Created on: 25 Jan 2018 | Last modified: 18 Jul 2023
1.1 The EIS has been affiliated to the Scottish Friends of Palestine since 1987. Scottish Friends of Palestine takes a stall at every EIS AGM and, on Saturday 10 November 2012, EIS and SFoP jointly organised an extremely successful conference entitles; "Children in Chains - Israel's Twilight Zone."
1.2 The following resolution was "remitted to Council" by the 2012 Annual General Meeting:
"That this AGM resolve to affiliate to the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign."
1.3 At its meeting held on Friday 9 November 2012, the Executive Committee asked from a background paper to be prepared in order to assist with the decision making process with regard to this remitted motion.
2. Scottish Friends of Palestine
2.1 The EIS has been affiliated to Scottish Friends of Palestine since around 1987 ie over 25 years. Scottish Friends of Palestine are regular visitors and stallholders at the EIS AGM and, in November 2012, a joint conference between the EIS and Scottish Friends of Palestine was held which attended over 80 delegates and at which the following speakers made contributions:
• Dr Aimee Shalan (Medical Aid for Palestinians);
• Dr Michael Kearney (Lecturer in International Law –University of Sussex);
• Gerard Horton (Lawyer – defence for Children International);
• Tam Baillie (Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People);
• Susan Quinn (EIS President).
2.2 The aims and objectives of Scottish Friends of Palestine are described below:
Scottish Friends of Palestine was formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the subsequent attacks on the Palestinian refugee communities. It is an independent organisation with no political or religious affiliations. SFoP supports the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty and the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. These rights have all been acknowledged by the United Nations. SFoP campaigns for immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all territories illegally occupied, including East Jerusalem. We work for educational, social and cultural links between the Scottish and Palestinian peoples.
3. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
3.1 The aims and objectives of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign are described below:
The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (intifada). The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland. We are all volunteers, independent of all political formations, and wholly dependent on donations to finance our activities. We are unaligned with any Palestinian factions and support the right of the Palestinian people as a whole to self-determination. A complete withdrawal of all Israeli military and paramilitary forces from the areas occupied by Israel in 1967
1. The right of all Palestinian refugees ethnically cleansed from their homes and their descendants to return to their homes or the areas from which they were driven, in line with UN Resolution 194.
2. An end to the Zionist project of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
3. Self-determination for Palestinians.
4. Equal rights for Palestinians living in Israel.
5. An end to all British arms sales to Israel.
3.2 A number of individuals who are or have been active in campaigning work to support the rights of the Palestinian people have expressed concerns about the EIS affiliation to the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and these were expressed while the motion was being remitted to Council at the AGM and at the November meeting of the Executive Committee.
4. Summary
4.1 On the basis of the above information, the Executive Committee is asked to consider whether it wishes to affiliate to the Scottish Palestine
Solidarity Campaign in addition to our long standing affiliation to and support for Scottish Friends of Palestine.