Gaza crisis – public meeting success for local Palestine campaigners

Last Wednesday evening saw Harmony Hall in Walthamstow full to capacity as people crowded in to hear a range of excellent speakers on the vital subject of how we can best support the people of Gaza, The joint meeting was organised by the Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Committee together with the Stop the War Coalition.

 After the terrible slaughter of civilians, including hundreds of children, the attention of the media has moved on but the speakers were determined that the people of Gaza and Palestine in general would not be forgotten. Yousef Al-Helou, a journalist from Gaza who has lost many members of his own family received a standing ovation after he spoke movingly about the recent Israeli invasion, and paid tribute to the courage of the people. All speakers were united in calling for an end to the blockade of Gaza, and the need to put international pressure on Israel to recognise the human rights of the Palestinian people, and that lasting peace can only come through justice.

Salim Alam (from Palestine Solidarity) called on people to support a focused campaign of boycotting Israeli products and to pressure the British government to stop selling arms to Israel. The panel included two Jewish anti-Zionist campaigners (Rob Ferguson and Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi) who stressed that it is not anti-Semitic to oppose the Zionism of the Israeli state, and that it was “Kosher” to boycott Israel. They also pointed to the diminishing support in the US by younger Jews for Israel. Finally, Irfan Akhtar from the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques stressed the need for the local community in Waltham Forest to get more involved in the campaign for justice and human rights.

 

Mass Lobby of Members of Parliament on Tuesday, September 9th

If you are a Waltham Forest Resident please consider coming to this event. You can see details of it on the PSC website. Your Member of Parliament . Depending on where you live in the borough, your MP will be John Cryer (Leyton), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), or Ian Duncan Smith (Chingford). And it would be best to contact your MP now and ask for an appointment for that afternoon.

If it is you first time, here is some information which may be of help. On September 9^th  we have been asked to first  meet in Westminster Cathedral Hall. To get to it walk up Victoria Street from Victoria Station, turn first right down Thirleby Road and then right again into Ambrosden Avenue where the Hall is located further along on the right hand side. Be there any time between 12 and 1.45 pm. There will be 3 or 4 briefings, at approximately 12.15, 12.35, 12.50 and 1.15  so time the one you want to go to according to the time of your appointment with your MP. It is impossible to know how long it will take to get through security into the House of Commons, so allow maximum time between the end of the briefing and your appointment time with your MP.

The briefings.

These are by PSC staff and will describe how to find your MP and what key issues you might like to ask them about.

Meeting up. If you feel uncertain, please take advantage of the fact that I will be in the Hall from 12 onwards, located up in the balcony area above the main hall.

Look forward to seeing you there.

John Gleisner

Vice Chair

GAZA, What Next for Palestine

We are now back after having had technical problems with our blog - therefore, sadly, no updates for a while. In the meantime WFPSC has cooperated with Stop the War around a very successful public meeting in Harmony Hall on 3 September. Around one hundred people listened to inspiring speakers and took part in the following discussion.

            Events coming up:

There will be a WFPSC stall on Saturday 9th in WALTHAMSTOW between 11am and 2pm.

National Demonstration for Gaza  Saturday 9 August. Assemble 12 noon outside BBC, Portland Place  marching to rally at Hyde Park via US Embassy

      IMPORTANT PETITION:

Stop America Topping up Israel’s Bombs

WFPSC Activist Alison has started a petition on line. Please read here, sign and send to all contacts – also on Facebook and Twitter. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-america-topping-up-israel-s-bombs

Zaytoun stall in Leytonstone on Saturday 9th

…“outside of Matalan on Leytonstone High Street from eleven o'clock onward. There are a few items which have gone past their best before dates which I shall be giving away for free. Otherwise please see what other items I have in stock…”

Rezina Malik (07748483445)

Gather for Gaza

A local fundraiser event on 16 August in St Barnabas Church Hall (not a WFPSC event, but we will be having a stall at the venue) Read more here: 

The next demonstration at Sainsbury’s

will be on Saturday 6 September in Walthamstow High St. from 11.00-13.00 hrs. Please read here for further details regarding the national campaign.

Emergency Lobby of Parliament for Gaza

      Tuesday 9 September, 2-4pm in the house of commons, please publicise this widely, and join us, this is a mass event aiming at keeping up the pressure on MPs and the government. More info here , contact sara.apps@palestinecampaign.org for enquiries.

INFO:

    Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights’ (LPHR's) letter

highlighting the legality of Israel's deliberate military attacks on family homes and urging the UK government to act on accountability has been published today in the Guardian under the title 'increasing pressure for peace and justice':   If you are able to, please do circulate in your networks and on social media platforms 

Protest Friday 1st August

Protest Friday 1st August  5.30-7.30pm, outside the Israeli Embassy, High St Kensington, London

Please help keep up the pressure and end this bloody massacre of Palestinian people in Gaza. We are calling for sanctions against Israel and an immediate arms embargo.

Urgent vigil and protest

Protest Tuesday 29 July 2014 5-7pm, opposite Downing Street, London  nearest tube Westminster

Today, Israel escalated its massacre in Gaza, killing kids in a playground and attacking Al-Shifa hospital. Tonight, Netanyahu announced that Israel would be intensifying its assault.   We are therefore urging everyone who can to join an emergency protest and vigil from 5-7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) opposite Downing Street, London.   Please help us tell Cameron - we are sickened at his refusal to call for an end to Israel's war crimes. Not in our name - END Israel's massacre NOW!   Jenny Tonge speaking outside the protest at Parliament on Saturday

Please bring flowers, in the name of one of the children who have been killed in the past two weeks.   Please join us between 5-7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) outside the entrance to 10 Downing Street to leave your message and flowers and to sign the letter to Cameron. Bring your smartphone so we can photograph and send this message virally.

