Category: Event

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Event

Know Your Rights: Anti-Palestinian Repression in Schools

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP

ANTI-PALESTINIAN REPRESSION IN SCHOOLS
with lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu 

On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), in partnership with Team Eye4Palestine and the association 4Neukoelln+Berlin, will host a Know Your Rights workshop with lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu at the House of Democracy and Human Rights (Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin). The workshop will focus on the increasing anti-Palestinian repression and discrimination in German schools.  

Yalçın Tekinoğlu is an expert on legal matters in school contexts. A 45-minute lecture featuring a general legal overview and a discussion of specific cases will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. 

The event begins at 4:00 p.m. and will be held in German. Translation into Arabic and English can be provided ad hoc. 

NOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP 

ANTI-PALÄSTINENSISCHE REPRESSION AN SCHULEN 

mit Rechtsanwalt Yalçın Tekinoğlu 

Am Samstag, den 14. Dezember 2024, veranstaltet das European Legal Support Center (ELSC) in Kooperation mit Team Eye4Palestine und dem Verein 4Neukoelln+Berlin einen Know Your Rights Workshop mit Rechtsanwalt Yalçın Tekinoğlu im Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte (Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin). Thema des Workshops ist die zunehmende anti-palästinensische Repression und Diskriminierung an deutschen Schulen.  

Yalçın Tekinoğlu ist Experte für die rechtliche Situation im schulischen Kontext und wird nach einem 45-minütigen Vortrag über die allgemeine Rechtslage und konkrete Fälle auch Fragen aus dem Publikum beantworten. 

Die Veranstaltung beginnt um 16:00 Uhr und wird auf Deutsch abgehalten. Eine Übersetzung ins Arabische und Englische kann ad hoc bereitgestellt werden. 

ندوة “اعرف حقوقك” 

ضد القمع المناهض للطلاب الفلسطينيين في المدارس 
مع المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو 

يوم السبت، 14 ديسمبر 2024، ينظم المركز الأوروبي للدعم القانوني (csle) بالاشتراك مع مجموعة ( عين على فلسطين ) و جمعية ( من اجل نويكولن و برلين )ندوة عمل بعنوان “اعرف حقوقك” مع المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو في بيت الديمقراطية وحقوق الإنسان

Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin

موضوع الندوة هو تزايد القمع والتمييز المناهض للطلاب الفلسطينيين في المدارس الألمانية. 

المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو، الخبير في الوضع القانوني في السياق المدرسي، سيقدم محاضرة لمدة 45 دقيقة حول الوضع القانوني العام ولبعض الحالات العنصرية التي عايشها طلاب وطالبات فلسطينين في المدارس الالمانية، يليها فقرة للإجابة عن أسئلة الجمهور. 

تبدأ الندوة الساعة 00:61. 

ستُعقد الفعالية باللغة الألمانية، لكن يمكن توفير ترجمة فورية إلى العربية والإنجليزية حسب الحاجة. 

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Event

Panel discussion: “How Israel lobbies make it harder to speak up against Israel’s policies”

The ELSC will join the in-person panel organised by Leonhard-Woltjer Foundation & and Een Ander Joods Geluid (A Different Jewish Voice) on “How Israel lobbies make it harder to speak up against Israel’s policies”, in Amsterdam.

When? Thursday 30 June 2022, 19:30-21:30  

Where? Pakhuis de Zwijger, fifth floor, IJ-zaal (Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam) 

Entrance is free. To attend the discussion, please register by filling this form OR by sending an email to info@leonhardwoltjer-stichting.nl. 

About the panel

Israel lobbies have made a habit of trying to silence critics of Israel’s policies of oppression, eviction and apartheid vis-à-vis the Palestinians. One silencing tactic consists of intimidating outspoken critics by slandering them as antisemites and calling them other bad names until they lose their credibility and podium. To avoid such a hostile treatment critics might self-censor or take a safe “evenhanded” or agnostic stance on who is to blame for the conflict. Another known tactic of Israel lobbies is to cancel and stifle public discussion about Israel’s policies by lamenting that such discussion makes the Jewish community “feel unsafe”. 

This evening we will take a closer look at how silencing tactics could lead to a “shrinking” public space in which it is becoming increasingly difficult for people and organizations to voice their concerns openly and safely and develop a shared and nuanced understanding of how a just settlement of the conflict can be reached. 

The speakers

1. Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, will discuss (online) what silencing means more specifically, the various forms it can take, and how detrimental it can be for democratic values and critical discussion. 

2. Alice Garcia will provide a broad overview of the most notable silencing cases from 2015 to 2020 in the Netherlands on the basis of a prolonged research project that she and her colleagues conducted at the European Legal Support Center (ELSC). 

