Viva Palestina Arabia. Supporting Terror?
Since its establishment in the United Kingdom in 2009, George Galloway’s ‘Viva Palestina’ brand has expanded its operations to include branches in America and Lebanon and association with organisations in New Zealand and Malaysia as well as connections with the International Solidarity Movement and the IHH – aka the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Insani Yardim Vakti.
‘Viva Palestina Arabia’ – according to its web-page a registered charity in Lebanon – organised and ran what it termed ‘The Summer University of Palestine’ from July 25th to August 1st 2010 at the Lebanese International University in the Bekaa Valley. Participants from countries around the world, including Ireland, Germany, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Kuwait and Australia spent a week listening to lectures from some of the most prominent attackers of Israel’s legitimacy as well as taking part in trips facilitated by a proscribed terrorist organisation – Hizbollah.
The Lebanese International University was founded (and according to some, is owned) by Lebanese politician Abdul Rahim Mourad; a Sunni from the Bekaa region who is a member of the Union Party – a Syrian ally which opposes the Lebanese government. Mourad has been accused by another Lebanese politician of storing weapons in the university and has ties to the Arab Socialist Union. He also does a bit of 9/11 ‘troofing’ in his spare time. The opening speeches at the Viva Palestina Arabia event included thanks to Mr. Mourad for his support.
In addition to George Galloway himself, speakers at this summer school of ‘resistance’ tourism included:
- Ghada Karmi - British academic and renowned one-stater. Patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and member of The Council for Arab British Understanding - CAABU.
- Norman Finkelstein - a known Hizbollah supporter.
- Ali Fayad – political strategist for Hizbollah and a member of its executive committee.
- Yvonne Ridley – Viva Palestina co-founder and employee of Iran’s Press TV.
- Reem Nimer – widow of the PLF terrorist Abul Abbas, known for his part in the attack on the Achille Lauro and his cosy connections to Sadam Hussein.
- Daud Abdullah – signatory of the Istanbul declaration and member of the Muslim Council of Britain.
- Ramzy Baroud – editor of the Palestine Chronicle.
- Gabi Baramki – founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel – PACBI.
- Azzam Tamimi- Hamas sympathiser and supporter of suicide bombings against Israelis.
- Tom Hickey- President of the UCU and instrumental in attempts to place boycotts on Israeli academics. Member of the Socialist Workers Party and the British Committee for the Universities in Palestine - BRICUP.
- Trevor Mostyn – Member of CAABU with a penchant for writing obituaries for dead terrorists.
- Bechara Merhey – a pro-Syria Lebanese politician.
- Bayan al Hout – widow of a founder of the PLO known for rejecting the Oslo accords.
- Members of the IHH; a Turkish Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas associated organisation.
- Kevin Ovenden – Viva Palestina UK trustee and passenger aboard the ‘Mavi Marmara’ on which nine IHH delegates lost their lives in May 2010 after attacking Israeli soldiers.
Part of the Viva Palestina Arabia program included a trip to the Fatima Gate area of the Lebanese/Israeli border. In a speech to the participants at a stop along the way, Galloway promised them that they would be able to “look over into Palestine” which is “still under brutal occupation by foreigners” and offered profuse thanks to his “friends”; the “Lebanese resistance, Hizbollah”. Indeed, as anyone even slightly familiar with southern Lebanon knows, it is an area in which it is impossible to travel safely these days without Hizbollah co-operation and consent. It is therefore not surprising that Galloway was right on cue with the Hizbollah hymn sheet when he lied to the assembled students by telling them that what they were about to view in “historic Palestine” from the Fatima Gate (known as the ‘Good Fence’ in Israel) are “Israeli settlements”.
In fact, what one sees from that vantage point is Metulla and the Upper Galilee, but as those of us not yet disabled by politically correct blindness know only full well, Hizbollah considers the whole of Israel ‘occupied’ territory to be ‘liberated’ by force. Apparently George Galloway agrees with this –his speech ended with the words “Victory can be ours!” - and is taking steps to ensure that as many people as possible from all over the world adopt the Hizbollah mantra of the annihilation of Israel.
Galloway’s speech begins about three minutes into the video.
However, the extremism-fest of last summer was not a one-off; an additional session is planned for this month and yet another for July 2011 at $850 per participant. The January event will apparently feature additional attractions such as Ilan Pappe, Tariq Ali, ‘dissident architect’ Eyal Weizman and Counterpunch’s Alexander Cockburn.
Leaving aside the abhorrent commercialisation of radical chic ‘terror tourism’, one cannot but observe with dropped jaw the fact that Galloway is yet again involved in a project which so obviously supports and glorifies an officially designated terrorist organisation, and getting away with it. One can of course comprehend the sad circumstances which prevent the Lebanese government from stopping him currying international support for the very organisation which threatens stability in their country on their own soil, but Western governments have no such extenuating circumstances to hide behind.
One continues to marvel at the British Charity Commission’s ostrich-like abilities when the trustee of a UK charity goes to speak at a Hizbollah-linked event despite the written statement in its own guidelines that “links between a charity and terrorism are completely unacceptable”.
One wonders why the EU, Australia and others suffer from a cognitive dissonance which on the one hand allows them to proscribe Hizbollah as a terrorist organisation and yet on the other to stand silent when citizens of their own countries take part in indoctrination organised by that terrorist organisation.
One ponders the purpose of the UK law against glorifying terrorism and the UN sanctions on financing terror, when Galloway appears to be making a career out of doing both, and poisoning minds with hatred and propaganda which can only sabotage peace in the process. And one wonders just how much longer the world intends to allow him and others to carry on doing it.
Hadar Sela is a Contributing Writer for The Propagandist
