With every good wish for 2012
from Sadaka



B'Tselem Review of 2011

In 2011, volunteers filmed over 500 hours of footage in
the West Bank. This video is a 2 minute summary.

latest sadaka publications


Palestine wins UNESCO membership (Click now to download PDF)Palestine wins UNESCO membership (Click now to download PDF) Palestine wins UNESCO membershipOverview: Palestine won UNESCO membership by 107 votes to 14, only 12 out of the 194 members siding with the US and Israel in opposing. As a result, the US has halted funding to UNESCO – existing US legislation compelled it to do so. It is doubtful if the US Congress will amend the legislation to enable funding to be resumed. If it isn’t, after two years the US will lose its voting rights in the organisation. If Palestine wins membership in other UN-related organisations, then the same thing will happen in them. (Click now to download)
(December 2011, PDF 142 kB)
Ireland supports EU ban on settlement goods (Click now to download PDF)Ireland supports EU ban on settlement goods (Click now to download PDF) Ireland supports EU ban on settlement goodsOverview: Irish Foreign Minister, Eamon Gilmore, has confirmed in Dáil Éireann that Ireland is committed to banning the import of settlement produce into the EU and is seeking to persuade member states to adopt this as EU policy. (Click now to download)
(November 2011, PDF 99 kB)
The Palestinian UN Initiative (Click now to download PDF)The Palestinian UN Initiative (Click now to download PDF) The Palestinian UN InitiativeOverview: This briefing describes the progress of the Palestinians’ UN initiative, which seeks UN membership for a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, that is, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip – the Palestinian territories which have been under Israeli military occupation since June 1967. (Click now to download)
(November 2011, PDF 137 kB)
Ireland's position on the recognition of a Palestinian state (Click now to download PDF)Ireland's position on the recognition of a Palestinian state (Click now to download PDF) Ireland's position on the recognition of a Palestinian stateOverview: Summary of the publicly stated position of the Irish Government on the recognition of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders as of 5 September 2011. (Click now to download)
(September 2011, PDF 103 kB)
UN Membership for Palestine (Click now to download PDF)UN Membership for Palestine (Click now to download PDF) Why Ireland should support UN membership for a Palestinian stateOverview: Palestinians are seeking the ultimate form of international recognition for a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, that is, UN membership. An application for UN membership must first be recommended by the Security Council, where it may be subject to a US veto, and then approved by General Assembly by a two-thirds majority. We in Sadaka believe that Ireland should vote for UN membership in the General Assembly in order to put pressure on Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders. This briefing gives our reasons. (Click to download)
(September 2011, PDF 149 kB)
Steps to UN membership for Palestine (Click now to download PDF)Steps to UN membership for Palestine (Click now to download PDF) Steps to UN membership for PalestineOverview: In September, Palestinians intend to apply for UN membership for a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, that is, in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories under Israeli military occupation since 1967. It is expected that the US will veto the membership application in the Security Council and the application will fail. However, Palestinians are confident that they will succeed in enhancing their status at the UN in the autumn by being granted observer rights as a “non-member state”. This requires a simple majority in the UN General Assembly and cannot be blocked by the US. (Click now to download PDF) (August 2011, PDF 112 kB)
Palestine in Irish PoliticsPalestine in Irish Politics Palestine in Irish Politics: A HistoryOverview: Since the War of Independence, Ireland has engaged closely with the ‘Question of Palestine’, supporting the rights of the Palestinian people. While “anti-Semitism” had little support in Ireland, and the Irish independence movement embraced the Irish Jewish community, Zionism was opposed as a British imperial project in the Middle East. In the Bahrain Declaration in 1980, Ireland was the first state in the EEC to support the establishment of an independent State in Palestine, to recognise the PLO, and seek a settlement based on pre-1967 borders. The Bahrain Declaration laid the basis for the dramatic change in the European position, set out in the Venice Declaration of June 1980, which is still the basis of EU policy. A recent editorial in the New York Times described the Venice Declaration as defining “the contours of the only plausible agreement between Israel and the Palestinians”. The position of the Irish state on Palestine has been one of the most progressive in the western world, and has been consistent since first set down by de Valera in the 1930s. (Click to download)
(July 2011, PDF 514 kB)
The Goldstone Report does not need correction (Click now to download PDF)The Goldstone Report does not need correction (Click now to download PDF) The Goldstone Report does not need correctionOverview: Judge Goldstone, who headed the UN investigation into Israel’s military assault on Gaza in December 2008/January 2009, has implied that the investigation’s report needs substantial correction because new information has come to light. Professor Christine Chinkin, Hina Jilani and Colonel Desmond Travers, who worked with him on the investigation and co-wrote its report, do not share his view. In fact, he questioned the report’s conclusions about only one out of the thirty-six incidents investigated. (Click to download) (April 2011, PDF 523 kB)
The Goldstone Report does not need correction (Click now to download PDF)The Goldstone Report does not need correction (Click now to download PDF) The Goldstone Report does not need correctionOverview: Judge Goldstone, who headed the UN investigation into Israel’s military assault on Gaza in December 2008/January 2009, has implied that the investigation’s report needs substantial correction because new information has come to light. Professor Christine Chinkin, Hina Jilani and Colonel Desmond Travers, who worked with him on the investigation and co-wrote its report, do not share his view. In fact, he questioned the report’s conclusions about only one out of the thirty-six incidents investigated. (Click to download) (April 2011, PDF 131 kB)
The EU and Israel (Click now to download PDF)The EU and Israel (Click now to download PDF) The EU and IsraelOverview: In December 2009, the EU adopted a set of conclusions on the Middle East, which were rightly regarded as a firming up of EU policy towards Israel. But firm policy is no use without the will to put it into effect, by imposing sanctions on Israel, if necessary. (Click to download)
