A YOUNG anti-settlement campaigner from Palestine will give a talk in Frome next week.
On Friday February 24, Abed Salayma from Youth Against Settlements will be speaking at St Catharine’s Hall on Park Street at the invitation of Frome Friends of Palestine.
The group’s Adam Stout says, “Abed comes from Hebron, a West Bank city where apartheid is in force. Over 160,000 Palestinians live there, but their lives are controlled, restricted and manipulated by the Israeli army to suit the convenience of around 700 militant Israeli settlers.
“Palestinians make up 50% of the population of Israel/Palestine, but they’re only allowed to live in less than a third of their historic homeland and every day more of it is stolen by the state to make way for Israeli ‘settlements’.
“These settlements, illegal under international law, were condemned by the entire United Nations just before Christmas because Israel/Palestine is turning into an apartheid state.
“The response of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu has been to grant permission for another 6,000 homes for Israeli settlers on Palestinian land.
“Abed himself actually lives on Shuhuda street next to a checkpoint and teaches English at the Qurtouba school, right in thick of it. For children and teachers alike every day is a nightmare of checks and harassment just to get to school. This is topical stuff. One talk not to miss.”
The talk will be on Friday 24th February at St Catharine’s Hall, starting at 7:30pm; entry is by donation.
If you’re aged between 18 and 25 and live within 20 miles of Frome, you could win an £800 bursary to get you to Palestine. All you’ve got to do is to write a 400-word essay on “Why I want to experience Palestine”, and send it to fromefop@virginmedia.com by 28th February 2017. The winner will be announced in April.
