Finally PSC Executive Answer Some Questions – But They Still Say Nothing!

Below, in an e-mail to two PSC activists, Betty Hunter, General Secretary of PSC, admits that the Palestinian Authority decision was 'appalling.' And that's it.

She denies burying the Goldstone Report. But that is not the point. PSC have refrained from any criticism of the Palestinian Authority's decision to do exactly that. The main factions in PSC Executive - Socialist Action and Communist League - believe in uncritical support of all representatives of an oppressed people. If the Anti-Apartheid Movement had taken this approach to the South African regime then it would never have said anything about its stooges in the Bantustans and Mangasuthu Buthelezi.

Let us recap:

i. Last week Mahmoud Abbas, Chair/President of the Palestinian Authority withdrew its own resolution calling on the UN’s Human Rights Committee to endorse the Goldstone Report on Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

ii. A number of reasons for this have been advanced including the corruption of the PA and
telecommunications contracts and allegations that Israel threatened to release a tape showing that Abbas and cronies had urged Israel to continue the attack and occupation of Gaza earlier this year. They have offered no explanation of their own.

iii. It is a matter of record that the Palestinian Authority did nothing to campaign against Israel’s attack on Gaza and in fact criticised Hamas when the attack first happened.

iv. It is also a matter of record that the PA has co-ordinated its response with the Egyptian regime of Hosni Mubarak, which is also a party to the blockade of Gaza.

v. Over 30 Palestinian organisations, including Balad in Israel, have called on Abbas to resign.

vi. Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain has said nothing about what happened other than to carry a link to an article from Haaretz Israel to UN body: Come to your senses on Goldstone Report explaining why Israel doesn’t like the Goldstone Report and a link to a Guardian article entitled ‘Palestinian Authority withdraws support for UN war crimes resolution' as well as a link to an old article by Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada on the decontextualisation of war crimes rather than more current articles attacking the PA decision such as Abbas helps Israel bury its crimes in Gaza by Ali Abunimah and UN must act on Goldstone and the PA must be dissolved by Omar Baghouti.

There are therefore obvious questions that a PSC which was democratic, and whose Executive considered itself accountable, would answer. Instead we have the pathetic response from Betty Hunter, its General-Secretary, below. Such question as:

i. Why has PSC nothing to say about Abbas pulling the rug from beneath the feet of the UN.

ii. Does PSC not owe it to the murdered 1,400 people in Gaza to speak out against this decision by a corrupt and pliant puppet regime?

iii. Why if Betty Hunter considers the decision ‘appalling’ does she not say this aloud?

iv. Why does PSC continue to back a quisling/Vichy regime in Ramallah which is supported and armed by Israel and the United States?

v. Is the imposition of a Palestinian police state fine by PSC, even if it is effectively created by Israel and the USA?

vi. How can PSC Executive (now that Socialist Action is active in the Galloway part of Respect) back the Convoy to Gaza (Viva Palestina) and at the same time back the quisling regime in Ramallah which supported the attack by Israel on Gaza?

Below are the e-mails that 2 PSC activists sent to Betty Hunter and her reply. Judge for yourself if this is an adequate response. It would seem that Betty Hunter was more concerned about the membership of Alan and Miriam than what they had to say!

Tony Greenstein

Tony wrote:
When I first read what is on PSC's website I rubbed my eyes. Was this a spoof PSC site? How come its take on the withdrawal of the PA resolution from the UN's Human Rights Committee focussed on what Israel was saying to the UN? 'Come to your senses on Goldstone Report.' Or that the focus was on 'intense diplomacy' whatever that is? We know very well what the forces were that wanted to absolve Israel of war crimes, why pretend this was an inevitable outcome of diplomacy?

And then there was the link to Ali Abunimah's article. Why not link to the current article 'Abbas helps Israel bury its crimes in Gaza' or was that too controversial?

Dear Tony (and all)

In reply to what you wrote about PSC website (please see below), the Ali Abunimah article, 'Abbas helps Israel bury its crimes in Gaza' that you refer to is not on the PSC website. A much milder one from the ei site by three authors which pre-dates the events at Geneva is, however, on the PSC site and should, in our opinion, be replaced by the one above.

May we add our voice to others and call for a strong statement/press release from PSC condemning Abbas's actions.

Another excellent article that we think should be on the website is by Amira Hass 'Mahmoud Abbas's chronic submissiveness'

In solidarity,

M&A (PSC members).

From: betty.hunter@palestinecampaign.org
Subject: RE: [bhpsc] burying the goldstone report
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 15:26:29 +0100

Hi,

Don’t worry I received it the first time.

Far from burying the Goldstone report, we have been doing a lot of media work and there are several articles on the website. We are of course consulting with key people in Palestine and internationally about the best way of responding to this appalling decision of the PA.

Best wishes
Betty
Betty Hunter
General Secretary Palestine Solidarity Campaign
www.palestinecampaign.org

Hi Betty

Thanks for the prompt clarification.

Our concern is that it is the PA that is helping Israel to bury the Goldstone Report. We trust that the PSC response will be both robust and timely - there is clearly so much at stake, here.

Best wishes,

M