SPSC Conference: Palestine in the Context of the Drive to Permanent War

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Conference

Palestine in the Context of the Drive to Permanent War
 
Sat 29 & Sun 30 January 2011
Venue: St Georges West Centre, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh

The Zionist ethnic cleansing of Palestine is proceeding to the hum of bulldozers, the roar of tanks and F-16s and the economic, political and military support of the US and the EU.  The nuclear-armed apartheid State of Israel doesn't only dispossess the people of Palestine, however, but wages wars across the region.

The settler-colonial state of Israel is a key US asset in the drive to dominate the resources of the Middle East and beyond.  While the devastation of Iraq by foreign armies continues, while the Afghan adventure produces a rising death toll and intensified resistance from Afghans, Israel openly threatens yet another invasion of neighbouring Lebanon, and has already begun covert attacks with the US on Iran to maintain its regional monopoly of nuclear WMDs.

Israel

  • has ethnically cleansed most of historic Palestine, creating a huge refugee population
  • attacked its neighbours in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, 2006, 2008
  • let US diplomats know it is prepared to use nuclear weapons on its neighbours
  • bombed neighbouring Syria in September 2007
  • sent murder squads abroad, assassinated Iranian scientists, murdered human rights activists on the high seas
  • illegally holds a part of Syria and a part of Lebanon

Why

  • does the US arm Israel to the tune of $3b per year?
  • does the US allow Israel to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians?
  • does the EU violate its own human rights regulations to extend virtual membership to Israel?
  • do the US, EU and Egypt enforce the blockade of Gaza?
  • is Israel a de facto member of NATO? does the US arm Israel to the tune of $3b per year?
  • do most of the Arab dictatorships work with Israel and the US to support the siege of Gaza?

How can we in Britain

  • stop the UK Government's invasions of other countries alongside the US?
  • join and support Palestinian resistance to ethnic cleansing, colonisation and apartheid?

 

Conference programme (will be amended to include Tunisian speaker)
Saturday

9.15-10.00am
Registration

10.00am
Welcome

10-15-11.45am
Haidar Eid: Palestine in the context of the drive to war

12.00-1.30pm
Haifa Zangana: Imperial strategy in Iraq

2.30-4.00pm
Mohammed Asif: Invasion, occupation & resistance in Afghanistan

4.15pm
Plenary Mohammed Asif, Haidar Eid, Mike Prysner, Haifa Zangana

Sunday

10.30- 11.00am
Coffee

11.00am-12.30pm
Speaker t.b.c Lebanon: Israeli war crimes and Lebanese resistance

12.45-2.15pm
Mike Prysner Racism, imperialism, & permanent war

3.00-4.30pm
Plenary Mohamed Asif, Haidar Eid, Mike Prysner, Haifa Zangana

Haidar Eid

 

ISRAEL / PALESTINE

Haidar Eid, Professor of Cultural Studies at Al Aqsa University, Gaza & founder of One Democratic State Group

see video

 

 

 

 

Mohamed_Ali_Harath

TUNISIA
Mohamed Ali Harrath, Tunisian oppositionist who was hounded by the ex-dictatorship.

Articles
- Why 14 January 2011 will go down in history 

Mike Prysner

 

IRAQ
Mike Prysner,  US Army veteran and founding member of March Forward!
see video

 

 

 

 

 

Haifa Zangana

 

 

Haifa Zangana, Iraqi author, and activist
read article

 

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Mohammed Asif

 

 

AFGHANISTAN

Mohammed Asif, Scottish Afghan Society
see video

 

 

 

 

DOWNLOAD LEAFLET

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REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

Use the link below to pay online.  Alternatively send a cheque enclosed with your details to:

Scottish PSC
c/o Peace & Justice Centre
Princes Street
Edinburgh
EH2 4BJ

Cheques should be made payable to 'Scottish PSC'.  Please mark the envelope 'Scottish PSC Conference 2011'.

 

Tickets