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29/11/2010: Holy Land Churches meet CRH (Cement Roadstone Holdings) to urge divestment from Israel.
Church leaders from the Holy Land met CRH plc executives at its European headquarters in Cabinteely today to urge it to stop profiting from the occupation of Palestine.
The church leaders Fr Manuel Musallam (Latin Catholic Church), Archbishop Theodosius Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church) and Mr Constantine Dabbagh (Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches Department for Service for Palestinian Refuges in Gaza) asked CRH to divest from its Israeli subsidiary Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd, the holding company which owns a significant minority shareholding in Israel’s sole cement company Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises Ltd. Nesher supplies the cement used in the construction of Israel’s apartheid wall, its matrix of illegal settlements, and other instruments employed in the occupation of Palestine.
The three church leaders were welcomed at CRH’s European Materials head office by both the company’s regional director, and its managing director of its European material division. The visiting Palestinian eminences were accompanied by three members of Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance.
During the talks, the visiting delegation encouraged CRH to “take its corporate social responsibility seriously” and to employ due diligence to ensure the company doesn’t contribute to human rights abuses, and therefore avoid complicity with Israel’s violations of international law. The religious leaders encouraged CRH “not to lose sight of its morals and ethics” and stressed “investment should not be in conflict with ethical values.” The Palestinians said they came from the Holy Land “not to tell CRH what to do, but to consider the consequences of its actions”.
CRH expressed its appreciation of the approach taken in the visitors’ presentation of the issues, and committed to bring the points raised to the CRH board. CRH (Cement Roadstone Holdings) plc, is an international building materials company with its headquarters in Ireland. The company has a significant 25% minority shareholding in Nesher, and is allocated two seats (from eight) on Nesher’s board of directors.
On 7 July 2004, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s construction of the Wall in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) to be “contrary to international law”. The UN’s framework document Protect, Respect and Remedy: a Framework for Business and Human Rights (2008) deals with the issue of human rights and transnational corporations. This was adopted by the Human Rights Council and supported by the EU in 2008.
The Holy Land Church Leaders’ tour is a Sadaka initiative, part financed by Trócaire and organised in partnership with Christian Aid. During the past week, the Palestinian delegation have fulfilled engagements in Ireland which included meetings with President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin; Mr. Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and attendance at an Irish Inter-Church Meeting (which involved Cardinal Brady, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and twenty of the other most senior church leaders in Ireland).
Hilary Minch,
SADAKA - the Ireland Palestine Alliance
Tel: 087 9855 997 hilaryminch2004@yahoo.com
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27/11/2010: Palestinian Church leaders echo Davitt's call for boycott and peaceful protest in Mayo
(Mayo) The museum of Michael Davitt today welcomed three eminent church leaders from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The church leaders laid a wreath on the revered Irish Land League leader’s grave and said that the Palestinian people can “draw inspiration from the courage and leadership of Davitt’s campaigns for justice and peace”.
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church), Monsignor Manuel Mussalam (Latin Catholic) and Mr Constantine Dabbagh (Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches Department for Service for Palestinian Refuges in Gaza) are courageous human rights defenders and highly regarded spiritual leaders throughout Palestine and the Middle East.
Representing all Palestinian people, regardless of religion, the church leaders are in Ireland to raise awareness of the grave plight of the Christian community in Palestine, and by extension, the situation of Palestinian people living under Israeli military occupation. They are calling on the international community to protect the people of Palestine: “we need only one thing, to be protected by the world against the crimes of Israel”.
At the museum, the three church leaders paid tribute to Michael Davitt’s movement of Irish tenant farmers to win control of the land through agitation, peaceful resistance and peaceful politics. Davitt’s Land League invented the tactic of ‘boycott’, so-called after it was first applied against the ruthless agent of a Co. Mayo landlord, Captain Boycott.
Later in the evening, at a reception at Mount Falcon, Ballina, the three Holy Land church leaders were welcomed by the Mayo County Council. On Sunday, November 28th, the church leaders will travel to Ballintubber Abbey, Co. Mayo, to conduct the celebration of an ecumenical service at 3pm.
Yesterday (Friday 26th) in Belfast, at a special sitting of Irish church leaders, the Palestinian delegation described the Israeli occupation as the “crucification of the nation of Palestine,” and made a plea to all of Ireland’s assembled eminences to “act and intervene or nothing will change”.
Earlier this week (Thursday 25th), at a courtesy reception at Áras an Uachtaráin, the church leaders met with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, who acknowledged the difficulties facing the people of Israel and Palestine. Both President McAleese and the Palestinian church leaders shared a mutual understanding that peace is more than an absence of violence – “the only lasting peace is a just peace”.
Hilary Minch
SADAKA - the Ireland Palestine Alliance Tel: 087 9855 997 hilaryminch2004@yahoo.com
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26/11/2010: Irish Church leaders told act now on Palestine or “nothing will change”
(Belfast) Three church leaders from the Occupied Palestinian Territories addressed all of Ireland’s main Christian Church leaders today, and appealed to the eminences “to have the courage to act in the best interests of humanity”.
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church), Monsignor Manuel Mussalam (Latin Catholic) and Mr Constantine Dabbagh (Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches Department for Service for Palestinian Refuges in Gaza) are courageous human rights defenders and highly regarded spiritual leaders throughout Palestine and the Middle East.
Addressing a forum of Irish church leaders in Belfast, they spoke of the “crucification of the nation of Palestine,” and called on all leading Irish church figures to “act and intervene or nothing will change”.
The moderator and retired President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev. Donald Kerr was joined in Belfast’s Methodist Central Mission by Cardinal Brady (Roman Catholic), Alan Harper, Archbishop of Armagh (Anglican), Rev. Dr. Norman Hamilton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Rev. Paul Kingston, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, to discuss the situation of Christians in the Holy Land.
In their address to the Irish church leaders, the three Palestinian men spoke about the diminishing Christian population in the Holy Land where Christianity was born, and called on church figures from all over the world to “stand together in support of this shrinking population”.
The Palestinian guests told their audience, that Christians in the Holy Land have nothing to fear from the threats of Islamisation. “We are one people; we are Palestinian,” the leaders said.
On Saturday, the Michael Davitt Museum will welcome the three eminent church leaders from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The church leaders will lay a wreath on the revered Irish Land League leader’s grave, and will pay tribute to Davitt’s tactics of resistance, humanitarianism and peaceful politics. Later in the evening, at a reception at Mount Falcon, Ballina, the three Holy Land church leaders will be welcomed by the Mayo County Council.
Earlier this week (Thursday 25th), at a courtesy reception at Áras an Uachtaráin, the church leaders met with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, who acknowledged the difficulties facing the people of Israel and Palestine.
Hilary Minch
SADAKA - the Ireland Palestine Alliance http://www.sadaka.ie/
Tel: 087 9855 997 hilaryminch2004@yahoo.com
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25/11/2010: Palestinian Church leaders Call For Protection
The President of Ireland, Mrs Mary Mc Aleese today welcomed three senior Palestinian church leaders during a courtesy visit to Áras an Uachtarain.
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church), Monsignor Manuel Mussalam (Latin Catholic) and Mr Constantine Dabbagh (Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches) are courageous human rights defenders and highly regarded spiritual leaders throughout Palestine and the Middle East. Accompanying the delegation were Mr Justin Kilcullen of Trócaire and Ms Margaret Boden of Christian Aid as well as Board members of SADAKA – the Ireland Palestine Alliance.
The Palestinian church leaders conveyed a special Christmas greetings from the Holy Land to the President and to the people of Ireland. President Mc Aleese acknowledged the difficulties facing the people of Israel and Palestine. Both Mrs Mc Aleese and the Palestinian church leaders shared a mutual understanding that peace is more than an absence of violence – "the only lasting peace is a just peace”.
