One of Sadaka’s main functions is to provide up-to-date factual and analytical information on the situation on Palestine. These Briefings are free to download and disseminate - please pass them on.
 
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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Ireland's position on the recognition of a Palestinian stateOverview: This briefing summarises the publicly stated position of the Irish Government on the recognition of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders as of 7 July 2011. (Click now to download)
(July 2011, PDF 105 kB)
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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)
(June 2011, PDF 127 kB)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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The blockade of Gaza must be ended – completely. Overview: As Israel promised in the Agreement on Movement & Access, the crossings between Israel and Gaza must operate continuously, not just when Israel takes the notion to open them and not just for the transfer of the goods that Israel decides. (Click for more)
(4 June 2010, PDF 255kB)
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Israel's bogus excuses for piracyOverview: Israel claims it had compelling reasons for hijacking the Free Gaza ships in international waters and killing, wounding and kidnapping their passengers. All of them are bogus. Read on. (Click for more)
(2 June 2010, PDF 528kB)
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Correspondence with the Israeli Embassy about UN ResolutionsOverview: Israel is contravening over 30 UN Security Council resolutions, dating back to 1968, resolutions that require action by it and it alone. Here, you can read Israel’s feeble attempts to defend its failure to implement these resolutions. (Click for more) (PDF 578kB) |
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UN Security Council resolutions contravened by IsraelOverview: Israel is contravening over 30 UN Security Council resolutions, dating back to 1968, resolutions that require action by it and it alone. If Israel had implemented these resolutions, as it should have done as a member of the United Nations, it would have removed all of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and reversed its annexation of East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights. (Click for more) (PDF 989kB)
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The Israel - Hamas CeasefireOverview: Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s military assault on Gaza which began on 27 December 2008, cost the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, including over 400 women and children. 13 Israelis, including 3 civilians, also died. None of this carnage was necessary in order to protect Israeli citizens from rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza, as Israel claimed in justification for its action. This problem had been solved by the ceasefire arrangements Israel made with Hamas, as a result of which Hamas fired no rockets or mortars out of Gaza from 19 Jun 2008 until 4 November 2008 – when Israel broke the ceasefire. (Click for more) (Mar 2010, PDF 1.9MB) |
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International Court of Justice Ruling on the WallOverview: 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” and ordered Israel to remove it. It has refused to comply with this ruling. (Click for more) (Apr 2010, PDF 271Kb) |
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The Road MapOverview: In May 2003, Israel accepted the Road Map as the framework for negotiating with Palestinians about a “two-state solution”. Under it, Israel was supposed to freeze all settlement activity prior to the start of negotiations. It has refused to do so. (Click for more) (Mar 2010, PDF 1.1MB) |
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The Agreement on Movement and AccessOverview: Israel’s obligations to the people of Gaza under the 4th Geneva Convention and the Agreement on Movement and Access: This Agreement, which Israel signed in November 2005, set out arrangements that were to operate for the passage of people and goods in and out of Gaza, in the wake of Israel’s “disengagement”. The arrangements included continuous opening of the crossings between Israel and Gaza, bus and truck convoys between Gaza and the West Bank and a functioning airport and seaport in Gaza. (Click for more) (Mar 2010, PDF 1.1MB) |
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Israel's contraventions of the UN CharterOverview: Article 2.4 of the UN Charter prohibits UN members from using force or the threat of force. Throughout its existence as a state, Israel has contravened this Article of the UN Charter on many occasions. (Click for more) (Mar 2010, PDF 1.9MB) |
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The historic wrong against the Palestinian peopleOverview: The Jewish colonisation of Palestine in the 20th Century, backed by Britain as promised in the Balfour Declaration, has brought endless suffering to the Arab people of Palestine and deprived them of the enjoyment of their land. A settlement in Palestine requires a recognition that an historic wrong has been done to the Arab people of Palestine and that appropriate redress has to be made. (Click for more) (Dec 2009, PDF 5.4MB) |
