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 Life Under Occupation: Report from the West Bank. Talk by Gill Knight.
Saturday 2 March 15:00-17:00 / 3pm - 5pm.
St Mary's Church Centre, Lion St, Rye TN31 7LB.
This is our first meeting in Rye - we hope that as many people as possible can attend.
Retired teacher and local PSC member Gill first visited Israel/the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2010 and established a deep, personal connection with the people and the country over a number of subsequent visits. Last November Gill attended a tour with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions [ICAHD] which took them through Israel and the West Bank, visiting Palestinian and Bedouin communities.
Article in the Rye and Battle Observer: Click here. Facebook event.
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Hastings and Rye Palestine Solidarity Campaign in the news.
Articles in the local press following our recent public meeting with Dr. Jenny Tonge.
Hastings Independent Press: Social Media Storm Diverts Palestine Solidarity Talk.
Hastings Online Times: Despite Israel lobby's efforts, Tonge delivers clear message.
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 Public meeting: "Women in Hebron"
Living under occupation: a woman's view.
Wednesday 20 March 19.00 (7 pm)
White Rock Hotel (opposite pier), Hastings TN34 1JU
Speaker: Laila Hasan, founder of "Women in Hebron," also known as the Idna Cooperative Association for Embroidery and Handicrafts, a not-for-profit fair-trade employment project. Women in Hebron is an act of preserving Palestinian cultural heritage, of strengthening community, of honouring the role of women in Palestinian society, and of showing sumud - steadfastness - in the face of the occupation of Palestine and the harm it has done to the people of Hebron.
Handicrafts made by the Women In Hebron co-operative will be available to purchase at the event.
Women In Hebron: Our story.
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Over 15,000 illegal settlement units built during 2018.
Planning of settlement building is going ahead "at an unprecedented high level." This is alongside a growing number of Palestinians at risk of being evicted. Plans have been announced that potentially will cut off Bethlehem from the southern West Bank, completing the near encirclement of Bethlehem by Israeli settlements.
Over 15,000 Settlement Units Built During 2018.
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 Fly Kites Not Drones.
Saturday 16 March. Meet 11 am on the beach opposite the Carlisle Pub TN34 1PE.
Fly kites in solidarity with young people who live in countries where drones are causing death, injury and fear. Organised by Hastings Against War.
Drones are still killing men, women and children in Gaza, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Pakistan. USA, the UK and Israel are the 3 main countries that launch drone attacks on communities abroad.
Meeting: Drone Wars - Out Of Mind - Out Of Control.
Tuesday 5th March 2019 7.00 pm.
Quaker Meeting House, 5 South Terrace, Hastings TN34 1SA.
Organised by Hastings Against War.
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International Women's Day 2019. Finding our Voices. Sunday 10th March.
We hope to support and attend the Hastings event. Watch out for our stall. Facebook event.
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Spanish company turns down Jerusalem railway tender.
The company's workers refuse to work on the project: it "will pass through Palestinian lands to serve illegal settlements in East Jerusalem."
Israeli Tender for Jerusalem Railway Rejected by Spanish Company.
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Israeli forces kill four children in two weeks.
Aged between 13 and 17, the 4 boys were shot dead by the Israeli military in both the West Bank and Gaza.
Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) report.
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Israeli firms face UN blacklist for settlement business.
"A number of Israeli and international companies are facing the risk of being included on a United Nations blacklist for doing business in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank." One firm pinpointed is the pharmaceutical company Teva. A reminder that Teva products are sold widely in the UK - it's high up on the list to boycott. Article here.
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 Call for Eurovision to be moved from Israel: letter from musician and composer Brian Eno.
Brian Eno states the obvious - that Israel will exclude most Palestinians from the Eurovision 'festivities.' The European Broadcasting Union's code of ethics promotes "human rights, freedom of expression, democracy, cultural diversity, tolerance and solidarity," all of which have clearly been abandoned in Israel. Last August Israel's F16 jets destroyed the Said al-Mishal Centre in Gaza, a place of music, theatre and dance; Israel's snipers targeted and killed journalists who were filming the unarmed protestors in Gaza; Palestinian artists, actors and musicians are routinely denied permission to travel by the Israeli occupation authorities, or, as in the case of the poet Dareen Tatour end up in prison.
Brian Eno: Israel must not be allowed to use Eurovision as a propaganda tool.
 "Cultural Boycott" by Eurodivision.
Heaps better than Bucks Fizz! The most finger clicking, foot tapping, hand clapping, thigh slapping song for boycotting Eurovision. Words included. We hope everyone will be going round Hastings and Rye singing this out aloud!
"Cultural Boycott" by Eurodivision.
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Outgoing IDF Chief Says Yes, We Armed Anti-Government Extremists in Syria.
More proof that Israel has been giving material support to the al-Qaida affiliate groups in Syria: Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) chief Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot.
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Yes of course Israel is interfering in British politics.
An internal report states that, based out of "media rooms" in Israel, the US and the UK, Act.IL can direct an army of more than than 15,000 propagandists via its app. Article here.
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Anti-Zionism is not the same as anti-Semitism.
Activist and academic Sai Englert explains why conflating Anti-Zionism with Anti-Semitism is "problematic." Video from Middle East Eye.
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Tribute to Jeremy Hardy by MAP/Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Recommended viewing: the film embedded in the article: Health Under Occupation documentary - featuring Jeremy Hardy and Imran Yusuf.
MAP's team immensely sad to hear of the death of Jeremy Hardy.
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 News from the occupation:
Defying Racism: A Palestinian musician's ordeal at Ben Gurion Airport.
Bulldozers Raze Lands in Khuzaa.
Israel Knesset Speaker calls to 'remove' Palestine.
Settlement fires school's Israeli Arab cleaning staff after threats from parents.
Ahmad Sa'adat (PFLP): Palestine Will Be Freed By The People, Not The Elites.
Israel's freezing of Palestinian tax funds "collective punishment."
Other news:
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute re-invites Angela Davis.
Jonathan Cook: Anti-semitism vigilantes are feeding the far-right.
Lebanon: Israel violating water borders in oil exploration.
BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) news
Tayside Pension Fund drops Bank Hapoalim.
Miko Peled: As Malaysia and Ireland Find Out, You Stand Up for Palestinian Rights at Your Peril.
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Saturday information stalls - in Hastings and Rye.
Hastings We've run weekly information stalls in Hastings Town Centre opposite Lloyds Bank every Saturday 12.00 'til 14.00 (2 pm) since 2014.
From January - March, we'll decide on the Friday whether to go ahead or not depending on the weather forecast - 'phone number to ring to find out: 07854 486794. Back to normal in the Spring.
Rye We run fortnightly stalls on the cobbles at the top of Conduit Hill, where it meets the High Street. 11 - 1 pm.
Please come along to either (or both!) of our stalls to say hello and support us: any amount of time is appreciated.
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Hastings PSC Membership. We welcome new members! Becoming a member of Hastings PSC is an important way of supporting our work.The annual subscription is £10 waged, £5 unwaged. We haven't an online system as yet, but please fill in our membership form and hand it in at one of our information stalls or meetings. Download form here. We also encourage local people to join the national PSC.
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Recent Hastings PSC newsletters:
3 February 2019
23 January 2019
20 January 2019
Keep up to date with our website and Facebook pages:
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