Author Archives: Diana Safieh

Urgent: halt evictions in Masafer Yatta with and Breaking the Silence’s Becca Strober

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that over 1,000 Palestinians can be forcibly evicted from their homes in Masafer Yatta, a community in the South Hebron Hills. Write to the Government to help stop this flagrant eviction of people from their … Continue reading

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Britain’s duty to advance equal rights in Palestine/Israel

BALFOUR PROJECT STATEMENT 18 MAY 2022 Whatever our assessment of Britain’s past role as an imperial power, since the Second World War the United Kingdom has played an important role in establishing a new rules-based order in international affairs, and … Continue reading

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Defenceless: Palestinian children in Israeli military detention

Lana Ramadan is the Advocacy and Campaigns Senior Office at Save the Children International oPt country office. Lana has extensive technical expertise and knowledge on the detention file in the oPt context. She worked for several Palestinian human rights organizations … Continue reading

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Don’t forget Palestine

There is now extensive evidence that the government of Israel is blatantly violating international law in its rule over the occupied Palestinian lands and its oppressive practices against the Palestinian people. As a friend of Israel, I feel obliged to … Continue reading

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Save Masafer Yatta Letter Writing Campaign

Dear [MP Name], I write to express my deep concern over the impending eviction and demolition of Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the West Bank. On March 15th, Israel’s Supreme Court held a hearing to determine the future of … Continue reading

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This is the biggest myth about Israel and the Nakba

Opinion: from the Israeli daily Haaretz It is one of the most enduring myths surrounding the 1948 war: The epic battle between a fearsome Arab Goliath and a new-born Israel to liberate Palestine. And it’s a fable that continues to … Continue reading

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UK calls on all parties to take urgent steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation in Jerusalem

Statement by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East The UK shares the concerns expressed around this [Security Council] table about the fragile situation in Jerusalem. It is crucial that … Continue reading

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UK trade deal with Israel sends a clear message: apartheid is rewarded

By Sara Husseini and Mazen Masri, from Middle East Eye Without conditionality on human rights or a mechanism for accountability, how can an enhanced trading relationship be understood by Israel as anything other than support for its violations and war … Continue reading

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Court overturns French ban on Palestine solidarity groups

Published by Ali Abunimah on Electronic Intifada, 2 May 2022. Emmanuel Macron’s war against campaigners for Palestinian rights suffered another big setback on Friday. The Conseil d’Etat, which acts as France’s supreme court ruling on government actions, suspended the president’s … Continue reading

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Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility – 17/18 May 2022

The Collapse of the British Mandate & Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now. Welcome – Sir Vincent Fean, Chair of Day 1 and Keynote Speaker Dr Hanan Ashrawi Farewell to Palestine: a personal experience of the … Continue reading

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Is Israel’s rule in the occupied territories apartheid? Yes, finds report by the UN Human Rights Rapporteur

This is the full text of the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Michael Lynk, to the UN Human Rights Council on March 21, 2022. In it, he comes to the … Continue reading

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UK call to prevent escalating tensions in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory as religious holidays approach

Statement by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council Delivered, March 22, 2022 Let me start by once again reinforcing the need to prevent a return to the violence we witnessed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories … Continue reading

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People live here: the 918 firing zone and threat of expulsion with local activist Ali Awad and Breaking the Silence’s Becca Strober

Online talk given in March 2022. Ali Awad is a 22 year-old activist from the village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills. Becca Strober is a former soldier originally from Philadelphia. She is the Director of Education at Breaking … Continue reading

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Nine Quarters of Jerusalem Book Launch

Online talk given in March 2022 Recording of Matthew Teller’s ‘Nine Quarters of Jerusalem’ book launch live from Jerusalem. This event was jointly organised by the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, Educational Bookshop Jerusalem and Balfour Project. Book Review: Nine Quarters of … Continue reading

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Book Review: Nine Quarters of Jerusalem, a New Biography of the Old City by Matthew Teller

Profile Books. Hard cover. £16.99 Review by Menachem Klein Watch recording of Matthew Teller’s ‘Nine Quarters of Jerusalem’ book launch live from Jerusalem. This event was jointly organised by the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, Educational Bookshop Jerusalem and Balfour Project. ..a … Continue reading

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World Council of Churches Jerusalem Easter Initiative

Recalling our Balfour Project conference on Jerusalem in October 2020… (You can read the Balfour Project Jerusalem statement here.) The World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched this Easter initiative: “The WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Easter seeks … Continue reading

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Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Day One: The Collapse of the British Mandate Day Two: Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now.

