Canada's Postal Workers are on Board: Send your Gaza mail on the Canadian Boat to Gaza!

(Toronto and Montreal, Aug 19, 2010) – Canada's Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) got the message across last week that cutting off mail delivery to Gaza is another abusive measure intended to heighten the suffering and hardship of the besieged residents of the occupied strip.

The Canadaian Boat to Gaza Campaign salutes the union and its workers for their solidarity with our campaign and with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom. We look forward to working with Canada Post and CUPW to facilitate in the best way possible the delivery of mail to Gaza.

"The Canadian Boat to Gaza is eager to carry mail to Gaza if the ban is not lifted soon" said Sandra Ruch, spokesperson for the Canadian Boat to Gaza. "We will make every effort to deliver any mail we get to the postal authorities in Gaza. We ask senders to limit mail they send us to unsealed postcards of greeting and support to loved ones keeping in mind that it, as well as the rest of our cargo, may end up in Israeli hands if our boat is pirated."

CUPW called on Canadians to back efforts to break the siege by sending their Gaza-bound mail via the Canadian Boat to Gaza. The Canadian Boat to Gaza is urging those who wish to break this ban to send with us postcards with messages of support to the besieged strip. Article 25 of the fourth Geneva Convention guarantees the right to personal correspondence with family members under occupation.

"As postal workers, we know very well that cutting off mail creates suffering and hardship for people, who are isolated from their loved ones," said Denis Lemelin, National President of CUPW. "How many more abuses will the people of Gaza have to endure?"

Get the message through. Send your mail with us,
Send your postcards (only) for people in Gaza to
Canadian Boat to Gaza
C.P. 92087, Portobello
Brossard, Quebec
J4W 3K8

Media Contact
Ehab Lotayef
514.941.9792

Stéphan Corriveau
514 586-6810

http://canadaboatgaza.org

Isolate Israelis and let them pay for their endless aggression

Relations between Israel and several Western states have been strained since January. The United Kingdom and Australia both expelled Israeli diplomats in reaction to the illegal use by Mossad agents of their passports in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh’s killing in Dubai. The Polish authorities arrested a Mossad agent accused of involvement. The UK, France, Spain and Italy have demanded firm action over the flotilla attack. On June 14, Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, cancelled a trip to the Paris Arms Show, having been warned that pro-Palestinian groups would seek his arrest.

Meanwhile, the boycott movement against Israel, already active, has gained astonishing momentum. Israeli officials are now frequently targeted at universities in Europe and America, forcing them to cancel lectures. This week 76 distinguished Indian academics, including the writer Arundhati Roy, signed a call for the cultural and academic boycott of Israel. They have joined the well-established British academic boycott of Israel movement, BRICUP, and a growing US academic boycott group.

A cultural boycott of Israel movement is also developing; the Pixies, Klaxons and Gorillaz recently cancelled concerts in Israel. Prominent writers Alice Walker and Iain Banks are also boycotting Israel. Banks has refused to have his books translated into Hebrew, as has Jordan’s Queen Rania whose book for children has just been published.

Dockworkers in Sweden, Norway, India and South Africa are refusing to handle Israeli ships. In San Francisco, bay dockworkers delayed Israeli ships for 24 hours, unheard of in the United States. Britain’s Unite union has resolved to boycott Israeli companies, and there is a mounting movement in Europe and the US for divestment from companies such as Caterpillar, which work to support Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Individually none of these acts is likely to threaten Israel. It is their collectivity and the speed with which they are spreading and increasing that is important. Beneath the official level of Western governmental support for Israel, there is private disquiet about Israeli conduct. And at the popular level, there is a sea change in opinion: where Israel was once seen as the victim, it has now become the bully. In the UK, for example, the strength of popular sympathy for Palestinians is striking. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the same is happening elsewhere.

West Bank boycott campaign impacting settlement economy

Grassroots Palestinian boycott campaigns across the occupied West Bank to take Israeli settlement products off the shelves of local stores have made an impact on the Israeli settlement economy, to the unease of the Israeli government, noted the Israeli daily Haaretz this week ("Palestinians 'adamant about continuing boycott on settlement goods'," 8 August 2010).

