NUS president Wes Streeting stoops to a new low

Check back here soon for video of his remarks on Gaza & student occupations incl on occupations over education cuts. I can't work my YouTube uploader atm.

Please comment below or ask questions. I will try to get them answered.

NUS NEC member James Haywood writes on Wes Streetings latest comments

Wes Streeting stoops to a new low

People should hold their stomachs and read this Ha'aretz article about NUS President Wes Streeting's recent visit to Israel: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137628.html

I was in two minds of whether to write something about this, it truly is so disgusting that most points don't need much coming back on, but actually some serious issues do come out of this.

Of course Streeting attacking the UCU is nothing new, first the planned strike last year was needed for students "like a hole in the head", and now this attack on the UCU's bravery in standing for the academic boycott (which has now been followed by the TUC). But then, hey, since when has New Labour ever been about supporting unions?

His quoted remarks on Palestine really are disgusting however. Livni, the politician responsible for the massacre in Gaza which will be mourned on campuses across the UK over the next month, was apparently "a really strange choice" for lawyers in the UK to seek arrest for war crimes. With no sense of irony he says this attempt to uphold international law must, "seem so really ignorant". mmm....quite,
so while we're on the subject of ignorance lets carry on with the article:

"my first impression of the West Bank was that it was just like the place on the other side.... The surroundings were the same, the people were doing the same things - there wasn't much difference between the two places." The Palestinian economy in the West Bank seems "to be a lot more stable and active" than he had assumed, he added."
The charities, religious groups, NGOs (including Israeli NGOs), Amnesty, they are all liars.....he didn't add.

What a pity he didn’t go 5 minutes from the Church of Nativity to Dhieshesh refugee camp where thousands of Palestinian refugees live in terrible conditions and survive on UN hand outs: not a stable and active economy. Or perhaps Streeting could have gone to Hebron, and seen the settler violence against Palestinians there and the destruction of the economy by the siege on the old city by the Israeli army. Or gone to Nablus to visit the huge graveyards, or Ramallah to Bir Zeit University to hear from students of the military lockdowns the campus has suffered consistently over the years.

But most normal people know this, so why bother raising it? Because actually this highlights a dangerous issue with this trip. This wasn't a holiday, which can be seen not just from his press comments but Ha'aretz reported that these comments took place, "after a meeting in the Prime Minister's office".
This trip was organised. By who?

Students in the UK have a right to know who organised this trip, and if it was paid for who funded it. Because whatever organisation did organise it are clearly not even interested in promoting a two state solution let alone a just solution. If the issues are so "complex" why did Streeting not visit officials in the West Bank? Why did he not meet the Palestinian student council? Or visit refugee camps? Or look at the illegal settlements and the violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank? Or villages being destroyed by the apartheid wall? Why no attempt to enter Gaza? Yet again we have the racist vision of Palestinians as invisible "problems" that need to be "solved", not human beings who have a right to live, let alone to education, health, housing and other basic things they are denied by the occupation.

We have a right to know who organised and funded this trip, and we should question whether such biased and frankly corrupt practises are acceptable in our National Union.
And if Streeting is genuine, then I have an offer for him: Goldsmiths are organising a trip to the West Bank in early April, he is now formally invited to come on the trip to see "the other side". I look forward to his response.


Haarerrz article

[Posted with iBlogger from my iphone ]

Viva Palestina Convoy blocked by Egypt.

Update: am just speaking to the convoy in Jordan and have just heard that peopl have gone on hunger strike. More news and updates on the Viva Palestina website HERE

The Viva Palestina convoy, comprising over two hundreds vehicles carrying humanitarian aid for the besieged people of Gaza, has been prevented from entering Egypt.

Since around 11pm GMT on Christmas Eve, the convoy has been stuck in the Jordanian port of Aqaba, waiting to cross the Red Sea and enter Egypt at Nuweiba before continuing on to Gaza.

