InsIDe: - Palestine Solidarity Campaign

20 palestine news reportsspring2011Buy olive oil, save livesBy Sharen GreenTwo Palestinian olive farmers whose oil is imported by Zaytountoured the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight. I listened to theirmoving talk at St Michael and All Angels’ Church in Colehill,Dorset, in March.Bassema Basalat told the congregation that she is an architectand shares the care of her four children with her engineer husbandin addition to farming olives. A pioneer in her village of Haja, shehas founded an association to help women become financiallyindependent.She said many women had been forced into the role ofbreadwinners because of the high numbers of men who had beenkilled or were in prison. Her own family’s land is under threat ofbeing stolen and she can no longer reach five acres due to thebuilding nearby of two Israeli settlements.Her colleague, father of four Riziq Abu Nasser from Deir Istya,said his village had lost nearly 60 per cent of its land to a ring ofsettlements and its water sources had been polluted by untreatedsettlement sewage.Last September settlers ploughed up 40 dunums of Deir Istyaland and installed 20 caravans there while in November the Israeliarmy destroyed newly planted Palestinian trees, blocked watercourses and seized 50 metres of irrigation pipes.In spite of everything Riziq remained steadfast, believing that thesupport of ordinary people around the world will bring about an endto occupation.“By buying our olive oil, you are saving our lives, the future of ourchildren and you are helping to save our land,” he said.Vicar John Goodall said: “We are delighted to host the Palestinianfarmers — both to hear of their experiences and to offer oursolidarity for their struggle against the illegal and oppressiveoccupation of their land.”From the left: Riziq Abu Nasser, Canon John Goodall, BassemaBasalat, Cathi Pawson, co-founder of Zaytoun and her babyJessicaPSC delegation to BrusselsAdelegation of PSC members, including nine from CountyDurham, joined with a group from the European CoordinatingCommittee on Palestine (ECCP) in March to lobby MEPsand EU officials about policies towards Israel and the peaceprocess.Durham Labour MEP Stephen Hughes helped them meet theHigh Representative for External Affairs, Baroness Cathy Ashton’sadvisor, Mr Paleyo Castro Zuzuarregui. They also met Fiona Hall,Durham Lib-Dem, and senior officials Silvio Gonzala,from the Foreign Affairs Committee, and MichaelDocherty who serves on the European Commissionwith responsibility for the Occupied Territories.The delegates argued that EU-Quartet policieswere not working and that a better way forward wasto show determination to require Israel to live byinternational standards and meet the human rightscriteria that are at the centre of EU external relationspolicies.The EU officials were open about the EU approach,stressing that Baroness Ashton had to work within thelimits of what the 27member states would support.Durham delegates concluded that the EU can go nofaster than the slowest partner and there were stateslike Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia andRomania that were not willing to enforce strongermeasures against Israel.The EU will evaluate its Israel-Palestine policiesin September. Among officials there appears to be aclear view that radical changes in the EU approachare needed and that the EU can and should take alead.The visit was a great success and delegates returned clear thatPSC pressure is especially vital in the coming months as Europere-evaluates its policies. The PSC needs to build on the evidencethat public opinion in Europe is ahead of the EU in regarding Israeliintransigence as the main obstacle to peace.Bill Williamson, Durham PSC