From the tightly-packed communities in refugee camps, to the sprawling urban areas in major cities, to the rural countryside, Palestinians have galvanized around campaigns to promote locally-made products and locally-harvested food instead of a myriad of items made in illegal settlement colonies on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), for its part, has produced pamphlets listing Israeli settlement-made products and delivered them to thousands of homes across the West Bank, urging Palestinians to buy Palestinian products and warning that trading of settlement products risks legal prosecution. But grassroots, local community initiatives have been working independent of the PA for years as activists have organized to educate and support business owners in making responsible choices in purchasing and selling merchandise.

Haaretz reports that the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor has asked the PA to cancel the boycott, citing supposed violations of international trade rules and feigning concern for Palestinian laborers who work in the settlements.

International trade laws do not apply to consumer boycotts, however, and the Israeli settlements themselves are entirely illegal under international law, including Articles 46 and 55 of the Hague Convention; Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 465. The illegality of Israel's settlements was reaffirmed in the 2004 ruling of the International Court of Justice at the Hague ("Israeli settlements fact sheet,"Palestine Monitor, 15 March 2010).

Jewish group adopts partial Israel boycott

THE Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS) has defended its new policy to support partial boycotts of Israel, posting on its website that it has become “the first community-affiliated Jewish organisation” to call for divestment from Israel.

But its support of limited boycotts and its emphasis on communal affiliation to underscore its position have triggered a strong reaction from the Jewish community.

An August 13, the AJDS website stated while not supporting full boycotts, it “envisages boycotting specific Israeli academics openly supportive of the occupation” and other sanctions, but would consider each case on its merits.

AJDS executive member Tom Wolkenberg said the shift follows a 12-month review, which culminated in a special meeting of the organisation on August 8 where the new policy was adopted.

STUDENT WORKSHOPS for the Palestinian Popular Conference, Oct. 29-31 in Chicago

Call for Workshops for the Student Track of the Palestinian Popular Conference!

US Palestinian Community Network

Web: http://www.palestineconference.org + Email: uspcn@palestineconference.org + Twitter: http://twitter.com/uspcn

 

Online Form: Call for Student Workshops

 

The Second Popular Palestinian Conference in the US, Palestine: One Land, One People, One Destiny: Together, Restoring our National Institutions, Reclaiming our Rights, Empowering our Community, is scheduled to take place on October 29-31, 2010 in Chicago.

The Popular Conference will feature a student track of workshops and programs led by students and facilitated by student organizations, focused on meeting students’ needs and encouraging discussions and actions to unify and support the Palestinian student voice in the United States.
The Conference’s primary goal is to empower our community in the US to assume a key role in reclaiming Palestinian human and national rights. As Palestinians, we have an obligation to become full participants in our people’s quest for freedom, self-determination and the return of Palestinian refugees to their original towns and villages. This is only possible is we collectively develop a principled, nonpartisan, and effective Palestinian student voice in the US.
There is a strong correlation between the effectiveness of Palestine-related political activism in the U.S., on the one hand, and the existence of vibrant and credible national Palestinian American institutions or networks, including student organizations.
The Palestinian Popular conference is a project that belongs to its participants; therefore we are soliciting student workshop proposals for the student track of the program.
Since our venue space is limited so is the number of workshops that we can accept.If you would like to lead a workshop at the national popular conference, please fill out the online form on our website, or complete the attached Word document and send it to students@palestineconference.org.  

We also remind you to register early for the Popular Conference! Registration is online now - be sure to join us on October 29-31, 2010 in Chicago.

 

Thank you! We look forward to your workshop submissions and to building the Student Track of the  Popular Conference with you.

--
US Palestinian Community Network

http://www.palestineconference.org/

conference@palestineconference.org

Register today for the 2nd Palestinian Popular Conference

October 29-31, 2010

Chicago, IL

http://www.palestineconference.org/

Legal victory for BDS campaigners

Charges against four Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have been dropped in London because of the clearly illegal activities of an Israeli cosmetics firm against which the four had been demonstrating. The case threw up some unusual and possibly ground-breaking legal arguments.

Under international law, Israel's settlements on the occupied West Bank are illegal. The European Union, the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have all confirmed the illegality of the settlements, a position acknowledged by the majority of the world's nations. Given that well-established fact, it follows that companies which use illegally occupied land to produce and sell products of any kind are producing and selling illegal goods. It also follows that anyone buying such goods is helping to finance the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian land. This is the message that BDS campaigners have been trying to get across to the general public.