3. Layla Kattermann and Itaï van de Wal will zoom in on an extreme recent silencing case in the Dutch context, which was the attempt to frustrate a legal request of information (“WOB-verzoek”, based on the Dutch Freedom of Information Act) about Dutch-Israeli academic ties. 

The discussion will be moderated by Dina Zbeidy. She is an anthropologist at Leiden University of Applied Sciences and LWS board member. 

Edition, 1st of July 2022: WATCH the video of the event

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Event

Webinar: Teaching Palestine in the Present

The ELSC Director Giovanni Fassina will join a great panel of scholars, researchers and representatives of NGOs at a webinar organised by The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) on “Teaching Palestine in the Present”.

Date: Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Time: 16:00-18:00 (BST)

Location: Online via Zoom

Register here to attend

Régis Debray has spoken, in a famous paragraph, of the constant difficulty of being contemporary with our present. In Europe at least, we have yet to be sufficiently contemporary with our past.

(Perry Anderson, Antinomies of Antonio Gramsci, 1976, p. 78)

Who writes Palestinian history, in the present, and down to the present? How is it written and practiced, in and outside Europe, and what for? How has what the Italian revolutionary and intellectual Antonio Gramsci called the ‘war of position’ (an organizational and cultural struggle in the ‘fortresses’ of civil society) been fought from above and below in schools and universities? What are the stakes of the struggle? Who is involved? This panel addresses these questions by examining factors such as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, transnational Palestinian solidarity, university politics, the firing of academics, publishing, education, academic freedom, pro-Israeli groups and individuals, state power, and Zionism. We will aim to open up a wide-ranging discussion of how the ‘integral politics’ of Palestinian history are playing out amid contested forms of hegemony in the present, while considering how those in Middle East Studies can best intervene.

Chair

Teodora Todorova (Teaching Fellow in Sociology, University of Warwick / Chair, BRISMES Committee on Outreach and Pedagogy)

Discussant

Yara Hawari (Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network)

Speakers

  • Mai Abu Moghli (Senior Researcher and a Co-Principle Investigator on an Education in Emergencies Programme at the Centre for Lebanese Studies)
  • Tamara Ben-Halim (Co-Director and Founder of MAKAN)
  • Nicola Pratt (Professor, International Politics of the Middle East, University of Warwick / BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom)
  • Giovanni Fassina (Programme Director, European Legal Support Centre – ELSC)
  • Martin Konečný (Director, European Middle East Project – EuMEP) 
  • John Chalcraft (Professor of Middle East History and Politics, London School of Economics / BRISMES Secretary / Director of BRISMES Campaigns). 
Categories
Event

Webinar “Enforcing Silence: the Criticism of Israel, freedom of expression and anti-Semitism label”

The ELSC will join a webinar organised by the Community Action Center – Al-Quds University to discuss the academic and journalistic freedom to criticise Israeli illegal policies.

Date and time

20th of April 2022 from 17.30-19.00 (GMT+3, Jerusalem time)

Join the event here: https://bit.ly/3Od7Ljk

The speakers

Ilan Pappé, renowned Israeli historian

Sai Englert, academic and activist

Giovanni Fassina, director of the European Legal Support Center

About the event

The panel will discuss the silence Israel enforces on academics and journalists speaking on Israel’s policies by labeling it anti-Semitic.

The event presents the definitions of anti-Semitism, notably among EU countries, limitations on the academic freedom of opinion, journalists’ freedom of expression, and the persecution of critics of the ongoing Israeli policies and practices against the Palestinian.

The Community Action Center – Al-Quds University is an association emanating from Al-Quds University and which aims to empower the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem. Read more here.

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Event

Workshop in Support of Students’ On-Campus Activism in the UK

As the Israel Apartheid Week is approaching, the ELSC is participating in a workshop organised by Young Palestine Solidarity Campaign on the 8th of February at 6 PM London time. The workshop is tailored for student solidarity organisers and student activist groups in support of Palestinian rights. It aims to address what Israeli Apartheid Week is, as to guide student activists in organising for this important international Palestine solidarity event that mobilises support for the Palestinian struggle for justice and human rights at their respective universities.

The workshop features the European Legal Support Center and the Palestinian BDS National Committee. Our intervention seeks to empower student solidarity groups in their activism on Palestine, as to be aware on how to push back against on-campus repression tactics including smear campaigns, unfounded allegations of antisemitism, the use of the controversial IHRA-Working Definition of Antisemitism, legal threats, denial of access to public spaces, cancellation of events, or disciplinary procedures.

