Our responsibility to the campuses we call home

Over the past few days I have been taking a break from my Israel – Palestine work to help out with an event that is being run by another student society here at my University. It may indeed come as a surprise to some out there that not everything for me or in fact many others who work on University campuses around the country is to do with the Israel – Palestine conflict.

This particular piece of information disgruntled many of the radical Pro-Israel groups that claim University Campuses are intimidating places for anyone who “stands” for Israel.

I do also have to say that whilst my main focus is for the progression of the Palestinian cause there are countless other student groups with active campaigns focussing on human rights to get involved with that distract me. Quite often this distraction comes over me because I find that every campaign is equally important.

Whether it is the No More Traffik Week here at Queen’s or the Amnesty International arms trade treaty campaign or even the Bahai society that are running a campaign for equality in Iran for the Bahai community – such groups are all part of a collective community of students who are so dedicated that they work hard on a multitude of topics with massive cross over between say the Amnesty group here and the Project futures global group.

Another reason I mention the term “Collective community” apart from the obvious emphasis put on the groups mentioned is that from what I have observed practically every University is a microcosm of a mostly harmonious nature.

That is to say in general university campuses and life surrounding our Students’ Unions especially amongst those heavily involved in making student experience better are usually representative of a closely knitted together framework of passionate students that come from all walks of life and various clubs & society’s.

This formation of community that looks after the interests of all students at the University is one of the most intricate examples of student life.

This idea is particularly correct when looking at the Students’ Union council and Executive Management committee of any Student Guild or Union. It is generally accepted by most that a good community at any University is the result of the hard work implemented by a good sabbatical team who help keep the general atmosphere around the University pleasant, welcoming and Inclusive.

It is because of these principles that despite an unfortunate and very much contested isolated incident last year we here at the Queen’s Palestine Solidarity Society (that I head up) along with the vast majority of student societies and clubs take their role within the community very seriously.

This responsibility in a way is necessary so that we exemplify what we hold dearest and continue to not only provide but also contribute to the atmosphere on campuses throughout the UK and Ireland.

Inspiration has reached me recently from a source that surprised me in a very positive way which has led me to make some commentary about the over all situation that has arisen. It was very impressive to see the Leeds Jewish Society standing up for its moral principles and responsibilities to the rest of the Leeds University community when they decided not to host Brooke Goldstein as a guest speaker.

This refusal to host such a controversial person is not an attack on anyones freedom of speech but is actually the utilization of the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech and expression especially at an academic institution.

Just like I would never agree to host radical speakers on the Israel – Palestine conflict here at Queen’s (for which I have received countless attacks for from said radicals) because I respect as a student our focus has to be on protecting all students from hate speech and attempts of inciting racist ideas, so too the Leeds Jsoc collectively decided that they would not host the type of speaker that would cause disruption to campus community and spirit.

Typically the attacks have already started coming in from the far right especially and including radical anti-palestinian organisations that have no problem attacking liberal Jewish society’s and Israel society’s in an attempt to bully them into submission or silence.

To quote the Leeds Jsoc’s own beautiful statement “We are privileged and happy to be part of a thriving multicultural community here at Leeds University and pride ourselves on having good relations with all societies. Having Ms. Goldstein speak on our campus would jeopardise this, something that we are not prepared to allow”.

This is exactly how I feel and how I would hope others can feel about University campuses around the United Kingdom so that we can move away from radicalism and polarisation within places that are supposed to nurture our educational growth as academics and individuals.

University and college campuses are places for healthy academic debate that encourages progressive views along with responses that fit such a setting – they are not places to turn into battle fields or platforms for hatred, intolerance and backwards thinking. I pledge my fully support to the Leeds Jsoc and any other University society that utilizes similar principles in dealing with their affairs in order to maintain peace on campus regardless of whether I disagree with their political values or not.

