Council Update

“our clear intention is to issue a cross party statement of solidarity in line with the petition.” (Tom Hunt council leader)

The presentation of the petition to the council on March 8th was met with a decision by the Full Council not to vote on the petition itself.

So , on Tuesday 12th March, we returned, this time to the Strategy and Resources Committee, to pursue this vital matter on behalf of the 7,500 and more people who signed the petition.

 We asked key questions and here is a very brief summary of the replies:

Q1. When and how will the petition be discussed by Strategy and Resources?

Not on April 12th meeting which falls within the purdah period (too close to local elections) and the issue is deemed “politically sensitive” but as soon as possible after the elections.

It will be considered in its separate component parts and the Committee with reach a decision on each part. Officers will need to give the Committee advice on matters such as legality.

Q2. When will the Cross-Party Group meet to draft the statement of “unity and solidarity” with Palestine, (as Sheffield Council did for Ukraine) and who will be on that Group?

This group will meet as soon as is possible, aiming to do so before the local elections.The group will be the party leaders: Tom Hunt (Labour), Shaffaq Mohammed (Lib Dem), Douglas Johnson (Green) and Diane Hurst (Sheffield Community Councillors group).

Tom Hunt assured us the group would not be partisan in any way.

the flag being flown by protesters on the town hall shortly after the assault on Gaza in 2023

Q3. Why is the flying of the Palestinian flag not included in the new Flag Policy being introduced by the Council, in particular, why is it not being flown on the United Nations Day of Solidarity with Palestine on November 29th, as has been done in the past?

The Palestinian flag will not be flown, in line with the new policy.

NOTE:  We are keeping up the pressure on our Council and will continue to do so. A good number of people came inside the meeting in support and a group outside kept up their chants, all of which could be heard inside as the meeting progressed.

The encouraging comment made by Tom Hunt, cited at the top of this short report is important and we trust this will be the case – never was a statement of solidarity needed more than in the midst of this genocide. We look forward to reading it!

Press release: council refuses to vote on petition

Yesterday we presented the petition signed by at least 7500 people both online and on paper, but the council at the behest of leaders and advice of senior officers, hid behind procedural barriers to avoid having to face the strength of support on this issue and delegated the issue to the Strategy and Resources Committee.

Below is the press release issued by Sheffield  Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid as a result of this cowardly approach.

Here are questions being sent by the Coalition to the Strategy and Resources Committee.

PRESS RELEASE: Sheffield City Council sells itself short

Sheffield City Council was presented with a petition this afternoon calling on them to stand in unity and solidarity with Palestinians currently faced with a genocidal assault in Gaza following years of living under occupation by Israel which Amnesty International, among several international organisations, has designated an apartheid state.

“Supporting the International Court of Justice ruling on genocide, accepting Amnesty’s designation of Israel as practising apartheid, and issuing a statement of unity and solidarity with Palestinians is the next crucial moral step which recognises the reality of life in Palestine and the legally incontrovertible explanations for it.  That would be a major step.” Annie O’Gara summing up in support of the petition.

The petition was signed by over 7,500 people, collected in less than two weeks; it represents the overwhelming view of Sheffield citizens

Offered this opportunity, the Council neglected their duty to set a moral climate, hiding behind narrow legalistic “advice” which they couldn’t adequately explain. But even this advice would have allowed them to make a decision in “exceptional” circumstances. What more “exceptional circumstances” do they need than genocide in Gaza?

As Jonny Feldman said in presenting the petition “For these reasons the council must step up and not be silent. Do not betray your humanity, your basic decency by looking the other way or by kow-towing to external pressures and then pretending that what is happening is justifiable”.

That is precisely what the leadership of the Council then did. Every speech from the floor of the Council gave moving and powerful support to the petition and in favour of accepting it.  As Councillor Peter Price said, in his last meeting after 53 years as a Councillor, said: “if this was Russia we’d be screaming the room down…. I don’t accept that we don’t have influence. Our history is built on this Council taking leads, whether it’s on apartheid or Vietnam, always took a stance and made a statement. It doesn’t change the world but it helped to change minds”.

But the leaders, the Lord Mayor, and senior officers of the Council called an adjournment and then instructed all Councillors, except the Greens, to kick the discussion into the long grass by referring it to the Strategy and Resources Committee that next meets in June! How many more Palestinians have to die before they can decide that this is genocide?

“At the end of their joint statement on Ukraine, the 3 party leaders said the Town Hall would be lit in Ukrainian colours and promised Sheffield will do all it can to “be a light in the darkness.” How dark does life for Palestinians have to get before you do the same for Palestine? You can do it today” said Annie O’Gara speaking to the Council today.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sheffield-council-stand-with-palestine/

International Women’s Day: Solidarity Camp, 8th March

Following on from our other justice now camps, there will be camp a further Peace and Justice Now Camp in order to celebrate International Women’s Day to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Women.

Please join us :

Sheffield Peace Gardens on Friday 8th March between 3pm and 8pm

  • 2.45 establish our ‘Peace & Justice Now’ Camp in Peace Gardens
  • From 3pm: Decorating the ‘Peace & Justice Now’ Camp….
  • Activities for children & adults with Sheffield Creative Action for Peace (including making Birds of Gaza)
  • 3.30pm Tadhamon Solidarity Choir
  • 4pm Students arrive, marching from campus with their Birds of Gaza
  • 4.15pm Sahar & Lena, with Janet & June: song for children killed in Gaza:
  • Yoma mweil el hawa.
  • 4.45 – 5pm: poetry and song from Seni Seneviratne, inc poems by Hiba Abu Nada – a poet who was killed with her son in October
  • 5 pm Reading by Sahar of ‘The Shawl of Grief’
  • 5.15-6pm Open session: Contributions from women & girls of song & poetry for Palestine welcomed, especially a poem from 11 year old Amna Khan.
  • 6pm Light up the Peace Gardens: Bring night lights/candles & flags
  • 6.30pm Special guest from Gaza: Dr Mona El Farrah
  • And Health Workers for Palestine Vigil
  • 7.30 – 8pm Singing and close of camp

Please circulate these flyers

Sheffield University failing students from Gaza

For the last 10 years the University of Sheffield has offered an annual taught postgraduate scholarship to a student from Gaza. Since 2013, the University has offered tuition, accommodation and a small maintenance grant.

Despite this legacy, the University has not made any public statements about the welfare and wellbeing of any current or past Gazan students.

As a result of this, on the 7th February 2024, a group of 27 Students Union sabbatical officers – who are elected to represent students – published an open letter to the University’s senior leadership sharing their profound concern and dismay due to the absence of a public statement or evident action to support Palestinians who have graduated from, or are studying at the University.

The University of Sheffield has not replied to this request despite the continuing Israeli attacks on every university in Gaza, and the killing of over 80 professors and academics.

The University must support its students and alumni, and respond to the open letter.

Call for Alumni to send a letter

If you are or have been part of the University of Sheffield, please email their alumni department using our template letter.

Despite providing an annual scholarship to a student from Gaza since 2013, the University had been silent – it has not responded to the open letter sent in Feb ‘24 by over 25 former and current Student Union Sabbatical Officers, who requested confirmation of the support available for Palestinian students and alumni.

Insist that the University make: a public statement on its support for Gazan students and alumni!

More information about attacks on the right to education in Gaza

https://scholarsagainsthewar.org

https://scholarsagainstwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SAWP-Actions-Against-Scholasticide-Toolkit.pdf

http://right2edu.birzeit.edu 

https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6108

https://www.palast.ps/en/news/updated-list-names-professors-and-academics-killed-israels-genocidal-military-campaign-gaza

https://palestine.un.org/en/258658-un-agencies-end-conflict-imperative-return-learning-palestine

Sign petition to end complicity with Israeli Apartheid!

Do you live, work or study in Sheffield? If so, please read, sign and circulate this petition today – we must reach our target of 5,000 signatures in a fortnight!

https://bit.ly/iafz-petition

The people of Gaza have been under barbaric genocidal attacks for weeks. Over 30,000 people have been killed – 11,000 of them are children. Yet still there is no ceasefire.

In the West Bank, Palestinians continue to to be forcibly removed from their homes and face daily threats from settlers and the military. Over 7,000 Palestinians are detained in Israeli jails, without charge or trial.

It’s time for Sheffield City Council to show leadership once more. We call on Sheffield City Council to declare our city an Israeli Apartheid-free zone and to issue a statement of solidarity with Palestinian people.

IDF OFF CAMPUS: PROTEST 12.30, 14TH FEB

Zechariah Deutsch, an Associate Chaplain at the University of Sheffield and several other universities travelled to Israel to serve as an IDF reservist.

Deutsch sent a video to students stating that “what Israel is trying to do is destroy the evil”. He is an active participant in Israel’s merciless campaign of occupation, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

We charge him with genocide! He has the blood of Palestinians on his hands!

Deutsch has now returned to the UK, and is visiting the universities he is associated with. He has already been to Leeds and now he is planned to visit our campus on this Wednesday.

Our university has done nothing in response to our letters! They have failed to cut ties with this genocidal maniac! STAND WITH US AND SAY NO IDF ON OUR CAMPUS! THE UNIVERSITY MUST CUT TIES WITH DEUTSCH AND BAN HIS PRESENCE!

Join us and say no to war criminals on campus!

Time: Wednesday 14th February 2024, 12:30pm

Location: University of Sheffield, SU concourse

Bring banners and placards. Stay safe and use a face mask!

FREE PALESTINE!

We shut Barclays down today!

A group of campaigners went in to Barclays at midday today while others set up the 24 hour camp .

Very quickly Barclays management issued a notice to customers apologising for closing the branch “due to circumstances beyond their control” . This is of course not true. It is very much IN their control to disinvest from weapons factories sending arms to Israel. So this notice…

…got replaced quite quickly:

So the doorway is ours for a little while…

Don’t bank on Barclays!!

Barclays is bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel.

We’re calling on all concerned people to boycott all Barclays services until the bank ends its complicity in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.

IN SHEFFIELD, we are camping outside Barclays for 24 hours to draw attention to their complicity with genocide and to continue our demand for an Israeli Apartheid Free Zone in this great city.

Let’s not forget Sheffield’s great tradition of solidarity – from the anti slavery sugar boycott in the 1850s, solidarity with Chilean refugees in the 1970s and South African anti apartheid campaign in the 1980s when Barclays were boycotted before and paid the price!!