(March 2011, PDF 154 kB)
Is Hamas opposed to a two-state solution? (Click now to download PDF)Is Hamas opposed to a two-state solution? (Click now to download PDF) Is Hamas opposed to a two-state solution?Overview: Israel and its allies say repeatedly that Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and opposed to a “two-state solution”. This briefing shows that Hamas has stated on many occasions that it is prepared to accept a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, if Israel withdrew to those borders. Unfortunately, Israel shows no inclination to so that. (Click to download) (March 2011, PDF 106 kB)
Is Iran a threat to Israel's existence? (Click now to download PDF)Is Iran a threat to Israel's existence? (Click now to download PDF) Is Iran a threat to Israel's existence?Overview: Israel and its allies assert that Iran is a threat to the existence of the Israeli state, that the Islamic regime in Iran is akin to Nazi Germany and President Ahmadinejad is a modern Hitler. After all, didn’t he threaten to “wipe Israel off the map”? This briefing questions the validity of this narrative. (Click to download) (March 2011, PDF 147 kB)
The European Union’s Blind Eye: How the EU ignores Israel’s failure to fulfil its obligations under EU agreements (Click now to download PDF)The European Union’s Blind Eye: How the EU ignores Israel’s failure to fulfil its obligations under EU agreements (Click now to download PDF) The European Union’s Blind EyeOverview: This paper demonstrates how the EU has constantly turned a blind eye to Israel’s failure to fulfil its obligations in agreements with the EU. Under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, for example, Israel is required to "respect the territorial integrity and unity" of its partners - it has failed to do so in respect of Lebanon and Syria, some of whose territory it occupies. Under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, it is also required to “act in accordance with the United Nations Charter” – it has failed to do so, since it is in breach of more UN Security Council resolutions than any other state in the world. (Click to download)
(March 2011, PDF 500 kB)
Jerusalem Past and Present (Click now to download PDF)Jerusalem Past and Present (Click now to download PDF) Jerusalem Past and PresentOverview: Jerusalem has become both symbol and victim of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ruthless effort of Israeli expansionism to sweep away over one thousand years of history in the city itself and its surrounding land, threatens any prospect of peace with the Palestinians, or acceptance by the wider world. (Click to download)
(March 2011, PDF 1.45 MB)
Ireland should recognise a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders (Click to download PDF)Ireland should recognise a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders (Click to download PDF) Ireland should recognise a Palestinian state in the 1967 bordersOverview: In November 1988, the PLO declared the establishment of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, that is, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. With this declaration, Palestinians accepted the objective of a state on just 22% of their historic homeland, with Israel continuing to exist in the other 78%. More than 100 states in the world recognised it and granted it full diplomatic relations. Other states, including Ireland, while not going as far as recognition, established some form of diplomatic relations with it. Recently, the PLO has renewed its recognition campaign, with a view to taking the matter to the UN in September 2011, and has had great success in Latin America. Sadaka believes that Ireland should take a lead in the EU in this matter and, as soon as possible, recognise a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders.
(Click to download)
(Feb 2011, PDF 230 kB)
Unless US and EU put pressure on Israel to end the occupation, negotiations are futile (Click now to download PDF)Unless US and EU put pressure on Israel to end the occupation, negotiations are futile (Click now to download PDF) Unless US and EU put pressure on Israel to end the occupation, negotiations are futileOverview: In June 1967, Israel took over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza by force, contrary to Article 2.4 of the UN Charter. For many years, the accepted wisdom has been that for a settlement to be achieved there must be negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. But why should Israel be allowed to negotiate about how much, if any, of the territory it acquired by force 43 years ago to give up, and when to give it up? Should the international community not simply insist that Israel end its military occupation of territory acquired by force, as it did when Iraq took over Kuwait by force in August 1990? (Click to download)
(October 2010, PDF 654 kB)
Palestine: A Christian Response to OccupationMaria Khoury Letters and Messages Palestine: A Christian Response to Occupation Overview: This document provides factual information on the demise of the Christian population in Palestine and outlines responses of the Christian churches to the Occupation of Palestine. In particular, it presents key points of Palestine Kairos, a paper produced by Christian leaders in Palestine in December 2009 which describes the military occupation as a ‘sin against God and humanity’ and further calls for an international system of economic sanctions and boycott to be applied against Israel. (Click for more) (Nov 2010, PDF 1 MB)
The elephant in the room: Israel’s nuclear weapons (Click to download PDF)The elephant in the room: Israel’s nuclear weapons (Click to download PDF) The elephant in the room: Israel’s nuclear weaponsOverview: Nearly 30 years ago, the UN Security Council demanded unanimously that Israel open its secret nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA). It has yet to do so. The Security Council has taken no action to enforce this demand, despite the fact that Israel possesses an arsenal of nuclear weapons and a variety of means of delivering them to targets across the Middle East and further afield. This unwillingness to apply sanctions against Israel to compel it to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA oversight contrasts starkly with the action being taken against Iran because of its nuclear activities, even though Iran’s nuclear facilities are subject to IAEA inspection, unlike Israel’s. (Click to download)
(Oct 2010, PDF 682 kB)
Obama's 'new beginning' at an end in the Arab world? (Click now to download PDF)Obama's 'new beginning' at an end in the Arab world? (Click now to download PDF) Obama's 'new beginning' at an end in the Arab world?Overview: An opinion poll conducted in 6 Arab countries in July 2010 showed a precipitous drop in the approval rating of President Obama and his administration, compared with a year earlier, and a dramatic rise in approval for Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. (Click to download)
(Sept 2010, PDF 104 kB)