In order to help the convoy get back on the road, please contact the Egyptian Embassy in London. Express your disappointment that they are not allowing the convoy to proceed and ask the person answering the phone to pass this message to the Ambassador.

You can contact the Embassy:
by phone - 020 7499 3304
by fax - 020 7491 1542
by email - eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg

The office is closed today, but when I called the number someone answered and I spoke to them. I believe that they are running on a skeleton staff today to deal with emergencies, so you should be able to get through. Please also send an email expressing your disappointment and calling for the Egyptian government to allow the convoy's passage.

Please let others know how you get on by posting on the facebook page HERE.

Soas students r amongst those blockading Carmel Agrexco

From Soas comrade Ola Shahbha and Abu Assad via email, text and http://www.Indymedia.org.uk


Carmel Agrexco blockaded for a second day, public protest tomorrow
Abu Assad | 07.11.2009 09:16 | Palestine

Demonstrate tomorrow, Sunday, outside the gates of Carmel Agrexco, the 50% Israeli state owned company responsible for exporting at least 60% of illegal settlement goods from the occupied West Bank.

Today activists from a coalition of Palestine solidarity groups have blockaded the company for the second day. The activists locked themselves to oil drums filled with concrete and positioned themselves to block the two access roads to the depot. Tomorrow we want the business closed again, maximising disruption to Agrexco at a key time, the start of the Israeli Avocado season.

We are calling for a mass demonstration starting tomorrow from 12pm; bring flags, banners, noise, and a strong desire to keep Israeli goods out of our supermarkets. The nearest train station is Hayes and Harlington, which is served from Paddington station. The 11.15 train from Paddington will arrive in time for the demonstration.

A link to the map of the site can be found here:

 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&hs=iTE&q=agrexco%20hayes%20Swallowfield%20Way&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
Abu Assad

'Prison population in Israel is 90 percent black'

This shocking, yet not so shocking, report from inside an Israeli prison comes from campaigner and filmmaker Ishmahil Blagrove following his recent detainment alongside former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney as they attempted to deliver aid to Gazans following the Israeli Siege on Gaza this winter.

Read a full report at Operation Black Vote HERE

Thanks to SOAS student @symeonbrown for alerting us to this on Twitter. Keep up the good work Symeon.

Protest tmrw against Israel's racist foreign minister

STOP THE WAR COALITION

NEWSLETTER

No. 1095  12 May 2009

Email office@stopwar.org.uk

Tel: 020 7801 2768

Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN, ISRAEL'S OPENLY RACIST FOREIGN MINISTER, IS COMING TO LONDON

to meet the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband and the Shadow Foreign

Secretary, William Hague, as part of his bid to strengthen ties between Europe

and Israel.

PROTEST AGAINST ISRAEL'S RACIST FOREIGN MINISTER

WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 10.30AM - 12.00 NOON

FOREIGN OFFICE, WHITEHALL, LONDON

Protest called by Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews

for Justice for Palestinians, British Muslim Initiative, CND, Palestinian Forum

in Britain.

JOIN US to show our disgust at the government's willingness to meet with

Israeli warmongers. During Israel's bombing and invasion of Gaza, Avigdor

Lieberman threatened action 'just like the United States did with the Japanese

in World War II', when the US used nuclear bombs to obliterate two cities.

He has called for the execution of elected Arab members of Israel's parliament

if they have any contact with Hamas, and threatened the expulsion of

Palestinian citizens of Israel. In February this year he said: "If you want

peace, you must prepare for war."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LIEBERMAN: http://bit.ly/2UH2QX

SATURDAY 16 MAY IN LONDON:

WHY WE WILL REMEMBER GAZA: http://bit.ly/10TBS6

FOLLOW STOP THE WAR ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/stwuk

A T-shirt too far. Israeli soldiers order designs to degrade.

'The funniest part was that when our soldier came to get the shirts, the man who printed them was an Arab' is the comment of an IDF soldier talking about the newest fashion craze to hit Israel; T-shirts bearing sick slogans that Hitler would have been proud of. His platoon had ordered dozen's of shirts bearing the slogan 'Let every Arab mother know that her son's fate is in my hands!'

