How, as an environmentalist, I got involved in solidarity with the Palestinians by Eurig Scandrett
Title of talk:
How, as an environmentalist, I got involved in solidarity with the Palestinians
Bullet points of talk:
- A study-tour of the Jewish National Fund in Israel
- History of the colonisation of Palestine
- Campaigning against the JNF’s ‘greenwash’
- Friends of the Earth International: ‘Environmental Nakba’
- The JNF in Scotland
- COP26
- Plant a Tree in Palestine
A few paragraphs on your subject:
As an environmentalist, my introduction to Palestine solidarity was through the Jewish National Fund (JNF), an organisation established in 1901 by the World Zionist Movement for the colonisation of Palestine, but which claims to be the ‘the oldest green organization in the world’. In fact it is neither green, nor the oldest, but rather uses ‘greenwash’ to cover up its activities of ethnic cleansing.
I will talk about the history and current practices of the JNF in the state of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the role that it has played in ethnic cleansing and the construction of the current Apartheid situation.
The JNF has a network of offshoot organisations throughout the world, including in Scotland and the UK, which have charitable status as environmental organisations. I will give some examples of how these organisations are being challenged.
I will also discuss the environment of Palestine and the various ways in which occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza are using environmental exploitation to dispossess the Palestinians of their resources.
A few paragraphs about you:
I have combined activism and education for most of my adult life. I have been involved with environmental, peace, feminist, international solidarity and trade union movements for forty years.
I was an environmental scientist until I decided to get into community education. I worked in adult education for 15 years, including in the community action team at Friends of the Earth Scotland. I have been a lecturer in sociology at Queen Margaret University for eighteen years, where I am also a trade union representative with University and College Union.
What free internet knowledge resources would you recommend?
Stop the JNF is an international campaign aimed at ending the role of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet LeIsrael) (JNF-KKL) in: the on-going displacement of indigenous Palestinians from their land; the theft of their property; the funding of historic and present day colonies, and; the destruction of the natural environment
To emphasize that the CORE issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are the DISPOSSESSION and ETHNIC CLEANSING (compulsory population transfer) of the Palestinian people for the past seven decades. Therefore, the conflict is deeply political and not about antisemitism that the Western world have experienced
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
The Balfour Project was created by British citizens to highlight Britain’s record in Palestine before, during, and after the Mandate, effectively from 1840 to 1948, to the present day. Through education and advocacy, we work to advance equal rights for all in Palestine/Israel regardless of race or creed and achieve greater public awareness of Britain’s current and historic responsibilities in Palestine/Israel. We seek to persuade the British Parliament and Government to demand that the rule of law and fundamental human rights, including the right to self-determination and the implementation of international law, are upheld in Israel/Palestine.
Water Nakba in Palestine: Sustainable Development Goal 6 versus Israeli hydro-hegemony
Zayneb al-Shalalfeh i, Fiona Napier ii and Eurig Scandrett iii
i School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich
ii Independent environmental scientist, Aberdeen
iii Public Sociology Research Group, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh:
core.ac.uk/download/pdf/161926857.pdf
The environment as a site of struggle against settler-colonisation in Palestine
Abeer al-Butmeh, Zayneb al-Shalalfeh and Mahmoud Zwahre with Eurig Scandrett
eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/20.500.12289/9950/9950.pdf?
What are your weblinks?
Public Email – [email protected]
This talk took place at The Outhouse (12A Broughton Street Lane, Edinburgh) on 13th September 2023