Lambeth Teacher with Lambeth NUT

The NUT cannot be 'even-handed' -

it has to be on the side of justice.

In a war situation, with atrocities rife, it is easy to see the issue superficially in terms of who is being violent. However, in any conflict there are underlying causes and justice is often forgotten. Some Western politicians cynically cover up their guilt for the Holocaust by joining in the chorus of accusations of 'anti-semitism' for any critics of the Israeli regime. If you click on the 'Jews for Justice for Palestinians' logo, you will see that such accusations are far from true with a growing number of Jewish people in Britain - including supporters of the State of Israel - coming out and demanding that the Palestinians are given a just settlement.

Remember:

• Palestinians have no land they call themselves
• The Israeli Defence Force rampages around there territory and regularly bombards their towns.
• The Palestinians are prevented from any economic development - the Israelis will not allow a sea-port from Gaza
• The settlements continue with encroachments into the Gaza and West Bank now being supported by George W Bush

Terror and suicide bombing are acts of despair - there has to be a political soultion and the NUT must support those organisations - be it Palestine Solidarity or Jews for Justice for Palestinians who wish to bring this about.

updates

Israeli soldiers beat up Dr. Mustafa Barghouti Palestinian Presidential candidate

Palestinian presidential candidate Dr Mustafa Barghouti and five of his supporters have been attacked by Israeli soldiers close to the Shavi Shamron settlement, near the West Bank city of Nablus, according to Aljazeera. Dr Mustafa Barghouti and his group were held by the Israeli soldiers for some time after being beaten up, and Dr Barghouti was later taken to Nablus hospital.

Dr. Barghouti told Aljazeera: "We were coming back form Jenin, heading towards Ram Allah when the Israeli army stopped our car at Sanur crossing and forced us out. "I explained to them that I am a presidential candidate. But, the soldiers started cursing and humiliating us.

"They then attacked five of my supporters. They beat up Luai Arafat, on his face and another one on his stomach with the end of their rifles. They then pushed my friend Dr Allam Jarrar to the ground. They beat me up heavily as I tried to help him." "They also prevented us from contacting anyone and forced us to stay outside for an hour and fifteen minutes in the cold".

"The Israeli action is not only an assault, but also a torture. It is an example of what they practise against all the Palestinians all across our land".

Betty Hunter, General Secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: 'This exposes the myth that Ariel Sharon will not intervene in the forthcoming Palestinian election. Israeli soldiers beating up a parliamentary candidate shows the complete disrespect that the Israeli government has for the principles of democracy, and the defence of human rights and international law. Sadly, in Palestine, this is a daily reality, and just another example of Israeli brutality against the occupied Palestinian population.'

'The Palestine Solidarity Campaign calls on the British Prime Minister to immediately place every possible pressure on Ariel Sharon to end Israel's violent attempts to prevent the Palestinian people from holding a free and fair election, and allow the Palestinians the right to determine for themselves who should be their president.'

Palestinian Aid Organisations

http://al-awda.org/terminate_aid_petition.htm http://al-awda.org/terminate_israel_aid.htm

http://www.infopal.org

http://al-awda.org/terminate_israel_aid.htm

Coop Norge is Norway's second largest grocery store chain, and stands for about 25% of all wholesale grocery purchased in Norway. Managing director Bernt Aas said, after announcing the boycott of Israeli products: "The board in Coop Norge is upset over Israel's conduct in the Middle East. It is our view that Israel's behaviour should result in consequences regarding our purchasing."

http://www.aftenposten.no

Jews and Palestine

There has been a campaign orchestrated against NUT by Zionists, led by the Jewish Chronicle who have mis-represented the debates at Annual Conferences. The NUT leadership should know better than to believe the Zionist propaganda from such sources that is hardly ever based on truth - just power and threats.

Jewish people of all perspectives - orthodox and secular have contributed to the discussion and all hold the view that there must be justice for the Palestinian people, not the mad dog war approach of Ariel Sharon.

The websites that follow are some of the exampes we refer to

There is a myth that opposition to zionism = anti-semitism. Whether Jewish people are or are not a nation is debatable. Lambeth Teacher does not hold a view on that. However, it does hold the view that no nation has the right to suppress another. We therefore wish to do our bit to assist the process for peace and justice in the Middle East. Bringing the attention of our members to the fact that the Jewish world is far from 100% behind Ariel Sharon, the butcher of Shahir and Shatila is we feel necessary.