The New Dark Age

9 October 2011 — Jews for Justice for Palestians

Israelis and Palestinians: two peoples, one future

1. Oct 11-20, Dr Awad Abu Freih UK tour: Bedford, Bristol, Canterbury, Gloucester, Leamington, London, Luton, Oxford, St Albans, Sherborne
2. Oct 25, London: Book launch of Jewish Identity and Palestinian Rights by David LandyIsrael’s hidden victims: the Bedouin of the Negev

Dr Awad Abu Freih heads the Chemistry Department of Sapir College in the Negev. He is also a Bedouin from Al Araqib, a village demolished twenty eight times since July 2010. He will speak about Israel’s little-reported ‘war’ against the Negev Bedouin who have been hounded from land they bought and inherited, and lived there for thousands of years as indigenous people. Forced to relocate to huge townships, rife with poverty, unemployment and crime, the Negev Bedouin have seen their land stolen to enable the establishment of Jewish settlements, agricultural projects and forests. Dr Abu Freih coordinates a new umbrella group ‘Recognition Now’, which brings together Bedouin, Jewish and international groups who are campaigning for Bedouin land and civil rights.
 
11 October, Oxford, 7.30pm
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford OX1 1BX
Organised by Oxford Palestine Solidarity Campaign
 
12 October, St Albans, 8.00pm
St Pauls Church (Upper Lounge), Blandford Rd, St Albans AL1 4JP.
Map http://www.stpauls-stalbans.org/findus.htm
 
13 October, Bedford, 7.00pm
All Saints’ Church (Parish Room), Westbourne Road, Bedford MK40 4LD. 
Map http://www.allsaintsbedford.co.uk
 
14 October, Luton, 6.00pm
The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute St, Luton LU1 2EY
The Hat Factory is a one minute walk across Station road and is the first building at the end of the pathway.
Parking: there are numerous public car parks in the town centre, the nearest one is the Bute Street car Park, which can be accessed via the the bottom of Hitchin Road/Station Road junction with an exit on Bute Street.(the old bus station) You can also use central car park. Both these car parks are free after 6pm
 
15 October, Leamington, 5.00-7.00pm
Bath Place Community Venture, The Old Library, York Rd (entrance Avenue Road), CV31 3PR
Organised by Justice for Palestinians-West Midlands http://sites.google.com/site/jfpwestmidlands/home
 
16 October, Gloucester, 6.45 for 7.00pm
The Friendship Café, 109-113 Barton St, GL14HR
 
17 October, London, 7.00-9.00pm
Amnesty International UK, The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA
 
18 October, Canterbury, 7.30pm
St Pauls Church Hall, Church St, CT1 1NH
Organised by East Kent Justice for Palestinians and ICAHD-UK
 
19 October, Bristol, 7.30pm
Room 12, St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, Bristol BS2 9TJ
Organised by Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign
 
20 October, Sherborne, 7.30pm
Cheap Street Church, Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3BJ

2. Book launch of Jewish Identity and Palestinian Rights, Diaspora Jewish Opposition to Israel. David Landy in conversation with Richard Kuper (former Chair of JfJfP)
 
Tuesday, October 25, 7pm
V211, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Vernon Square, Penton Rise, London WC1X 9EW
(NB this is not on SOAS’s main campus)
 
http://zedbooks.co.uk/book/paperback/2011/jewish-identity-and-palestinian-rights
 
Diaspora Jews are increasingly likely to criticise Israel and support Palestinian rights. In the USA, Europe and elsewhere, Jewish organisations have sprung up to oppose Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, facing harsh criticism from fellow Jews for their actions.

Why and how has this movement come about? What does it mean for Palestinians and for diaspora Jews? Jewish Identity and Palestinian Rights is a groundbreaking study of this vital and growing worldwide social movement, examining in depth how it challenges traditional diasporic Jewish representations of itself. It looks at why people join this movement and how they relate to the Palestinians and their struggle, asking searching questions about transnational solidarity movements.

This book makes an important contribution to Israel/Palestine and Jewish studies and responds to urgent questions in social movement theory.

About the Author:
David Landy is an Irish-Jewish academic, active in the Palestine solidarity movement. Formerly chair of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, he is currently based in Lancaster University, where he teaches contemporary social and cultural theory, and race and migration.