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31 August 2016

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Back from Palestine – Long Kesh Hunger Striker Pat Sheehan MLA writes

● Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Rami Hamdallah

I WAS IN PALESTINE last week at the invitation of conflict resolution organisation ‘Forward Thinking’.

The purpose of the visit was to share experience of the Irish Peace Process with a broad range of political and civic society in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Such engagements are also useful for getting a clear understanding of the current situation in the region.

Jeffrey Donaldson MP of the Democratic Unionist Party provided a unionist perspective of the Irish Peace Process.

We arrived in the Middle East in the early hours of Monday morning to be greeted with the depressing news that the Israelis had carried out multiple air strikes on Gaza the previous night.

It therefore came as no surprise, two days later, to be told that the Israeli Government had refused us entry to the besieged territory.

Despite this setback there was a ‘Plan B’. 

That involved travelling extensively throughout the West Bank, to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem and meeting almost all of the most influential figures in Palestinian politics outside of Gaza.

Dr Rami Hamdallah, the Palestinian Prime Minister (pictured below), thanked Sinn Féin for our long history of solidarity with the Palestinian people. He also encouraged us to share our experience of the Irish Peace Process with all sides in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

Palestine 2016 – Pat Sheehan with Palestine PM

In Hebron, we met Dr Aziz Dweik, the Hamas Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Aziz has spent over eight years in Israeli prisons in “Administrative Detention” yet still advocated more people speak to the Israelis about their abuse of human rights and international law.

Dr Aziz Dweik, Hamas Speaker of the PLC, with Pat Sheehan

Dr Aziz Dweik, Hamas Speaker of the PLC, with Pat Sheehan

We also met Dr Mustafa Barghouti, an old friend of Sinn Féin, and an alternative political voice to the two main parties. Mustafa asked us to consider how we might assist in building Palestinian unity. He also praised Celtic fans for their show of solidarity with Palestine at a recent match against an Israeli team.

Part of our itinerary involved meeting representatives from a number of Israeli political parties. I impressed upon them the need for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people and a meaningful conflict resolution process that results in an independent Palestinian state.

The message to them was clear: security won’t come from more oppressive measures, higher walls or more soldiers; it can only come through enemies making peace with each other.

Colombia, this week, is another positive reminder of that.

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