Register here: bit.ly/3reti1P

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Event

Workshop: Defending and Empowering Student Activism on Palestine

In partnership with DocP-BDS Nederland, the ELSC is organising an online workshop on “Defending and Empowering Student Activism on Palestine” addressed to students in The Netherlands, on the 2nd of December 2021 from 5:30 – 7 pm CET.

If you are a student active on Palestinian rights advocacy, REGISTER HERE to the workshop.

The aim is to provide a safe space for individual students and student groups in support of Palestinian human rights, in order for them to share the challenges they face in mobilising and organising on-campus activities.

Students will get the opportunity to share their experiences. ELSC aims to provide them with defense mechanisms including legal and advocacy tools to support their activism while pushing back against attacks and incidents they may face in response to their advocacy (work). 

We will share recommendations from our report “The Attempt to Chill Palestinian Rights Advocacy in the Netherlands”, and the lessons learned from our work in monitoring and defending student groups in support of Palestinian rights.

Agenda:

  1. Introduction ELSC
  2. Main findings of the ELSC report
  3. Activism on campuses: lessons learned from the ELSC work in the UK
  4. Poll among students about experiences of repression
  5. Q&A/input from students
  6. Wrap up
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Event

Webinar: Challenging the Repression of Palestinian Rights Advocacy

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), PAX, SOMO, The Rights Forum and Al Haq are inviting you to a webinar on Challenging the Repression of Palestinian Rights Advocacy on the 18th of November 2021 at 5.30pm.

See the recording of the webinar:

In response to Israel’s designation of six prominent Palestinian human rights NGOs and civil society organisations as “terrorist”, Palestinian and international civil society organisations have collectively called upon the international community to take all necessary measures to protect Palestinian rights’ advocates. 32 Dutch organisations called on the Dutch government to publicly speak out against the decision of the Israeli government and to condemn it as an unjustified restriction on civil society as well as take action to protect human rights defenders in Palestine and those who stand up for the rights of Palestinians anywhere in the world.

During the webinar, Wesam Ahmad, a Director at the Center for Applied International Law in Al Haq – one of the six leading organisations groundlessly designated – will discuss the implications of this repression on Palestinian civil society. He will also address the responsibilities of third states parties such as The Netherlands and concrete actions we should expect from our authorities.

We will highlight the importance of civic space for human rights advocates in the Palestine/Israel context in general but also how it is connected to shrinking civic space in The Netherlands, through Giovanni Fassina and Lydia de Leeuw’s interventions. A recent ELSC report shows evidence of clear patterns to shrink civic space of individuals and groups expressing in favour of the rights of the Palestinians or criticising illegal Israeli policies, through deliberate smear campaigns, attempts to defund, cyberattacks, threats with lawsuits, and restrictions on academic freedom. Fassina will speak about the role and responsibilities of the Dutch government in protecting and promoting civic space.

The discussion will be moderated by Thomas Van Gool from PAX and the interventions will be followed by questions from the audience. The language will be English.

Registration is mandatory: REGISTER HERE. The link to access the webinar will be sent a few hours before the webinar.

Agenda

  • Thomas Van Gool, PAX: Welcome and introduction
  • Wesam Ahmad, Al-Haq: On the Ground Testimonies of Repression against Palestinian Civil Society
  • Giovanni Fassina, European Legal Support Center (ELSC): Main findings of the report on the Attempt to Chill Palestinian Rights’ Advocacy in the Netherlands
  • Lydia De Leeuw, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO): A case-study on attempted repression of civic space for Palestine related human rights research and advocacy  
  • Discussion – Q&A
Categories
Case Update Event

Berlin Administrative Court holds hearing for lawsuit of BT3P against German Bundestag

Since 2020, the ELSC has been supporting the BT3P team with lawyer Ahmed Abed to challenge the German Bundestag’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that condemns the movement as antisemitic. Next week, the Berlin Administrative Court will hold a hearing on the case.

The Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) filed their lawsuit against the Bundestag’s in May 2020. Their goal is to nullify the anti-BDS resolution which was adopted in May 2019. The resolution has had a significant chilling effect on Palestinian rights advocacy resulting in smears and denial of public space whilst infringing on the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Read more in our case summary here.

On October 7, 2021 at 12pm, the Berlin Administrative Court will hold a hearing on the case where the parties to submit their oral arguments.

The BT3P team is calling all interested parties to rally in front of the building of the Berlin Administrative Court on October 7, 2021 at 11am (Kirchstrasse 7 in Berlin).

A press conference will take place after the hearing at 4pm with the BT3P team and their lawyer Ahmed Abed, and international partners including Ben Jamal, Director of the UK Palestine Campaign Solidarity, Bertrand Heilbronn, President of AFPS (France Palestine Solidarity Association), Professor John Reynolds, expert on International Law (National University of Galway, Ireland).

