UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.
Showing posts with label Gaza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaza. Show all posts

Saturday, 27 September 2014

Crimes against humanity in Gaza

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine’s Emergency Session on Israel’s Operation Protective Edge held last Wednesday in Brussels has found evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of murder, extermination and persecution and also incitement to genocide.
    The Jury [1] reported: ‘The cumulative effect of the long-standing regime of collective punishment in Gaza appears to inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the incremental destruction of the Palestinians as a group in Gaza.’ http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/

Tuesday, 2 September 2014

Israel’s Crimes in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge – Extraordinary session of the Russell Tribunal

The Russell Tribunal completed its deliberations on 17 March 2013. The final report made a wide range of recommendations to address the unacceptable impact on Palestinian people as a result of the Israeli governmen's apartheid policies.

Following Israel’s aggressive war in Gaza in recent weeks the Tribunal has convened an extraordinary session to be held in Brussels on 24 and 25 September. This session will look into Israel’s Crimes (including War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and the Crime of Genocide) during the still ongoing “Operation Protective Edge” as well as third States complicity.

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Stand up for Gaza Edinburgh Comedy Gig

Wednesday 20 August at 22:00: New Empire Bingo, 50 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DT
MC: Imran Yusuf
* Josie Long
* Paul McCaffrey
* Nick Revell
* Rob Deering
and more!!!
   FREE event. Donations accepted at the end of the show.
War on Want https://www.facebook.com/events/712696162158186/

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

GAZA: Emergency Lobby of Parliament - Tuesday September 9th

The massive protests against the Israeli attack on Gaza all over the UK, coupled with the resignation of the Conservative foreign office minister Sayeeda Warsi in protest at the Government's policy on Palestine, may have finally helped to bring about a shift in opinion among politicians.
It's too early to say, but MPs were queuing up to criticise Israel after the troops moved into Gaza in July, no doubt encouraged by hundreds - and in some cases over a thousand emails they had received. For some MPs it was the first time they had voiced any criticism of Israel.

Sunday, 10 August 2014

A Global Day of Rage for Gaza

More than 150,000 people marched from the BBC studios in Portland Place, past the US embassy in Grosvenor Square to Hyde Park, in a protest called by Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other organisations. It was the third mass march through London in support of Gaza in three weeks. It was also the biggest, and formed part of a global Day of Rage, with people marching in cities across the globe to show solidarity with Gaza under attack:
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/biggest-london-rally-yet-gaza/

Saturday, 9 August 2014

Gaza: 'We march for three things. The children, the children, the children.'

#Gaza Edinburgh’s Princes Street came to a halt again this week when marchers stopped and sat for two minutes silence to remember the dead in Gaza. Even onlookers respected the silence and applauded as the demonstrators set off again for Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland.

On the 90 minute march, people carried a card, each with the name of one of the 2,000 Palestinians, almost 400 of them children, killed by Israeli forces. It was a poignant and powerful way of highlighting the human cost.

The demands were straightforward: An immediate end to the killing, Israel to lift the siege and to abide by UN resolutions. An end to arms sales to Israel and boycott, divestment and sanctions to bring pressure on the Israeli government. A free Palestine.

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Warsi is right - arms embargo and sanctions on Israel long overdue

If in effect we can have a Tory peer saying we need arms embargoes and sanctions on Israel, is it not time for all UK main political parties to also support the upholding of international rights and agreements that thus far Israel is callously disregarding?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28657623
    And it is time for a stronger Labour Party call for sanctions and arms embargoes against the perpetrators of international war crimes and violations of the Geneva convention as argued by Richard Burden MP.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/richard-burden/gaza-palestine_b_5646995.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-gaza

Anna Rose

Sunday, 3 August 2014

Gaza under attack! Stop Arming Israel! BDS now!

War on Want has published a 5 point action plan in response to the horrific military onslaught waged by the Israeli Government against the people of Gaza, based on its political analysis that 'Israel can only repeat its murderous assaults on the Palestinian people because of the continued support it receives from Western states. The UK government continues to engage in a two-way arms trade with Israel, despite its blatant violation of human rights and international law. By rewarding Israel for its continued aggression, the UK is complicit in Israel’s Occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people':
http://waronwant.org/news/latest-news/18185-gaza-under-attack-stop-arming-israel-bds-now

Thursday, 31 July 2014

For Gaza's pain my heart is bleeding - Bickerstaffe

Some things we should read about #Gaza today....

'The world stands disgraced' - Israeli shelling of school kills at least 15 (Guardian)

 'Nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children'. United Nations Ban Ki-moon condemns school attack, demands accountability & justice. 

US condemns shelling of UN school in Gaza but restocks Israeli ammunition (Guardian)

There are times when tears speak more eloquently than words. UNRWA official breaks down in interview 

Rodney Bickerstaffe 
              
Henry Siegman, Leading Voice of U.S. Jewry, on : "A Slaughter of Innocents"
              
Seven journalists and media workers killed, four media centers targeted by Israel in Gaza
 



"I’ll separate them, thinking that if I divide my children they won’t all die in an attack"

Israel’s war on children - Man’s inhumanity to man writ large: I can’t get it out of my head, the situation in...