Lessons of history are indeed taught, some just refuse to learn from them

Whilst many in Ireland were having a “good laugh” as Carol Hunt put it, over the completely untenable assertion made by Iran last Thursday when the Islamic Republic stated it was “concerned about human rights violations in Ireland”, I was sat among a small group, perhaps consisting of no more than 30 people, that gathered for a panel discussion and film screening of Education Under Fire.

The event was hosted by QUB’s very own Baha’i society in conjunction with Amnesty International and was exceptionally informative. Sat in the audience I was shocked, dismayed and outraged to see the reality of what Iran does to its own people, in particular its minorities of which the Baha’i make up the largest with a population of just over 300,000.

Importantly the film screening allowed the audience to see how even the most basic of human rights, such as education, are denied to anyone that is of the Baha’i faith. Listening intently I picked up on key words and soundbites that resonated with me due to various other examples of abuse I have witnessed throughout the world. When a State institutionalises discrimination in an effort to thoroughly block the development and progress of their minority groups under their direct control we simply cannot ignore it.

At the close of proceedings I felt inspired and empowered to take action on behalf of these people that I had just watched on screen. In effect it was as if they had been sat right in front of me telling their stories personally to me reaching out through the movie screen.

Whilst Carol Hunt is correct in her criticism of the Iranian regime, she appears to only include such a critique as part of a wider framework of demonisation toward the Iranian people as an entire population. She also subtly shifts the topic of her discussion almost immediately to the State of Israel by way of a comparison that doesn’t befit her readers intellect to accept as truth.

For me this is a flagrant, morally reprehensible, misuse of the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran. Using such as if only to make a comparative case for defending the State of Israel’s own Human Rights abuses.

I cannot tolerate it when someone professes to know the ins and outs of Iranian Human Rights abuses and yet displays complete inaction in terms of actually doing or saying something about it that will meaningfully help.

Ignoring that the article conveniently misses the fact even here in Ireland there are Xenophobes who actively discriminate against Muslims and state their aim to destroy Islam, we must further note the over all content is rather duplicitous in its very essence.

The idea Palestinian Nationalist aims have been hijacked by Islamic Jihad and other equally vile terrorist groups is almost utterly false. Here the writer has attempted to paint an image in our minds of what Palestinian National Liberation means without even so much as a reference to back up the claim.
Not anywhere do we see reference to nonviolence groups that actually do a great deal more for Palestinian Nationalism than any other group from Palestinian society. I would further add that in her article Carol states quite unequivocally: “I had to be honest and admit that as a democrat, a liberal and a feminist, I could not support ideologies that would stone me for having sex, and order my brother/father to murder me if I were raped — not to mention what they would do to my gay or Jewish friends.”

I would like to ask whether Miss Hunt was looking the other way when the storm over discrimination against women was a hot topic of discussion in the State of Israel recently when finally enough media attention was brought to the plight of female public transport users and the harassment they face in areas such as Bet Shemesh and certain Neighborhoods of Jerusalem – all under the watchful eye of the Israeli police and courts who stood aside and did nothing for years until it became absolutely necessary due to public pressure.

