May 2008 NUI Galway Hosts Lecture Tour by Leading Israeli Human Rights Activist

Jeff Halper, one of the leading figures in the Israeli peace movement, will speak at a public seminar at 7pm, on Wednesday, 4 June, at Nun's Island Theatre, Galway City. The event is part of a speaking tour jointly organised by Trócaire, NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights, and Amnesty International Irish Section. An activist for over 30 years, Jeff Halper is credited with pioneering the use of non-violent action and civil disobedience to resist the Israeli policy of demolishing Palestinian homes and mobilising international support to rebuild these houses. Halper has just published a new book, An Israeli in Palestine: Resisting Dispossession, Redeeming Israel. Halper was Co-founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions which has protested the demolition of 18,000 Palestinian homes since 1969 in the Occupied Territories, in violation of international law. Speaking about the upcoming event, Dr. Vinodh Jaichand, Deputy Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, commented, "Jeff Halper is a warrior for peace in a region so torn by violence. Many who work for peace there rarely get the attention they deserve. Along with his colleagues he has chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder with oppressed Palestinian communities in the name of human rights and equality. His visit to Ireland is an opportunity for us to hear the viewpoint of Israelis who are opposing their government's actions." For further information about the evening contact Jameen Kaur, Amnesty International, on 091 533 637. -ends-