Conference flyer:

Conference_flier_March_2019._v2_BS

The remainder of the mailing addresses the question of professional solidarity and things you can do today

Professional Solidarity
1. Dr Samah Jabr has issued a challenge to mental health workers, arguing that without solidarity, ‘the interventions of mental health professionals may do more harm than good as [their] interventions fail to be preventive, might pathologise the experience of Palestinians, medicalise their reactions and inhibit their agency, while maintaining the status quo of their pathogenic context.’ “Professional Solidarity with Palestine: a Mental Health Imperative” can be found here:

https://tinyurl.com/ya5x3qsj

2. Forensic Architecture: Jungian Analyst Heather Formaini on the work undertaken by architects and their associates to expose state crime, in a project shortlisted for the Turner Prize:

https://ukpalmhn.com/opinions/forensic-architecture-by-heather-formaini/

JUST PUBLISHED: a further report by Forensic Architecture and B’tselem exposing Israel’s attempt to cover up the killing of two teenage boys in Gaza: https://tinyurl.com/y9a6s6u8

3. Solidarity by members of Israeli armed forces: Breaking the Silence releases soldiers’ testimonies on the occupation of Hebron:

https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/inside/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/OccupyingHebron-Eng.pdf

4. “The Health of Palestinians is a Global Responsibility” – Richard Horton editorial, Rita Giacamen comment, from The Lancet:

2018 Richard’s comment and Rita’s response nov 14

5. The value of solidarity: a response to the film ‘Nae Pasaran’, the story of Scottish Rolls Royce workers who responded to the call for the boycott of the Chilean junta in the 1970s.

Solidarity is not a hate crime. Israel and the Israel Lobby seek to turn solidarity with the Palestinian people into a cause of shame, not a source of pride. This then lays the basis for various forms of punishment – expulsion from public life, or the loss of paid employment. In the USA Bahia Amawi, a children’s speech pathologist, has been sacked for refusing to sign a contract that compromised her rights as a citizen to protest against Israel
https://theintercept.com/2018/12/17/israel-texas-anti-bds-law/

Bahia is taking her employer to court, turning her victimization into an assertion of her civil rights. There are other victories over the lobby which we can celebrate: the Supreme Court in South Africa has thrown out the case brought by the South African Board of Jewish Deputies against the trade union movement COSATU for its pro-BDS stand (http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=14530),

the French Government has honoured the Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations Al Haq and B’tselem
https://tinyurl.com/yaqq76f7

the Quakers have become the first UK church to say it will not profit from the Occupation
https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quakers-will-not-profit-from-the-occupation-of-palestine

and the Irish
https://tinyurl.com/y7wklnec

and Chilean Parliaments
https://tinyurl.com/ych4du6f

and Leeds University, are among those who have given teeth to their criticisms of Israel’s disregard for international law
https://bdsmovement.net/news/18-highlights-bds-impact-2018

Actions to consider:
Commit to rebuilding Gaza’s Cultural Centre, destroyed by Israel last August:
http://aztheatre.org.uk/wordpress/gaza-drama-long-term-2/pledge-of-support-letter-for-gaza-cultural-centre-campaign-eng/

Sign the petition protesting against the holding of the 2119 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel:
https://secure.everyaction.com/1MpUO2QQTkab00tlLM2f6A2

Donate to the Palestinian History Tapestry Project: Read Gwyn Daniel’s introduction to this fascinating and moving initiative, integrating in fabric the Palestinian experience over time and space…
https://ukpalmhn.com/opinions/the-palestine-history-tapestry/