Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) is a Scottish political organisation which campaigns in solidarity with the Palestinian people.[1]

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
FormationSeptember 2000 (2000-09)[1]
TypePolitical organisation
PurposeBoycotts, political activism
Chair
Sofiah MacLeod[2]

It supports the BDS Movement and its call for boycott, divestment and sanctions towards Israel until it ends the occupation of the Palestinian territories, acknowledges Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes, and recognises the right of Palestinian-Arab citizens of Israel to full legal and political equality.[3]

The organisation has successfully pressured Scottish cultural bodies to return sponsorship monies to the Israeli Embassy;[4] one such success in 2009 led US Secretary of State to intervene clandestinely against the group.[5]

Demonstrations in 2014 successfully forced Fringe productions funded by the Israeli government to close.[6] Campaigning against the Jewish National Fund led to a number of JNF fundraisers being cancelled.[7]

The organization has been harshly criticized in the Scottish press for alleged anti-Semitism,[8][9] including their hounding of a Jewish businessman across Scotland.[10] The organisation rejected the allegations, claiming anti-racist credentials.[11]

Current campaigns

The organisation is currently involved with others in a Time to Divest Campaign to pressure Scottish local councils to have their substantial pension funds divest from armament and other companies that supply Israel or otherwise operate in support of Israel's illegal occupation[12] of the West Bank.

Structure

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign was founded in Edinburgh during September 2000 at the start of the Second Palestinian Intifada, or Al Aqsa Intifada.[13] A handful of individuals operating as the Edinburgh Ad-hoc Committee on Palestine responded to the Palestinian Intifada and began to attract support by opposing the Israeli repression that followed[12] and what it claimed was UK Government complicity [14] in support of Israel. Independently of the London-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the group adopted the name of Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign on the suggestion of a member who had been active in the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign in the 1960s and 1970s.

The organisation has branches and members at large across Scotland. It was affiliated to London-based PSC for two years in 2009 and 2010 but ended its affiliation after PSC voted against boycotting the Israeli Histadrut trade union in 2009 and confirmed that position in 2010.

Influence

In December 2004, SPSC launched a successful campaign to have Israeli political prisoner[15] Mordechai Vanunu elected as Rector of Glasgow University[16] A spokesman for the Israeli Information Office in Scotland claimed that Vanunu had contributed information that led to a successful terrorist attack and the killing of three nuclear plant workers,[17] a claim rejected by SPSC.[18] The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities alleged that the Vanunu4Rector Campaign was guilty of antisemitism for reporting that Vanunu "has been assaulted by Jewish extremists" in Israel.[19] They further claimed that an un-named Vanunu supporter during the election had campaigned with the slogan, 'Jews are evil'.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported that "while similar boycott efforts also occur in England, there is a consensus that 'it's worse in Scotland.' One Israeli diplomat reported that "Every appearance by an official Israeli representative in Scotland is like a visit to enemy territory." "[20]

Scottish Friends of Israel website thought that “…Scotland has witnessed a noticeable public anti-Israel sentiment, prominently driven by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign…” Ezra Golombok of the Israeli Information Office wrote that “,,,a highly active anti-Israeli lobby in Scotland"...the Palestine Solidarity Campaign "seems well-funded and its few activist leaders are knowledgeable, expert in exploiting any situation for sniping at Israel..." Golombok, Israeli Information Office, Scotland (2010)

A 2011 Motion (EDM 1677) to the Westminster Parliament in the name of Jeremy Corbyn and Gerald Kaufman secured 69 signatories. It welcomed the work of Scottish PSC and others:

That this House welcomes the Stop the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Campaign launched on 30 March 2011 by the Palestinian Boycott National Committee, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and others to inform the public about the JNF – Karen Kayemet L’Yisrael, its ongoing illegal expropriation of Palestinian land, concealing of destroyed Palestinian villages beneath parks and forests, and prevention of refugees from returning to their homes; notes that the JNF’s constitution is explicitly discriminatory by stating that land and property will never be rented, leased or sold to non-Jews; further notes that the UN rejected the JNF USA’s application for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council on the ground that it violates the principles of the UN Charter on Human Rights; regrets that the Prime Minister is a JNF honorary patron; and believes that there is just cause to consider revocation of the JNF’s charitable status in the UK.[21]

A motion on Israeli attacks on Gaza to the Holyrood Parliament in November 2012 that secured 42 signatories "...support[ed] the efforts of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign to raise awareness of the rights of the Palestinian people"[22]

Critics

Alex Massie in the Sunday Times (30/07) alleged Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign was ‘a sewer’ due to its antisemitism though Massie produced no evidence from any SPSC source. An SPSC rebuttal article claimed its entire corpus was free of any taint of antisemitism.[23]

Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw put forward motion a motion condemning "the campaign by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) against the Stills Gallery in Edinburgh for accepting a donation from the Israeli embassy", claiming SPSC had "shown itself to be a thoroughly discredited organisation driven more by a hatred of Israel than a desire to support Palestinians".[24]

References
  1. "About Scottish PSC". Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  2. "Tory David Meikle apologises for "dangerous" smear of minister @HumzaYousaf". CommonSpace. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. "Palestinian Civil Society Call for BDS". BDS Movement. 2005-07-09. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  4. Ravid, Barak (2014-04-22). "BDS Activists Pressure Scottish Photo Gallery Into Shunning Israeli Embassy". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  5. "Hillary Clinton weighed into Edinburgh film festival row". Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  6. "Appeal to ensure Middle East Fringe shows go ahead". 3 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  7. "Protest fear prompts St Andrews hotel to cancel pro-Israeli charity ball - The Courier". The Courier. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  8. Allardyce, Jason (2017-07-30). "Jewish report claims Scots activists peddle anti-semitic opinions". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  9. Massie, Alex (2017-07-30). "Dangerous liaisons can legitimise hate". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  10. "Israeli businessman claims anti-Semitic 'hounding' in Scotland". “BBC”. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  11. Napier, Mick. "Israel kills Palestinians and works to silence dissent". Scottish PSC. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  12. Pedatzur, Reuven (2004-06-29). "More Than a Million Bullets". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  13. Napier, Mick. "What we Stand for | What we stand for | About SPSC | Info". www.scottishpsc.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  14. War on Want (December 2013). "UK complicity in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian Paople". War on Want. Archived from the original (PDF) on |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help).
  15. "Document". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  16. Campbell, Duncan (2004-12-17). "Vanunu is elected rector". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  17. Briggs, Billy (2009-04-10). "A defiant spirit". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  18. Napier, Mick. "Another Israeli Slander of Vanunu as a 'terrorist' with detailed rebuttal | All". www.scottishpsc.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  19. "All-Party Inquiry into Antisemitism" (PDF). Scottish Council of Jewish Communities. January 2006.
  20. Pfeffer, Anshel (2012-11-02). "Does Scotland Manage to Be anti-Israel Without Being anti-Semitic?". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  21. "Early day motion 1677 - JEWISH NATIONAL FUND". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  22. Office, Chamber (2016-06-16). "Motions, Questions and Answers Search". Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  23. Napier, Mick. "Israel kills Palestinians and works to silence dissent | The opposition | What they say about us | About SPSC | Info". www.scottishpsc.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  24. Office, Chamber (2016-06-16). "Motions, Questions and Answers Search". Retrieved 2018-05-27.
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