Introduction

Welcome to the Israel-Palestine reading group, an open forum for learning, discussion and debate, meeting to consider issues concerning the ongoing Israeli occupation, its impact on the Palestinian people, the various involvements of western powers, and the broader possibilities of peace in the Middle East.

The bombing of Gaza earlier this year was a wake-up call to many in the UK and around the world. During that assault we saw Israeli jets devastate homes, factories, hospitals, schools, infrastructure and the lives of innocent people. We saw the bombardment of densely populated civilian areas. We saw the cruel and illegal use of weaponry such as dime bombs and white phosphorus. We also saw protests numbering tens and hundreds of thousands – in London, Paris, New York, Caracas, Oslo and Cairo to name a few – and students here in the UK, organising to win divestment and support from their universities with a string of occupations that spread throughout the country in a matter of days. But the attack on Gaza was not an isolated or unprecedented event in Israel’s history. For many it called to mind the invasions of Lebanon in 2006, 1982 and 1978. As horrifying as it was, the attack on Gaza formed part of a systematic oppression of the Palestinians; whether it be the blockade of that same region, the apartheid wall in the west bank or the frequent and arbitrary arrests, beatings and killings throughout the occupied territories.

Although a significant and long standing movement working towards Palestinian Solidarity and an end to the occupation and continuing violence in the region does exist, in Britain and worldwide, many people remain in the dark about the true nature of the conflict and feel unable to form a coherent judgement or take a stand on the issues. The aim of this reading group will be to overcome these difficulties by presenting information for people to assess for themselves and bringing together people of different experiences, interests, backgrounds and levels of commitment. Following this principle, each week a text will serve as the point of departure for conversation. Texts will be chosen from session to session as we go along, from a pool of suggestions which people can add to freely via email (see below). Hopefully the process of selection will naturally develop out of the discussion as it carries over from week to week, adding people and sharing knowledge as it grows.

To sum up, the two main aims of this scheme are: firstly to allow people to build up knowledge and sharpen analysis, drawing judgements from the facts and written argumentation, in an atmosphere free from invective and unquestioned assumptions; and secondly, to break down any kind of perceived exclusivity that might exist between committed activists and those who are less familiar with the issues, in order to learn from each other and share ideas.

However the idea of a reading group may in some ways be misleading: this is not a book club; the end goal should not be merely an airing of opinions and literary references. Ultimately the goal must be political action. But how that comes about and what it should mean is another question. The reasoning behind this project is that certain barriers exist which can block political participation. How do we acquire the confidence to act politically; what kind of encounters are necessary, facilitating or debilitating; what are the mental barriers; what are the social barriers? These are some of the fundamental questions that might circulate in the background of the discussion.

We want a meeting place that is open and welcoming to anyone who wants to be there. Nothing should be taboo. At the same time this is not an exercise in apologetics. Perhaps the end goal should be that eventually this project, at least as it’s framed here, will no longer be necessary, or will have evolved into something unrecognisable from its present state.

For now,

Peace and solidarity,

Over and out.