Palestine Solidarity Campaign

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is an activist organisation in England and Wales. It was incorporated in the UK in 2004 as Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd.[1] They officially support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.[2]

Palestine Solidarity Campaign logo

Structure

Founders and leaders

As of 2017, it was chaired by Hugh Lanning.[3] Tony Greenstein is one of the co-founders.[4]

Branches

The PSC has about 40 branches in England, Scotland, and Wales.[5] The organisation's activity in Scotland is co-ordinated by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign is a separate organisation set up in late 2001 by established Irish human rights and community activists.[6]

Boycott Israeli goods campaign

PSC has officially supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement since 2001. A study published in The Jewish Chronicle has been reported as recognising the PSC as one of the main proponents of the BDS movement in Britain.[2]

The PSC organised disruptions of a performance by the Israel Philharmonic at the Royal Albert Hall in February 2011. BBC Radio 3, which was broadcasting the concert live, was forced to suspend the broadcast several times due to the protesters' shouting and heckling.[7]

On 28 May 2012, when Israel's Habima theatre company performed at the London Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the PSC and other BDS groups organised a protest outside the building. On 29 May 2012, BBC Radio 4 reported that Habima was "being criticised for performing to Jewish audiences in the Occupied Territories." A PSC press release corrected the report, saying that it was criticising Habima "for performing in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank." After six months of pressure by PSC, the BBC Trust upheld the PSC's complaint.[8]The Trust report stated "The complaint was upheld with regard to Accuracy, not upheld with regard to Impartiality and Fairness."[9]

The PSC waged a two-year campaign to block an EU trade agreement, the ACAA, that recognised Israeli pharmaceutical standards as equal to those in Europe. The agreement was passed in October 2012.[10]

Other activism
  • Sarah Colborne, who was then director of the PSC, was on board the Mavi Marmara during the 2010 flotilla raid.[11]
  • Scottish PSC helped coordinate 2011's "flytilla," in which activists flew into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport as part of a protest. Many activists were detained and denied entry to Israel.[12]
  • The PSC arranged a 30 March 2012 "Land Day" protest outside the Israeli Embassy in London.[13]

Chair banned from entering Israel

Hugh Lanning, the chair of PSC was barred from entering Israel, which the Israeli embassy in the UK said was in part due to his connections with Hamas, which the EU has declared a terrorist organization. The article in the Jewish News, shows a photo of Lanning standing on a stage along with Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas' senior political leaders.[3]

See also

References
  1. Duedil. "Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd". Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  2. Klaiman, Hagit. "Report: Jews behind campaign to boycott Israel". Yedioth Ahronoth.
  3. "Chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign barred by Israel days after boycott law". 12 March 2017.
  4. "Lauren Booth's attack points up new split in PSC".
  5. "PSC Branches". Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  6. IPSC. "History of the IPSC". Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  7. Ynet. "Anti-Israel protest disrupts Philharmonic show in UK". Yedioth Ahronoth. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  8. PNN. "BBC Trust Admits Failings in Accuracy in News Reports on Pro-Palestinian Protests". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  9. Editorial Standards Findings Appeals to the Trust and other editorial issues considered by the Editorial Standards Committee (PDF) (Report). BBC Trust. October 2012. pp. 6–7, 24–30.
  10. The Jewish Press. "Israeli Pharmaceutical Sales Certified in Europe".
  11. Reuters. "Cameraman: 4 commandos were captured during flotilla raid". Israel News. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  12. Press Association (23 January 2008). "12 held ahead of Bethlehem visit". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  13. "Redirecting". www.lexis.com. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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