Moving onwards I would like to ask also whether Miss Hunt simply ignores instances such as the massive decline in “democracy” and restriction of Human Rights to minorities within Israel and under its control. Can she comment on whether she can justify her support for ideologies that allow for the harming of nonviolent unarmed protesters, or the continued abuse of basic human rights.
I would put it to Miss Hunt that her support for the state of Israel and its policies equates directly as support for the abuse of Palestinian and other minority rights which are too vast to list here but include; The demolition of homes, Forced relocation of undesirables, shooting of nonviolent protesters, increased sanction and demonising of Human Rights NGO’s, the control over every aspect of most Palestinian’s throughout their lives.
The list goes on forever as the number of crimes Israel has committed is quite lengthy. All the while what very few are brave enough to mention is that most forms of fascism or governmental abuses of human rights usually go hand in hand with recognizable soundbites or keywords that we all recognize to be wrong. To directly make a comparison using the documentary I mentioned earlier there is actually a great number of similarities between the Iranian Regime and the current Israeli regime especially from the average persons perspective.
Key words mentioned by those giving testimonies about the Iranian regimes treatment of Baha’i's included the arrest of several members of the BIHE (Baha’i Institute for Higher Education) who were put in prison for reasons of “National Security” and if we compare this to Israel’s administrative detention of Palestinians (the vast majority of which are innocent of crime) we notice similar language used in that it is for “National Security” which really in both cases is state propaganda.
Segregation is also something that is of concern that both Iran and Israel practice to a great extent in that Iranian government officials quite publically isolate the Baha’i minority which can incite other Iranians against them, much in the same way Israel demonizes all Palestinians in full blown hype of the media which of course isolates Palestinians from Israeli’s even more than the physical barriers erected to keep them apart such as the ugly concrete wall.
These are just two ways in which the state of Israel can be compared to Iran a third and final way I will make a comparison is the use of force to make people sign confessions. I have myself experienced the pressure exerted by Israeli military officials who try and force people to sign confessions that are written in Hebrew and which for the most part are not even legally binding. In the Islamic Republic of Iran they do this too in an attempt to justify the imprisonment of Baha’i's and other minorities.
I am not going to claim that both regimes are exactly the same because they are in fact vastly different in many ways however the principle I am making people aware of is that regardless of where you are in the world a human rights abuse is exactly that – A human Rights abuse and thus must be opposed and fought against in the best possible ways.
During the documentary it was mentioned many times that Baha’i's do not hate their country they simply oppose the regime that is discriminating against them. This also reflects to a large extent the thoughts and ideas of Palestinians towards the state of Israel, we even see in both cases solidarity from other sections of the society where Muslim Iranians support their Baha’i friends and colleagues just like some Israeli’s go out and support their Palestinian neighbors and friends.
Miss Hunt quite accurately quotes the Hamas charter and accredits anti-semitism to the Pro-Palestinian movement which she coins the Anti-Israel movement which is an exceptionally unhelpful label as it polarizes the issue and discussion. I would in response to this state that the policies and actions of Hamas and other terrorist organizations should concern all of us who support equality and human rights for all because we must if we remain true to our principles oppose the harming of Israeli civilians just as much as we oppose the abuse of Palestinians. That being said we really must recognise the context in all of this including the context of rockets being launched at Israel – not so we can justify or agree with such but so that we approach this conflict with eyes open.
I invite everyone who reads this article to look at the quotes from Hamas in the way many people do in that it is simply the ravings of a group that is both incapable and actually most likely unwilling to act out its stated position. Much the same way as Iran is currently incapable and definitely unwilling to carry out any of its so called “threats”.
If you would like I also invite you to look up a film called Budrus which shows quite clearly the issues surrounding the occupation of Palestine whilst putting it in a well balanced, moderate context. Famous quotes from the Palestinians within the documentary style film include:
“We are not against anyone, only the occupation” – Ayed Morrar
“If they want to build a wall let them build it on their border the green line, nobody wants the Israeli’s to encroach on us” – Palestinian Lady
“Every state has the right to defend its citizens and I believe the same applies to Israel, however what Israel is doing is stealing its neighbors land which is not self-defense” – Ayed Morrar
I wonder to ask why Miss Hunt has never bothered to look up Palestinian voices and leaders such as those whom I have quoted.
We must further ask ourselves whether we are going to be taken in by the propaganda espoused which tries to equate Islam-ism exclusively with violence and hate. It is certainly the case that extreme forms of Islamist ideology are completely against Women’s rights and LGBT rights however Carol has invoked that typically racist stereotype of Islam and Islam-ism by implying that the end of the issue doesn’t rest solely with hypothetically Israel going away because the Islamists would not be content with just that.
To deal with the Anti-semitism claims which is again another old claim that is used to defend the state of Israel’s abuses of the Palestinians we must look at the research and documented record. Whilst there indeed are some anti-Semites who have joined the International community in terms of Palestinian advocacy the claim that Anti-semitism is dressed up as anti-Zionism is a fairy tale.
Israel receives criticism for which a large proportion is legitimate and that criticism is not and cannot be labelled or written off as demonisation of the State of Israel as if to say that it is a more intellectual form of Anti-Semitism (which to anyone who even looks into the matter vaguely will show how ridiculous said claim is).
I would put it to Miss Hunt that she is being misleading and disingenuous to a great deal of her readership especially given her obvious anti-Palestinian stance. Very few people bother to look up the political ideology of Zionism so as to realise that in basic terms disagreeing with Zionism or in effect being Anti-Zionist is nothing short of being Anti-Republican or Anti-capitalist or Anti-monarchy. Of course we have to clarify what parts of Zionism or Capitalism or which ever ideology we are criticizing we disagree with because within Zionism is of course the Self-Determination for the Jewish people and as such we must not and never can be against such a basic human right but at the same time just like any other nationalist ideology that is exclusive rather than inclusive we are permitted to disagree with some of the basic tenets of that political idea.
There is a very good way of dealing with anti-semitism when it rears its ugly head and that is to ensure that Education is paramount on topics such as this in as none political an arena as possible. This usually ensures that young people understand from an early age that racism and in particular anti-semitism is wrong and should be stomped out.
One of the reasons why I commemorate the Holocaust every year is because I have been brought up being taught that human suffering and the persecution of others is wrong full stop. I was taught that to hurt others based on their ethnicity or any other deriving factor was fundamentally wrong and the way I was taught this had NO political edge to it for instance I was not taught to commemorate the Holocaust AND support Israel, I merely developed principles from the way I was taught about the Shoah, the Rwandan Genocide and what the Armenians call the Great Crime.
This is why when I read Dr Moshe Kantor’s statement included at the end of Miss Hunt’s article specific words catch my eye: “we have to be extremely vigilant against the rise of extremism, populism and ultra-nationalism, which once again could destroy the spirit and soul of Europe.”

