LONDON - 1 December 2006 - 225 words
Campaigners
lobby parliament over plight of Palestinians
The record of the British government over Palestinian rights was
challenged yesterday by over 300 people crowding the corridors
of the House of Commons to lobby their MPs.
Representatives from church and human rights groups from across the UK took part in the lobby.
The main issue raised were the withholding
of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Authority; the export of
arms to Israel and the imprisonment of elected Palestinian MPs.
The lobby, called for by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and
the Council for Arab-British Understanding was supported by the
largest number of organisation yet including: Amos Trust, Anglican
Pacifist Fellowship, Arab Media Watch, British Muslim Initiative,
Campaign Against the Arms Trade, CWU, Friends of Al Aqsa, Friends
of Lebanon, ICAHD UK, Jewish Socialist Group, Jews for Justice
for Palestinians, Midland Palestinian Community Association, PCS,
Pax Christi, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Palestine Return Centre,
RMT, Stop the War Coalition, UNISON and War on Want.
The lobby was followed by a public meeting
organised by the PSC in parliament. Over 200 stayed to hear Tony
Benn, Prof Manuel Hassassian the Palestinian general delegate
to the UK, Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House
Demolitions, Barry Camfield from the Transport and General Workers
Union, Mohammed Abdul Bari from the Muslim Council of Britain
and Dan Judelson from Jews for Justice for Palestinians.
© Independent Catholic
News 2006
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