Whilst I'm not sure whether this story has been confirmed or not I found the article in the Haaretz press which I'm pretty sure has to abide by journalistic conventions so I'm presuming it's a true story. Read the article HERE

More vile slogans include "Better use Durex," next to a picture of a dead Palestinian baby, with his weeping mother and a teddy bear beside him and "Bet you got raped!" next to a drawing of a soldier next to a young woman with bruises.

The crimes meted out  by the IDF are becoming part of Israeli pop culture. Many of these custom made T-shirts are approved by unit commanders and the comany that makes them receives orders for around 500 different designs by soldiers so far.

  

Ben-Tzedef, a research associate at the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism and former editor of the IDF publication Maarachot, said the phenomenon of custom-made T-shirts is a product of "the infantry's insane race to be unique. He explained how:

"These days the content on shirts is sometimes deplorable,"  "It stems from the fact that profanity is very acceptable and normative in Israel, and that there is a lack of respect for human beings and their environment, which includes racism aimed in every direction."

And sociologist Dr. Orna Sasson-Levy, of Bar-Ilan University, author of "Identities in Uniform: Masculinities and Femininities in the Israeli Military," said that the phenomenon is 

"part of a radicalization process the entire country is undergoing, and the soldiers are at its forefront. I think that ever since the second intifada there has been a continual shift to the right. The pullout from Gaza and its outcome - the calm that never arrived - led to a further shift rightward."

I haven't as yet associated the actions of Israel with fascism but the discourse is reminiscent of that published by French novelist Arthur de Gobineau, author of The Inequalities of the Human Race, who wrote extensively on this subject in the period leading up to the Holocaust and whose works were taken up by the Nazi regime in Germany. The IDF are indeed 'looking into this serious matter' and are considering taking 'discretionary and disciplinary measures against those involved in acts of this sort' but, on the other hand have said the 'military regulations do not apply to civilian clothing'. 

Another breaking story on the illegal actions of IDF soldiers can be found HERE

New student occupation over Gaza

http://www.newcastleoccupation.blogspot.com/

Their demands: For Newcastle University to issue a statement that condemns Israel’s recent action in Gaza that has led to the deaths of over 1400 Palestinian people. We urge the Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University to take measures to provide academic aid and financial support to The Islamic University of Gaza and develop a scholarship programme for Palestinian students who have had their right to an education taken away because of the conflict. We also call for Newcastle University to disinvest from the arms trade completely. In addition to this we demand that the university lifts its ban on flyering and raising awareness of political causes on campus. Our final demand is that the university should co-ordinate a fund and awareness raising campaign on behalf of medical aid for Palestinians.

Well done and solidarity from SOAS

Egypt announced expected Israeli F16. Check out this report from Gaza

Good luck Stewart and Patrick-hope you are ok.

Solidarity from SOAS

Can someone translate from Hebrew to English?

Birzeit University students would like to express particular solidarity with students of SOAS...who started this movement

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FROM BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, R2E CAMPAIGN, BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY , 17 FEBRUARY 2009

The Right to Education Campaign and the students of Birzeit University would like to commend and express support for students worldwide who have taken a principled stance against the ferocious Israeli bombardment of the Gaza strip for 22 days between December 2008 and January 2009...

Read full article here

...In response to the Israeli attacks on Gaza, students at more than 20 (32 now i think) universities in the UK and so far 1 university in the U.S, have taken non-violent action in the form of sit-ins or 'occupations' of rooms in university buildings, with the aim of pressuring their universities to take action by cutting financial and commercial links with Israel, issuing statements in condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and providing scholarships for Gaza students.

...Birzeit University students would like to express particular solidarity with students of SOAS, who began this movement, Edinburgh University, and Leeds University, all of whom are twinned with our Student Council. We deeply appreciate your ongoing efforts in refusing to be silent in face of the ongoing barbarities and crimes carried out by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian students and teachers.

