1. Aqsa News FOR FREE DISTRIBUTIONQUARTERLY | ISSUE 44 | RAMADHAN EDITION
BY ISMAIL PATEL
Israel’s Tirkel Com-
mission began its inves-
tigation into the attack
on the Gaza Flotilla in
a bid to subdue inter-
national outrage over
the killing of 9 peace
activists on board the
Mavi Marmara on 31
May 2010. However,
its many shortcomings
have made it a mockery
to Turkey, and to those
who were on board the
Flotilla, me included.
In Israel, the peace
bloc moved to challenge
the Commission, calling
for judicial interven-
tion which would take
the investigation away
from the politicians and
put it in the hands of the
trusted independent ju-
diciary in Israel. This,
Gush Shalom says, is
the only way to ensure
that the people of Israel
save themselves from a
fate the politicians are
pushing them towards.
Former Israeli states-
man Uri Avnery stated
in support of Gush
Shalom’s initiative that
the Tirkel Commission
intended to do nothing
more than “appease at
the cheapest price the
world governments and
public opinion.”
So even within Is-
rael, the Tirkel com-
mission is not trusted
by anyone beyond the
politicians and possibly
the military – the very
same people who made
the decisions leading
to the disastrous and
deadly interception of
the Flotilla.
On June 2nd, the UN
Human Rights Council
voted to set up an in-
dependent fact-finding
Continued on Page 4
The Gaza Flotilla:
Why We Will Never Accept
Israel’s Investigation
On July 22nd, Jus-
tice Secretary Ken
Clarke made a statement
in which he confirmed
that the new British
government will change
the laws of universal ju-
risdiction. The proposed
changes would mean
that any private appli-
cations made to mag-
istrates for the issuing
of an arrest warrant for
suspected War Crimi-
nals would require the
consent of the Director
of Public Prosecutions
before a warrant is is-
sued.
In his statement,
Ken Clarke defended
this change to the law
on the basis that “uni-
versal jurisdiction cases
should be proceeded
with in this country only
on the basis of solid
evidence that is likely
to lead to a successful
prosecution - otherwise
there is a risk of damag-
ing our ability to help in
conflict resolution or to
pursue a coherent for-
eign policy.”
The result of the
change in law would be
that the very foundations
of universal jurisdiction
are thwarted as it would
allow any government
of the day to ignore well
documented war crimes
in the interests of ‘di-
plomacy’. Thus, despite
the number of accusa-
tions of war crimes and
crimes against humanity
levelled against Israeli
politicians and military
personnel, they will
be free to visit Britain
without fear of being
brought to trial for these
crimes.
Many had hoped that
such a change in the law,
brought about by intense
Israeli pressure, would
not be implemented due
to the Liberal Democrat
position in the coalition
government. However,
they have been disap-
pointed.
Ken Clarke Announces Change in Universal Jurisdiction
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aqsa news_2007_01.indd 1 20/07/2010 13:47
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Update
NEW:
Letters to the Editor
Page 6 > Page 9 > Page 10 > Page 16 >
Inside...
Demolition of Homes
Illegal says UN
Page 2
Turkey Threatens to
Sever Israel Ties
Page 5
Update: Boycott,
Divestment and
Sanctions
Page 8
Comment by
Shafik Firoz
Page 9
Book Reviews
Page 18
Proceeds from the sale of this
book goes to Friends of Al-Aqsa
Foreword by Friends of Al-Aqsa
BAKING
AID
Special Feature:
Israel Turns its Guns on Internationals
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla

2. In lateApril, it was report-
ed that Egypt used gas canis-
ters and dynamite to blow up
a smuggling tunnel between
Egypt and Gaza, killing four
Palestinians. The tunnels,
used mainly for smuggling
in basic supplies prohibited
by the siege on Gaza, are
poorly constructed and of-
ten collapse. Palestinians
in Gaza say they have no
choice but to use the tun-
nels due to the crippling
blockade imposed by Israel.
Two senior officers, a
colonel and a lieutenant
colonel received minor rep-
rimands following a shoot-
ing incident in the West Bank
which left four Palestinians
dead. Israeli human rights
groups denounced the deci-
sion made late in April, stat-
ing that Israel is failing to
hold its soldiers accountable
and continues to uphold the
culture of impunity within
the army. Sarit Michaeli,
a spokeswoman for Israe-
li NGO B’Tselem stated:
“It is extremely rare for
the Israeli security forces to
be held accountable in cases
where they have killed or in-
jured Palestinian civilians..”
AQSA NEWS
02 Inside Palestine
Certain aspects of the
training Palestinian medi-
cal students are required to
undertake can only be com-
pleted at East Jerusalem
hospitals. The refusal of vi-
sas means that the ability
of students to qualify in the
medical profession becomes
threatened.
Rights groups in Pales-
tine and Israel have written to
Israeli Prime Minister, Min-
ister of Defense and Attorney
General with regards to the
treatment of Palestinian med-
ical students completing in-
ternships in hospitals within
East Jerusalem. The demands
made by the rights group in
a letter dated 13 June 2010,
stated that Israeli officials
must ensure that the Gen-
eral Security Service (GSS)
do not coerce the students to
collaborate with Israeli secu-
rity services by threatening
refusal of visas.
The GSS has been report-
ed to use both psychological
and physical pressure to re-
cruit the students to the secu-
rity service. Refusal has re-
sulted in withdrawal of visas
and thus, they can no longer
continue their studies. This is
especially worrying in light
of the increasing needs for
better healthcare in the Occu-
pied Palestinian Territories.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Palestinian Medical Students Pressured to
Spy or Have Visas Withdrawn
Egypt Responsible for Deaths in
Gaza Tunnels
Human Rights Groups Denounce Minor
Reprimand of Israeli Officers
In a move that has been
highly criticised, Israel is try-
ing to expel four Palestinian
MPs from their home city of
Jerusalem. In June, Israel ar-
rested Muhammad Abu-Teir,
a member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC)
because he refused to leave
Jerusalem after being ordered
to do so by Israeli officials.
Palestinians in Jerusalem
are fearful of losing their
residency rights which is
tightly controlled by Israel.
Over 7,000 Palestinians have
had their permits revoked and
been forced to leave the city,
a process that Palestinians
believe is ethnic cleansing.
The four men, Abu Teir,
Ahmad Attoun, Muhammad
Totah Khaled andAbuArafeh
(former Palestinian Minister
for Jerusalem Affairs) tried
to get an injunction on June
15 against deportation. This
was rejected by the Israeli
Supreme Court Chief Justice
Dorit Beinish. Israel claims
that they are all members of
Hamas – a party that Israel,
the EU and US consider to
be a “terrorist” organisation
despite being democratically
elected by the Palestinians in
2006.
Richard Faulk, UN Spe-
cial Rapporteur on human
rights in the Palestinian Terri-
tories said that he saw this to
be part of “a larger, extremely
worrying pattern of Israeli
efforts to drive Palestinians
out of East Jerusalem - all of
which are illegal under inter-
national law.” The four men
had been given until the end
of July to leave their homes
in Jerusalem.
AnIsraelisoldierhasbeen
charged with manslaughter
after the killing of a Palestin-
ian mother and daughter dur-
ing the Gaza War in Decem-
ber 2008 and January 2009.
The killings took place
on January 4 which was the
first day of the ground of-
fensive. Numerous eyewit-
ness testimonies stated that
27-year-old Majda Abu Haj
and her 64-year-old mother
Raya were amongst a group
of approximately 30 women
and children, when they
were shot at. The family had
taken shelter in the house of
their neighbour, Mohammed
al-Safadi afdter a shell had
landed on their home. The Is-
raeli Military then broke into
radio broadcasts, instruct-
ing those in the border areas
to leave their homes. As the
group did so, they were fired
upon by Israeli soldiers.
Several witnesses said that
Majda had tied a white flag
to a stick and was leading
the group forward when the
shooting began. She was shot
in the back and died instantly.
Her mother was also shot and
died from her wounds soon
after. Their bodies could not
be recovered until January
19 due to Israeli incursions,
and thus they were denied a
dignified burial for over two
weeks.
Military police are said to
have the launched the investi-
gation after receiving eyewit-
ness testimonies from Israeli
rights group B’Tselem and
after the incident was docu-
mented in the UN fact-find-
ing mission lead by Richard
Goldstone.
There have only been
two indictments over Israel’s
War on Gaza, which resulted
in the deaths of over 1,400
Palestinians. The first was
for theft and unlawful use of
a credit card, and the second
was for misconduct when sol-
diers ordered a child to open
up suspicious bags.
Israeli Soldier charged with Murder of Palestinian Mother and Daughter
Palestinian MPs Threatened with
Expulsion from Jerusalem

3. AQSA NEWS
03
Israeli-Arab human rights
defender and Director of Pal-
estinian NGO Ittijah, Ameer
Makhoul, was charged in
May with ‘contact with a for-
eign agent’ amid allegations
of supposed links with Hiz-
bullah.Amnesty International
criticised the charges which
were based on ‘secret evi-
dence’. Ittijah is an umbrella
organisation for Arab human
rights groups in Israel.
Makhoul was arrested
from his home in a dawn raid
and held incommunicado by
Israeli secret police during
which period he is believed to
have been subject to torture.
Amnesty International called
for Israeli Authorities to end
their harassment of the hu-
man rights activist. Makhoul
pleaded not guilty in court.
Israeli Arabs are demand-
ing a criminal investigation
into the killing of 21-year-old
Ahmed Deeb who was shot
during a peaceful protest near
the ‘buffer zone’in Gaza. The
demonstration was in protest
of the ever-widening no-go
military ‘buffer zone’ which
cuts into a large proportion of
Palestinian land, effectively
annexing the area. Twenty-
two people have been killed
as a result of Israeli violence
in the ‘buffer zone’ and doz-
ens injured.
According to witnesses
and video footage, Israeli
soldiers opened fire on the
peaceful demonstrators and
began firing indiscriminately.
Deeb was shot in the groin
area and was taken to Al-Shi-
fa hospital. He died later as a
result of his injuries.
The Jerusalem City Coun-
cil in June approved plans
to demolish 22 Palestinian
homes in the East Jerusalem
district of Silwan in order to
make room for a tourist park.
The decision was met with
criticism both from the UN
and the Obama administra-
tion.
UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-Moon has said that
the plan is “contrary to inter-
national law” and “unhelp-
ful” in the way of peace ne-
gotiations.
The approval also came
just months after the an-
nouncement of plans to build
a further 1,600 housing units
in illegal Israeli settlements
in occupied East Jerusalem,
which was made during US
Vice President Joe Biden’s
visit to the area. At the time,
there was intense friction be-
tween the two nations as a
result. US State Department
spokesperson PJ Crowley
stated, “This is expressly the
kind of step that we think
undermines trust that is fun-
damental in making progress
to the proximity talks and
ultimately in direct negotia-
tions..”
East Jerusalem is occu-
pied territory under interna-
tional law and the building
of Israeli settlements is there-
fore illegal.
Demolition of Homes Illegal says UNArab-Israeli Human Rights Defender Indicted
Based on ‘Secret Evidence’
21 Year Old Shot at Peaceful Protest
Israel has claimed that
the blockade on Gaza is be-
ing eased following intense
international pressure to lift
the inhuman siege which has
crippled Gaza for over three
years. However, the replace-
ment of the list of permissible
goods with a list of prohib-
ited good has been criticised
by aid agencies as being ‘in-
adequate’.
In a statement made in
early July, Israel said that all
items will be allowed in, with
the exception of “weapons,
war-material and dual-use
items”. Therefore, items such
as concrete and iron will be
allowed in only when super-
vised by Israel and used in
projects overseen by the UN
or other international bod-
ies. Aid agencies and rights
groups continue to call for a
complete lifting of the siege
rather than an ‘easing’ in or-
der to allow the Palestinian
economy to flourish.
Many heavily doubt how
effective the alleged ‘easing’
will be. Jonathan Cook, a
journalist based in Nazareth
stated that since Israel re-
mains in control of the bor-
der crossings, the new list of
permissible items will remain
nothing more than an “as-
piration”. He states, “..until
Gaza’s borders, port and air-
space are its own, its factories
are rebuilt, and exports are
again possible, the hobbled
economy has no hope of re-
covering.”
Restrictions on move-
ment of people within Gaza
will remain, as will the naval
blockade of the coastal en-
clave.
The sheer inadequacy
of the move has frustrated
many. “Simply easing the
blockade by allowing more
goods in is not enough. What
about sick children who need
life-saving medical attention
out of Gaza? Will they and
their families be allowed to
move freely across the bor-
der?” said Salam Kanaan of
Save the Children.
Malcolm Smart of Am-
nesty International further
stated, “This announcement
makes clear that Israel is not
intending to end its collective
punishment of Gaza’s civil-
ian population, but only ease
it. This is not enough.” Whilst
this news is positive to many,
the reality on the gorund tells
a different story.
Aid Agencies say Gaza Blockade Still Intact
Peaceful Protests against Israel’s
‘Apartheid’ Wall Criminalised
Many Palestinians take
part in weekly protests
against the building of Isra-
el’s separation Wall on their
land. Dubbed the ‘Apartheid
Wall,’ its route snakes into
Palestinian towns and vil-
lages up and down the West
Bank. Activists engaging in
peaceful protests against the
Wall are now facing prosecu-
tion and imprisonment.
Adeeb Abu Rahmah, a
grassroots activist who has
already spent 11 months be-
hind bars has been sentenced
to two years imprisonment.
The decision at a military
court hearing on June 30 is
being seen as a concerted ef-
fort by Israel to criminalise
grassroots popular resistance
to the occupation and peace-
ful protests.
Abu Rahmah, a founding
member of the Bilin Popular
Committee Against the Wall
and Settlements, was arrested
on July 10 2009 and later in-
dicted on grounds of “incite-
ment,” “activity against pub-
lic order,” and “being present
in a closed military zone.”
Although his release was or-
dered on July 16 2009, the
prosecution later appealed
and Abu Rahmah was held
in custody for the duration of
the legal proceedings.
Abu Rahmah denies all
charges, aside from acknowl-
edging his participation in
the weekly demonstrations at
Bilin.
Many have expressed
concern over the fairness of
any Israeli investigation. Hu-
man Rights Watch in a report
published on March 5 2010
highlighted the lack of fair-
ness with which Palestinian
anti-wall demonstrators are
treated, citing charges based
on “questionable evidence
and allegedly coerced con-
fessions.”
For the past five years,
since the first olive trees were
uprooted in 2005, residents
of Bilin have staged weekly
demonstrations in opposi-
tion of the construction of
the Wall which has annexed
much of their agricultural
land, and threatens the vil-
lage economy. In the village
of Bilin alone, 1,300 protes-
tors have been injured in the
weekly demonstrations since
2005.
Many fear that the charg-
ing of Abu Rahmah could set
a dangerous precedent for
criminalising popular resist-
ance.

4. Seven campaigners, who
caused £180,000 worth of
damage to an arms factory
supplying equipment to the
Israeli military, were acquit-
ted at a trial held in July. The
seven ‘decommissioners’ ar-
gued that they had a “lawful
excuse” to take direct action,
against the factory responsi-
ble for supplying the Israeli
military with equipment used
to kill Palestinian men, wom-
en and children during the
Gaza War.
30 year old Chris Os-
mond, one of the decommis-
sioners, said, “During Opera-
tion Cast Lead 1,400 people
were killed, 350 of which
were children. The interna-
tional community appeared to
be completely helpless. The
UN could not even protect
its own compounds. The only
light at the end of the tunnel
for the people of Palestine is
if ordinary people like us take
direct action on their behalf.”
The seven were ecstatic
when the jury found them not
guilty.
The seven individuals
admitted breaking in and
sabotaging the factory but
maintained they were justi-
fied in doing so. They be-
lieved that EDO MBM, the
firm that owns the factory,
were breaking export regula-
tions by manufacturing and
selling equipment to the Is-
raeli military which would
be used in the Occupied Ter-
ritories, thereby constituting
what they believed was a war
crime.
Judge George Bathurst-
Norman highlighted the
statement made by Green
Party leader and Brighton
MP Caroline Lucas in saying
that “all democratic paths had
been exhausted” before tak-
ing direct action.
Lucas expressed her joy
at the decision taken to acquit
the activists, stating “I am ab-
solutely delighted the jury has
recognised that the actions of
the decommissioners were
a legitimate response to the
atrocities being committed in
Gaza. I do not advocate non-
violent direct action lightly.
However, in this situation it
is clear the decommissioners
had exhausted all democratic
avenues and, crucially, that
their actions were driven by
the responsibility to prevent
further suffering in Gaza.”
82-year-old political
thinker and academic Noam
Chomsky was denied entry to
the West Bank in May, where
he was to deliver a series of
lectures at Birzeit University
and the Institute for Palestine
Studies in Ramallah.
Chomsky, who had been
invited to speak by Palestini-
an opposition leader Mustafa
Barghouti was travelling with
his daughter and two Jorda-
nian friends as they tried to
cross the Israeli-controlled
border from Jordan to the
West Bank. The friends were
allowed through, but both
Chomsky and his daughter
were denied entry.
Over the course of the
three-hour questioning,
Chomsky was told via fre-
quent contact between the
interrogator and the Interior
Ministry, that they “didn’t
like the kind of things [he]
said about Israel”.
The academic has de-
scribed Israel as acting in a
“paranoid” fashion, reminis-
cent of apartheid South Af-
rica. “I really don’t know of
any other examples outside
of totalitarian states where
people are denied entry be-
cause they are going to talk at
a university. It may in part be
just a reflection of the change
in climate in Israel; the coun-
try has visibly got much more
paranoid, circling the wagons
and so on. In fact, it is rather
reminiscent of South Africa
in the early 1960s, when it
began to be recognised that
they were becoming a pariah
state and reacted pretty much
in the way that Israel is react-
ing now,” said Chomsky.
Chomsky was also due
to visit the area where dem-
onstrations take place against
the illegal security barrier be-
ing erected by Israel which
has cut in to large parts of
Palestinian land.
An official three-day con-
ference of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) is
to be held in Israel later this
year. The decision to have the
conference in Israel follows a
vote taken in May which al-
lowed the state to join the 30
other member states, despite
failing to fulfil the require-
ments for admission. Israel’s
accession to the OECD has
enabled it to become part of
what Foreign Minister Avig-
dor Lieberman has described
as “one of the most prestig-
ious international clubs.”
Campaigners were dismayed
that European states failed
to take Israel’s human rights
record in the Occupied Pales-
tinian Territories into account
and instead choose to reward
Israel in this way.
AQSA NEWS
04 Global News
Acquittal for Activists who
Attacked Arms Factory
Noam Chomsky Barred from West Bank
OECD Conference to be Held in Israel
(From page 1)
mission to look into what the
member states called viola-
tions of international law
which took place when Is-
raeli troops raided the Mavi
Marmara. Despite a refusal
to cooperate by Israel, it is
reported that this fact-finding
mission will go ahead. Inde-
pendent of this, legal and po-
litical pressure continues to
grow on Israel.
As a civilian passenger
on the Mavi Marmara, I wit-
nessed first hand the brutality
on board. I watched a man
get shot in the head and an-
other one die as blood gushed
from his wound. Both need-
lessly taken away from their
family and loved ones. Men
who were shot in their heads
and upper bodies were in-
tended to be killed. Later on,
as the shots moved lower to
their legs, there was clearly a
decision not to kill any more
people. This was not the ac-
tions of an army caught off
guard by an ‘attack’, this was
an army using established
protocols to attack a civilian
convoy – protocols that no
doubt their political and mili-
tary leaders had put in place
in the days running up to the
Flotilla attack, when Israel
stated it would stop the aid
convoy at all costs.
Did they factor in a few
fatalities along the way to en-
sure once and for all that no
further humanitarian convoys
would gather on the Medi-
terranean? They misjudged
us, and they misjudged the
world. Thousands of people
are readying themselves for
the next convoys – by land
and sea. Israel’s army has not
deterred them, it has spurred
them on.
The difference between
the civilians on board the
Flotilla and the Israeli sol-
diers was that this was the
first time most of us had wit-
nessed the taking of precious
life, wanton violence and the
attempt to dehumanise fellow
humans. I had never seen a
man die before and it has af-
fected me deeply. The Israeli
soldiers who we encountered
did not bat an eyelid. These
men in uniform, who are no
doubt fathers, husbands and
sons, transformed into cal-
lous creatures before our
eyes. In Israel, it seems, soci-
ety has sanctioned killing by
men and women in uniform
which has led to the creation
of a class of people who are
engineered and indoctrinated
to view every resistance as a
threat to their lives, and so
respond with merciless kill-
ing and degradation of those
who appear to threaten them,
regardless of how shallow
the threat.
