wanderingsojourner2011.blogspot.com/

Venue: CIA studios are at 480 Newcastle St, West Perth:
directly opposite City Motors, look for the big brick school – entry via rear stairs.

We the undersigned call on the Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O’Brien to withdraw allegations he made singling out several pro-Palestine advocacy groups calling for them to be investigated by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) for an alleged suspicion that they may be involved in ‘secondary boycotts’ against Israeli-owned businesses in Australia.

These allegations form an ongoing campaign of intensified attacks on Palestine solidarity organizing and freedom of expression in Australia. We understand the current round of attacks to be a direct reaction to a growing international solidarity movement in support of Palestinian human rights, so we take the opportunity to reiterate our support for the Palestinian civil society’s call for boycott divestment and sanctions (BDS) from Israel.

The BDS campaign is based on well-founded criticism of the Israeli state for its ongoing violations of international law, violations that include: Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories; its settlement-building and construction of an apartheid wall on occupied land; its refusal to respect the right of Palestinian refugees to return; and its ongoing military siege on the Gaza strip.

As in the past when the Australian people participated in the boycott campaign against apartheid South Africa, we affirm our right to participate in the BDS campaign against apartheid Israel in our churches, unions, professional bodies, local councils, parliaments and community groups. This campaign has provided a vital and viable framework and non-violent approach to building an anti-apartheid movement grounded in principles of international solidarity. People of conscience in Australia, have a proud history of principled international solidarity through BDS campaigns – any legalistic attempts, employing anti-union laws such as the ‘secondary boycotts’ law, will fail to deter social justice groups from vocally advocating the BDS campaign and supporting Palestinian human rights.

It is very disappointing that elected politicians choose to launch investigations into human-rights and solidarity organizations, rather than explain to the public why Israel is not held to account for its violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice against Israel’s Wall and colonial settlements. The active attempts to repress Australian organisations that work to promote Israel’s accountability before international law is beyond reproach.

We stress that the BDS movement is an anti-racist movement that rejects all forms of racism including Anti-Semitism and Islamphobia. The consumer-boycott campaigns are aimed at institutions and businesses that provide support for ongoing Israeli violations of international law, they do not target any particular religious or ethnic group.

We note that most of the organisations named by the Minister for the investigation did not take part in the protest he refers to against Max Brenner stores in Melbourne, this is a clear indication that he has not looked closely into the matter, but is purely targeting all pro-Palestine advocacy groups on the basis of their support for BDS. Although, we may have not all participated in this specific protest, we strongly believe in the basic right to peacefully protest and raise awareness about businesses that have questionable policies and show blatant disregard for basic human rights.

We urge elected officials to remember that their job is to protect rights and freedoms and to represent democratic values, not to waste our hard earned tax dollars on trying to appease a foreign state and those who blindly cheer for it.

The BDS campaign is modeled on the successful campaign which culminated in the dismantling of South African Apartheid. Australians, in the tradition of non-violence, were active in that campaign.

BDS targets businesses that contribute to, or profit from, Israel’s violent military occupation of Palestinian land in the West Bank and Gaza.

Some BDS targets are Israeli owned, such as Max Brenner and Seacret Cosmetics (which mines the Dead Sea within occupied Palestine). Some BDS targets are international, such as Caterpillar (who produce special equipment to destroy Palestinian homes and agriculture) and Veolia transport and waste management (who are building railways on stolen Palestinian land, for exclusive Israeli use).

On July 5, at a BDS protest outside a Max Brenner shop in Melbourne, 19 peace activists were arrested. They thought consumers should be aware that this corporation directly funds Israeli military units which stand accused of War Crimes against Palestinian civilians.

On August 8, during dawn raids, 4 of these activists were re-arrested, accused of violating bail conditions by attending another protest.

Meanwhile the Victorian Government is trying to use anti-union “secondary boycott” laws to silence dissent against Israel’s appalling record.

Friends of Palestine WA stands in solidarity with the BDS campaigners who were arrested in Melbourne.

Why are Australian politicians shielding Israel, and criticising human rights activists?

Why do Palestinian human rights get ignored, while Australian military trade with Israel continues?

Why shouldn’t consumers know what corporations do with their profits?