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Patrons

Rt Hon Tom Brake Tom Brake became Deputy Leader of the House of Commons in October 2012 and was also appointed as an Assistant Government Whip in November 2014. He was the Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington 1997-2019. He … Continue reading

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FAQs

What people ask about the Balfour Project Why the name? A small group of British people asked themselves how their country would mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration (2017). They called their research, reflections and advocacy the Balfour Project. … Continue reading

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Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Day One: The Collapse of the British Mandate Day Two: Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now.

Posted in Events, Future, Recordings | Comments Off on Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Day One: The Collapse of the British Mandate Day Two: Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now.

Posted in Events, Future, Recordings | Comments Off on Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Day One: The Collapse of the British Mandate Day Two: Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now.

Posted in Events, Future, Recordings | Comments Off on Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Abbas Milhem on Palestinian agriculture under occupation

Online talk given in March2022 Abbas Milhem is the current Executive Director (since 2014) of the Palestinian Farmers’ Union, providing technical guidance and full supervision on project development and implementation processes for the 14 branches of the Union across the … Continue reading

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Bashir Bashir on Equal Rights for All in Palestine/Israel

Online talk given in February 2022 Bashir Bashir is associate professor in the department of sociology, political science and communication at the Open University of Israel and a senior research fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. His primary research … Continue reading

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Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Day One: The Collapse of the British Mandate Day Two: Why it still matters, and what Britain should do now.

Posted in Events, Future, Recordings | Comments Off on Abandoning Palestine: the end of the British Mandate and our continuing responsibility

Al Haq – Under Threat: Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Face Effects of Designations

Online talk given in February 2022 Rula Jamal LLM – Head of Monitoring and Documentation at Al-Haq Dr Susan Power – Head of Legal Research and Advocacy at Al-Haq In 2021, the government of Israel designated al-Haq a ‘terrorist’ organisation, … Continue reading

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Amnesty International Report: Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians

On 1 February Amnesty International published an important report on Israel/Palestine. Here is the link to the text of the report, and here the link to Amnesty’s response to questions.  Here is a Haaretz commentary on Israeli Government handling of … Continue reading

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Apartheid: Israel’s inconvenient truth

By Chris McGreal (This article originally appeared in the February, 2022, edition of The Link, published by Americans for Middle East Understanding. In 2006, Jimmy Carter published his bestselling book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, to wide acclaim and a vicious campaign … Continue reading

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Israel’s ‘Hysterical’ Response to Amnesty’s ‘Apartheid’ Report

By Anshell Pfeffer in Haaretz on 1Feb 2022. This is the third such report in a year to label Israel an apartheid state, but Jerusalem has only succeeded in generating greater interest in Amnesty’s accusations. We may have to wait … Continue reading

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The Guardian view on Amnesty’s Israel report: dominating the discourse

Editorial published in The Guardian on 6 February 2022. The continuing subjugation of Palestinians erodes the country’s stature internationally and damages its democracy Ehud Barak, Israel’s then defence minister and the country’s most decorated soldier, warned in 2010 that “as … Continue reading

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Palestinians Continue to Suffer in Lebanese Refugee Camps

By Elaine Pasquini, reprinted from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January 2022. In 1948, some 110,000 Palestinians fled to Lebanon after being violently forced from their homes by Jewish militants seeking to create the State of Israel. With … Continue reading

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Israel will never concede peace: It’s time for Britain to recognise Palestine

By Avi Shlaim. This article is reprinted from Middle East Eye, January, 2022. Boris Johnson once described the Balfour Declaration as ‘tragically incoherent’. With Israel now explicitly saying it will never negotiate peace, the UK must rethink its Palestine policy … Continue reading

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Conversation with Director Dror Moreh about “The Gatekeepers”.