Representing all Palestinian people, regardless of religion, the church leaders are in Ireland to raise awareness of the grave plight of the Christian community in Palestine, and by extension the situation of Palestinian people living under Israeli military occupation. They are calling on the international community to protect the people of Palestine: “we need only one thing, to be protected by the world against the crimes of Israel”.
Earlier, the church leaders met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Martin. At the meeting, the Church leaders stressed the need for Ireland and other Western States to put pressure on Israel to comply with International Law and UN Security Council resolutions, especially regarding the illegal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the planting of colonial settlements throughout them. They stressed that without such pressure Israel simply ignored International Law and urged the Irish Government to consider such pressure in the context of the preferential trade relations Israel has been allowed enjoy with the EU.
Minister Martin outlined the position taken by the Irish Government at UN and EU level highlighting illegalities by the occupying power, Israel. In particular, Minister Martin undertook on behalf of the Government to raise the issue of Palestinian students being prevented by Israel from travelling to Europe in the framework of the EU “Erasmus Programme” while encouraging and allowing Israeli students to do so.
At the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs (Wednesday 24 Nov), the church leaders presented the reality of life under Israeli military occupation, where even freedom of religion is denied - Monsignor Musallam lamented the fact that for 20 years he has been denied a permit by Israel to travel from Bethlehem to the holy sites of Jerusalem – a journey of less than 20 minutes. The leaders emphasised that the Christian population of the Holy Land, like all Palestinians, suffer the consequences of the Israeli occupation – the confiscation of Palestinian land to build illegal settlements and settler-only roads, the illegal Separation Wall, the daily humiliation at checkpoints, the severe disruption of their social, economic, family and religious lives. The Christian population in Occupied Palestinian Territories is less than 1.4% of the 4 million population and is in steady decline as a direct result of the Israeli occupation. According to a 2008 study, those who choose to emigrate are motivated primarily by the lack of freedom and insecurity they have to endure under occupation.
Archbishop Hanna urged the members of the Oireachtas, “If you are a friend of Israel, you must tell them when they are wrong. If you are a friend, tell them to stop the occupation of Palestine.” He emphasised that “This is not a conflict of religion. It is a conflict between those with a rightful cause and those who took away that right. We want two states that live together in peace. Israel’s government policy is one of violence against Palestinians”. Referring to KAIROS Palestine, Archbishop Hanna called the illegal occupation of Palestine “A sin against God and a sin against humanity.”
A public event ‘In their Own Words’ – a conversation with Christians from the Holy Land, takes place in Smock Alley Theatre, Friday, 26 November, 7.30pm. Admission free. Reserve a place by contacting SADAKA. info@sadaka.ie
Hilary Minch
SADAKA - the Ireland Palestine Alliance. Tel: 087 9855997 hilaryminch2004@yahoo.com
31 May 2010: Killing of humanitarian activists in international waters must result in diplomatic sanctions.
(Word Doc 657kB)
'Israel has again proven that it believes it can act above international law. Nothing will change this except the actions of the international community. The Irish Government and the EU must impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel. The world must ‘shout stop. The time has long past for words of condemnation – we need swift, decisive and unambiguous action from the Irish Government. This is a shocking act of aggression on civilians simply attempting to bring humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.' commented Marie Crawley, Chair of Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance, in response to the killing and wounding of humanitarian activists in international waters as they attempted to bring tons of medical and building supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
'There is an extraordinary irony in the fact that these acts of piracy and murder come within weeks of international governments, including Ireland, accepting Israel to the OECD despite conditions of entry including compliance and commitment to human rights.'
'We further urge the Irish government to ensure the Irish boat of the flotilla, the Rachel Corrie, has a safe unhindered passage as it proceeds on its journey to challenge the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza. The international community must not be intimidated by the actions of the Israeli state. The people of Gaza have been forced to live in inhumane conditions for over three years and subjected to the worst of Israeli aggression – the symbolic act of these boats in breaking the illegal blockade is hugely important to the people of Gaza.'<
“We urge people to join the protests which are taking place in Dublin today. It is important that the Irish government is aware of the strength of feeling of the Irish population in response to this attack.”
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