Protest, consumer information and boycotts are integral to a democratic society!

For more information on BDS see www.bdsmovement.net.

A Forum Presented by Friends of Palestine WA

Speakers:
Syed Dashlooty (Australian-Arab Friendship Association)
Abdullah Sheiki (Perth Libyan community)
Alex Whisson (Public Affairs Officer, Friends of Palestine WA)
Atallah Abbas (Perth Bahrani community)

Thurs June 2, 6 for 6.30pm

Venue: Fox Lecture Theatre, Arts Faculty, University of Western Australia

Entry by donation

Contact: 0449 028 894 or FriendsOfPalestineWA@gmail.com

www.fopwa.org

DOWNLOAD: A4 PDF

DOWNLOAD: 4xA6 PDF

O’Connell is not now, nor has he ever been, a member of Friends of Palestine WA. In fact the views that he has expressed are incompatible with membership in FOPWA which makes a conscious policy of condemning expressions of anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.

Espousing anti-Semitic views, as Brendan O’Connell does, makes it harder for supporters of Palestinian human rights to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land by the state of Israel.

People should make a distinction between the ideology of Zionism on the one hand and people of Jewish faith or ancestry on the other.

We are friends of Palestine, not enemies of the Jewish people. This is reflected in the broad composition of our membership (which includes Christians, Muslims, Jews and atheists) and in the aims of our organisation (advancing human rights for the Palestinian people).

Alex Bainbridge
Friends of Palestine WA
www.fopwa.org

FOPWA’s concerns and focus is solely on the on-going illegal occupation of Palestine and Israeli violations of international law. We are critical of the actions of the State of Israel & the political ideology of Zionism.

We will not be intimidated into silence on Israeli crimes.

We take no position on a one state vs two state solution, only that any just solution must be respectful of the human rights of everyone impacted.

We do not, nor will we ever, tolerate racism, or any form of vilification based on a persons race, religion or ethnic origin. We are a multicultural group where Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists alike can unite to criticize the actions of Israel and work together to peacefully end the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

We completely reject the notion that to be anti-Zionist has anything at all to do with being anti-Semitic. We celebrate the growing voice of anti-zionist Jewish groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace, and Independent Australian Voices. And we stand in solidarity with Palestinian civil society and the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions to put political and economic pressure on Israel to end the violation of international law and adhere to the Geneva Convention:

FOPWA calls for:
1.1 An end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian occupied territories in accordance with UN resolution 242 and numerous other UN resolutions;
1.2 An end to the Israeli siege of Gaza;
1.3 An end to all settlement expansion in the West Bank and the dismantlement of all existing settlements;
1.4 The removal of Israeli road blocks and check points and an end to all Israeli restrictions on movement of either Palestinians or Israelis in Palestine-Israel, especially in, but also to or from, the West Bank and Gaza;
1.5 An end to house demolitions and land seizures by Israeli military and civil authorities;
1.6 The demolition of the apartheid wall;
1.7 The right of return of all Palestinian refugees;
1.8 Equal human rights for all peoples living in Israel/Palestine;
1.9 Sanctions to be imposed on the state of Israel by the Australian government until the occupation of Palestinian territories is ended in accordance with UN resolutions.

MEET US:
All welcome to contribute, listen, learn, help:
Every 2nd Tuesday, 6:30pm, Perth Train Station concourse level at Citiplace Community Centre (back room – go round the outside past the bookshop)
- call first to check which week we’re on.

DONATE:
http://www.fopwa.org/donations/
All contributions big and small are gratefully received to keep us running and bringing events to Perth. If you would like a confirmation of donation, please make sure to send an email with your contact details and deposit details.

FIND OUT ABOUT PALESTINE:
There are lots of excellent sources of information, if you only have time to read one, we recommend Australians For Palestine: http://australiansforpalestine.com/

These spoken word performances were made by Rafeef Ziadah to the Australian BDS (boycott, divestment & sanctions against Israel campaign) on Sat 30 November 2010.

New video from LOWKEY – Terrorist?

This video is from the Perth premiere performance of “Seven Jewish Children: a play for Gaza” on May 15, 2010. The play is by Caryl Churchill and was directed by Vivienne Glance.