Halifax Friends of palestine Welcome to our 2016 Discussion Series: 1.Why Palestine? 2.Why Has the Peace Process Failed? 3.Israel: Apartheid State or a Real Democracy? 4.Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism: What’s the Difference? 5.Two State, One State, No State…? 6.Hamas: Terrorists of Freedom Fighters? 7.Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – what next? 8.The Israeli propaganda machine –can it be countered?

Why Palestine? Why is the Israel/Palestine question so special? What role has Britain played in the history of Palestine? How can we offer our support to the people of Palestine?

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Britain’s Role…… – First Zionist Congress in Basel 1901 – Founding of Jewish National Fund “devoted exclusively to the acquisition of land in Palestine for Jewish settlement…” (1900 Palestine = 4% Jews, 96% Arabs) 1917 – The Balfour Declaration : The British Government “views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and will “use best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object”

The British Mandate: – End of First World War Treaty of Versailles League of Nations (predecessor of UN) set up Break-up of Ottoman Empire Middle East divided into British and French Mandated territories Britain rules Palestine until 1948 May 1948 – The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine State of Israel declared

– Secret agreement between Britain and Israel – attack on Egypt –Suez Crisis 1967 –Six Day War – Israel invades Gaza Strip and ends Jordanian rule of the West Bank of the Jordan 1973 – Yom Kippur war Israel occupies the Golan Heights in Syria Israel now in military occupation of the whole of historic Palestine… – Oslo Accord – “Two State Solution” – PLO recognises state of Israel, in return for promise of Palestinian state on one fifth of Palestine in 5 years…

10 The historical context.

The struggle for Palestine… 1960s – Palestine Liberation Organisation formed… 1970s – start of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories…. Half a million Israelis now live there… 1987 – First Intifada … 1994 –Oslo Accords – creation of Palestinian Authority 2000 – Second Intifada Israeli landgrab intensifies with building of apartheid wall deep inside the West Bank Hamas win elections in Palestine – Israel arrests MPs…Breakdown of Fatah – Hamas relationship

So What can we do here? Support the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Keep up the pressure on our MP and MEPs to hold Israel to account, and end the arms trade with Israel

Discussion questions: What are the most important facts about Palestine that we need to get across to people here? What are the best ways to win support for the Palestinian people?