Thus, children in the Oc-
cupied Territories routinely
get shot for throwing stones.
The nephew of a Palestin-
ian friend of mine was shot
in the stomach at the age of
15 for throwing a stone. He
survived, but only because
his twin brother dragged him
away. For years afterwards,
he was in and out of hospi-
tal for treatment to damaged
digestive organs. All this for
being a ‘threat’ and throwing
a stone.
The killing of innocent
civilians tells its own story,
but as a civilised intellectual
society we need to question
why and how it has become
possible for a so called demo-
cratic ally to use as a first line
of action, a two inch block
of metal 9mm in diameter to
kill a six foot tall man – not
injure or debilitate him, but
kill him.
The Tirkel Commission
will not ask these questions.
In fact, it will not ask any
of the pertinent questions of
any of the key players. It will
not ask the soldiers why they
fired because it will not have
access to the soldiers. It will
not ask the civilians on board
what happened because they
will not be interviewed. It
will not investigate the key
decisions which were made
by the military and political
command structure, other
than to question Binyamin
Netanyahu. However, there is
little hope in impartial ques-
tioning of him by a group of
his cronies.
The Tirkel Commission
failed before it even started,
because it is not truly in-
dependent and impartial
and it is flawed on its basic
premise. We will continue to
push for an UN led independ-
ent inquiry regardless of the
findings of this Commission
and regardless of whether our
Government puts its trust in
it.
Turkey closed its airspace
to an Israeli military flight
carrying over 100 officers
en-route to a tour of memo-
rial site at Auchwitz, Poland.
Turkish officials stated that
each Israeli military flight
was to be assessed on a case-
by-case basis until there was
some resolution between the
two countries on the issue of
the Gaza Flotilla, where nine
Turkish citizens were killed.
The move was seen as
a step to demonstrate the
country’s anger at Israeli
aggression on board the hu-
manitarian aid ship MV Mavi
Marmara. Relations between
the two nations since the in-
cident have been strained, de-
spite attemps by other nations
to help patch up them up.
Turkey Closes Airspace to
Israeli Military Flight
Israeli Ambassador to the
US, Michael Oren stated in
June that relations between
Israel and the US had suffered
a “tectonic rift”. Oren de-
scribed how the crisis in dip-
lomatic relations had moved
beyond one that eventually
passes and that the “conti-
nents are drifting apart”.
Thestatementcameahead
of a planned visit between US
President Barack Obama and
Israeli Prime Minister Ben-
jamin Netanyahu in July, at a
time when Israel’s image glo-
bally continues to plummet.
Particularly after the deadly
raid on the Gaza Flotilla.
Israel-US Relations Suffer “Tectonic Rift”

5. An emergency motion
submitted by Islington UNI-
SON to the national confer-
ence condemned the Israeli
attack on the Freedom Flo-
tilla while it was sailing in
international waters.
Islington UNISON re-
peated the demand made at
its conference in 2009 to end
the Israeli blockade of Gaza
and made note of the fact that
all passengers on board were
civilians, including a “Nobel
Peace Prize winner, a holo-
caust survivor, parliamentar-
ians, activists, artists and oth-
er non-combatants”. It further
went on to describe the attack
as “an act of piracy” and
called for an “independent,
international enquiry”.
The motion called upon
UNISON to join numerous
other unions who have en-
dorsed the Palestinian United
Call for Boycott, Divestment
and Sanctions against Israel.
Other demands included
calling for an immediate end
to UK arms sales to Israel,
recognition of the Palestin-
ian election results of 2006
and the return of all seized
property to the passengers on
board the flotilla.
Countless moves simi-
lar to this have been echoed
in trade unions and councils
globally.
Both Ireland and Austral-
ia have called for the expel-
ling of Israeli diplomats after
investigations revealed that
Israel was responsible for the
use of forged Irish and Aus-
tralian passports in the killing
of Hamas official Mahmoud
al Mabhouh early this year.
Britain expelled the most
senior Mossad agent in Brit-
ain after British passports
were found to have been
used.
AQSA NEWS
05
Islington Unison Condemns Israel Attack
An appeal by an inde-
pendent Palestinian non-
governmental human rights
organisation to take the UK
to court over inaction in up-
holding its human rights ob-
ligations has been dismissed.
Al-Haq, based in the West
Bank, stated that Britain had
the power to prevent much
of the illegal activities per-
petrated by Israel such as
extensive settlement building
and targeting of civilians in
operations such as those in
Gaza.
Al-Haq calls for the sus-
pending of arms-related ex-
ports and the EU preferential
trading agreements, as well as
the handing over of evidence
of war crimes to the British
police. Al-Haq argued that if
the UK were to stand by their
international obligations, the
result would be a great im-
provement to the humanitar-
ian situation in Gaza.
The appeal came approx-
imately six months after the
original application for a ju-
dicial review to hear the case
was rejected late in 2009. The
West Bank based group were
represented by Public Interest
Lawyers (PIL) who included
in their case, evidence from
the UN sponsored Goldstone
Report which highlighted
a great number of human
right violations, particularly
breaches of the Geneva Con-
ventions and the perpetration
of War Crimes.
One of the individuals
present at the hearing was a
representative from Friends
of Al-Aqsa who commented:
“The appeal was well re-
ceived by the Judge in the
Court of Appeal but was
dismissed on the basis that
the Court does not have the
power to say whether Israel
committed a breach in Inter-
national Law nor does it have
an influence on the Foreign
Office’s response on these
matters.”
Action Against UK Government Dismissed
Turkey has threatened Is-
rael with severing diplomatic
ties if Israel fails to either
apologise for its actions, or
accept an international in-
vestigation into the attack
on the Gaza-bound aid ship,
in which nine peace activists
were killed by Israeli sol-
diers.
The statement from Turk-
ish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu came amid flar-
ing tensions between the two
nations, which previously
shared common interests and
were close allies.
Following the Israeli at-
tack on the Freedom Flotilla,
the ambassador from Ankara
was immediately withdrawn
from Tel Aviv after reports
surfaced that nine Turks on
board had been killed. Tur-
key took a number of steps
including banning an Israeli
military flight from travelling
through its airspace and can-
celling joint military exercis-
es with Israel in response to
the attack.
However, the comments
were met with surprise by
some, as it seemed that there
was a patching up of rela-
tions marked by a meeting
between Davutoglu and Is-
raeli trade minister Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer in Brussels.
The Israeli Prime Minis-
ter has made it clear that no
apology will be forthcom-
ing, repeating the astonishing
claim that its soldiers were
“defending themselves”. Fur-
ther to this, he stated that no
compensation would be paid
to the families of those killed
or injured.
Davutoglu’s response
was that “ties will never be
repaired. They are aware of
our demands. If they do not
want to apologise, then they
should accept an internation-
al investigation.”
The US has been urging
Israel and Turkey to resolve
the quarrel, but Turkey seems
to be standing firm in its de-
mands. Davutoglu has stated
that Turkey is not willing to
wait for Israel’s response in-
definitely.
Calls for Israeli Diplomats
to be Expelled from Ireland
and Australia
Turkey Threatens to Sever Israel Ties
Unite, Britain’s largest
union has voted unanimously
in favour of a boycott of Is-
raeli companies at its annual
conference held in Manches-
ter in June of this year.
The motion called on the
union to support its policy of
divestment from Israeli com-
panies, and described how a
boycott of Israeli goods will
be similar to the boycott of
South African goods during
the South African apartheid.
The move has been seen
as a hugely significant step
and has been welcomed by
rights groups.
Britain’s Largest Union Votes
Unanimously for Boycott
Talks between the Euro-
pean Union (EU) and Israel
aimed at reaching an intel-
ligence sharing agreement
have avoided the issue of
whether the Israeli national
police headquarters will be
located on occupied Palestin-
ian land in East Jerusalem.
Europol, the European police
agency has acknowledged
that the issue has not been
properly addressed.
The EU has never rec-
ognised Israel’s 1967 occu-
pation of East Jerusalem. A
report published by EU dip-
lomats in March 2009 criti-
cised the rapid spreading of
illegal settlements in East Je-
rusalem, “Israel is, by practi-
cal means, actively pursuing
the illegal annexation of East
Jerusalem.”
However, as Israel is one
of several countries to have
entered talks on information-
sharing with Europol, it will
be expected to have Europol
representatives stationed at
the Israeli national police
headquarters in occupied
East Jerusalem. If this were
to go ahead, it would signify
a reversal of decades of EU
policy and recognise Israel’s
illegal annexation of East Je-
rusalem.
Talks Compromise EU Position
on Occupied Jerusalem
Major-General Doron Al-
mog has been accused of sup-
pressing the testimony of a
commander giving evidence
during the investigation over
the death of Gaza peace ac-
tivist Rachel Corrie.
Corrie was crushed under
a bulldozer in 2003 whilst
trying to prevent the demo-
lition of a Palestinian home.
She was wearing a fluores-
cent jacket and shouting
through a loudspeaker to the
driver of the bulldozer, but to
no avail as he deliberately ran
over and then reversed back
over her.
In a military investiga-
tors report, the commander
of the bulldozer was giving
testimony when a colonel
dispatched by Major-General
Doron Almog interrupted
proceedings and cut short the
evidence. The report states,
“At 18:12 reserve Colonel
Baruch Kirhatu entered the
room and informed the wit-
ness that he should not con-
vey anything and should not
write anything and this at the
order of the general of south-
ern command.”
Craig Corrie, the father of
Rachel Corrie described the
alleged interruption as “out-
rageous”. He further stated,
“When you see someone in
that position taking those
steps you not only have to
be outraged, you have to ask
why is he covering up, what
has he done that he needs to
take these steps to cover it
up?”
Corries parents continue
to campaign for justice.
Israeli General Accused of ‘Cover
Up’ in Rachel Corrie Case

6. AQSA NEWS
06 Gaza Flotilla
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla
On this day, Israel took one further step in flouting interna-
tional law – it attacked a humanitarian aid vessel sailing in in-
ternational waters bound for Gaza with a convoy of aid. Israel
killed 9 aid workers in the horrors that followed its storming
of the MV Marmara.
