Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) strongly responds to the terrorist label on the six human rights activist organizations namely Addameer, Al-Haq, Bisan Center for Research and development, Defense for Children International – Palestine, Union of Agricultural Work Committees, and Union of Palestinian Women’s committees, by Israeli Government. It is to be noted that the six aforementioned organizations have been exclusively insistent on human rights violation of Palestinians in Israel, in the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, whereby being resistant to the Israeli apartheid regime. The declaration on these organizations as outlaws is a direct threat to their activist members and unshields the vulnerable Palestinians subjected to violation of rights.
What do you call this? https://t.co/DU5jkNWNTa
— IPSC (@ipsc48) May 13, 2022
The ‘International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)’ reported that Israeli government has been harassing the human rights defenders through imposition of travel bans, deportations, raids and imprisonments. The Israeli occupation forces invaded the organization ‘Defense for Children International (DCI)’ Palestine, and confiscated computers and confidential files about child prisoners held by Israeli forces. These raids and actions have been observed as measures to nullify the evidential support of the human rights organizations’ appeals in International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel.
“It is the Israeli impunity that they are so used to shooting people, arresting people, using administrative detentions and getting away with it, internationally, that for instance, there are concern statements from the US and EU on the banning of these organizations by Israel but they are not going to ban Israel from trade agreements or in case of US, the 4 billion military aid,” says Betty Purcell, representative of IPSC, ex commissioner of Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and ex journalist of RTE.
Having observed the apartheid system in Israel where the Palestinians have been oppressed to the ground and coexistence is not happening, Betty Purcell condemns Israeli regime for their crimes against the Palestinians and the Human Rights defenders working for Palestinian solidarity. She spoke about the human rights activists being arrested, 96% of Palestinian children being interrogated without the presence of family or guardian and other atrocities in Israel. Betty Purcell noted that banning of these organizations who are working for the Palestinian solidarity have been the obstacle for the Israelis to continue with their atrocities and criminalizing these organizations is an effort to invalidate the evidences produced by the organizations against Israeli regime in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to Betty Purcell, despite of the Irish solidarity with the Palestinians, the effort of the Irish government have been minimal, where she mentioned about the ‘Occupied Territories Bill’. She calls for action in part of the Irish Government in condemning the Israeli declaration of the six human rights organizations as ‘outlaws’ and take serious steps such as ‘Expelling the Israeli ambassador’, ‘Prosecuting Israel in the International Criminal Court’ and backing up the human rights organizations working for solidarity with Palestine.
“US shift would be the biggest shift and Europe is the best place to make this shift happen,” Betty Purcell refers to US and Europe dismissing trade relations with Israel and political pressurization can make a paradigm shift for the lives of the Palestinians in Israel. Betty Purcell calls for support by emailing the petition “Irish Government must condemn criminalization of Palestinian human rights defenders by apartheid Israel” to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of State for EU Affairs, Ireland, through the official website of IPSC, https://www.ipsc.ie/.
Betty Purcell also spoke about IPSC’s strenuously participating in campaigns for solidarity with Palestinian people. Emphasizing on the involvement of IPSC, Betty Purcell mentions about BDS, Boycott HP and NAKBA Campaign.
murals in ireland showing solidarity with palestine against oppression and occupation pic.twitter.com/Ik3ssiwjjQ
— ☀️👀 (@zei_squirrel) May 8, 2022