Former TUI president skydives for Palestine

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Wednesday June 09, 2010 20:53 by Freda H - IPSC

‘No excuses anymore but to implement unions’ call for boycott’

‘Boycott Israel’ was the legend emblazoned across 63 year-old Billy Fitzpatrick’s jumpsuit as he skydived from 4,000 metres, at the Skydive Ireland airfield in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Billy Fitzpatrick former TUI president

The former TUI president (1989-1992) performed a tandem freefall of over 2 kilometres before parachuting to earth, in an effort to raise funds for the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

After a lifetime in education, Mr. Fitzpatrick had considered seeking sponsorship for the rebuilding of some of the schools flattened in last year’s Gaza bombardment. "However, I felt that helping to pressurise Israel from continuing its seemingly endless cycle of attacks, through the kind of painstaking education and campaigning work carried out by the IPSC and others, was probably more effective", he said.

"After the recent massacre on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in international waters, surely the only course available to civil society now is the one called for by the IPSC, ICTU and TUI: the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel?’"Mr. Fitzpatrick argued.

Speaking on behalf of the IPSC Freda Hughes thanked Mr. Fitzpatrick for his kind and brave gesture and his ongoing support for Palestine in this country.