This was not just an attack on the civilian convoy, it was an
attack on 37 countries across the world who had nationals on
board. All of the men killed were Turkish nationals (one hold-
ing dual Turkish-US nationality), the youngest of whom was a
nineteen year old teenager.
The sad truth is that those peace activists aboard the Free-
dom Flotilla represented the Palestinian struggle in every way.
They experienced death, injury, cruel treatment, and imprison-
ment - usually reserved solely for Palestinians.
In this special report, Friends of Al Aqsa looks at the
peaceful humanitarian mission which ended so brutally.
The flotilla was organised by The Foundation for Human
Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (also known as
IHH), together with the Cyprus-based organisation The Free
Gaza Movement – a registered charity endorsed by well known
international figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.
Turkish NGO IHH was established in 1992 and provides
humanitarian relief in over 120 countries affected by natural
disasters, poverty and conflict. They recently had a presence
in Haiti following the large-scale earthquake, which left hun-
dreds of thousands dead. The IHH, which owned and operated
three of the six flotilla ships, including the main passenger ship
MV Marmara, has also held Special Consulatative Status with
the UN Economic and Social Council since 2004.
Despite this, Israel began to make allegations against IHH
of links with terrorist organisations soon after the attack on the
flotilla, in what many believe to be an attempt to seek justifi-
cation for Israeli aggression. Most or all of those killed were
members or volunteers of IHH, a fact that is not surprising on
a ship that was owned by IHH and which has 500 Turkish na-
tionals on board (as well as over 100 other nationals including
British civilians).
31st MAY 2010 THE JOURNEY OF THE GAZA FREEDOM FLOTILLA
Soldiers fire at Ship before commandoes
descend on upper deck
A helicopter appeared
overhead and began firing
ammunition, before any sol-
diers had descended onto the
ship. This is confirmed by
multiple testimonies from
passengers.
Approximately five min-
utes into the shooting, or-
ganisers raised the white flag
and surrendered the ship, in
the knowledge that an un-
armed civilian aid ship was
no match to the might of the
Israeli army. However, live
fire from Israeli soldiers con-
tinued.
Passengers gathered in
the sleeping quarters of the
ship where doctors were try-
ing desperately to do what
they could for those critically
injured. Blood lined the deck
of the ship and passengers re-
late how cries of pain, anguish
and anger could be heard.
Loudspeaker announce-
ments in English, Hebrew and
Arabic were made, in desper-
ate attempts to get treatment
for the wounded that other-
wise would die. At this stage,
the ship was surrounded by
soldiers pointing their rifles
and guns in the direction of
the passengers.
Over half an hour later,
Israeli soldiers allowed pas-
sengers to carry the injured
out. There were no stretchers
and they were held by their
arms and legs. Some testimo-
nies relate that due to the lack
of urgency in responding to
the injured, three people died
from their wounds.
Passengers confined on upper deck of ship
All passengers were
made to go to the upper deck
of the ship one by one. Each
had their hands tied using
plastic cable ties. One indi-
vidual had his hands tied so
tight, that they were losing
colour. When he asked that
they be loosened, an Israeli
soldier tightened the cable
even further causing the man
to scream in pain.
Passengers were searched
and belongings seized.
On the upper deck people
were lined in rows and were
made to kneel on the floor for
five hours, regardless of age
ormedicalcondition.Anysort
of communication between
passengers was forbidden.
Requests to answer the call of
nature were granted intermit-
tently and some soiled their
clothes due to the stressful
situation. The peace activists
were stripped of their dignity
and treated inhumanely. For
many of the passengers, this
was the most mentally and
physically straining moment.
Arrival at Ashdod
The ship was taken to the
port of Ashdod where it ar-
rived at some point on Mon-
day evening. However, pas-
sengers were not allowed to
disembark from the ship until
approximately 6am on Tues-
day 1st June. By this time,
passengers had had little or
nothing to eat or drink and
had spent the last twenty-four
hours under the loaded bar-
rels of IDF guns.
IHH and The Free Gaza Movement
All ships convened near
Cyprus. On board were film-
makers, journalists, activists,
politicians and authors - in-
cluding Swedish best-selling
crime author, Henning Man-
kell.
The cargo consisted of
10,000 tons of humanitarian
aid including, food, medicine,
wheelchairs, books, toys,
electricity generators, as well
as building materials such as
cement. Israel banned build-
ing materials from entering
Gaza forcing people to live in
makeshift shelters for months
and years after Israel bombed
and destroyed their homes.
The Organisers checked
all cargo and passengers who
boarded the ships. There
were no weapons or anything
similar taken on board any of
the ships.
Audrey Bomse of The Free
Gaza Movement said in a
statement to the BBC:
“I can tell you that there were
no firearms - all the boats
were carefully inspected by
the government before they
left the port of departure.”
The 6-ship flotilla sailed
its way from Cyprus towards
the Gaza Strip.
Atapproximately9.30pm,
one of the crew members in-
formed a passenger on board
that four warships had been
detected on the ship’s radar.
By 10pm, three Israeli war-
ships were visible by their
lights. At this stage, helicop-
ters or drones above could
be heard though they were
not visible. Organisers asked
that all passengers put on life
jackets and remain indoors.
The blocking of telecom-
munications began around
this time also. Passengers
stated that the GPS signal
was lost at around 10pm, fol-
lowed by the satellite phone
signal, and finally feeds from
the boats.
As the ships were about
80 miles off the coast of Gaza
in international waters, Israel
would be in contravention of
international law if it attacked
the ship and so the crew con-
cluded that any confrontation
would occur much later, they
hoped in daylight.
The ships were not sailing
towards Gaza at this stage,
they were sailing parallel to
Gaza.
The Attack on the Freedom
Flotilla
At approximately 2am lo-
cal time, organisers informed
one of the journalists on board
that they intended to re-route
the ships so that they sailed
as far away as possible from
Israel and remained clearly in
international waters. A con-
frontation with the military,
particularly by night was nei-
ther safe nor advisable.
The early morning Fajr
prayer was announced at
4am. Some passengers were
sleeping. Others congregated
on the second deck where the
prayer was to be performed.
Upon completion of the first
unit of prayer, dozens of
speedboats surrounded the
ship, each carrying 15-20
armed masked soldiers. Tear
gas, stun grenades and sound
bombs were fired at the ship.
The prayer was rapidly com-
pleted.
The attack was unan-
nounced and therefore caused
chaos on board the ship.
Women and elderly people
were rushed down to the low-
er deck whilst others made
futile attempts to defend the
ship. A passenger reports in
his eyewitness testimony that
he saw people throwing “to-
matoes”, “broomsticks” and
“shoes” whilst others tried
to deter the speedboats by
“banging the banisters of the
ship”.
The speedboats retreated.
Passengers did not know
what to expect next.
6 Ships:
Challenger 1 (US flag)
MS Eleftheri Mesogeios and Sfendoni (Greek flag)
MV Marmara (Turkish, flying Comoros Flag)
Gazze (Turkish flag)
Defne Y (Turkish, flying Kiritabi flag)
In total there were over 600 passengers from 37 countries
aboard the flotilla. The main passenger ship was the MV Mar-
mara where the attack took place, even thought this ship ex-
pected to be the safest, as the number of civilians on board was
expected to ensure that Israel did not attack it.
Monday 31st May
Saturday 29th May
Sunday 30th May

7. AQSA NEWS
07
Detention in an
Israeli Prison
Inprison,passengerswere
finally allowed to shower and
change into prison clothing.
They also received their first
meal in 48 hours. Passen-
gers were held overnight and
the following morning were
taken to the airport. This
journey should have taken
approximately one hour but
they were kept on board the
bus for 8 hours, again with no
access to toilets and no food.
I am shocked by reports of killing of people in boats carrying supply to Gaza.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
I unequivocally condemn what appears to be disproportionate use of force, resulting in the
killing and wounding of so many people attempting to bring much-needed aid to the people of
Gaza, who have now been enduring a blockade for more than three years.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay
Israeli forces appear clearly to have used excessive force,
Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa
A prompt, credible, and impartial investigation is absolutely essential to determine whether
the lethal force used by Israeli commandos was necessary to protect lives and whether it could
have been avoided...
Given Israel’s poor track record of investigating unlawful killings by its armed forces, the in-
ternational community should closely monitor any inquiry to ensure it meets basic international
standards and that any wrongdoers are brought to justice.
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch
The EU condemns the use of violence that has produced a high number of victims among the
members of the flotilla and demands an immediate, full and impartial inquiry into the events
and the circumstances surrounding them.
Catherine Ashton EU Foreign Policy chief, on behalf of the EU
Both the Spanish government and in its role as current president of the EU wishes to express its
utmost condemnation of this action.
Spanish Secretary of State for the EU Diego Lopez Garrido
I completely condemn this deadly attack on the humanitarian aid convoy.
This attack is a serious infringement of the principles of international law.
Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader
Hero’s Welcome in Istanbul
When the passengers fi-
nally arrived in Turkey, it
was to a hero’s welcome. De-
spite being 3am, the streets
were lined with thousands of
well-wishers who were wel-
coming the Gaza Freedom
Flotilla passengers back.
This marked the end of
the physical ordeal. But the
mental and psychological
trauma suffered by the peace
activists aboard the flotilla
will not be forgotten easily.
VIOLENCE, INJURIES, DEATHS
Dozens of peace activists
aboard were injured and sub-
sequently hospitalised.
The funerals of those
killed were held on Thursday
3rd of June and attended by
huge crowds of people.
Ismail Patel, Chair of
Friends of Al Aqsa who was
aboard the flotilla stated in a
press conference on his return
that the number of shots fired
equated to one activist being
shot every minute during the
confrontation. This statistic
alone reflects the brutal na-
ture of the attack.
In a report published by
the Guardian newspaper, an
Algerian activist aboard the
ship accused Israel of taking
a one-year-old child hostage
in order to prevent the flotilla
going any further. She states,
“They point a gun to his
head in front of his Turkish
parents to force the captain of
our ship to stop sailing.”
During my whole time
in Israel, no-one from
the British Consulate
came to see me. The
entire experience was
shocking and everything
I witnessed will be a scar
in my memory for
years to come.