In solidarity,

Birzeit University Right to Education Student Volunteers

FOUR more student occupations today.

University of East London Occupation Blog

St Andrews University Occupation

Bristol blog 

Central Saint Martins occupation

Bookmark this on Delicious

Hampshire College becomes first college in U.S. to divest from Israeli Occupation!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Although the college has also divested from other companies, it is pertinent that these 6 businesses are explicitly named...as the first college to divest from South Africa 32 years ago, this divestment sends out a clear signal for a way forward.
======

Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, has become the first of any college or university in the U.S. to divest from companies on the grounds of their involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

This landmark move is a direct result of a two-year intensive campaign by the campus group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The group pressured Hampshire College's Board of Trustees to divest from six specific companies due to human rights concerns in occupied Palestine. Over 800 students, professors, and alumni have signed SJP's "institutional statement" calling for the divestment.

The proposal put forth by SJP was approved on Saturday, 7 Feb 2009 by the Board. By divesting from these companies, SJP believes that Hampshire has distanced itself from complicity in the illegal occupation and war crimes of Israel.

Meeting minutes from a committee of Hampshire's Board of Trustees confirm that "President Hexter acknowledged that it was the good work of SJP that brought this issue to the attention of the committee." This groundbreaking decision follows in Hampshire's history of being the first college in the country to divest from apartheid South Africa thirty-two years ago, a decision based on similar human rights concerns. This divestment was also a direct result of student pressure.

The divestment has so far been endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Rashid Khalidi, Vice President of the EU Parliament Luisa Morganitini, Cynthia McKinney, former member of the African National Congress Ronnie Kasrils, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, John Berger, Tariq Ali, Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire, and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, among others.

The six corporations, all of which provide the Israeli military with equipment and services in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza are: Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola, and Terex (see attached info sheet for more information on these corporations.) Furthermore, our policy prevents the reinvestment in any company involved in the illegal occupation.

SJP is responding to a call from Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) as a way of bringing non-violent pressure to bear on the state of Israel to end its violations of international law. SJP is following in the footsteps of many noted groups and institutions such as the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education in the UK, the Israeli group Gush Shalom, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the American Friends Service Committee.

As well as voicing our opposition to the illegal occupation and the consistent human rights violations of the Palestinian people, we as members of an institute of higher education see it as our moral responsibility to express our solidarity with Palestinian students whose access to education is severely inhibited by the Israeli occupation.

SJP has proven that student groups can organize, rally and pressure their schools to divest from the illegal occupation. The group hopes that this decision will pave the way for other institutions of higher learning in the U.S. to take similar stands.

Couldn't resist this one...University of Rochester in New York now in occupation

I know i'm supposed to be doing my essay but i can't resist this one: University of Rochester in New York in the US of flipping A are now in occupation.

Blog details HERE

And, finally before i log off for a few weeks, ITV news on Nottingham's occupation

Click HERE for their great interviews.

plus guest appearance of Zionist protesters-how pathetic their protest is.

speak soon...

CONGRATULATIONS SHEFFIELD HALLAM

http://shuoccupation.blogspot.com/

'With the success of occupations throughout the UK, Sheffield Hallam students and workers from around the city voted to occupy the tenth floor of the Owen building. This is to make practical demands of the university in solidarity with Palestinians and to condemn the actions of the Israeli state.'

excellent news!

UPDATE from 2 more uni's in occupation incl Queen Mary's

Updated links to the new blogs. I have just come back from a very noisy night at Queen Mary. It is really inspiring there. They have some great banners. i will try to upload photos after class. All night the security and cleaners were being very acomodating.

It is a fab room with 2 x flatscreen TV's and a big projector from which they are showing news items. It also works well for when they are planning the demands and designing posters and flyers because everyone can see what is being written and can contribute.

The Director and Vice came this morning and were clearly lefties although still playing the diplomatic/semi-impartial role.