Every other weekend there is a small demonstration held outside Ahava, an Israeli-owned beauty and cosmetic store in London's trendy Covent Garden. It is held to protest against the sale of beauty products which are made in the illegal Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem in the Occupied West Bank and made with mud taken from the Dead Sea near Kaliya. This happens without the permission of, or compensation for, the Palestinians to whom the land truly belongs.

In September and December 2009 four campaigners went into the Ahava store, tied themselves to two concrete filled oil drums and refused to leave. This resulted in the shop being closed down for several hours on each occasion. The "Ahava Four" were charged subsequently with two counts of trespass offences under section 68 and section 69 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

«هارفرد» تبيع أصولها في إسرائيل... ولا تقاطعها

أقدمت جامعة «هارفرد» الأميركية العريقة على بيع ممتلكاتها في إسرائيل، بما توازي نحو 40 مليون دولار. إسرائيل نظرت إلى هذه الخطوة على أنها مشاركة في حملة «تعريتها»، واستجابة من الجامعة لدعوات مقاطعة إسرائيل، رداً على جرائمها بحق الفلسطينيين والإنسانية عموماً. المتحدث باسم «هارفرد» جون لونغبرايك أكد لخدمة «ذي كايبل» التابعة لمجلة «فورين بوليسي» الأميركية أن هذه التغييرات «ليست سياسية البتة»، وإنما هي ناجمة عن «تغييرات في الممتلكات والأصول، وليست تغييراً في السياسة». وكانت الشركة التي تدير «هارفرد» أبلغت «الهيئة الأميركية للائتمان والتبادل المالي» أنها أقدمت على بيع كل أصولها وأسهمها» في الشركات الإسرائيلية، مثل شركة «تيفا» لصناعة الأدوية، وشركات تكنولوجيا مختلفة، خلال الربع الثاني من 2010، بما تقدر قيمته بـ39 مليون دولار. وتابع لونغبرايك إن «هارفرد» «لا تنأى بنفسها عن إسرائيل. ولكن الأخيرة لم تعد على لائحتنا للأسواق الناشئة، وإنما انتقلت إلى مؤشر أي.آيه.اف.اي، نتيجة النمو الناجح الذي حققته. وعليه أعدنا توزيع أسهمنا في تلك الأسواق الناشئة». وان قال «هارفرد» لا تزال تستثمر في إسرائيل، فإن لونغبرايك أحجم عن إعطاء تفاصيل، مكتفياً بالقول أن ما تم الحديث عنه «ليس سوى جزء بسيط من حجم أصول الجامعة المقدّرة بـ26 مليار دولار». ومع ذلك، رأت الجماعات المؤيدة للفلسطينيين داخل حرم الجامعة، والجامعات الداعية إلى «مقاطعة إسرائيل» في قرار «هارفرد» نصراً لقضيتهم.

حملة في بروكسل لمقاطعة التمور الإسرائيلية

يمضي ناشطو حملة مقاطعة التمور الإسرائيلية في بروكسل إلى الأحياء التي تقطنها غالبية مهاجرة، منطلقين من فرضية أن معظم مستهلكي التمور مسلمون وداعمون للقضية الفلسطينية. لكن رغم تجاوب الكثيرين، تظهر ردود فعل سلبية عديدة من تجار مغاربة، يعرضون تموراً تدعو الحملة إلى مقاطعتها.

وتمثّل أحياء في بروكسل مثل سان جيل وسكاربيك ومولنبيك، هدفاً لنشاط حملة مقاطعة التمور الإسرائيلية التي أطلقتها الجمعيات الداعمة للقضية الفلسطينية في عدة بلدان أوروبية. فهذه الأحياء ذات غالبية مسلمة، ومعروفة بكثافة ساكنيها من العائلات المهاجرة.

وأمام أحد منافذ محطة المترو وسط حي مولنبيك، تتوزع مجموعة من ناشطي الحملة، يستوقفون المارة وهم يجرّون خلفهم حقائب التسوق، ويوزعون منشورات تبين أنواع التمور التي يدعون إلى مقاطعتها. ويتكرر هذا النشاط في قلب سوق شعبي كبير يقام كل خميس، ويصعب التجوال بسهولة في أرجائه بسبب الازدحام.

