THIS column makes no apologies for writing so much about the genocide in Palestine and the urgent need for ceasefires and a peace process. At least 14,000 babies face imminent death from starvation. Over 60,000 Palestinian children, women and men have been killed, including more than 4,000 since Israel ended its ceasefire in March. One especially harrowing example of Israel’s murder machine at work was the deliberate targeting last Friday of the family home of Hamdi and Walaa al-Najjar, two doctors who work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. As Hamdi was at work, nine of her ten children were killed. Her husband and a 10th child were injured.
Mothers Against Genocide have stood up against this savagery and for the rights of the Palestinian people. Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough are active in this campaign. Sue has been a political activist all her life. My earliest memory of her is as a member of Women Against Imperialism over 40 years ago. Sue is a Gaeilgeoir who has worked for decades promoting the education of our young people through the medium of Irish. She is also a committed advocate for the rights of the people of Palestine and at the weekend she and her friend Martine were arrested by the PSNI and charged with ‘criminal damage’ to an ATM at Barclays Bank in Castle Place in Belfast city centre. The so-called criminal damage was the placing of a sticker on the machine as a reminder of Barclays role in selling Israeli war bonds.
The ATM was not damaged by their non-violent protest. But five PSNI officers were dispatched to arrest Sue and Martine and the Public Prosecution Service is now tasked by the PSNI with determining if they will be prosecuted.
This speedy response by the PSNI drew sharp criticism, with many pointing to the proliferation of loyalist paramilitary flags and no action by the PSNI.
Meanwhile, in London ‘Mo Chara’ - Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – of Kneecap was charged with a ‘terrorism’ offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last November. He will be in court in June. There have been calls by British politicians to have Kneecap banned and for their concerts to be scrapped. Kneecap have described this as a blatant attempt to shut them down and to distract from the complicity of the British government in the slaughter of Palestinian civilians. At a packed concert last Saturday night in front of 20,000, Kneecap were defiant as they led the audience in the demand to “Free Palestine.”
As the policing system here and in London makes a fool of itself, Wednesday marked 600 days of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Israel has waged an unceasing war against medical facilities and staff in the Gaza Strip for 600 days. The Zionists are armed by the White House and London and other big Western powers
Throughout this time, Britain, France, Germany, the USA and others have defended Israel’s actions. They are excused and justified on the spurious grounds of self-defence. What threat did 16,000 dead Palestinian children present, or the thousands more currently dying from starvation?
There is a huge onus on the Irish government to go beyond public criticism of the Israeli regime by taking effective steps to speedily pass the Occupied Territories Bill and to work with other governments to impose sanctions on Israel. This must include supporting Sinn Féin’s legislation to stop the Irish Central Bank from enabling the sale of Israeli war bonds and ensuring that no aircraft land at Shannon Airport carrying war materials for Israel.
Of course, it’s not just down to the government. We can all play our part as individuals, as business people, as shopkeepers and as restaurateurs. ‘Don’t Buy Apartheid’ is a campaign aimed at persuading people to boycott produce and products made in Israel on stolen Palestinian land. This includes oranges, avocados, dates, Coca-Cola and its many brands. Sue and Martine and many others have shown the power of activism. We must never give up. Free Palestine.
Meanwhile, there will be a public event this Saturday – May 31 May – about the ongoing genocide. The venue is St Comgalls/Ionad Eileen Howell and it starts at 7.30pm. Chairing the meeting, which is sponsored by the Bobby Sands Trust, will be Dr Brendan Ciaran Browne, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution. The main speaker will be Yousef M. Aljamal.
On the International Wall in Belfast there is a poem by Refaat Alareer, ‘If I Must Die’, which he wrote for his daughter, Shaymaa, who would grow up to be an accomplished illustrator. It is very poignant because the Israelis went on to kill Refaat, along with his sister, brother and four of his nephews and nieces
In 2014 after the murder of his brother, Hamada, Refaat wrote: "My brother will be martyr number 26 in my extended family; five of them killed last week and had their bodies dug out of the rubble during Sunday’s twelve-hour 'humanitarian ceasefire'."
Refaat taught in the English Department of the Islamic University of Gaza. All seventeen universities and colleges in Gaza have since been destroyed. An educated people is one of the worst fears of the Zionists.
Among Refaat’s students was Yousef M. Aljamal, who became a close friend and comrade. Yousef was one of the editors of 'A Shared Struggle' which told the stories of surviving Palestinian and Irish republican hunger strikers, published by An Fhuiseog bookshop (unfortunately, currently out of print).
You can listen to Yousef in St Comgalls/Ionad Eileen Howell next Saturday at 7.30pm.
This is the poem on the International Wall, the poem that Refaat wrote for his daughter, Shaymaa, fourteen years ago. Last year, the Israelis murdered Shaymaa, her husband and her three-month old baby.
If I Must Die
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
Give the vote to 16-year-olds
THE debate on reducing the voting age to 16 is gathering momentum. Twice in the last decade the Assembly – minus the DUP – has endorsed the call for the vote to be reduced in the North from 18 to 16. Several years ago Sinn Féin introduced a Bill in the Oireachtas to allow for this in southern elections and last week An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he had an “open mind” on such a proposition and would give it "serious consideration".
16-year-olds already have the vote in Scotland and Wales and in many central and south American states. The British Labour government made a promise during the last election to introduce appropriate legislation for the vote at 16 but there is no timeframe for this.
DEMOCRACY: It's high time the franchise was extended to 16-year-olds
Every day governments take decisions that impact on the lives of 16-year-old citizens while denying them a say in those decisions. At 16 a citizen can start work and pay tax and national insurance but is denied a say in how these are spent. We need to encourage the greatest participation in the democratic process.
