Another packed house for Palestine- report back

dublin | rights and freedoms | news report Tuesday October 14, 2008 15:06 by Words-Kev - IPSC (pers cap); images- Paula Geraghty

The meeting was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and ICTU Trade Union Friends of Palestine.

On Friday 10th October, around 130 people packed into Liberty Hall basement to hear three powerful speakers talk on the subject of the destruction of the Palestinian people and the future for Palestine.

Anti-Zionist holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein

Anti-Zionist holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein talked movingly about her life growing up as someone orphaned by the Nazi holocaust, as a social justice activist and her - sometimes wonderful, sometimes traumatic - experiences in Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement ( http://www.palsolidarity.org/ ), and her recent work with the Free Gaza Movement, which organised the blockade-breaking boat trips in August ( http://www.freegaza.org/ ). She added that the ultimate goal of the Free Gaza Movement is to establish a 'ferry service' to Gaza from Cyprus in order to ease the effects of the brutal Israeli siege. She also collected over €400 to repay loans for, and repairs to one of, the Free Gaza boats.

Palestinian director Mohammad Alatar talked about his films, the ongoing 'Judaisation' of East Jerusalem through settlement building and denial of resources to Palestinian residents. He also spoke of his hope for the future, noting that "we have learned the lessons of the Nakba, we are not going anywhere!" On Saturday and Sunday Mohammad was in Galway and Castlebar screening Jerusalem: East Side Story ( http://www.eastsidestory.ps/ ) and The Iron Wall ( http://www.theironwall.ps/ ) respectively.

Finally, SIPTU President and ICTU Executive member Jack O'Connor spoke of the need for trade unions to forge closer links to Palestinian unions, and to implement the recommendations of the recent ICTU report ( http://tinyurl.com/4yxx2u ). He also criticised the Irish Government and EU for their double standards when dealing with Israel.

Video and audio of the meeting will be posted online in the coming weeks - check the IPSC website for updates.
Images (c) Paula Geraghty

Marie Crawley, Chairperson Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Palestinian director Mohammad Alatar

SIPTU President and ICTU Executive member Jack O'Conno