So we have covered a great deal of topics in this post, most likely some better than others. I want to finish by directing anyone who has read Miss Hunt’s piece to look at the official statistics on opinion polls for things such as Anti-semitism in the Pro-Palestine movement and also look at the viewpoints of Israeli’s in regard to war with Iran – they are very telling indeed.
It is already believed by many of the left in Israel that ultra-nationalism is destroying the spirit of the State of Israel because it is ever difficult to couple Israeli nationalism with liberal values that respect the human rights of one and all.
I would lastly put it to Miss Hunt and all those who agree with her that facing up to your own lack of principles, morals and over all standards would be a good way of educating yourself on the real issues surrounding Israel – Palestine instead of trying to drag us back into the wasteful debates over Anti-Israel, Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine and whilst you are at it please try to learn from history yourself and agree that human rights are for everyone including Palestinians.

Is Nicky Larkin misrepresenting the Truth?

Nicky Larkin filming me in East Jerusalem making a speech at Sheikh Jarrah

I love both Israel and Palestine or rather more specifically I love the people of both places for numerous reasons. One thing that always reminds me of both peoples humanity is that the vast majority of both people groups can easily be described as every day folk like yourself or myself.

This is just one of the reasons why in the Easter period of 2011 I was excited to meet a gentleman by the name Nicky Larkin and his colleague Gary Hoctor. I first came in contact with them whilst in the West Bank town of Beit Jala, where I live during my usual 3 month stints in the occupied West Bank that I have been doing for 3 years now.

The reason for my excitement was firstly because he is from Ireland which just so happened to be the place where I had just taken up University at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland studying Zoology. Another reason came swiftly afterwards when they began telling me about a documentary style film they were in the process of filming entitled “Forty Shades of Grey” a film which I have been told features myself speaking at a Nonviolent protest in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Given my enthusiasm for people all over the world to fully understand the complex viewpoints of the every day people in Palestine and Israel it was a really heart warming experience listening to how Nicky Larkin wished to gather interviews from different “shades” of the society on both sides so as to create his film.