Urgent vigil and protest

Protest Tuesday 29 July 2014 5-7pm, opposite Downing Street, London  nearest tube Westminster

Today, Israel escalated its massacre in Gaza, killing kids in a playground and attacking Al-Shifa hospital. Tonight, Netanyahu announced that Israel would be intensifying its assault.   We are therefore urging everyone who can to join an emergency protest and vigil from 5-7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) opposite Downing Street, London.   Please help us tell Cameron - we are sickened at his refusal to call for an end to Israel's war crimes. Not in our name - END Israel's massacre NOW!   Jenny Tonge speaking outside the protest at Parliament on Saturday

Please bring flowers, in the name of one of the children who have been killed in the past two weeks.   Please join us between 5-7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) outside the entrance to 10 Downing Street to leave your message and flowers and to sign the letter to Cameron. Bring your smartphone so we can photograph and send this message virally.

Stop the massacre in Gaza

The Israeli Government's Actions Feed Anti-Semitism

Read today's most important article in Waltham Forest Guardian and/or watch this video:
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/video/localvideo/138012/

Protest opposite the Israeli Embassy in London

Friday 11 July

5.30pm to 7.30pm

High St Kensington, London

(nearest tube: High St Ken) For travel check>

Victims who do not matter, or so it seems

So many people have been killed in Gaza in recent days. Because they are Palestinians their names will never be published in any of the mainstream media. They don't matter. They are just  'casualties' appearing as numbers in impersonal casualty lists. The blog Sixteen Minutes to Palestine, in its latest entry, lists the people killed in Gaza on the first day of the latest Israeli onslaught: http://smpalestine.com/2014/07/08/the-deceased-from-day-one-of-israels-latest-offensive-against-gaza/ Also, the PCHR lists weekly the names of those killed, kidnapped, and wounded in both Gaza and West Bank:http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/

WFPSC Annual General Meeting 2014
Wednesday 16th July 2014

7.00pm - 9.30pm

The Mill

7 Coppermill Lane

Walthamstow 

E17 7HA 

Agenda

1.  Apologies

2.  Minutes of 2013 AGM

3.  Reports from Chairman, Treasurer and other officers

4.  Elections of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and six other officers.

5.  Dates for 2015 AGM and 2014/2015 Branch Meetings

6.  Initial plans for 2014/2015

7.  AOB

Our AGM is open to all to attend, so please do come along!  However, do note that in order to vote, or be elected, you have to be a paid-up member of PSC.

Light refreshments will be available for a small donation.

After the AGM we are having a Fundraising Dinner at URFA, a Turkish Restuarant on St James St nearly opposite the station. 

It starts around 8pm and costs £20. We are short of funds at present and need them for using in our campaigning locally. 

SO PLEASE COME and give us YOUR SUPPORT!!   

RSVP by 13th July to John Gleisner at johnwg101@gmail.com

Many thanks

WFPSC Team

Our next Palestine stall is in Leyton on this Saturday

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign (WFPSC) will run the next fortnightly information stall with publicity items and produce form Palestine on this Saturday, the 14th at Leyton TK Maxx (opposite Leyton Tube station).

Please, come and join us between  11.30am and 2pm.

Also spread the word.

Freedom Theatre Jenin on UK tour

Across Britain: 12th - 23rd June  Throughout June Nabil Al-Raee (Artistic Director of The Freedom Theatre, Palestine) accompanied by Zoe Lafferty (Associate Director) will be touring the UK. They will be screening short films and documentaries about the theatre as well as discussing cultural resistance and The Freedom Theatre's struggle for creation under occupation.  PROGRAM OF EVENTS (in London) LONDON – SOAS TIME: 6pm DATE: 16th June VENUE: MBI Al Jaber Seminar Room, 12 Russell Square SOAS, Centre for Palestine Studies and London Middle East Institute, LMEI LONDON – WILTON MUSIC HALL TIME: 7:30pm DATE: 23rd June VENUE:  Wilton Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, E1 8JB All events are free entry except the 23rd at Wilton Music Hall. Follow the link below to the website of The Freedom Theatre UK Friends for bookings and further information.

Click here for further info and booking

Balance and timing of violence over Gaza

An article by In Occupied Palestine (IOP), Palestine Human Rights Campaign POB 56150, Dominion Rd, Auckland, New Zealand www.palestine.org.nz on 31 May ‘14.To register for daily updates on events in Palestine email Leslie Bravery on lorca@clear.net.nz

Balance and timing of violence over Gaza

Summary for May 2014:

Israel justifies its constant violence in the Gaza Strip by claiming that it is simply responding to Palestinian missile attacks. But the evidence suggests that Israel does its best to provoke them. It should not be forgotten either that Israeli violence and oppression against the Palestinian people is carried out in the whole of Occupied Palestine – not just Gaza. The following report, compiled from from the PHRC's daily newsletters In Occupied Palestine, is confined to the events in the Gaza Strip solely in order to deal with Israeli propaganda over the issue of Palestinian missile attacks.

There was no PMG report to cover 11 May 2014. The figures presented below concern the remaining 30 days of the month of May 2014:

Palestinian missile attacks on 5 days

Israeli attacks on 25 days

No Israelis injured or killed

10 Palestinians injured

• Palestinian missiles were fired towards the Green Line on 4 separate days.

• According to the Israeli Army, Palestinian missile attacks caused no death, injury or damage.

• There were 52 Israeli attacks on 25 days this month and the Israeli Navy enforced a crippling no-fishing zone on Palestinian fishing boats every day.

• There were 36 Israeli Army attacks on the Gaza Strip.

• There were 16 Israeli Navy attacks on Palestinian fishing boats.

• The Palestinian people have no defence capability against overwhelming Israeli military superiority.