يأخذ البعض منشور الحملة ويتابعون طريقهم وهم يقرأونه. آخرون يتوقفون للحديث مع نشطاء عن مواضيع متصلة بالمقاطعة، معبّرين عن آراء سياسية مناهضة لإسرائيل. كثيرون يؤكدون أنهم يعرفون قصة التمور الإسرائيلية ولا يبتاعونها، بينما يبدي قلة من المتسوقين دهشتهم.

وإضافةً إلى توضيح أنواع التمور المراد مقاطعتها، وعلاماتها التجارية، يحوي منشور الحملة نصاً مكتوباً بأربع لغات هي الفرنسية والهولندية والتركية والعربية. ويقول «لا تشتروا التمر الكبير لأنه يأتي من الشركات الإسرائيلية، وأرباح تصدير هذا التمر تساعد مادياً على تكريس احتلال فلسطين».

ويوضح المنشور أن شراء التمور «يعدّ مساعدة» لسياسات إسرائيل، ومنها أنّ القوات الإسرائيلية قتلت 1500 فلسطينيّ، معظمهم من الأطفال، خلال حربها على غزة في كانون الثاني من عام 2009. ويضيف «لا تنسوا غزة 2009. قاطعوا إسرائيل. تحيا فلسطين».

لكنّ عمل الناشطين لا يتوقف على توزيع المنشورات، بل يتوجهون إلى حيث يعرض التجار تمورهم للبيع، و«يفضحونهم» علانية. أمام بضائع أحد التجار، يقف يان دريزن، وهو من أوائل المبادرين إلى حملة مقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية في بلجيكا، ثم يتفحص التمور المعروضة للبيع. يلتقط بسرعة نوع التمور التي «يشتبه» في أن مصدرها إسرائيل.

وكما يوضح، معظم التمور الإسرائيلية هي ذات الثمرة الكبيرة، وتدعى «مدجول». ويشرح أنه بعدما رأت اسرائيل أنّ السوق يعاني نقصاً، قررت التخصص في إنتاجها منذ سنوات، ثم «سيطرت» على سوق التمور الكبيرة في العالم.

Ahlam M. Mohsen, Woman Who Threw Pie In Carl Levin's Face, Has Bond Set At $250,000

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — An anti-war protester accused of hitting Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin in the face with an apple pie during a constituent meeting in northern Michigan is jailed on a $250,000 bond.

Twenty-two-year-old Ahlam M. Mohsen of Coldwater was arraigned Tuesday on a felony count of stalking and other charges.

A Mecosta County district judge set her bond at $250,000, requiring a cash payment of $25,000 for her to get out of jail.

Mohsen has said she opposes U.S. military policy and its support for Israel. She was arrested last year for sitting in at Levin's Lansing office.

The attack happened Monday at the Michigan Democrat's appearance at a restaurant in Big Rapids, 150 miles northwest of Detroit.

المقاطعة الأكاديمية لإسرائيل في برنامج ما وراء الخبر على قناة الجزيرة

ترقبو حلقة اليوم من برنامج ما وراء الخبر على قناة الجزيرة الفضائية باللغة العربية. والذي سيتناول موضوع المقاطعة الأكاديمية لإسرائيل وتأثيرها على المؤسسات الأكاديمية الإسرائيلية وخاصة بعد حرب غزة الأخيرة ومجزرة أسطول الحرية لغزة في أواخر شهر مايو الماضي.

ما وراء الخبر هو برنامج حواري يومي مباشر، تقوم فكرته على معالجة مفصلة لحدث يشغل الساحة في وقته، ويعمد إلى طرح أسئلة متعددة تتعلق بالخبر المتناول يجيب عليها عدد من الخبراء أو المسؤولين ليضع الحقيقة أمام المشاهد تاركا له حرية اتخاذ موقفه.

supportnet@aljazeera.net

يبثت اليوم الأربعاء الساعة 21:30 بتوقيت مكة المكرمة

ويعاد بثه في اليوم التالي الساعة 2:30 بتوقيت مكة المكرمة

Green tourism conference in Jerusalem – a JfJfP letter in protest

Dear Mr Giguere

It is with amazement and alarm that we note the decision of the OECD to hold their conference on “Industry and Policy Approaches to Foster Green Growth in Tourism” in Jerusalem in October.

The choice of Jerusalem is contentious for many reasons.

In 1968, a year after the 1967 war, Israel annexed East Jerusalem . The Security council has made it crystal clear that this annexation is illegal.

