This Sunday, As part of the London Literary Festival, the South Bank Centre is hosting an event called “Why Boycott Culture“. It is a debate on the motion  ’Cultural boycott can be an effective, indeed morally imperative, political strategy‘

The debate features Omar Barghouti, human rights activist and author of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights, and poet Seni Seneviratne, author of Wild Cinammon and Winter Skin, both speaking for the motion.

Speaking against the motion are Carol Gould, broadcaster and author of Don’t Tread on Me – Anti-Americanism Abroad, and Jonathan Freedland, a columnist for the Guardian, and author of six books including Jacob’s Gift.

Opponents of boycotts – especially boycotts of Israel – should find it an interesting event.

On the 15th of May, a huge conference for supporters of Israel, called  ”We Believe in Israel”, will be held. This will be one of the biggest pro-Israel events in the country, and certainly the largest, most diverse and most vibrant conference for Israel’s supporters in the UK.

We Believe in Israel will include inspirational plenary sessions with top-level speakers, and sessions that will include updates and analysis on the situation in the region, training in skills that can help you in your political activism, and sessions that will allow you to grapple with the complex ethical and philosophical challenges that underpin the Jewish state.

We Believe in Israel is a BICOM event that is supported by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Zionist Federation, the Union of Jewish Students and many others. Fair Play is proud to support the Conference.

BOOK NOW – and we’ll see you there!

The Fair Play Campaign sent a small delegation to Belfast last week to show support for Northern Ireland Friends of Israel. NIFI were hosting a number of visitors to support the Israeli national football side in its match against Northern Ireland.

First stop was the Stormont estate, home of the Northern Irish parliament. We joined over 50 Israel supporters and were given a very interesting historical and political tour of the building by Northern Irish Assemblymen Robin Newton and Lord Browne.

The delegation on the steps of Stormont, with Robin Newton MLA, Lord Wallace MLA, and NIFI co-Chair Stephen Jaffe.

While at Stormont, Fair Play board member Jeremy Newmark gave interviews to BBC local radio and television about demands by anti-Israel protesters to boycott the game. There had been a small protest by boycotters the previous day outside the Irish FA.

Continue reading ‘Fair Play delegation joins Northern Ireland trip’ »

This announcement comes from Northern Ireland Friends of Israel:

There’s a new kid on the block!

NI Friends of Israel is the newest hasbara organisation in the UK with the potential to be one of the largest and most influential pro Israel groups in the regions.

Bringing together Christians and Jews, academics, media people, trade unionists and members of the public, we believe we are a model of what can be achieved to promote Israel in a region with a very small Jewish community.

We have attracted over 400 people to our first two events, hosted the ambassador and deputy ambassador in Belfast,  and combine the support of political leaders with a strong grassroots following.

Visit our website launched today: www.nifi.org.uk

Stop press: Israel national football team play in Belfast Aug 12, Ryanair flights currently £2 (two pounds!) rtn from Stansted, including taxes. For info on tickets and accommodation contact us now at nifriendsofisrael@ymail.com

put on our mailing list please contact us now by replying to nifriendsofisrael@ymail.com

Shabbat shalom from NI Friends of Israel

Steven Jaffe and Terry McCorran

Co chairs

www.nifi.org.uk

Delara Darabi

Delara Darabi, a 22-year-old Iranian woman,  has been on death row since 2006, convicted of a crime committed when she was just 17. According to Iranian law, she should not be executed as she was a minor when the crime was committed. But that hasn’t deterred the Iranian regime from keeping her on death row for 3 years.

Her execution has been scheduled for the next few days – it may have already occured, or it may be later this week.

Amnesty International has organised a protest outside the Iranian Embassy at 9am tomorrow, Monday 20th April.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be speaking at the Durban II Conference later this week, so this protest is also an opportunity to highlight the human rights abuses and racism of the Iranian government.

The address of the Iranian embassy is: