DUE TO the unprecedented situation in Gaza, Féile na Carraige have announced that  their Saturday night event celebrating Palestinian culture will instead be a solidarity evening for besieged Palestinians in Gaza.

The cultural celebration night, due to take place this Saturday, was originally meant to raise funds for the Aclaí Gym which was set up by Ainle Ó Cairealláin in the Aida Refugee camp in the West Bank. The gym opened in 2018 and is part of the Lajee Community Centre in the camp, providing a range of services for local Palestinians.

Now the Palestine Night (Oíche Phalaistíne) will be used as a place for people in West Belfast to come together and organise the best way to show their solidarity and work out how to aid besieged Gazans.

Feargal MacIonnrachtaigh of Glór na Móna said: “We had planned to organise a fundraiser and a cultural celebration night with funds going towards the Lajee Community Centre which is in the Aida Refugee camp in the West Bank. After what’s happened that didn’t seem appropriate any more."

Eoghan Ó Garmaile of Glór na Móna added: “We had the night planned for a number of months and had arranged the set-up with flags, t-shirts etc but now with the recent events instead of a cultural celebration we want to have a public meeting and see what sort of emergency response we can organise. We were going to fundraise throughout the festival for the Lajee Centre but now we are thinking that we’ll try and send as much as possible to the people of Gaza.”

Though the cultural night will now be one of solidarity, Feargal said Saturday's event could serve as one of the first in several solidarity events to come and they would be inviting Palestinians living in Belfast along.

“Palestine Solidarity will also be coming along and they will have a table with information, literature and ways in which people can help," he said. "We also want to urge people from Palestine who are living in Belfast to come along, meet up with others, have some food and hopefully gain a wee sense of comfort that some people are doing something. 

“We want to share ideas – this isn’t going to be over today or tomorrow and there’s going to be a need for a whole range of solidarity events. We’re hoping this can be a first meeting to see what we can do in West Belfast to support that."

Ainle Ó Cairealláin who set up the Aclaí gym said the situation in the West Bank where the gym is located remains tense and the Israeli army were opening fire with live rounds on protestors.

"We’re in contact with our friends at the gym and others who live out there in the West Bank every day. The situation is very different in the West Bank at the moment than it is in Gaza but the situation is very tense.

"People are stocking up on food and the Israelis have closed down all the checkpoints. People are wondering whether it will spill over into the West Bank and if resistance fighters there will join in because of what is happening in Gaza.

“There is no movement between cities at the moment and people are taking to the streets in demonstrations, people are confronting the Israeli army on the street and around 15 people have been killed by live bullets.

"Israel have a shoot-to-kill policy against all demonstrations. One of my good friends out there was at a demonstration and a 13-year-old was shot in the leg and another was shot in the head and killed.”

Laochra Mac Iomhaire who visited the gym in August said things have been tense for some time but praised the community spirit and resilience of Palestinians.

“It was tense but it was amazing to see the community spirit and how together everyone was and how they weren’t reliant on governments but were doing everything themselves.

"The gym over there offers the people a way to take their mind of their reality and offers a bit of an escape. Things were very tough as it was just after the massacres in Jenin and you could see the devastation in the community.”

Ainle added that what is happening in Gaza right now is further compounded by the awful conditions which are imposed on people and said it was important for people to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

“The situation in the camps are very difficult. There are cramped living conditions, a severe lack of space. There is a lack of infrastructure, medical resources and health resources. The biggest problem is the Israelis completely control the electricity and water supplies.

“In the camp where the gym is there is a very strong attitude of self-reliance born out of necessity, very similar to the situation which existed and still exists in West Belfast and what sprung out of that, such as the Cultúrlann, Coláiste Feirste etc. 

“Right now, it is critical and extremely important for people in Palestine that we make a contribution towards them and also stand up and support them. With what is happening right now, it’s extremely important that we speak out against it in unconditional terms, against the occupation by Israel and what they're doing to Gaza."

The solidarity night will take place at the Cultúrlann on Saturday, 7pm.

Items can also be bought from gaeilge.bigcartel.com with all proceeds going to help Palestine.