Israeli Refusenik speaking tour UK
Speaker tour with Israeli student refusenik, 5-14 march
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E.N.S. (registered) 02/20/2009, 17:15:00
The Shministim speak: Israeli student jailed for refusing to serve in army tours Britain, 5-14 March 2009
Following massive demonstrations and a wave of student occupations against Israels war in Gaza, British activists will be hosting a speaker tour with Tamar Katz, one of the Shministim, Israeli high school students jailed for refusing to fight in the occupied Palestinian territories. She is being brought over by Workers Liberty students, but the meetings are being hosted by a variety of organisations.
Tamar, 19, was jailed three times, for a total of 51 days at the end of 2008, for refusing to take part in military service. She explained why:
I refuse to enlist in the Israeli military on conscientious grounds. I am not willing to become part of an occupying army, that has been an invader of foreign lands for decades, which perpetuates a racist regime of robbery in these lands, tyrannizes civilians and makes life difficult for millions under a false pretext of security.
I oppose the anti-Palestinian policy of attrition and the oppression, not because I prefer the Palestinian society to the Israeli one, but out of an understanding that this policy has led us down a dead-end road politically and to immorality, forced especially on soldiers stationed in the Occupied Territories. I am not willing to become one of those holding the gun pointed indiscriminately at Palestinian civilians, and I do not believe that such actions could bring any change except ever more antagonism and violence in our region.
This is an excellent opportunity for student and trade union activists who opposed the war in Gaza to learn more about the other Israel Israeli anti-war activists, students and workers who desperately need our support and solidarity.
Tamar will be speaking at universities across the UK, as well as to some trade union meetings, including the rail union RMTs London Transport Region, which is sponsoring the tour.
Provisional dates (more information and links to events asap):
7pm, Thursday 5 March LONDON The Twelve Pins, 263 Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park Meeting and reception hosted by RMT London Transport Region and Finsbury Park RMT For more information email janine.booth@btopenworld.com
Lunchtime, Friday 6 March - BRIGHTON Sussex University email Koos kc69@sussex.ac.uk
7pm, Friday 6 March - LONDON International Solidarity for Womens Liberation meeting to celebrate International Womens Day hosted by Feminist Fightback, Organisation of Womens Freedom in Iraq and others Room 3a, University of London Union, Malet Street Email rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eidI814789060&ref=ts
12 noon, Monday 9 March MANCHESTER Manchester University email hazel.kent@student.manchester.ac.uk
6pm, Monday 9 March BRADFORD Bradford University, hosted by University of Bradford Union email Lloyd l.c.russell-moyle@bradford.ac.uk
Evening, Tuesday 10 March - CAMBRIDGE Cambridge University, hosted by Workers Liberty email Patrick phar2@cam.ac.uk
Lunchtime, Wednesday 11 March NOTTINGHAM Meeting at Nottingham University hosted by Nottingham Student Peace Movement
Evening, Wednesday 11 March SHEFFIELD Sheffield University, hosted by Workers Liberty email Daniel skillz_999@hotmail.com
6.30pm, Thursday 12 March - EDINBURGH Edinburgh University email darcyleigh@gmail.com
Time tbc, Friday 13 march LONDON LSE email michaeldeas@gmail.com
For more information about the tour in general, email Heather Shaw at centre_stage_red@yahoo.co.uk For more about the Shministim, http://www.december18th.org
From: http://www.educationet.org/messageboard/posts/1175532597.html
http://morris108.wordpress.com
