Léargas

  We are all Palestinians Now Last week as I wrote this column all of the scéal coming from the Israeli government and its international allies indicated that a ground invasion of Gaza was imminent. It would, according to some be a  ‘surgical strike against Hamas’ . From British government Ministers, to political pundits, to international allies of the Israeli government, to Israeli spokespersons the aim – they say - is to destroy Hamas. It’s all nonsense of course. The reality is that Israel can no more destroy Hamas than Hamas can destroy Israel. The ground invasion has now begun. The civilian death toll is rising. The claim that in a military ground invasion of Gaza Israel will be mindful of civilians is also a nonsense. In the past two decades Israeli attacks on and assaults into Gaza and more recently against Palestinian people in the west Bank have produced overwhelming evidence of an Israeli apartheid state that views Palestinians as inferior, without rights. They...

  We are all Palestinians Now The ground invasion of Gaza has begun. The Israeli government and its international allies previously claimed that will be a  ‘surgical strike against Hamas’ . From British government Ministers, to political pundits, to international allies of the Israeli government, to Israeli spokespersons the aim – they say - is to destroy Hamas. It’s all nonsense of course. The reality is that Israel can no more destroy Hamas than Hamas can destroy Israel. In addition, the claim that in a military ground invasion of Gaza Israel will be mindful of civilians is also a nonsense. In the past two decades Israeli attacks on and assaults into Gaza and more recently against Palestinian people in the west Bank have produced overwhelming evidence of an Israeli apartheid state that views Palestinians as inferior, without rights. They are, according to the Israeli Defence Minister recently, ‘ human animals.’ Over the last few weeks almost 100 Palestinians, includi...

At the separation wall around Bethlehem 2009   Peace Talks Now The scale of the assault by Palestinian fighters into Israel last weekend is unparalleled. The scenes of death and destruction on both sides are heart breaking. But shock and despair at more violence in that region is not the answer. The roots of these events are to be found in the failure of the international community to take decisive steps to defend international law, challenge Israeli aggression and its continued illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and to recognise the rights of the Palestinian people. Over the last year there have been increased killings of Palestinians, particularly children, by the Israeli Defence Forces and by Israeli settlers. At the same time the theft of Palestinian land, the existence of the Separation Wall, the growth in Israeli settlements and the destruction of Palestinian schools, homes, sources of water and the imprisonment of thousands of prisoners, have largely been ignored by...

  David Ervine - The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary Anyone who knew David Ervine or knows of him will appreciate the title of Bobby Niblock’s play - The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary. In its humorous description of David’s style of speaking and wordiness it reminds us of a political leader who was an able and determined advocate for working class loyalism. His sudden death in January 2007 at the age of 53 left a political vacuum within loyalism  and wider politics  which has never been properly filled. The Progressive Unionist Party which David led has failed to garner the popular political support that it was once thought capable of under his leadership.  I have not yet had an opportunity to see Bobby’s play but friends who have  thoroughly enjoyed the one-man show. They praised the script and actor Paul Garrett  who  successfully brings the nuances and David’ s voice  to life on the stage with just two large books, a bushy moustache and a ...