From that moment I pledged my full support for his project specifically because I realised how important if done properly such an initiative would be in showing the human side to both Palestinians and Israeli’s of which both get regularly demonized by radicals amongst their respective support bases in the International community.
After our encounter which happened strangely at the bar owned by the cousins of the family I live with in the West Bank I was so impressed that I even spent two weeks showing Nicky around areas with which I am familiar, I spent a lot of time helping him even going as far as to secure interviews for him with close friends of mine at the Holy Land Trust when he requested he needed more female Palestinian voices.

I specifically remember Nicky telling me that his project was designed to show the realities for average Israeli’s and Palestinians so people don’t just see the black and white. This is why I was astounded and dismayed when I read his article that flagrantly ignores in its entirerty the experiences and lengthy conversations I remember sharing with Nicky in the West Bank.

His new found opinions from the offset attack the Left as if they are the ones with monopoly on Palestine Solidarity, immediately turning readers to look at this as a left vs right wing issue when it simply isn’t. I have been the President of a Palestine Solidarity Society at Queen’s for over two years now in an area of the world where Palestine & Israel are even more polarized than usual and I can state quite openly that we have a mixture of people involved who are of the left and right wing ranging from far left socialists all the way to Conservative futures students.

Let us be honest in stating that it is perfectly reasonable for people to loathe Palestinian terrorists, however I find that this is a direct contradiction of what Nicky claimed he was hoping to achieve.

Do not get me wrong I fully condemn terrorism in all its forms as disgusting acts that hurt mostly innocent civilians. I have friends in the Israeli Defence Forces who could have lost their lives this summer if they had of still been based in Eilat when the rocket attacks were launched. Fortunately my friends were reassigned the week before and thus were safe, yet that doesn’t mean those other people deserve less sympathy and understanding from me.

Having said that I always try and make a differentiation between condemning the action of terrorism as well as the activities of genuine terrorists that target Israeli civilians and that of the vulnerable and usually young Palestinians who get coerced or tricked into becoming a suicide bomber.
Most of these vulnerable Palestinians are refugees living in squalid conditions having been constantly harrassed by the Israeli military and thus are far easier to coerce into taking a role in terror attacks against Israel.

You see if people actually bother to read into the context and look at the stories of the Palestinians who are relegated to the status of terrorists then we can see an entirely different side to the conflict completely, a side that shows us how desperate some people are because of Israeli occupation and oppression. I do not want to see a debate that tries to justify Palestinian terrorism as if it is “freedom fighting” as this again does not excuse or justify such vile and reprehensible violence, however it does provide us with an insight into the narrative of say an 18 year old girl who has lost both her parents to Israeli Military brutality who spends the next two years in a mental state of depression with suicidal tendancies who is then approached by militants offering her a way out that for her is appealing as it allows her to fulfill an act that is for her revenge whilst also ending her own suffering by blowing up amongst innocent Israeli’s in a cafe someplace in Jerusalem.

That is a story you will never read about because such discussions are usually said to be apologism for terrorism which is not the case at all, merely a look into the physcology of terrorism in terms of Palestinians.

Moving on I would say a persons opinion based on their own experiences is very difficult to challenge outright. This is due to the fact in a way it sometimes appears that you are saying a persons viewpoint is invalid or worthless which immediately turns off three quarters of the public you are trying to address.

This is not the case with what I write here simply because if we actually read Nicky Larkin’s article further I find a great deal of factual inaccuracies as well as many omissions on his part. Also as it is partially on facts that our opinions are based I can go as far as to say the depiction given by Nicky neglects to tell us of his experiences he had here in the West Bank and East Jerusalem thus it is not only factually inaccurate but also incomplete.
The mentioned Palestinian Keffiyeh for instance is not a symbol of the PLO it is in fact the cultural symbol of all Palestinians and their very existence thus it is treated as such by Palestinians and the international community.

