PRESS RELEASE:
RAPAR volunteer to join international group in solidarity visit to Palestine
RAPAR volunteer to join international group in solidarity visit to Palestine
RAPAR member Sandy Broadhurst, a retired teacher and former Stockport councillor, will join 1,500 international supporters of Palestine who plan to spend a week visiting the Israeli occupied territories in the West Bank.
Sandy will fly from Manchester to Tel Aviv on Sunday, April 15th. She is one of an international contingent who are travelling as part of the “Welcome to Palestine” initiative, which was set up by Palestinian civil society organisations in the West Bank to draw attention to Israel's border policies and life under Israeli occupation.
Supporters will be flying into Ben Gurion Airport from all over the world. Israel controls entrances and exits to and from the West Bank - last year, the Israeli authorities denied entry to people taking part in a similar initiative, some of whom were detained in prison until flights out of Israel were arranged.
The week's activities include working with Palestinians to establish a school and rehabilitate water cisterns in threatened areas. The international group will visit refugee camps to see some of the results of the Israeli government policy which has left two thirds of the 11 million Palestinians in the world as refugees and displaced people.
Work will also be done on land and reclamation projects while the visitors are in Palestine.
Sandy, who is a member of RAPAR's Leadership group, said: “As a former teacher with a commitment to education, I am looking forward to helping with the work on the school. I am also very interested in the environment so I would like to be involved in restoring the water cisterns, the tree planting and agricultural work. I hope the Israeli authorities will not deny us entry.
“Last year, Israel stopped Palestine supporters from entering the country and the UK Foreign Office says it has the right to do this. Israel describes us as 'provocateurs' but we just want to work with the Palestinian people to get the projects off the ground - as well as drawing international attention to the way people in the West Bank are being treated and the denial of their human rights.”
For more information, please contact:
Sandy Broadhurst - 07594596905
Sandy will fly from Manchester to Tel Aviv on Sunday, April 15th. She is one of an international contingent who are travelling as part of the “Welcome to Palestine” initiative, which was set up by Palestinian civil society organisations in the West Bank to draw attention to Israel's border policies and life under Israeli occupation.
Supporters will be flying into Ben Gurion Airport from all over the world. Israel controls entrances and exits to and from the West Bank - last year, the Israeli authorities denied entry to people taking part in a similar initiative, some of whom were detained in prison until flights out of Israel were arranged.
The week's activities include working with Palestinians to establish a school and rehabilitate water cisterns in threatened areas. The international group will visit refugee camps to see some of the results of the Israeli government policy which has left two thirds of the 11 million Palestinians in the world as refugees and displaced people.
Work will also be done on land and reclamation projects while the visitors are in Palestine.
Sandy, who is a member of RAPAR's Leadership group, said: “As a former teacher with a commitment to education, I am looking forward to helping with the work on the school. I am also very interested in the environment so I would like to be involved in restoring the water cisterns, the tree planting and agricultural work. I hope the Israeli authorities will not deny us entry.
“Last year, Israel stopped Palestine supporters from entering the country and the UK Foreign Office says it has the right to do this. Israel describes us as 'provocateurs' but we just want to work with the Palestinian people to get the projects off the ground - as well as drawing international attention to the way people in the West Bank are being treated and the denial of their human rights.”
For more information, please contact:
Sandy Broadhurst - 07594596905