Ismail Patel, peace activist
aboard MV Marmara
The Israeli Response
In the immediate after-
math of the attack, in what
can only be described as
‘damage control’, Israel re-
leased video footage of the
peace activists on board beat-
ing Israeli soldiers with so-
called ‘weapons’. The mere
notion that unarmed civilians
on board an aid ship could be
branded as terrorists whilst
the soldiers of a highly devel-
oped army who descended
upon the ship firing live am-
munition be called the vic-
tims was thought by many to
be preposterous.
Nevertheless, spokesper-
sons representing Israel were
dispatched to conduct media
interviews with countless
news channels in an attempt
to justify the Israeli attack on
the ship. In the first 24 hours
after the attack, this was the
only version of events that
the world heard as Israel pre-
vented any of the aid workers
from contacting the outside
world.
When testimonies even-
tually emerged from peace
activists, they consistently
told a very different story.
Soldiers who were disarmed
of their weapons were treated
by a doctor on board the ship.
Live fire was used against the
ship from helicopters in the
air, and there were no weap-
ons on board the ship.
Israel showed images of
what they called weapons,
including knives used in the
kitchens on the ship and also
for cutting ropes; and axes
which are usually found at
emergency alarm points. Not
weapons, but rather, the usual
fittings on a large ship.
There was live ammunition flying around and I
could hear the sounds of the bullets flying and
the whirr of the helicopter blades as people were
dropped down onto the roof. What I saw was guns
being used by the Israelis on unarmed civilians. I
saw a bullet wound in someone’s head. It was very
clear it was live ammunition.
Sarah Colborne, director of campaigns and operations at the
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Response to the Attack
“
“
“
“
Tuesday 1st June
Upon arriving at the port
of Ashdod, Israeli army of-
ficers and police personal
began clapping and cheering
as soldiers took trophy pho-
tographs. Passengers were
searched again upon leaving
the ship. Shoes were checked
and socks were taken off.
Passengers were told that
their belongings would be
given back – this never hap-
pened. They were also asked
to sign a declaration written
in Hebrew with no transla-
tion. Those who refused were
threatened with longer im-
prisonment.
Wednesday 2nd June
“
“
Legal Action against Israel
Many of the British na-
tionals who were on board the
flotilla have met with the For-
eign Office demanding that
all possessions which were
illegally seized by the Israe-
li’s are returned to the own-
ers. Mobile phones, clothing,
money and the recording
equipment of journalists on
board was taken and not re-
turned. This equipment will
contain essential evidence
which is necessary if a case is
to be brought against the Is-
raeli military command.
Activists are also calling
for an independent inquiry
to take place as the internal
inquiry conducted by Israel
is not credible, is not inde-
pendent and has serious limi-
tations. One such example
is that the soldiers involved
in the operation will not be
interviewed as part of the
investigation, nor will the
passengers be providing tes-
timonies.

8. AQSA NEWS
08 Update: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
“Three people have been
killed on board a ship en-
route to Palestine, carrying
Jewish immigrants, some of
them survivors of the Holo-
caust. The ship, called ‘Exo-
dus’, was boarded in interna-
tional waters by the British
Royal Navy who used force
against passengers resisting
the boarding. Dozens have
been reported to be injured.”
This may well have been
the top story circulating
through newspapers and ra-
dio channels across Britain on
July 18 1947. This news item
bears striking similarities to
the recent Israeli attack on
the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza
which resulted in the deaths
of nine peace activists.
However, the difference
between the ship of 1947 and
the flotilla of 2010 could not
be greater.
It was 1947, the year be-
fore 78% of historic Palestine
was seized and hundreds of
thousand of Palestinians ex-
pelled from their homes to
make way for the creation of
the State of Israel. The Brit-
ish had a Mandate to rule
over Palestine from the First
World War. Whilst Jews had
for some time been making
‘aliyah’ or the migration to
the land of Palestine, it was
at this point that the number
of immigrants to the land was
rapidly increasing, particu-
larly in the wake of Jewish
persecution in Europe and the
Holocaust. The British were
now faced with the problem
of keeping faith with theArab
majority in Palestine, and the
promise made to the Zionist
movement for the establish-
ment of a national homeland
for the Jewish people in Pal-
estine.
Jewish immigration was
controlled by the British.
However, many continued
to travel illegally and Britain
therefore imposed a naval
blockade in order to halt il-
legal immigration. Armed
Zionist groups organised
boats to counter this. It was
in this backdrop that the Exo-
dus ship made its journey to
Palestine.
The ship was boarded ap-
proximately 40km from the
shore, in international waters
where the British Royal Navy
had no jurisdiction. Passen-
gers resisted the boarding
and this resulted in clashes
between soldiers and those
on board. As a result, three
were killed and many others
injured. Following the attack,
passengers were deported
to Germany. The world was
outraged, and rightly so.
Golda Meir, who was
later to become the Israeli
Prime Minister, declared fol-
lowing the affair:
“To Britain we must say:
it is a great illusion to believe
us weak. Let Great Britain
with her mighty fleet and her
many guns and planes know
that this people is not weak,
and that its strength will stand
it in good stead.”
Many would argue that
today, we simply need to re-
place word ‘Britain’ with ‘Is-
rael’ and we have a reflection
of the exact same scenario.
In History
FoA Launches Boycott Israeli Dates Campaign 2010
In the run up to the holy
month of Ramadhan, during
which millions of Muslims
across Europe break their
daily fasts by eating dates,
Friends of Al-Aqsa launched
its annual ‘Boycott Israeli
Dates’ campaign in London
on July 15th.
Supported by a dozen
organisations including the
PSC, and thousands of indi-
viduals across the country,
the campaign hopes to build
on last year’s success.
Shamiul Joarder, who is
heading up the campaign for
Friends of Al-Aqsa, stated:
“Israeli settlers in illegal set-
tlements make profits of mil-
lions of dollars from the sale
of their dates in Europe. We
have to remember that these
dates are produced on stolen
land, land from which Pal-
estinians have been evicted,
yet made to work on for pal-
try wages. Settlements in the
Jordan valley neighbour Pal-
estinian communities living
in abject poverty. We want
people to stop supporting this
injustice, and by boycotting
Israeli dates, they will be do-
ing their bit.”
While the boycott grows,
people are also being encour-
aged to purchase Fair Trade
Palestinian dates, which are
often very expensive due
to Israeli restrictions on the
export of Palestinian pro-
duce. Despite the added cost,
Zaytoun, which imports and
supplies Palestinian produce
in Britain, has stated that
demand is now higher than
ever.
For more information on
the availability of Palestin-
ian produce including olive
oil, dates, almonds, and soap,
please visit www.zaytoun.
org.
Churches Speak Out
TheUKMethodistChurch
has voted unanimously in fa-
vour of a boycott on Israeli
produce from the West Bank,
in protest against the illegal
settlements in the area. The
church extended the call for
boycott to Methodists across
the UK at its annual confer-
ence.
The motion was put for-
ward in response to calls
from the World Council of
Churches, Palestinian civil
society and a growing number
of organisations in Israel and
globally.
In 2009, the church set up
a working group seeking an
end to the occupation of the
Palestinian territories and an
end to the blockade of Gaza
and urged that Israel comply
with international law. A 54-
page report was produced as
a result by the working group
entitled “Justice for Palestine
and Israel”.
The church has been sub-
ject to criticism from pro-
Israeli groups for the brave
stance taken. In one instance
the church was accused of
jumping on a “fashionable
bandwagon” for having fa-
voured boycott action, to
which Anna Drew, head of
media relations replied “We
are the first church... to do
this... so we are not being
fashionable.”
The church’s secretary
for external relationships,
Christine Elliot, further stat-
ed that the decision “has not
been taken lightly, but after
months of research, care-
ful consideration and finally,
today’s debate at the confer-
ence.”
The Northern Illinois
Conference (NIC) of the
United Methodist Church
(UMC) at its annual confer-
ence in June voted to divest
all its holdings in three in-
ternational corporations that
support the occupation of
Palestine.
In doing so NIC have re-
iterated calls of the UMC in
the Book of Discipline which
states that one should “avoid
investments that appear like-
ly, directly or indirectly, to
support violation of human
rights.”
The affected corpora-
tions who will lose out on
investments from the UMC
will be Caterpillar (CAT),
General Electric (GE) and
Terex (TX). The companies
are just three such companies
amongst some 20 others that
are being targeted by UMC
conferences across the US
due to their presence on oc-
cupied land, their involve-
ment with illegal settlements,
checkpoints and the separa-
tion wall, or their support of
activities conducted by the
Israeli Military in the occu-
pied territories.
The NIC is to send the
list of 20 companies to ap-
proximately 400 churches in
Northern Illinois encourag-
ing them to divest from any
of the companies listed.
Connie Baker, from End
the Occupation Task Force
of the Board of Church and
Society which brought forth
the resolution, stated: “We
are resolute in our support
of peace for both Israelis and
Palestinians in the Holy Land
and the rights of each to co-
exist according to the princi-
ples set forth in the Geneva
Conventions. It is a small
step, but an important one.”
City Councils & Trade
Unions Speak Out
The Scottish Trades Un-
ion Congress (STUC), an
umbrella body for Scotland’s
trade unions, voted in April
to reaffirm its support of the
Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) Campaign
against Israel.
The vote, taken at the an-
nual conference in Dundee
was in response to Israel’s
“failure to comply with in-
ternational laws and agreed
principles of human rights.”
STUC stated “Following
extensive debate and delib-
eration, the Scottish trade un-
ions have endorsed a report
recommending STUC sup-
port a boycott and disinvest
from Israeli companies, call
for sanctions against Israel,
and encourage positive in-
vestments in the occupied
Palestinian territories.”
STUC General-Secretary
Grahame Smith clarified that
the decision was not simple
a “knee-jerk reaction”, but
rather a carefully considered
decision made over a two
year period. After the con-
ference, Smith added “The
STUC is deeply concerned at
the daily violations of human
rights experienced by Pales-
tinian people.”
A visible change in the
number of organisations sup-
porting the calls for BDS has
occurred over the last few
months.