Online talk given in January 2022

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Rohan Talbot & Wafa Dakwar from MAP- The plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

Online talk given in January 2022 Wafa Dakwar – Programme Manager, Beirut, Medical Aid for Palestinians Rohan Talbot – Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, London, Medical Aid for Palestinians Click here to view MAP’s position paper: Systematic Discrimination and Fragmentation Click … Continue reading

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Mass Palestinian grave at popular Israeli beach, Veterans confess

Israeli fighters at the 1948 battle in Tantura, a coastal village, finally come clean about the mass killing of Arabs that took place after the Palestinians’ surrender.  By Adam Raz (this article appeared in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz on … Continue reading

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Investigate Israeli veterans’ testimonies; commemorate mass Palestinian grave

This is a reprint of an editorial in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz from January 24, 2022. The renewed discussion of the capture of Tantura during the War of Independence is aimed at correcting a historic injustice for which the … Continue reading

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Unilateral actions risk undermining engagement between Israeli Government and Palestinian leadership

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East Peace Process – Published 19 January 2022 Thank you Madam President. Before I start I’d like to stress, as my Foreign Secretary has said, the United … Continue reading

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Gift Aid Form

What is Gift Aid? Gift Aid is a scheme which allows charities to claim extra money from HMRC. A charity can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate if you pay at least the basic rate of tax and … Continue reading

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UN Refugee Agency Pleads for Funds for Palestinians in Crisis-hit Lebanon

The UNWRA appeal is asking for an additional $87.5 million for cash assistance, hospital expenses and other needs for Palestinian refugees amid Lebanon’s economic collapse. Click here to read the full article in Haaretz. Click here to register for our … Continue reading

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Against our better judgment: The hidden history of how the US was used to create Israel

By Magan Singodia This is a brilliant book for anyone trying to establish the truth of the political history of America’s unwavering support for Israel. It is an eye-opening account of the lengths the Zionists were and are prepared to … Continue reading

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Israel’s ‘most moral army in the world’ can’t keep running from its past

Haaretz Editorial published on Dec. 12, 2021 Soldiers of the Israeli army committed war crimes during the War of Independence. Chief among them were massacres in Palestinian villages that were captured in the decisive battles in the lowland plain between … Continue reading

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Classified Docs Reveal Massacres of Palestinians in ’48 – and What Israeli Leaders Knew

By Adam Raz in Haaretz on 9 December 2021. Testimonies continue to pile up, documents are revealed, and gradually a broader picture emerges of the acts of murder committed by Israeli troops during the War of Independence. Minutes recorded during … Continue reading

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Hamas terror listing is yet another UK betrayal of the Palestinians

By Avi Shlaim, published in Middle East Eye on 30 November 2021. As long as its political opponents are labelled ‘terrorists’, Israel is absolved from the need to negotiate and gets a free pass from its allies to continue using … Continue reading

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Israel/Palestine: In Search of the Rule of Law Conference Souvenir Brochure

Online launch in December 2021 Dominic Grieve is a barrister and a visiting professor on Law, Politics and Human Rights at Goldsmiths, University of London.  From 1997-2019 he was MP for Beaconsfield. He was Shadow Home Secretary from 2008-09 and … Continue reading

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Jerusalem: Lloyd George’s and his generals’ Christmas victory in 1917

By Colin Smith, December 10, 2021 (This article appears in the current issue of Prospect). On 11th December 1917, celebratory peals in London and the Vatican announced Britain’s first significant land victory in the First World War. But though the … Continue reading

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Gideon Levy & Sarah Helm: Israel/Palestine – telling it like it is

Online talk given in December 2021 Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist, currently for Haaretz, and author. Levy has won prizes for his articles on human rights in the Israeli-occupied territories.Levy was drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in … Continue reading

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Legacy Giving

Help our vital work by leaving a gift in your will. A legacy gift will allow you to play an important part in helping to continue our work. A legacy gift is a unique and very meaningful type of gift. … Continue reading

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The label of ‘terrorist’: a bid to discredit and silence opponents

By John Dugard The apartheid regime of South Africa initially sought to discredit its political opponents by labelling them “communists”. When the international community realized that the term was abused the regime resorted to labelling its opponents “terrorists”. This proved … Continue reading

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Why the UK’s blacklisting of Hamas hurts its own peace policy

A motion to label the entire Hamas movement as ‘terrorists’ is an attempt to score political points at the cost of a peacemaking strategy for Israel-Palestine. By Hugh Lovatt on +972, November 25, 2021 Following a brief debate, the British House of … Continue reading

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UK ban on Hamas will have ‘terrible chilling effect’, warns former minister

Crispin Blunt said he did not think the measure would ‘draw away violence’. By Martina Bet. Published in the Evening Standard, 25 November 2021. A ban on the Palestinian group Hamas will have a “terrible chilling effect” in the Israeli … Continue reading

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