Jerusalem is the centre of economic and social development of the occupied Palestinian territories. The cities surrounding Jerusalem developed as suburbs connected to Jerusalem as the centre of trade and commerce and by severing Jerusalem from its hinterland, the Israeli state has effectively acted to undermine the economic development of occupied Palestine and of the successful implementation of the two state solution.

Israel has confiscated Palestinian land for exclusive Jewish use and has expropriated even more to build the separation wall. Over the course of the occupation Israel has confiscated roughly 86.5% of the total land area of occupied East Jerusalem , in spite of UN Security Council resolution 2253 ordering Israel to desist from taking any action to alter the status of Jerusalem.

The Geneva convention to which Israel is a signatory prohibits demolition of property other than that necessary for military operations. However, rather than obeying the strictures of the Geneva conventions, Israel prioritises its own planning law, under which building permits are demanded. It is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits, so if they do build, their homes are subject to demolition. Recently Israel has begun to expropriate Palestinian houses for Jewish only settlement in the interests of Judaising Jerusalem.

In short Israeli control of Jerusalem has these salient features:

1. Discrimination in land expropriation, planning, and building, and demolition of houses;

2. The revocation of residency and social benefits of Palestinians who stay abroad for at least seven years, or who are unable to prove that their centre of life is in Jerusalem;

3. The unfair division of the budget between the two parts of the city, with harmful effects on infrastructure and services in East Jerusalem. Government expenditure on medical and educational services as well as infrastructure (incl. roads, sewage & water connections) is lower in East than West Jerusalem , despite needs in the East being far more pressing

4.The granting of privileges, including residency, in Jerusalem to migrant Jews from abroad, rights denied to the indigenous Palestinian inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The OECD makes its mission clear:

OECD brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to:

* Support sustainable economic growth

* Boost employment

* Raise living standards

* Maintain financial stability

* Assist other countries’ economic development

* Contribute to growth in world trade

Consideration of the flagrant breaches of international law and the violation of the rights of the indigenous Palestinians within Jerusalem makes the decision of the OECD to hold a tourist conference in this contested city hard to comprehend. It is clear that Israel acts to undermine Palestinian economic growth, denies them employment, lowers their living standards and increases what many people call ‘de-development’.

In effect what the OECD is doing is providing sanction for a serial abuser of international law, one that commits racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing. This unfortunate decision will encourage others to visit the city, to believe in Israel’s mendacious justification for annexation and will encourage inequity.

Israeli politicians regard Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel . To meet anywhere in the city could thus be seen as signifying unqualified approval of Israel ’s annexation of Eastern Jerusalem . The OECD is acting against its mission statement and thus colluding with this illegal takeover. Surely that is not what those who established the organisation had in mind. We would urge the organisation to reflect and even at this late stage find another venue.

Yours sincerely

Diana Neslen

Secretary

Jews for Justice for Palestinians

P O Box 46081, London W9 2ZF

جدل حول التطبيع الفني بالمغرب

أعلنت مجموعة شبابية مغربية تغني موسيقى "الراب" بمدينة العرائش (شمال المغرب) عن رفضها لعرض إسرائيلي لإقامة حفل بتل أبيب.

وقالت مجموعة "لارابويز" التي تتكون من ثلاثة شبان، في بيان صحفي إن شركة إسرائيلية لتنظيم الحفلات عرضت عليها إحياء حفل موسيقي خاص في تل أبيب، لكنها قابلت العرض بالرفض المطلق.

وأوضح مدير أعمال المجموعة عثمان بن جلون للجزيرة نت أن المجموعة رفضت العرض الذي وصف بالمغري "دون تفكير"، وعد ذلك ردا طبيعيا على عرض من "يقتل الأطفال والنساء".

وأوضح بن جلون أن موقف مجموعته ينسجم مع المبادئ التي تؤمن بها، وأضاف أن المجموعة أصدرت أكثر من أغنية تندد بممارسات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي في فلسطين.

وأشار إلى أن رفضهم الغناء في إسرائيل "أدخل الفرح لقلوب الناس" وأكسبهم احترام الجميع، واستغرب اختيار الإسرائيليين لمجموعته للغناء في تل أبيب.

وقال بن جلون إن المجموعة لن ترد على العرض الإسرائيلي، لأن "الرسالة الإسرائيلية لم تصل" حسب تعبيره، وتوقع أن تصدر المجموعة أغنية بخصوص هذا الموضوع.

