Norwegian groups demand apology for government cooperation seminar with Israeli partners

Date: 18 / 11 / 2008  Time:  12:21
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Norwegian civil society groups were outraged that their government went ahead with a seminar on trade and research aimed at enhancing Norwegian cooperation with the Zionist racist state of Israel.

The seminar was held on 3 November and hosted by State Secretary of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Raymond Johansen in Oslo amidst protests from The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), the Socialist Youth League of Norway and several Norwegian unions.

One of the Israeli participants in the seminar was the Israeli company Housing and Construction Group which is heavily involved in construction of illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, as well as construction of the illegal Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall.

A Norwegian boycott call against Israel for their "brutal and systematic violations of Palestinian human rights" has been signed by The Transport Workers Union and The Electricians and IT Workers Union, as well as the General Confederation of Trade Unions in Oslo (LO). The boycott is sported by the Norwegian People's Aid group and several leftist youth movements and parties.

The groups have joined in demanding an apology from the government.

Oxfam slams British foreign secretary and UK government for neglecting Gaza

Date: 18 / 11 / 2008  Time:  11:51
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

In a damning statement released Tuesday morning Oxfam’s Great Britain Chief Executive Barbara Stocking slammed British Foreign Secretary David Miliband for neglecting to mention Gaza on his recent trip to Israel and Palestine.

“Only the bare minimum of goods have entered Gaza in the past couple of days and Oxfam fears a serious worsening once again of the humanitarian situation if urgent action is not taken,” Stocking said in a statement.

“David Miliband and the UK government must not continue to remain silent in the face of such human desperation,” the statement continued.

Stocking’s letter outlined the worsening situation in Gaza and said British complacency was not acceptable and urged British leaders to “to put more emphasis on resolving the crisis as a matter of urgency.”