Following an extensive
debate, Bristol City Council
carried a motion condemn-
ing Israeli aggression and its
blockade of Gaza at a full
council meeting in June. The
council expressed its support
for sanctions to be imposed
on Israel until it abides by
international law and ceases
to violate human rights, in
addition to support for an
immediate suspension of the
EU-Israel Association Agree-
ment on the grounds of hu-
man rights.
This move was being ech-
oed by other city and county
councils across Britain, in
what many believe is a reflec-
tion of the true feelings on the
ground.
Swansea City Council
made an historic decision in
July this year when it decided
to bar any future contracts
with international trading
company Veolia, due to its
illegal activities in the West
Bank. It will join other cities
who have already taken simi-
lar action – including Dublin,
Stockholm and Melbourne.
This is the first time that a
UK council has passed such
a resolution though others are
already taking steps to follow
suit.
Swansea City Council
Bristol City Council Condemns
Israeli Action Against Gaza Flotilla
Scotland’s Trade Unions
Reaffirm BDS Support
US Methodist Church Votes
for Divestment
UK Methodist Church
Votes for Boycott
Check the Label
Campaign Logo
Boycott Israeli Dates
www.checkthelabel.org.uk

9. AQSA NEWS
Comments 09
Letters - To The Editor,
The Tirkel Commission Failed Before it Began
By Shafik Firoz
It is an uncanny coinci-
dence that the same week the
Saville Inquiry found Brit-
ish soldiers had unjustifiably
killed thirteen innocent peo-
ple in Northern Ireland, Israel
announced its own investiga-
tion into the deaths of nine
activists on board an aid flo-
tilla. It took nearly four dec-
ades for the truth of Bloody
Sunday to be established but
Israel’s Tirkel Commission
is more likely to find prece-
dent in earlier reports, which
whitewashed the actions of
British soldiers.
The line peddled by the
British government in the
aftermath of the massacre is
eerily similar to the one used
by the Israeli PR machine
today. In Derry in 1972, the
IRA infiltrated a civil rights
march and took aim at British
soldiers. In May on the Mavi
Marmara, violent activists
with links to Al Qaeda and
Hamas boarded an aid ship
intent on confronting Israeli
troops. In both, the perpetra-
tors claimed that the suppos-
edly benign exterior of a rally
and aid convoy masked a sin-
ister intent, one that required
the use of deadly force.
The Widgery report, com-
missioned in the aftermath
of Bloody Sunday accepted
British troops had acted reck-
lessly, while placing blame
entirely on the organisers of
the march. The Tirkel Com-
mission has little hope of
reaching a conclusion that is
generous in its condemnation
of Israeli soldiers.
It is telling that Israel has
rejected calls for an independ-
ent investigation conducted
by the United Nations. The
Goldstone Report warned the
Israelis of the condemnation
it risks in allowing impartial
scrutiny of its actions; Tirkel
is intended to prevent a re-
peat.
The inquest has all the
ingredients of a farce and the
list of requisites would work
well if it had been written as
satire. The stringent restric-
tions placed were so farcical
the former Israeli Supreme
Court Judge Tirkel placed in
charge of the investigation
threatened to quit before he
even began unless he was
given wider powers.
The Israelis had initially
prevented Tirkel from asking
soldiers who participated in
the attack to give testimony.
Instead they offered summa-
rised statements collated by
their military. They relented
eventually; perhaps comfort-
ed by the fact he still won’t
be allowed to investigate the
chain of command responsi-
ble for the attack. In any case
Tirkel has stated on Israeli
Army Radio that he is no fan
of dismissing those responsi-
ble for failures.
Interrogating those who
committed the killings forms
just one aspect of a thorough
investigation. For an accurate
picture, eye-witness reports
from passengers on board the
flotilla must also be taken in
to account. These are likely
to be ignored, as will all the
recordings and photographs
taken by passengers, which
were later confiscated by Is-
raeli authorities.
The report aims to give
a chain of events based al-
most entirely on the narrative
given by the people accused
of misconduct. Anything else
and the Israelis would claim
it was biased. The compo-
sition of the investigating
committee is also designed
to prevent such ‘bias’. It does
not include any non-Israelis
and of the two international
observers; one is an ardent
supporter of Israel. David
Trimble, the former leader
of the Ulster Unionist Party
is a founding member of the
Friends of Israel Initiative,
a Zionist advocacy group
which proudly states on its
website that ‘Israel’s fight is
our fight’.
Those familiar with the
conflict in Northern Ireland
will be acutely aware of the
irony in appointing Trimble
as an observer in an investiga-
tion into a disputed massacre.
They will remember that he
had opposed the Saville In-
quiry when it was announced
in 1998, saying ‘opening old
wounds would do more harm
than good’.
How the Israeli govern-
ment can expect the world to
attach any credibility to this
sham is mind-boggling. Even
the Israeli left-leaning news-
paper Haaretz has demanded
that Tirkel return his mandate
to the Israeli Prime Minister
and insist on an inquiry with
power to investigate freely.
Calling the Tirkel Commis-
sion a plot to conceal the truth
would be charitable to the Is-
raelis, rather this is a brazen
attempt to mislead interna-
tional and internal opinion.
The Israeli Defence Force’s
own investigation placed the
blame entirely on the activ-
ists, Tirkel is unlikely to de-
viate from that script.
Shafik Firoz is a freelance
journalist.
The killing of a Palestin-
ian mother of five, Ne’ema
Abu Said, by Israeli artillery
in the Gaza Strip brings to
23 the number of Palestin-
ians killed by Israel in what is
called its“buffer zone”in the
past few months. Ne’ema is
yet another dead Palestin-
ian, a phenomenon which is
clearly not newsworthy any
more; as far as I am aware,
only the Guardian reported
this incident in the UK.
Israel claims to have
withdrawn from Gaza in
2005 and yet it still controls
all of the territory’s air space,
access to its port and all
of the land crossings (with
Egyptian assistance). It has
also created this “buffer
zone”, another example of
the de facto annexation of
Palestinian land. Claims that
Israel is somehow doing the
Palestinians of Gaza a favour
by “easing” the blockade of
Gaza are ridiculous. If some-
one is acting illegally (and
the blockade is a collective
punishment of a civilian
population, an act forbid-
den by international law)
and promises to behave
slightly less illegally, the ac-
tion is still illegal.
The UN found credible
evidence last year that the
Israelis were guilty of “war
crimes and possibly crimes
against humanity” during
their assault on Gaza. Un-
like the case being pursued
by the International Court
against the Sudanese presi-
dent, nobody is even daring
to issue warrants for the ar-
rest of the Israelis responsi-
ble for those crimes. On the
contrary, the current British
Prime Minister still wants
to change the law to allow
those so accused to enter
Britain freely. That double
standards are being applied
when Israel is involved is
clear. The question is, why?
Can anyone explain why
Israel is able to act illegally
with apparent impunity?
Unless and until clear an-
swers are provided, Israel’s
founding ideology, Zionism,
will remain a threat to world
peace.
Yours,
Ibrahim Hewitt
Senior Editor, Middle East
Monitor
I have just finished read-
ing my first copy of Aqsa
News, I cannot emphasise
enough the great work you
are doing. Unfortunately
many of us will only remem-
ber Palestine when there is
some international incident,
and forget the injustices that
are happening everyday.
I liked the fact that the
newsletter discussed dif-
ferent ways to get involved
-particularly lobbying our
MPs. Voting is an issue that
can polarise people, but if
only the Muslim commu-
nity considered working
together to put those peo-
ple in power who would be
sympathetic to the Palestine
issue, it may make a differ-
ence.
If we are sincere then
we need to be working on
many many different levels
to help the situation, the
least of which is being fully
informed of the situation
(which you are helping with)
and making du’aa.
Yours,
Dr. Omar Araeem
Whitechapel, London
On reading the article‘An
Israeli Experiment in Human
Despair’, specifically on the
health conditions in Gaza, I
felt compelled to write.
The collective punish-
ment of Palestinians in Gaza
is a many-pronged fork of
abuse. Israel’s prolonged
blockade has increased mal-
nutrition in the entire popu-
lation. It is obvious, with
reference to studies and
the demographic, that child
malnutrition is most mani-
fest. Anaemia is widespread
and over a third of pregnant
mothers also suffer from it.
With food remaining in-
adequate and medicines still
unobtainable, those who
are complicit in the block-
ade need to be brought to
account as well as Israel –
namely, the US and Egypt.
Egypt’s construction of an
underground wall to block
the underground tunnels
is appalling. The fact is that
the Gazans have to get des-
perately needed supplies
from somewhere.
Z. Chaudhary
Student, Leicester
Aqsa News has been one
of the foundations of my
knowledge about the plight
of the Palestinian people,
and when I heard that read-
ers’letter would be included,
I had to write.
As a Journalism student,
I see the benefits of media
that are not linked to the
mainstream. Aqsa News is
able to freely highlight the
truth about the occupation.
I paid more attention to
the many articles in the last
edition to help prepare my-
self for my trip to Palestine.
Hopefully I will return with
my own stories to tell.
Keep up the good work.
Yours,
S Sader
Writing from Jerusalem.
Letters to the Editor can be sent to: editor@aqsa.org.uk
“
“
“
“
The UN found
credible evidence
last year that the
Israeli’s were guilty
of“war crimes and
possibly crimes
against humanity”
during their assault
on Gaza.
Egypt’s construction
of the underground
wall to block the
underground
tunnels is appalling.
The fact is that the
Gazans have to get
desperately needed
supplies from
somewhere.
“ “ “ “ “ “Claims that Israel is somehow doing the
Palestinians a favour by“easing”the
blockade of Gaza are ridiculous.
It is obvious, with reference to studies and
the demographic, that child malnutrition is
most manifest.
...working together to put those people in
power who would be sympathetic to the
Palestine issue, it may make a difference.

10. AQSA NEWS
10 Friends of Al-Aqsa Message
Since the last edition of
Aqsa News was published, a
lot has changed. For the first
time, Israel’s actions drew
unified condemnation from
the international community.
Its crimes on board the Gaza
Freedom Flotilla will not be
forgotten, least of all by me
and my fellow passengers on
board the MV Marmara.
The struggle to bring Isra-
el to justice for its crimes has
been going on for decades.
The foreseeable future will
no doubt see a continuation
of that struggle, especially as
our government has promised
a change in the application
of Universal Jurisdiction in
Britain to allow Israeli poli-
ticians and generals accused
of War Crimes to continue to
visit our country.
