Champion Palestinian Self-determination In less than five weeks the genocidal war by the Israel government against the Palestinian people will enter his second year. Having ruthlessly and cruelly waged war against the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip for 11 months Israel’s war machine has now shifted to a full blown pogrom against the Palestinian people in the occupied territory of the west Bank. Violence from the Israeli military, and from settlers eager to steal Palestinian land and water, had already seen over 600 Palestinians killed in the west Bank since last October. Six hostages died also executed, it appears, in Gaza hours before Israeli forces reached them. All this must be brought to an end. That means dialogue. Last week Israeli forces embarked on a significant escalation of their actions in that part of the Occupied Territories. Under the title ‘Summer Camps’ they commenced a major offensive against the civilian population. Entire districts have been sealed off res
The 94 Cessation | Another Look Back at Féile 24 | Opinions, Interviews, Life Stories by James Woods
The 94 Cessation The IRA cessation is 30 years old this Saturday. That Wednesday morning on 31 August 1994 two journalists – Barney Rowan from the BBC and Eamon Mallie from Downtown Radio – arrived at The Patio Restaurant in the Kennedy Centre. It’s where 26 West is now. They met a woman republican activist who took from her pocket a small scrap of paper – a comm – on which was written the IRA statement announcing a “complete cessation of all military operations”. While there had been significant speculation over the previous months of the possibility of a ceasefire the enormity of what was being read to them - very slowly because Mallie doesn’t have shorthand - was not lost on both. The cessation would begin at midnight. In its statement the IRA leadership said that it believed, “that an opportunity to secure a just and lasting settlement has been created”. It noted that the “Downing Street Declaration is not a solution … A solution will only be found as a result of inclusive negoti