Derry Palestinian group accused of showing ‘bias’ by unionist councillor

A Derry-based Palestinian support group has defended itself after a unionist politician accused them of ‘bias’ during a council meeting.

The comments came at Tuesday’s meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee, which was attended by members of the Derry Branch Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

At the meeting, held in the Guildhall, representatives from the group spoke of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which aims to ‘end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law’.

In September of this year, the council agreed to support a boycott of Israeli goods following a motion tabled by Sinn Fein.

This resulted in a number of independent councillor handing back their council issued Hewlett Packard printers.

It emerged at Tuesday afternoon’s meeting that the council is seeking legal advice from what the council’s Chief Executive, John Kelpie, described as ‘senior counsel advice’ regarding the ‘implications’ of the Israeli boycott agreed by the council.

He added that this advice would be ‘communicated to members’ in the coming weeks.

The update was given after the independent councillor Darren O’Reilly asked how the council ‘enacted’ the boycott and whether there were any ‘legal impediments’.

Cathy Hutton of the Derry IPSC said that Hewlett Packard was ‘especially complicit’ in the oppression of the Palestinian people, as they were involved in the prison systems and checkpoints.

She added that Hewlett Packard were ‘one of the main targets’ of the BDS campaign, before adding that the ‘council can have a big impact on a local level’ by ‘adopting an ethical procurement policy’.

She continued that this extended to other companies and institutions aside from Hewlett Packard, including sporting, academic and cultural institutions.

“We can lead the way and show we are not going to be connected with companies that are complicit in human rights abuses in Palestine,” she said, before adding that ‘on an individual level we can all do our bit by refusing to buy Israeli products’.

She did stress that they were not against Jewish people, but the Israeli state.

At that point, the UUP Derek Hussey, who is not a member of the committee, asked to speak.

Addressing the group, he said that he felt the presentation was ‘biased’, as they had not mentioned any of the ‘atrocities’ committed against the Israeli people by Palestinians.

“I didn’t support the BDS motion at the beginning and I still don’t support it,” he said.

“I’m just realising that it was 50 years ago that I spent a very pleasant summer with college friends in a kibbutz and you’ll realise that your feelings would not be the same as yours

“I feel perhaps that your presentation was perhaps biased and you talked about the groupings you met out there when you were in Palestine.”

Alderman Hussey added: “You said you were not against the people of Israel, but of course it’s the people who elect the government.”

“I wonder when you were out there, what meetings did you have Israeli groups?

“And not once did you mention any atrocities carried out by Palestinians against the people and within the state of Israel.”

Responding, Daisy Mules, said that while they had attempted to meet with Israeli people to hear ‘their side of the story’, she added: ‘they didn’t want to meet with us’.

She continued that they had visited a settlement and ‘spoke with local people’.

In regards to Alderman Hussey’s last comment, Ms Mules said that there were ‘atrocities on both sides’ before adding that the ‘reaction of the Palestinians is a just response to what’s being levelled at them’.

Alderman Hussey replied: “So you’re justifying terrorism?”

Later in the meeting, Ms Hutton also responded to Alderman Hussey, adding that she wished to ‘clarify’ that the BDS campaign was ‘totally non-violent’.

Alderman Hussey replied that he ‘didn’t say it was violent’, before adding that the group was however involved in an ‘economic war’.

Sinn Fein’s Paul Fleming said that his party had a ‘long history with supporting the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination’, adding that his party would want to be ‘at the point where their motion is implemented’.

His comments were echoed by the SDLP’s John Boyle, who said that ‘looked forward’ to the boycott motion being implemented.