Students for Palestine

Israeli water cooler company Eden Springs has closed its East of Scotland depot after losing, according to a well placed industry insider, ‘hundreds of contracts’ across Scotland. Among the major losses in recent months, in an industry that is generally expanding, are contracts with East Lothian and West Lothian Councils and Caledonian MacBrayne Ferrries, the sole link between the mainland and Scotland’s many islands. Heriot –Watt University in Edinburgh has also cancelled and Stevenson College, the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, as well as a number of Scottish trade union and student bodies have all voted to boycott Eden springs explicitly on the grounds of their violations of international and human rights law.

The closure of Eden Springs East of Scotland depot at Loanhead (Edinburgh) and the loss of so many contracts is widely recognised within the industry to be due in part, according to the same source, to a determined publicity campaign by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. This campaign is in response to the appeal from Palestinians, and is supported by the main Israeli peace group, Gush Shalom, who oppose Eden Springs’ violations of international and human rights law in the occupied Golan Heights.

Eden Springs has been keen to conceal its status as an-Israeli owned company. Another industry insider, who wished to remain anonymous, reports that Eden Springs manager, Graham Carruthers, has been canvassing customer responses to a name change as one way to limit the damage done by increasing association of the brand with Israel and its crimes. In view of the gravity of the crisis that Eden Springs faces in Scotland, Mr Carruthers has also been handling personally all calls to the sole remaining Scottish depot in Blantyre that relate to Eden Springs’ Israeli connection.

Contact campaign@scottishpsc.org.uk for more information and resources on getting rid of Eden Springs from your school, university, college or workplace.

A top UN official has called for “concrete action” against Israel over the country’s treatment of Palestinians in the territories.

General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann suggested Monday that the international community should consider sanctions against Israel including “boycott, divestment and sanctions” similar to those enacted against South Africa two decades ago.

“Today, perhaps we in the United Nations should consider following the lead of a new generation of civil society who are calling for a similar nonviolent campaign,” said D’Escoto, a Nicaraguan diplomat who currently holds the one-year presidency.

from Addameer

On the 30th October 2008, at 10:15 a.m. the Israeli army stormed the faculty of the Palestine Technical College in Aroub Refugee Camp, Hebron and arrested students from some of the classrooms. The students were blindfolded, shackled and then repeatedly beaten, slapped and punched all over the body. They were then taken to Gush Etzion military detention centre. At 9:00 pm two of the boys were released, however, eight of them are still in detention. None of the boys are older than 16.
Hatem is a teacher in the Palestine Technical College. He states that on the 30th October 2008 at approximately 10:15 a.m. the Israeli Occupation Forces arrived at the college in four military jeeps. Hatem was the only teacher present in the playground area at that time. One of the soldiers shouted at him, ‘where are the boys that threw stones?’ Hatem told the soldier that the typical school day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. so all of the children were inside their classes. The soldier then pushed Hatem to the ground and ordered the other soldiers to search the college. Around ten soldiers entered the college. They kicked the doors and entered the classrooms where the children were taking their practical classes. They closed the door and one of the soldiers started beating a physically disabled student that was sitting in the first row. The soldiers started yelling at the boys and then pushed one of the students, MD. One of the soldiers grabbed MD and shouted, ‘You are the boy that threw the stones!’ MD was arrested along with six other boys. The soldiers subsequently entered the other classrooms and began randomly arresting students. They specifically targeted those who were wearing black jackets. The soldiers then took all of the boys to the playground area and prevented the teachers from talking with the students.

The soldiers subsequently started to beat one of the students, RB by slapping his face and kicking him on his head. Hatem tried to help him, however, the soldiers threatened to open fire. They then fired stun grenades and live bullets into the playground area. The soldiers continued to beat some of the other detained students. Hatem states that he could hear the students screaming from the beatings, however, he was prevented from doing anything to help them. The director of the college called an ambulance; however, it was delayed due to the soldiers blocking the entrance of the Camp. The soldiers then blindfolded and shackled 19 students and forced them to sit at the base of the military tower at the entrance of the Refugee Camp. After fifteen minutes the soldiers released nine students.

Testimony from 16 year old student taken by Addameer Attorney Firas Sabbah on November 3rd 2008 at Gush Etzion Military Detention Centre.
My name is RB. I was born on the 26th of October 1992. I’m a 10th grade student at the Palestine Technical College where I study agriculture. On the 30th October 2008, as usual I went to school. I was supposed to have an exam that day. At around 10:30 I was terrified when I saw soldiers entering the classroom. They started randomly arresting my classmates. Then the soldier told me to get out of the class. I was taken to the playground area of the school. When the soldier saw me looking at him he grabbed my head and slapped me on the face. He told me to keep my face to the ground. After that he made all of us stand in one row and we were forced to walk one after the other towards the military tower. I lost my place in the row and the soldier hit me on my legs and kicked me. Another soldier beat me until we reached the gate of the Refugee Camp. After that, the soldier laughed in my face and when I looked back he slapped me and beat me so hard on the chest that I felt it was difficult to breathe. I fell to the ground where I continued to be beaten. After about three hours I was blindfolded and shackled and pushed into the military jeep. My blindfold slipped in the process of getting into the jeep so I was beaten again.

The Court Hearing
On November 6, 2008, the eight children were brought to Ofer military court. They had been detained for eight days until they were brought before the court . All boys were charged with throwing stones despite the fact that the evidence is built upon the testimonies of only three soldiers. In this initial hearing, the boys’ detention was extended until November 11th 2008. In their defence Addameer Attorney Mahmoud Hassan argued that these children are being detained with adults in an adult facility which is in total violation of international law. On the 28th October, 2008, Adv Hassan used this similar argument to secure the release of two 14 year old boys who were arrested from their homes in Beit Ummar on the 9th October 2008. Each boy was released with a bail of 8,000 NIS (Approx $2,111). Indeed according to Addameer’s experience, this is the first time that a military judge has agreed to release children under the pretense that it is illegal for them to be detained with adults. On this occasion, however, the military judge rejected Adv. Hassan’s argument and ordered that the boys be detained until the end of trial. Adv. Hassan appealed this decision and called for the boys to be released on bail. The result of this latest appeal will be heard in Ofer Military Court on November 20th, 2008. On December 14th, 2008 the Court will commence with a hearing from the witnesses.

Addameer Statement
Addameer strongly condemns the collective punishment of these school boys and their continued detention without sufficient evidence. The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets up universally recognised principles and norms as minimal standards for children’s rights. One fundamental principle of sentencing is that the deprivation of liberty, if used at all, should only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time (Art. 37 (b), CRC). Clearly this is not the case for these eight boys. It should be emphasized that, in accordance with the Convention, every Child without exception whatsoever, has the right to benefit from these standards. According to Israeli military order 132, Palestinian children age 16 and older are treated as adults and are tried and sentenced by Israeli military courts as adults. Israeli military orders are applied to Palestinian children, even as juvenile legislation defines Israeli children as age 18 or younger. Addameer urges the international community to demand that Israel abide by international law and and treat those under the age of 18 as children. In addition Addameer calls on the international community to insist that the Israeli occupation forces stop at once further arrests of Palestinian juveniles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Press Release, Action Palestine , 13 November 2008

Dear Editors,

One of the less reported aspects of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip is the daily infringements faced by Palestinian students on their fundamental human right to an education. Given that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - ratified by Israel in 1991 - underlines the fact that “Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights,” the daily obstructions presented by check points, regular curfews, amongst other oppressive measures, represent a serious infringement of Palestinian entitlements to unhindered access to education. These infringements are particularly harmful because of the importance Palestinian society attaches to education and the equally important role played by Palestinian students in contributing to the resistance of Israeli oppression.

As students in this country we feel it important that as part of our on going campaign of solidarity, we raise awareness of the plight of Palestinian Students. Accordingly, we have accepted a request from Palestinian Student Unions to receive a delegation of Palestinian Student Representatives on a speaking tour of British University campuses. This tour is organised as part of the Right to Education Week starting on the 17th of November; the week of activities aims to mobilise and strengthen partnerships between UK and Palestinian student bodies in order to highlight the severity of the situation, as well as build a solidarity movement that can begin to strategically challenge the prevalent injustices faced by Palestinian students.

This tour will include visits to the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, SOAS, Oxford, Birmingham, Liverpool, Strathclyde and Cambridge, in the hope of relating their experiences living under the Israeli occupation and provide first hand accounts of how the occupation hinders their ability to study in an environment free of oppression.

Two of the students on the delegation represent an affiliate of Action Palestine, the Right to Education Campaign, which is currently based in three universities in the West bank. According to the Campaign, the R2E week is an excellent way of raising international awareness of the obstacles faced by Palestinian students in exercising their right to education, and a means of building an international coalition of organizations to collectively campaign in support of Palestinian students, teachers and educational institutions.

In addition to the speaking tour, the R2E week will comprise of a series of events, activities and campaigns to raise awareness about the issues surrounding the right to education.

To find out more about the R2E campaign or the struggle of Palestinian students for freedom and justice through education contact Action Palestine on media@actionpalestine.org or 07845275197 or visit:
www.actionpalestine.org
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