Palestinian member of parliament to give talk in Jersey

Tuesday 15 August 2017

The first Arab woman representing an Arab party to be elected to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and her Parliamentary Consultant are coming to Jersey.

Brought over by the Jersey Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (JPSC), Haneen Zoabi (pictured) will be visiting Jersey with her Parliamentary Consultant, Yudit Ilany, to give a public talk about the Palestinian Israeli conflict.

According to their website, the JPSC "campaigns for peace & justice for Palestinians, in support of international law and human rights & against all racism."

The talk will take place at the Town Hall on 6 September at 19:30. Ms Zoabi, who is an advocate for Palestinian rights in Israel and representative of the Balad Party, will be speaking about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Her Jewish Israeli Parliamentary Consultant, Ms Ilany, who is also a human rights activist and professional photographer, will be talking specifically about the ‘Women’s Boat to Gaza’ project which she photographed last year.

Pictured: The JPSC team campaigning in St Helier to raise awareness about the occupation of some areas of Palestine.

Speaking about why this issue is so important for Jersey, Chairperson of JPSC, Natalie Strecker, said: “We’re an island which, every year on 9 May, celebrates its liberation from occupying forces… So, we clearly recognise occupation as unacceptable and that people should react against it in order to secure our freedom. However, Palestine is entering into its 69^th year of occupation, living in what a UN agency described as an ‘apartheid’.

“At the JPSC we are interested in bringing about a just peace for everyone in the region. It isn’t about being anti-Israeli, we want a fairer system for all and that includes freedom from occupation, justice for refugees by granting them the right to return and equality through the introduction of equal democratic rights.”

The talk is a free event, but there will be a retiring collection to contribute to Mses Zoabi and Ilany’s travel expenses. For more information, visit the JPSC Facebook page or website.