Lecturers have already popped in to shake their hands to congratulate them. This is one of the most exciting things taht has happened on the campus for years. Everyone is learning valuable facilitation skills!

PLEASE, please send them messages of support and ideas for speakers, meeting topics.

They have planned to show Al-Jazeera every day at 4 (or 5) then Israel Social TV after. As well as the meetings and events.

Queen Mary's blog HERE

Bradford blog HERE

Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza Appeal

Leeds uni joins wave of student occupations

http://leedsunioccupation.blogspot.com/

We occupied the BBC on Portland place today in protest at the BBC's disgraceful decision to not show the DEC appeal....

A short clip on NEWSNIGHT! Go to minute 1.02 or so. I should be receiving more videos and photo's from the outside soon.

Found another short video so far. typically, it shows us at our smallest and quietest but hey, it's better than nothing. Does anyone know who to 'embed' it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7850407.stm

Article in Indymedia with loads of great photo's by Guy Smallmans.

The trouble with being a 'citizenjournalist' and wanting to involved in the action is that it's hard to record what you're doing when you have your arms locked to someone else's!

We received 2 texts within 3 or 4 minutes of being ejected by people who had seen us on BBC News 24 being kicked out.

More on this soon...

Called within just a few hours and hardly built at all, about 50 or 60 protesters turned up to BBC on Portland place to protest about the disgraceful decision not to air the DEC appeal.

We got there a bit early and decided to storm the entrance leaving the police behind. We immediately sat down, linked arms and started chanting. We had a lot of support from BBC staff entering the building (i hope they can pull of a strike over this) by sort-of sneaky thumbs up when no-one was looking. Loads of press turned up, AP, Morning star and loads of others-I'm just waiting for the reports to stream in!! Please let me know if you see any of them....a comment below is fine.

I was invited onto BBC World Service and had to deal with an idiot Zionist who tried, somehow, to tie in Iran and their supposed nuclear weapons!!

CNN

Indymedia

They, the BBC, said: (italics my own-there is a definite case of contradictory consciousness/reporting here)

Around 20 (i would say there was 12 of us inside!!) campaigners from the Stop the War Coalition (SOAS StW society) walked (actually we stormed) into the lobby of the central London building with a large banner proclaiming Hands off Gaza (the only banner we could find!).

They were removed by police before continuing a (fairly) noisy protest outside, during which some of them set fire to their television licences

But, it's the small things that i find interesting: Once we had finished and a few of us were waiting for my radio slot, a well dressed woman was absent mindedly walking past us, she tripped over the barriers and she shot us an angry look. I thought she was going to shout at us: BLOODY BBC she said and waved her fingers in a 'peace' sign and smiled. She clearly knew why we were there.

Another snippet that made me smile was at a Chinese/Singaporean cafe right opposite the Israeli Embassy. We asked the guy who served us if the protests were bad for business. Absolutely, he said, but it's for a very good cause. We made sure to go back there as often as we could. Serving some of the best food I have ever eaten (and, being in catering for many years I'm very fussy!) at only £4-5 or so a meal i encourage you all to go there and support this small friendly family place: they've had to endure weeks of angry protesters blocking the street outside his place. And the spicy Tiger prawns are to die for.

BBC feels the pressure as MPs, celebrites, and thousands of citizens condemn Gaza Appeal decision

Complain about BBC decision >> Donate to DEC Gaza Crisis Appeal >> Tony Benn, many MPs and celebrities and thousands of concerned citizens today delivered a letter to the BBC at Broadcasting House The letter addressed to the BBC Chairman, Director General and Chief Operating Director urges the BBC to reverse what government Health Minister Ben Bradshaw calls its “inexplicable decision” to refuse a broadcast for an emergency appeal to raise desperately needed aid for Gaza. Tony Benn, President of Stop the War, said, “To deny the help that the aid agencies and the UN need at this moment in time is incomprehensible. I appeal to the chairman of the BBC Trust to intervene to reverse this decision to save the lives of those who are now in acute danger of dying through a lack of food, fuel, water and medical supplies."