The announcement of the
change in law has been dis-
appointing to say the least.
We had hoped to at least have
some open debate about it,
but this appears to have been
bi-passed. We had hoped that
we could rely on the Lib-
eral Democrats to play a role
which would ensure that Brit-
ain did not become a safe ha-
ven for suspected war crimi-
nals, but once again, we have
been proven wrong.
However, what is clear
is that millions of voices are
now unified across the world
in denouncing Israel’s human
rights abuses, including jour-
nalists, lawyers, presidents
and prime ministers. Israel
is going to find it increas-
ingly difficult to white wash
its crimes, and I hope, in the
coming months and years,
Israeli leaders will finally be
brought before the Interna-
tional Criminal court to an-
swer for their crimes against
the Palestinians, against in-
ternational law, and against
me and my fellow passengers
on board the MV Marmara.
Ismail Patel
Update from
Friends of Al-Aqsa Branches
“How plainly will they see and hear, the Day
that they will appear before Us! But the unjust
today are in error manifest!”
Surah 19, Verse 38
Bradford
Walsall organises 2nd
National Peace Cup
The 2nd National Friends
of Al Aqsa Peace Cup took
place on Sunday 6th June at
Goals in Darlaston, Walsall.
The aim of the tournament
was to raise awareness of
the situation in Palestine to a
wider audience.
The 5-a-side football tour-
nament organised by the
Walsall branch attracted 31
teams- 20 teams up from last
year! The teams, which came
from as far a field as London
and Manchester, were each
able to have a squad of 8
players. Each team paid £65
to enter the competition and
the participants were from a
cross-section of the commu-
nity with many nationalities
represented.
At 11.30am the draw was
made to decide team groups.
The tournament mirrored the
World Cup format with eight
groups of 4 teams each. The
top two teams from each
group went through to the
knockout stages. All of the
matches were officiated by
fully qualified FA registered
referees. The final was con-
tested by two local teams:
Pleck FC from Walsall vs
Park Lane from Darlaston,
with Park Lane eventually
running out as 2-0 winners.
FoA Walsall would like to
thank all of the teams, spon-
sors, volunteers and specta-
tors for their efforts in mak-
ing the tournament such as
success. The tournament was
sponsored by Dixy Chicken
Walsall, F.B Supermarket,
K2 Car Hire, MiJ Perform-
ance, Regency Claims, DPI
Solutions, iWill Solicitors,
Kingdom Appliances, Locks
& Fittings, Mogo Grill and
Zi-Clone Multimedia.
The Bradford branch have
been busy campaigning in
recent weeks over the Israeli
attack on the Gaza bound
Freedom Flotilla. Moham-
med Bhaiyaat from Bradford
was on board the flotilla and
the branch were doing what
they could to support him.
A demonstration in protest of
what occurred on board the
flotilla was held on June 5th
and was attended by some
1,500 people.
Further to this, following the
safe return of the peace ac-
tivists, the branch organised
an event, which included an
eyewitness accounts from
the flotilla. The father of Mo-
hammed Bhaiyaat also spoke
of the ordeal that the family
went through and David Ward
MP attended and expressed
his support.
More recently, the branch has
also begun work in prepara-
tion for the annual boycott Is-
raeli dates campaign – Check
the Label.
The volunteers from the
Glasgow branch have been
working hard on a range of
projects within the last cou-
ple of months - from educa-
tion within the community, to
vigils and lobbying.
Other activities include lob-
bying local government to
cease trade with Israel and
demonstrating against the
sale of Israeli produce in su-
permarkets.
One of the major successes
was hosting a Palestinian
man named Salim who spoke
about his experiences of hav-
ing his home in the West
Bank surrounded and then
demolished by Israeli sol-
diers. Salim’s house has been
demolished four times. Each
time, they have had to rebuild
it. £2000 was raised in order
to help Salim and his fam-
ily rebuild their home once
more.
The London branch was over-
whelmed with support from
the community following
the Israeli attack on the Free-
dom Flotilla on the morning
of May 31st. A demonstra-
tion outside Downing Street
was called on the same day,
in protest of the attack. This
was followed by further dem-
onstrations outside the Israeli
Embassy and Downing Street
on June 1st and June 5th. The
role of the London branch has
also been central to the media
coverage, especially follow-
ing the flotilla attack.
Shamiul Joarder, head of
Public Affairs visited Jeru-
salem in June, and met with
Al-Kaf, who are responsible
for taking care of Masjid
Al-Aqsa.
Other activities have included
involvement in a variety of
conferences including that of
the Palestine Solidarity Cam-
paign (PSC) and competing
in and reaching the final of
the Gaza Cup.
The London branch has been
responsible for the launch of
the Check the Label boycott
Israeli dates campaign which
was launched just weeks
ago in London. Watch out
for more information on the
campaign.
Anyone wishing to join the
branch and offer any support
they can, can contact us by
emailing arif@aqsa.org.uk
Glasgow
London
Walsall
Volunteers from the Liver-
pool branch have already
started work on the Check
the Label boycott Israeli
dates Campaign in prepara-
tion for Ramadan. Over 30
posters have been distributed
and displayed in local shops.
A number of shops stock-
ing Israeli dates that were
approached last year, have
now decided not to stock the
dates. This was clear when
the branch found that from 35
shops, only 1 stocked Israeli
dates. Volunteers are ecstatic
that the message is getting
through.
Other activities have included
fundraising for Medical Aid
and Interpal totalling £8110!
Liverpool

11. AQSA NEWS
11
Leaflets
A set of 20 information leaflets:
Books
Complete set of information leaflets on
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12. AQSA NEWS
12 Fun & Games
COMPETITION
WIN!£20ARGOSVOUCHER!
The Story of Yusuf (Prophet Joseph peace be upon him)
Long ago there was a blessed prophet call Yaqub (Jacob as) who had a son called
Yusuf. Yusuf (as) was very beautiful and was his father’s favourite son because of
his righteousness. One night Yusuf (as) had a strange dream where he saw the
sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down to him! Yusuf (as) told his father
Yaqub (as) about this dream. Yaqub (as) understood that Allah had planned
something special for Yusuf (as). Yaqub (as) told Yusuf (as) not to tell his brothers
the dream as they would become jealous, however the brothers found out about
it and became angry.
One day they took Yusuf (as) out with them to play and when no one was looking,
they threw him into a well. When they went back to their house, they lied to their
father Yaqub (as) and said that a wolf had eaten Yusuf (as) after they left him to
watch over their belongings. Yaqub (as) did not believe their story, but decided to
be patient and to trust in Allah’s help.
Allah listened to Yusuf and Yaqub (as)‘s prayers and Yusuf (as) was found in the
well and taken to Eqypt where he lived in the house of a rich man who cared
for him. After many trials and tests which Yusuf (as) faced in his life, he finally
became the adviser to the King and was very powerful. Many years later, he was
finally reunited with his father. Instead of blaming his brothers for what they had
done to him and making them feel ashamed, he told them that they were free of
blame, and hoped that Allah would forgive them.
The story of Yusuf (as) is an inspiration to us as it shows how pious, righteous
and patient people are looked after by Allah (swt).
Send your answers with your name, age and address to: Friends of Al-Aqsa, PO Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU.
You can also email us your answers on info@aqsa.org.uk but please put ‘competition’ as the subject heading.
Deadline for both competitions is 31st of May 2010. Good luck inshallah!
Storytime
The following wordsearch
is based on the story of
Joseph (as)
WORDS
Blessed
Dream
Forgiveness
Jealousy
Moon
Stars
Well
Yaqub
Yusuf
Prize Winners
The winners from the quizzes in the last edition of the newspaper are:
Raeesah Seedat and Elwad Saeed
Congratulations! You should have now received your prizes.
Friends of Al Aqsa Annual Schools Competition
Thank you to all of you who took part in this year’s competition. Our panel
of judges had a very difficult decision to make, but we are proud to an-
nounce that the winners of the Annual Schools Competition 2010 are:
Key Stage 2: Ruwayda Abubaker of Masjid Quba
Key Stage 3: Zaid Kotwal of Ashrafia Mosque
Unfortunately, our judges were not able to award a third prize for the Key
Stage 4 category as there were insufficient entries. The judges decisions are
final.
Acrostic
Age 13 to 18 years old
Use the clues below to fill in the boxes. Then rearrange
the shaded boxes to make a new word!
Clue for your new word: A famous holy city.
1. To separate a group of people according to race,
religion or colour
2. To abstain from buying or using
3. One of the faiths whose people are classed as the
people of the book
4. Second largest religion in the world
5. A state created in 1948 which borders the
Mediterranean and Egypt
6. This religion uses the star of David as its religious
symbol
7. Term of control of a territory by foreign military forces
8. English equivalent of Arabic word - Philistine
9. A person who flees for safety to a foreign country
10. A political ideology founded by Theodor Herzl
Wordsearch
12 years old or under?

13. AQSA NEWS
13
Crossword
1
2
3
4 5
6 7
8
9
10
11
12
DOWN
1. Formal statement of policy by British
government 1917 (7, 11)
2. United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (5)
3. Prejudice against Jews or Judaism (4,
8)
5. Caliph Abdul Ibn Marwan initiated this
building (4, 2, 3, 4)
6. Current prime minister of israel (8, 9)
7. Israeli intelligence service (6)
9. Founder of Zionism (7, 5)
ACROSS
4. Uprising (Arabic) (8)
8. The standards in international law for
humanitarian treatment of the victims of
war are found in these (6, 10)
10. A practice of separating or segregat-
ing groups. (9)
11. City in West Bank ‘House of Bread’
(9)
12. To abstain from buying or using (7)
Sudoku
Can you make each column,
each row and each of the
nine sub-grids that make up
this puzzle contain the num-
bers 1 to 9?
Try your luck – but don’t pull
your hair out!
How often do we complain
after reading an article,
watching a television pro-
gramme or the news that the
story portrayed is biased, one
sided and generally unfair?
The real question however
is how often do we do some-
thing about it?
It is important to remember
that unless you take posi-
tive action – nothing will be
done! The media plays an
important role in society and
goes a long way in influenc-
ing the public opinion on Pal-
estine. Writing to newspapers
and broadcasting companies
is a good way to ensure that
your views are taken into ac-
count.
However the essential points
to remember in any letter is
to BE POLITE and to argue
your opinion factually and
calmly to be more effective.