You can register here:

  • to join us and be present at the rally and/or at the press conference in Berlin
  • or to join the press conference online
Categories
Event

Webinar: Resisting the IHRA Definition

On the occasion of the launch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s website ‘No to the IHRA definition’, the ELSC will be part of a panel to discuss the impact of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism on Palestinian rights advocacy and how to resist it.

Wednesday 22 September 2021 at 7pm CET (6pm UK time)

REGISTER here to attend the webinar.

Among other groups in Europe and the UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK is campaigning again the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of the policies and practices of the State of Israel, with antisemitism.

The Director of the ELSC Giovanni Fassina will be part of the panel as the organisation has been providing legal support to many Palestinian rights advocates who faced unfounded allegations of antisemitism in the UK, based on the use of the IHRA definition.

Join us at 6pm (UK Time) on Wednesday the 22nd of September as the PSC launches its ‘No to the IHRA definition’ website which aims to give activists and campaigners the information and tools needed to resist or push back against the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism in various settings across the UK, including within universities and local councils.

Speakers:
Ben Jamal – PSC Director
Giovanni Fassina – European Legal Support Center (ELSC) Director
Tom Hickey – British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP)
Rabbi Alissa Wise – Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Former Deputy Director
Neve Gordon – Professor of International Law and Human Rights, Queen Mary University

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Event

Webinar “Shrinking Space in Area C”

Webinar Shrinking Space in Area C

European Legal Support Center (ELSC), PAX, Oxfam Novib, SOMO, and The Rights Forum are hosting a webinar on shrinking space in Area C of the occupied Palestinian territories. The event will take place on Thursday 4 February from 3 pm until 4:30 pm CET.

Overview

What: a webinar on Area C of the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically in light of suppression of civic space and within the framework of ongoing de-facto annexation.

When: Thursday, February 4, 15:00-16:30 CET.

Speakers: Sarit Michaeli (B’Tselem), Suha Jarrar (Al-Haq) and Nils Mollema (formerly Al-Haq). The webinar will be moderated by Shane Stevenson, who is the Country Director for Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

Language: English.

More information: via this link.

Al-Haq recently published ‘Deprived of a Voice: An Investigation into Shrinking Space in Area C‘. The report examines the daily harassment of human rights defenders by the Israeli Force and Israeli settlers from illegal settlements in Area C. In doing so, the report examines how human rights defenders, including human rights field workers, journalists, medical personnel and volunteers, are targeted and silenced in Area C, in an attempt by Israel to shrink Palestinian space for critical human rights work. During the webinar the report will be discussed and be looked at within the framework of ongoing de-facto annexation. Furthermore, efforts by Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations to counter this trend and how international actors can contribute to this will be elaborated on.

Furthermore, Sarit Michaeli (B’Tselem) will address Israeli policies in Area C as part of the wider de facto annexation of the area. This will be done in light of the position paper B’Tselem published last week, titled ‘A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid‘. In the position paper, B’Tselem argues for the first time that Israel should be regarded as an apartheid regime from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

Speakers

Sarit Michaeli (B’Tselem) is currently the international advocacy officer for B’Tselem and has been an integral part of B’Tselem’s staff since October 2004. Before becoming the internal advocacy officer she was the organization’s spokesperson for 12 years. Before joining B’Tselem she worked extensively in the fields of journalism, graphic design and translation. In addition, she was active in social change movements, both in Israel and internationally, as well as working with the diplomatic community and international civil society groups. Sarit holds a Master’s Degree (Distinction) in Gender Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a BA in graphic design from Camberwell College of Art, the London Institute. During the webinar, Sarit will discuss B’Tselems recent position paper.

Suha Jarrar (Al-Haq) is a Senior Research and Advocacy Officer with Al-Haq human rights organization – Legal research and advocacy department. Her research and advocacy are in the areas of gender, environment and climate justice within the context of occupation, as well as other widespread human rights violations committed against Palestinians. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Climate Change Science and Policy from the University of Sussex in the UK, and a double Bachelor of Arts degree in Gender and Environmental Studies from Trent University in Canada. During the webinar, Suha will focus on Al-Haq’s work in Area C.

Nils Mollema (formerly Al-Haq) graduated from Leiden University with a master’s in Crisis and security management. After university he worked for Amnesty International Netherlands as country coordinator Israel, OPT and Iran. Nils then joined Al Haq as EU advocacy officer, where he stayed until January 2020. Currently Nils works at ActionAid in Amsterdam. During the webinar, Nils will elaborate on Al-Haq’s report on shrinking space.