The description given of Bethlehem is superfluous as it ignores the grey areas inbetween the tourist spots where of course there indeed are some neon crucifixes and displays put up to encourage the religious punters.

I note there is not even a single mention of the refugee camp Al Aida where I know Nicky spent a lot of time, nor any description of the putrid conditions in Al-Azzeh camp where just under 2400 people live in a space that is 750 metres by 750 metres.

He is of course correct in that around some areas you can find posters of martyred Palestinians most of them having died in or around the refugee camps during the second intifada. We see not one clarification by Nicky of the situation in Bethlehem or other parts of the West Bank to discuss why so much emphasis is put on those who have died.

There is no display of empathy for say a family in Bethlehem who lost their father on his way back from church to the bullets of an Israeli gun, Not all those attributed to martyrdome were combatants.

What completely disgraces me is the insult paid to the nonviolence movement by someone I personally took to at least two nonviolent demonstrations. Interviewing Hind Khoury doesn’t change the countless other interviews he did where the people displayed their support for nonviolence as the only just way to resist occupation and the abuse of human rights.

I too have had conversations with countless Israeli’s along with current and ex-IDF soldiers which has really opened my eyes to the narratives of both sides in a way that gives me greater clarity & understanding when I come to my position on the conflict.

My empathy is given for example when I visit Sderot a place that really is at risk of rocket fire on a daily basis. Just as my empathy is given when a friend of mine called Deborah in the IDF tells me she is ashamed to wear the same uniform as most of the racists and thugs who hurt Palestinians on a daily basis.
A telling quote from another friend Hannah who is very strongly Pro-Israel messaged me the other week after making Aliyah in January to tell me her Kibbutz is “full of racists who hate Arabs and Blacks”.
We simply cannot ignore the realities on the ground just as we cannot ignore the narratives of people living in Tel Aviv or Bethlehem on other sides of the Concrete separation Wall.

Claiming Israel is under siege however is a propaganda line that used to come out of the Israeli MFA quite regularly along with the misconception that rockets “rain death” down upon Israeli civilians when actually the only death from a rocket recently has been a single migrant worker a few years ago. This does not mean we shouldn’t recognize the genuine fear & trauma of Israeli civilians who have to flee every time they hear an alarm siren however where is the recognition of Palestinian trauma from Israeli attacks on areas of civilian concentration or the midnight raids against Palestinians who nonviolently protest the occupation?

As if that wasn’t enough Nicky even gives us a reference to the Nazi Holocaust thrown in there without a thought in the world as to how the use of such will effect people reading the article or how it will once again bring out the radicals on all sides some who even deny the holocaust in their expression of genuine anti-semitic ideology which is representative of no decent human being out there today.

Whilst we again must understand that some Israeli’s genuinely feel like they are at risk of another Holocaust we simply can’t allow such rhetoric to be used to justify, hide or excuse human rights abuses committed against the Palestinian people it is misleading at best to link the Holocaust or anything from the 1930′s and 40′s germany with what is happening today including the disgusting Nazi comparisons that some attempt to make.

Yes some very foolish palestinian individuals have painted some swastikas in Hebron which is really disgusting, just as the price tag attacks done by the Israeli settlers where scrawlings such as “Gas the Arabs” appear are a disgrace.

We further see Nicky completely forget to mention his interviews in East Jerusalem involving left wing Israeli Jews who support Palestinian human rights. All the while claiming that he rejects the idea that being anti-Israel is part of his Irish identity and it is a shame that anti-Israel sentiments appear to be a major part of Irish Identity for so many others.

This is a disgraceful use of loaded language as if to suggest that people like myself who support both Israeli and Palestinian Human rights equally are against Israel’s existence completely just because we criticise the policies of the State in their actions and activities towards the Palestinians.