وقد خلف هذا الموقف ارتياحا في أوساط متابعي المجموعة، ولدى ناشطي مناهضة التطبيع في المغرب، خاصة في ظل تردد أنباء عن مشاركة بعض الفنانين لحفلات غنائية في إسرائيل.

4 Palestinians to be tried for violating settlement boycott

The Palestinian Finance Ministry decided Tuesday to indict four merchants who violated the boycotted on products made in West Bank settlements.

The four Palestinians are expected to face harsh penalties.

The law that prompted the boycott, co-initiated by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, rules that "anyone who trades in settlements products or cooperates or assists in their sale or import shall be imprisoned for 2-5 years and pay a fine of 10,000 Jordanian dinar (roughly $14,000)."

Moreover, the law states that Palestinians caught selling settlement products may have their license revoked and vehicle impouned.

Despite this, Fayyad's counterpart in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said he believes the Palestinian Authority is not being firm enough with Israel.

Open Letter to John Lydon from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Dear John,

Although you were born in Ireland, you may not be aware that on 12th August the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) launched its "boycott pledge" campaign, whereby over 140 (now over 160 and counting) Irish artists undertook "not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel, nor to accept any funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights."

Proportionally, the largest number of these artists are musicians: musicians of all kinds ranging from classical composers to sean nós dancers to death metallers to - yes - punk rockers, but all described without discrimination as musicians. I'm proud to be one myself.Some of these artists are starting out on their careers, and may be taking a risk in signing such a pledge: the reach of the Zionist lobby in the USA is long, and who doesn't want to be big in the States? Others are already household names, and can and do whistle at the risk.

Few of these artists waste time proclaiming their rebelliousness or their anarchism: they are natural-born rebels with historical awareness and a social conscience, and are prepared to put their reputations on the line to demonstrate it.

In calling for a boycott, they are contradicting the policy of the Irish government and of the European Union which is "not to support boycotts or sanctions of Israel at this time". Instead, these governments ignore Israel's crimes, offer it substantial trading privileges, and treat it like a European country and a model democracy - thus in reality demonstrating their complicity with an Apartheid state engaged in a pitiless process of colonial expansion and dispossession and slow genocide of the indigenous Palestinian people.

You, on the other hand, who explicitly claim to be "anti-government", apparently agree with the EU governments on this, because you plan to break the cultural boycott of Israel by performing in Tel Aviv on 31st August. You are also willing to play by the rules of the criminal Israeli government which, through its spokesman Nissim Ben-Sheetrit in 2005, stated that "We see culture as a propaganda tool of the first rank, and...do not differentiate between propaganda and culture."

John, do you really wish to be "a propaganda tool" for such a foul regime? Because, believe me, the Israeli state doesn't need to hi-jack your music or your words (just in case you do "protest" while you're there, as you've promised) - the very fact of your presence will be hi-jacked to prove how "normal" that abnormal state is.

But it's not too late: you can still cancel your trip to Israel, and join the ranks of those honourable artists who refuse to play along with Apartheid. The IPSC Cultural Boycott Pledge (http://www.ipsc.ie/pledge) is still open and you would be most welcome to sign it: we'll be waiting for you with open arms!

Sincerely -

Raymond Deane

(Composer, IPSC Cultural Boycott Officer)

Christians, Jews meet over boycott

JEWISH and Christian leaders have met in Sydney to heal the wounds caused by a call last month for Australians to boycott Israeli goods made in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The National Council of Churches in Australia called for Australians to consider the boycott at the request of Middle Eastern churches, but the Jewish community was outraged.

The president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot, wrote to the council saying the resolution was a ''most unpleasant surprise … we feel that we have been badly let down by people we have long thought of as our friends''.

Last week members of both councils, including heads of the Catholic and Anglican churches, archbishops Philip Wilson of Adelaide and Phillip Aspinall of Brisbane, met to restore relations.

Yesterday the councils, the leading organisations for the respective faiths, said in a joint statement that a ''serious exchange of views'' had helped Christian leaders better understand Jewish concerns and Jewish leaders better understand why the resolution was adopted.

Mr Goot would not comment further and the general secretary of the churches council, Tara Curlewis, said only that the statement showed the depth of the relationship between the groups. But the boycott resolution remained in place. They will meet again to work on a ''more comprehensive'' statement.