Make sure its not all nega-
tive! Don’t always complain
as it is just as important to
highlight the positive aspects
of the media as the negative,
so write some positive emails
too.
Media Monitoring
How to Write: Letters to be Published
1. Accuracy
Ensure that your information is correct. Where possible, support
your arguments factually.
2. Timing
The speedier the response, the more chance it will get published.
For example, with daily broadsheets, unless letters are received by
mid-morning on the day of publishing, it is unlikely that they will
be printed
3. Brief
Remember, the shorter the better, try and focus your letter on one
major point and keep it to one simple paragraph of no more than 7
lines in size 12 Times New Roman font.
4. Clear
All letters must make sense. Also remember that whilst you may
know a great deal about a subject, maybe not all the newspaper
readers will so include brief and succinct explanations where
necessary. Punctuate your letter properly and use correct grammar.
5. Personal
Often letters are more likely to be published if they contain personal
knowledge or experience.
6. Constructive
Remember to praise coverage that you appreciate as well as criticise
or correct that which you dislike.
7. Polite
Newspapers will not publish letters if they are offensive. Be polite.
“
“
The media’s the most powerful entity on
earth. They have the power to make the
innocent guilty and to make the guilty
innocent, and that’s power. Because they
control the minds of the masses.
Malcolm X
An individual has not started living until
he can rise above the narrow confines of
his individualistic concerns to the broader
concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King Jr
“
“

14. AQSA NEWS
14
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15. AQSA NEWS
15
Shortly after the attack
and subsequent global con-
demnation, Israel stated that
it would ‘ease’ the blockade.
However, a report by Elec-
tronic Intifada, written by
Jonathan Cook, a free-lance
journalist based in Nazareth,
sheds light on the possible
implications of the alleged
‘easing’.
Cooks describes the harsh
truth that Israel is still in
control of the border cross-
ings and therefore although
many items will no longer
be ‘banned’, they may sim-
ply remain an “aspiration”
for Palestinians. He expects
that the ban on cement will
remain thereby leaving the
Palestinians in an inescapable
situation in terms of rebuild-
ing the infrastructure which
was bombed by Israel in its
war on Gaza.
Aid agencies continue to
push for a complete lifting
of the blockade to allow the
Gazan economy to function
effectively in order to support
the people of Gaza.
Gaza Siege
Continues in
a New Guise
There was global outcry
when the first news reports
emerged early on Monday
morning. Israel had imposed
a total media blackout except
for its own version of events,
and the live feed which was
broadcast from the ship be-
fore Israel intercepted the
transmission.
It seemed that for the first
time, Israeli aggression, this
time against a humanitar-
ian aid ship, had caused the
international community to
be unified in its condemna-
tion. Since the attack, there
have been numerous protest
globally, both in the form of
demonstrations in the imme-
diate aftermath of the attack,
and economic actions.
A powerful example of
such economic action was
the prevention of an Israeli
ship unloading at a US port.
This is the first time in US
history that such a protest, at-
tended by approximately 700
protesters was able to prevent
workers from unloading Is-
raeli cargo in San Francisco.
A similar protest occurred in
Sweden where dockworkers
staged a week-long protest
refusing to handle goods des-
tined for or originating from
Israel. Around 1,500 mem-
bers of the Swedish Dock-
workers Union began the
boycott across the country’s
ports which handle 95% of
Sweden’s foreign trade.
In the UK, trade unions•
took significant steps in
protest of the attack.
Unison, the public serv-•
ice trade union passed an
emergency motion con-
demning the attack.
Britain’s largest union•
‘Unite’, voted unani-
mously in favour of a
motion to boycott Israeli
companies at its confer-
ence in Manchester.
The Scottish Trades Un-•
ion Congress (STUC),
the umbrella organisa-
tion for trade unions in
Scotland reaffirmed its
support for the Boycott,
Divestment and Sanc-
tions (BDS) campaign
against Israel.
How the World
Responded to
the Attack on the
Gaza Freedom
Flotilla
Spain: The city council of
Villanueva de Duero, Spain
has decided to remove the
Eden brand water from Gov-
ernment buildings following
lobbying efforts by Spanish
activists. The company takes
water from the Salukiya
Springs, located in the ille-
gally annexed Golan Heights.
They have expanded opera-
tions to Europe, and now bot-
tle water at springs around
the continent.
Norway: Cancelled a special
operations seminar in June,
which was to include an Is-
raeli army officer within the
program. The Defence Minis-
try of Norway were reported
to have been unhappy about
the Israeli officer delivering a
talk in Oslo just weeks after
the deadly raid on the Gaza
bound Freedom Flotilla.
Italy: Two major Italian su-
permarkets, COOP and Nor-
diconad announced their de-
cision to suspend sales from
Agrexco – the main exporter
of produce originating in Is-
rael and illegal settlements
in the Occupied Territories.
Nordiconad Director Mr.
Covili stated that from the
end of April, Agrexco prod-
ucts would no longer be
found in their supermarkets.
The World Speaks

16. By Dr Hanan Chehata
Press Officer for the Middle East Monitor (MEMO)
With every day that passes Israel further establishes itself as
one of the world’s leading violators of human rights. To its
British and American allies this may be seen as a gross over-
statement; after all there are plenty of despotic, third world
countries that arguably have worse human rights records. The
question is - how many of them model themselves as demo-
cratic, advanced, first world, nuclear allies?
The cold, hard facts of Israel’s ever worsening track record are
well documented by human rights organisations and the UN,
and they speak for themselves.
ABUSES OF PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
Palestinian lives seem to be accorded little, if any, value by
the Israeli authorities. Countless human rights reports and in-
vestigations have verified the fact that Palestinian children are
arrested and abused in Israeli jails; frail and elderly Palestinian
men and women are beaten without cause; Palestinian mothers
are attacked on the streets; Palestinian men are tortured and
executed, family homes are demolished; illegal sieges are im-
posed as a result of which Palestinian children have died due
to restricted access to lifesaving medical treatment and so on...
and nothing is done to stop it.
The international community has a moral and legal obligation
to intervene, yet we have failed to do so.
This sad state of affairs has been going on for decades now and
is only getting worse. However, it is not only Palestinian lives
that are being targeted. Anyone who demonstrates any inclina-
tion towards supporting the Palestinian people by standing up
for human rights is, by mere association, also being targeted.
Thus, international solidarity and humanitarian activists work-
ing in the occupied territories have become “legitimate” tar-
gets of Israeli hostility and violence, regardless of where in the
world they come from.
ATTACKS ON SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS
The Palestinian territories attracts large numbers of solidarity
activists, due to the nature of the suffering that the Palestinians
are undergoing and the strong feeling of injustice this has gen-
erated amongst millions at the grass roots level globally.
Thus, there are a lot of potential targets for nervy, jumpy or
seasoned Occupation Force soldiers.
The Freedom Flotilla Massacre (2010)
On May 31st 2010, the world watched in utter disbelief as live
video transmissions showed the Mavi Marmara, the main pas-
senger boat in the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, being attacked
by Israeli forces. According to reports, 4 Israeli warships, 3
helicopters, 2 submarines and 30 zodiac boats surrounded the
flotilla in the early hours of the morning. With the use of such
large numbers of army personnel and equipment, there could
be little doubt that there would be fatalities.
Nine international humanitarian workers were killed as a result
of Israel’s illegal attack on the ship. Of the nine killed, collec-
tively they all suffered 31 gunshot wounds.
The Nine Victims from the Flotilla
Farrakhan Dogan,
Vahri Yildiz,
Cengiz Okez,
Cengiz Sunqur,
Cetin Topkoogelo,
Necdet Yildirim,
Kovdit Kililar,
Ali Heyder Bengi,
Ibrahim Bilgen
(More details on the next page)
Israel Turns its Guns on Internationals
Rachel Corrie (2003)
The most well known death is probably twenty three year
old American peace activist Rachel Corrie. Having taken a
year off from college, Rachel travelled to Gaza in 2003 where
she was working with the International Solidarity Movement
(ISM) which is a Palestinian-led organisation “committed to
resisting the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian land using non-
violent, direct-action methods and principles.”
She was protesting against the forcible and illegal demoli-
tion of a local Palestinian doctor’s family home and stood in
the way to block the path of the American made Caterpillar
bulldozer. Photographic footage shows that Rachel was wear-
ing a bright fluorescent jacket and had a loud speaker in her
hands which she was using to shout out to the bulldozer driver
to stop.
Instead of stopping, the Israeli soldier ran her over before
reversing back over her fallen, crushed body. Rachel’s parents
have made it very clear that the Israeli investigation into her
death was a complete whitewash and they are still fighting for
someone to be held accountable for their daughter’s murder.
Tom Hurndall (2004)
Twenty one year old British photography and journalism
student Tom Hurndall was killed in 2004. Tom was also an
ISM volunteer in Gaza, who was bravely and desperately try-
ing to carry Palestinian children to safety after Israeli troops
opened fire. He was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper.
After a two hour delay in getting him to hospital, Tom went
into a coma from which he never woke up. Nine months later,
he died. Although the sniper, Taysir Hayb (a Bedouin Arab in
the Israeli army) was prosecuted, there was no accountability
for the upper echelons of the Israeli hierarchy who had appar-
ently allowed a shoot to kill policy of civilians to exist. Tom’s
father made the comment that “we’re concerned that there is
a policy….. amongst the Israeli soldiers and army, that they
feel able to shoot civilians really without any accountability
whatsoever.” In July 2010, news emerged that Hayb was to
be released from prison 2 years early, and would be free by
August 2010.
Tom’s journals were released by his family after his death,
and he had written: “I want to be proud of myself. I want
more. I want to look up to myself and when I die, I want to
smile because of the things I have done, not cry for the things
I haven’t done.”
Tristan Anderson (2009)
Of those who survived Is-
raeli attacks, many were left
permanently disfigured or
injured. California born Tris-
tan Anderson was shot in the
head by Israeli forces in 2009
with a tear gas canister and
sustained permanent brain
injury.
Emily Henochowicz (2010)
In one shocking case last
month, twenty one year old
American student, Emily
Henochowicz, had her eye
removed after she was shot in
the face by an Israeli soldier
as she protested against the
flotilla attack.
AQSA NEWS
16 Special Feature