Palestine: What Hope Peace

Bristol has been treated to the premiere of this riveting documentary, made by one strong-willed woman, Kerry-Anne Mendoza, before she took it on a tour of the UK. She has managed to take a catalogue of misbehaviour and injustice and present it as more than just another list; the constant cutting among Palestinians at home, in the street, under fire, reflecting on the way things are in general, plus talkers at a major public meeting on the subject, the director talking to camera, her driver and, importantly, a Jewish voice, ensures that the pace never drops - while doing justice to the fact that film is fundamentally a visual medium. Incidentally, you may come away from this as this blogger did, a good deal wiser. For instance, revealed was the fact that Israel's determination to import as many Jews as possible is undermined by the regime's racism extending to that old skin thing - so that immigrant Ethiopian Jewish women found they were being forceably sterilised. Mendoza was right in the middle of things; absolutely no distancing herself in time or place, and her voice-over at one point became a stirring call to action - no surprise as she was standing in the ruins of Gaza City at the time. 
Well worth a second look.

As Israeli violence continues - responses

Outside the BBC, Bristol

In the UK, as children were killed by Israeli fire while playing on a Gaza beach, and a spokesman said on the BBC that this was part of Israel's justified fight to defend its people, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign released this statement, calling on people to oppose Israeli aggression: 
"This isn’t about rockets from Gaza. It’s about Israel fighting to maintain its control over Palestinian lives, and Palestinian land. It’s about Israel feeling able to commit war crimes with complete impunity."


Street protests against Israeli actions and the BBC's bias in its reporting of the crisis took place all over the UK.

The children of Gaza are not forgotten

As an anniversary of the attack on the aid ship  Mavi Marmara has just passed, Bristol will be making sure that those still in need, the children of the beleaguered Gaza, are not forgotten, with a daytime event on Saturday 31st May, at the Palestine Museum Centre, Broad Street.

And the timetable?:

 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

3pm: Operation Cast Lead

3pm:   Introduction to Gaza
Short talk by an activist from Gaza (to be confirmed as this goes to press )
Film: The children of Operation Cast Lead...
Live Skype hook-up to Gaza
Candle commemoration for the Children of Operation cast Lead

4pm: Operation Sea Breeze

Introduction to the Freedom Flotilla and the Mavi Marmara
Talk by Cliff Hanley from the MMFilm: The aid volunteers of Operation Sea Breeze
Candle commemoration for the victims of Operation Sea Breeze

5pm: Introduction: British and US support for crime against humanity
Film: Propaganda and the murders on the Mavi Marmara
Book presentation
Conclusion: The children of Gaza will not be forgotten, and the truth will be told.

6pm: Palestinian food in the Arc Café and opportunity to buy the Zaytoun CIC Products Olive oil Date, Za`atar, Mafoutol , soap Kuffiyas and more.

Deir Yassin Remembered

Palestine Museum, Bristol

In Bristol, England, the destruction of the village of Deir Yassin was marked by a day of remembrance, with a film, introduced as Adam's Documentary, made by Adam Ibrahem, who was a Palestinian schoolboy of eleven years when he put it together. He was present at the Palestine Museum for the day, along with visiting choirs the Red Notes and Côr Cochion Caerdydd (Cardiff). Another highlight of the day was a Skype video conference with a West Bank man,Faraa al Wahaydi, whose family died in Deir Yassin. Despite his advanced years he gave a lively performance.                       

'Embassy' opens in Bristol, UK

In the centre of Bristol's old city,  A new Palestinian cultural exchange has opened its doors for the first time. I quote from the Release: Central-Bristol venue, the ARC on Broad Street, was transformed into a “Palestinian Embassy”. Spread across three floors it included a café serving Palestinian food, a cinema showing Palestinian films, and a gallery showing a major exhibition of Palestinian history, culture and solidarity, with West Bank paintings by Bristol artist Hanley. A day-long conference  included talks and workshops on Palestine provided by local and UK solidarity activists together with a live video link to Gaza & West Bank. Professor Manuel Hassassian, Palestine's

Prof. Hassassian greeted by the Lord Mayor of Bristol

Ambassador to the UK, was the welcome special guest.

G4S targeted in the UK

UK-wide on Friday 1st March, citizens braved the cold weather to make public their strong disapproval of G4S's culpable involvement in the Israeli regime. In south Bristol the local branch had its entrance partially redecorated.

Road to Hope is underway

The Road to Hope convoy, which departed from London on Saturday 11th October, will be joined by participants from a number of countries before it eventually attempts to cross the Rafah border from Egypt into Gaza. Mohamed Elnaddad of Bristol Gaza Link reported that the send-off was good with over 30 vehicles from all over the UK; the Bristol group, despite two vehicle breakdowns, is making good progress and was already in southern France heading for Spain.

Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from London, said organisers of the Viva Palestina 5 Convoy, travelling ahead of Road to Hope, say the attempt is the biggest and most international aid convoy ever bound for Gaza, with 148 vehicles carrying more than five million dollars worth of medication, school equipment and aid.

"By the time the convoy reaches the Strip it will have grown from 15 vehicles to 150 - picking up support across Europe and the Arab world," she said. "Most of the journey will be over land, but the aid will be transferred to ships for transportation between Syria and Egypt.

"The aid workers hope to deliver their supplies through the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza early next month."

Members of the convoy plan to hold a remembrance ceremony as they pass the area where Israeli troops conducted a deadly raid on the Freedom Flotilla destined for Gaza on May 31.

Picture: The Bristol contingent parades through town before setting off

Bristolians, westerners and one Londoner for October Convoy

On Saturday 9th October, a big crowd, flags and banners at the ready, gathered to see off the Bristol contingent for the Convoy of Hope, which will travel through North Africa, Syria and Egypt to Gaza. After a parade round the east of the city, the vehicles, assembled in only a miraculous three weeks, were off.