The SPARK-sponsored film in the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival this year (the tenth year) was called ‘Where Olive Trees Weep’. The film cleverly cut between talking heads, filmed footage from various encounters by ordinary Palestinians with Israeli military forces and some archive footage. It was at times harrowing to watch.
Palestine
Gaza Ceasefire & UK arms to Israel
At a recent demonstration calling for a ceasefire, Robert Cohen (A Leeds-based blogger & activist) gave the following speech which I thought worth repeating here is full.My name is Robert Cohen and I’m here as a member of West Yorkshire Jews Against Israeli Apartheid.Members of our group have been marching here every week. We carry the […]
15 May – Leeds to Brighton for MAP
You may remember, from previous years, the incredible fundraising of Tim Devereux.For the last three years, he has cycled for four or five days in the summer, covering about 250 miles.Tim says: “This year, I’m planning to ride the 301 miles from Leeds to Brighton in June. I hadn’t intended to do any fundraising, but […]
25 Apr – Stop Arming Israel
By David Somerville, Our Lady & St Cuthbert parishOn the 2nd April, around 200 people joined a march organised by the Bradford Friends of Palestine in Baildon, Shipley to the gate of Teledyne who make high-tech weapons for use by the Israeli military.They are on the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) list of suppliers […]
21 Dec – Partnership with Palestinian Film festival goes from Strength to Strength
Our involvement with the last film in this year’s Palestinian Film Festival, on 9th December, was sponsored by SPARK Social Justice – as there are always many younger people in the audience. This year it was sold out. The film was called Israelism and explored how many young Jewish people in the USA are brought […]
11 Dec – What can we do about the conflict in Gaza?
By Carol Burns, Leeds Diocese Pax Christi grp ‘If we don’t learn to live together, we are doomed, this land will be our graveyard’ -these are the words of a representative of the Parents Circle Family Forum. (https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/) As helpless bystanders, sometimes we can feel the same. There is no solution unless there is negotiation, […]
07 Nov – Film Presentation Israelism
This year SPARK Social Justice is sponsoring one of the films in the Palestinian Film festival. It will be the last film to be shown. The presentation will take place on Saturday December 9th at 2pm. As well as showing the film itself, the director will be available for a post-film discussion via Zoom. Additionally, […]
14 Jul -The Anti-Boycott Bill
By Richard BurdenThe following article was written by Richard Burden in his capacity as trustee of the Balfour Project. It explains why the Balfour Project charity opposes the Bill. Until 2019, Burden was an MP chairing the Britain Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster.In June, the UK Government has published a Bill that will […]
28 May – Conscientious Objectors’ Day event
By Liz Firth, Commission member 15th May is International Conscientious Objectors Day. This year the J&P Commission, Pax Christi and the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival Committee jointly hosted an event to mark the day. Over 60 people joined us at Wheeler Hall in Leeds to listen to speakers, including Rev Clive Barratt, and to watch […]
27 Apr – International Conscientious Objectors’ Day
The Commission is working in partnership with Pax Christi in the Leeds Diocese and the Leeds Palestinian Film festival to draw attention to International Conscientious Objection Day on 15 May.Rev Clive Barratt, who has written a book about first world war conscientious objectors in Yorkshire, will provide a short context for the film which follows. […]
26 Apr – Yorkshire Women in Black groups
Women in Black (WiB) is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. As women experiencing these things in different ways in different regions of the world, we support each other’s movements. An important focus is challenging the militarist policies of […]
11 Dec – Boycott: a film with a lesson for all of us
By Joe Burns, Commission Member This year, the Commission sponsored the final film of the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival. It took place in Wheeler Hall, Leeds Cathedral, on 9th December and was watched by over 60 people. In addition, Ben Jamal (Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign) led a post-film discussion. The film concerned efforts […]
12 Nov – Commission supports 2022 Leeds Palestinian Film Festival
In conjunction with the Leeds Palestinian Film festival and Pax Christi in the Leeds Diocese, we have agreed to host a screening of the final film in this year’s film festival. This will take place on Friday 9th December at Wheeler Hall. Doors open at 6pm. The film we will show is called Boycott. After […]
05 Oct – Is it Time for a One-state Solution in Israel Palestine?
By Joe Burns, Commission Member Jeff Halper, a Jewish academic living in Jerusalem, is the chair of ICAHD (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions). As part of a speaking tour in England he spoke at the St George’s Conference Centre in Leeds in early September. Over 50 people turned out for a talk by this very […]
22 Jun – What can we do about Palestine?
This was the title of a partnership event last week with Pax Christi in the Leeds Diocese and the Leeds Palestinian Film festival. Social justice issues are often complex, and many people do not feel that they can influence unjust situations – and Palestinian injustice is a good example of this. At the film we […]
05 Dec – 2021 Palestinian Film festival Screening
By Carol Burns, Leeds Diocese Pax Christi member Imagine being 19 years old and having to decide whether to agree to be conscripted into the armed forces for your national service. Imagine then if you decided you couldn’t in all conscience agree to be part of an army that supports indeed maintains the occupation of […]