Green Party conference supported an emergency motion to put pressure on Israel by actively participating in the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions campaigns.
Local GP member, Heather Hunt, in her Boycott Israel T shirt, at a support for Gaza rally on Mam tor on 5th October. (Heather had walked from Buxton to Mam Tor joining Caroline Poland on her last 2 days of her Lands End to Scotland,”Right to Roam, walk for Gaza.” )
Heather comments on Green Party policy and local action members can take.
“The Israeli onslaught on Gaza this summer has awakened us all to the horror of life and death in occupied Palestine. The Green Party policy on Israel and Palestine is clear . Basically to put pressure on Israel to uphold International Law. At the Green Party conference in September, Annie Neligan, a Green Party member who used to live in Sheffield, put an emergency motion to back our policy by actively participating in the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS) movements. The motion was passed with overwhelming support. Annie’s article in Green World 86 clearly outlines the issues .
Sheffield Green Party members have already been active in supporting campaigns organised by Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign. You can support these non violent ways of putting pressure on Israel to stop violating the human and civil rights of Palestinians.
Sainsbury campaign http://www.sainsburyscampaign.org/
One of the UK wide BDS campaigns is to ask Sainsbury’s to cease trading with any company that is growing produce or processing food in the illegal Israeli Settlements. This is nearly all Israeli agricultural companies. Trade boycotts against Israeli companies are growing and are impacting on Israel economically and politically. Recent successes such as Soda Stream show us what persistent action can achieve.
However, Sainsbury’s head office have continued to ignore our letters and petition and so it is important that we keep up pressure and tell customers that Sainsbury’s is not the Fair Trade Supermarket it claims to be and is totally indifferent to the plight of Palestinians and Palestinian farmers .
The next action outside Sainsbury’s will be this Saturday November 1st at 12 Noon outside Sainsbury’s on High Street (Just down form Cathedral nearly opposite Boots)
The date of the next month’s Sainsbury’s action to 20th December to be visible on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Stop UK arms sales to Israel
November 29th is the UN day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people and a Day of Action against the Arms Trade. There will a protest outside the Town Hall and details will be available on Sheffield PSC website.
For information, January-March 2014 Britain exported £1,628,336 of arms to Israel. In the first part of 2014, Britain provided Israel with ammunition, water cannons, parts for drones, combat helicopters, sniper rifles, targeting equipment and more. In this period, a further £1,965,072 of arms sales were sold for Israel to re-export to countries which included Columbia.
(The legality of the UK’s arms sales are currently being challenged in the high court.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/16/british-arms-sales-israel-court-challenge)
G4S is a British-Danish private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli police. They operate jails in Israel with harsh and cruel treatment for Palestinian political prisoners including children. Holding Palestinian political prisoners from occupied Palestinian territory inside Israel contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention. Heather was one of the Green Party members to sign the petition handed in to Sheffield council urging them to rule out any bids from G4S for contracts with Sheffield CC. There now will be follow up discussions with Sheffield CC about procurement. It is great we have our 4 Green councillors to back this.
Heather comments
“I am shocked by the continuing decimation of Palestine and Palestinian human rights. But I am proud of Green Party policy on Israel and Palestine.The pressure on Israel is growing. It is great for us Green Party members to put our policy into action by joining forces and supporting the local BDS, justice for Palestine campaigns and have our four Green councillors to do what they can within the council.”