Now diplomacy has failed, boycotting Israel might be the only way we can protect the people of Gaza - Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/now-diplomacy-has-failed-boycotting-israel-might-be-the-only-way-we-can-protect-the-people-of-gaza-9638191.html

Friday, 25 July 2014

TUC deplores Gaza attacks and calls for immediate ceasefire

The TUC General Council has agreed a strong policy statement on the murderous Israeli attacks on Gaza - called for an end to the blockade, an immediate, negotiated and total ceasefire, condemned media reporting bias and supported next Saturday's national demonstration in London: 'In the third such attack over a five year period (demonstrating the futility of such attacks in delivering peace), the Israeli armed forces have so far killed over 600 people in Gaza, and the death toll continues to rise. Up to 80% of those killed are women and children – including children playing football on the beach - and many people have been killed going about their daily jobs such as health workers, teachers and journalists. Far more have been injured and over 80,000 have been displaced, and the bombardment of hospitals and other facilities further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza. This amounts to yet more collective punishment of a population suffering the existing blockade, just as Palestinians in the West Bank suffer the occupation of their land and the continuing expansion of illegal settlements which make the prospects for peace ever more bleak.'

The full statement can be read here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/gazajuly2014

Sunday, 20 July 2014

In our thousands in our millions we support the Palestinians

London
Over 100,000 people came onto the streets of London, Glasgow and Belfast and other towns across the UK yesterday to protest at the continuing Israeli attacks on the people of Gaza in which over 340 have died including 75 children. In London the names and ages of all the Palestinian children killed
Glasgow
by Israeli air and ground attacks in Gaza in the last 11 days were read out in front of the Israeli embassy
http://www.channel4.com/news/gaza-protests-thousands-attend-pro-palestinian-london-demo

Belfast
Among the other events across the country, Aberdeen saw campaigners gather for the third consecutive week in St Nicholas Square in a show of solidarity with the people of Gaza. http://aberdeentuc.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/hundreds-of-voices-raised-in-protest.html

See more photos of protests around the world at http://theworldstandswithpalestine.tumblr.com/

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

#GAZAUNDERATTACK timeline

This infographic dramatically shows Israel's aggression towards occupied Palestine over the last year and a timeline of Gaza under siege from 8-16 July 2014. Click on the graphic for a bigger version.
Gaza under Siege

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Urgent call from Gaza civil society: Act now!

'We Palestinians trapped inside the bloodied and besieged Gaza Strip call on conscientious people all over the world to act, protest and intensify the boycotts, divestments and sanctions against Israel until it ends this murderous attack on our people and is held to account.
    With the world turning their backs on us once again, for the last four days we in Gaza have been left to face massacre after massacre. As you read these words, over 120 Palestinians are dead now, including 25 children. Over 1,000 have been injured including countless horrifying injuries that will limit lives forever –- more than two thirds of the injured are women and children.

Sunday, 15 December 2013

Remember Gaza, Break the Siege - Vigil 18 January 2014

At 12 noon on Saturday 18 January 2014 a protest vigil is being organised outside the Israeli Embassy in London to mark five years on from the end of Israel’s 2008/9 massacre in Gaza. The event has been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and a coalition of organisations including trade unions, and will call for justice for the victims of Israel’s brutal aggression against a defenceless people and for an end to the continuing siege on Gaza:
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/events/protest-5-years-from-the-end-of-israels-20089-massacre-in-gaza/

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

National Lobby of Parliament for Palestine

An important lobby of Parliament is taking place 2PM to 6PM on Wednesday 27 November 2013. The lobby will be calling on MPs to support Palestinian human rights and aims to raise awareness of and provoke Parliamentary action against the many infringements of the rights of Palestinians; from the suffering caused by the blockade of Gaza to the illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/national-lobby-parliament-Palestine
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/campaign/lobby/

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Lift the blockade of Gaza - Sign Oxfam's urgent action

With a ceasefire in place, call on the UK government to do all that it can to lift the blockade and end the suffering of Gaza's people:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-21707-f0.cfm
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/find-an-action/gaza-lift-blockade

Sunday, 25 November 2012

In our thousands, in our millions, we support the Palestinians

Yesterday over 15000 marched through London from Downing Street to the Israeli Embassy in solidarity with the people of Gaza. UNISON members from many regions of Britain took part in the protest. The Stop the War Coalition has published a detailed report of the march and the rally in Kensington:
http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/palestine-and-israel/2073-thousands-march-in-london-for-gaza-and-freedom-for-palestine-report-and-pictures

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

National Demonstration 24 Nov - End Israel's War on Gaza‏

Assemble 12.00 Saturday 24 November at Downing Street, London and march to the Israeli Embassy. The demonstration is being organised by The Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Stop the War Coalition, CND, British Muslim Initiative and Palestine Forum in Britain. For more details and transport from outwith London see www.facebook.com/
palestinesolidarityuk

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Gaza Violence - UNISON statement

Commenting on the escalation of violence in Gaza, Chris Tansley, UNISON President, said: “The escalation of violence following the assassination of Ahmed Jabari by Israel on 14 November will only lead to the loss of more innocent lives in both Gaza and Israel and will do nothing to lead to a lasting peaceful resolution of the conflict in which a viable, independent Palestine exists alongside a secure Israel.
"In fact, the so-called Operation ‘Pillar of Defence’ is further proof of the failure of Israel’s 6 year blockade including the brutal attack on Gaza in 2008/9. UNISON calls for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza.”

Friday, 16 November 2012

Support Palestinians Under Attack in Gaza

Protests are being organised across the UK against Israel’s inhumane bombing campaign against defenceless Palestinians blockaded in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign website provides details of the many protests taking place today and tomorrow: http://palestinecampaign.org/
index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=106&Content_ID=2890