I follow human rights reports relentlessly on a daily basis most of them coming from B’tselem an Israeli human rights group. I always ask the public key questions when discussing this conflict such as whether they think the demolition of Palestinian homes and even entire villages can be classed as “Self-Defense” or whether the forced relocation of Bedouin can possibly have anything to do with the rockets fired from Gaza?

The fact of the matter is that Nicky Larkin seems to be misleading us on many fronts and the only reason I know this for a fact is that I have spent time with him in person within the West Bank. He seems to have changed quite a bit and gained a particular proclivity for Israeli MFA style propaganda which would have us believe Israel is the one that is suffering and that the West Bank isn’t occupied at all but merely “Disputed territory” which is a complete reversal of reality itself.

Let us start shifting the narrative away from this “we want to destroy eachother” approach that gets so much air time in the media. Why can we not start addressing the countless peace initiatives and reconciliatory approaches being taken to try and end the occupation and implement international law so that we can have a just peace for all. I no longer wish to take part in nor be witness to the dialogue that always ends in the conclusion of destroying the “other” and removing their rights, it has gone on far enough to the Palestinians and when a just peace is found I do not want it to happen to the Israeli’s either.

What is very interesting is that I too regularly recieve labels such as that of being a closet zionist or a traitor to the Palestinian cause because I have very moderate but strong views and stances on the situation in Israel – Palestine. Thus I understand how Nicky feels when he gets shouted down for sticking up for Israel.

Yet I can’t help but feel when he comes out with damning opinion pieces like the one I am responding to now that he deserves the criticism he recieves because he is doing the same in his attempts to shoot down every area of activism done on behalf of the Palestinian people.

He is actually rather cunningly dressing up propaganda as an informed viewpoint which is intellectually dishonest and morally reprehensible.

On the issue of boycotts – I think that people take a great deal of it out of context given that everyone either swiftly jumps on the BDS bandwagon without looking at the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions or that people instantly demonise the movement without a second thought thus leaving masses of people with a huge lack of understanding as regards to the aims and objectives of BDS. If we look at it the way its supposed to be viewed we can see BDS is as much about implementing the facets of it as it is about educating the public especially the Israeli public to the injustices that are perpetuated against the Palestinian people. Most utterly ignore this educational aspect to the movement which is why many radicals often take BDS too far which really does damage the movement.

Nicky’s lack of research is evident in a quote from Kevin Squires of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign which refutes some of the points made while shedding some light for all of us:

“Aosdana has not signed the IPSC cultural boycott pledge.
- No Irish supermarket chain has removed Israeli goods from their shelves, unfortunately.
- The Palestinian farmers union supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.”

I would like to take the opportunity to say to Nicky that it is exceptionally foolish of him to publish an article accusing people of being “armchair sermonisers” and that I will happily challenge him to a public debate where I will reveal exactly what I know about Israel including all of the good and the bad.

Looking further into this article it comes as no surprise given connections Nicky has with certain groups that advocate for Israel along with friendships he holds with individuals that have progressively harrassed anyone who supports Palstinian human rights. We can conclude that he is not giving as unbias an account as he first claims which I really believe should be taken into account when reviewing his work.

Looking at all of my experiences I feel that I can say with absolute honesty that I am perfectly qualified to keep my scarf where it is rather than binning it in an insulting manner and going back to what I said earlier about taking different shades from the society, it would have been inspirational had Nicky really taken views from a wide variety in the Israeli society but it seems he only bothered to interview those who supported what their country was doing and had the preconditioned narratives already clear in their minds aptly waiting for a stranger to come asking questions.

It would be a bit like me running around in the West Bank using my connections to interview only people that I know will give the responses I want to get thus the documentary would be bias from the very outset.

I will look forward to challenging Nicky at the premier of his film in Dublin in May. If he truly respects freedom of speech as much as he claims to then I am sure he will have no problem welcoming me as a friend to his event.