Firstly I would like to apologise for my long absence from the world of blogging, after finally graduating I have been abroad for a while on a mini tour of the middle east, needless to say there isn’t a hotter time to be there… and I’m not talking about the weather. Anyway I promise to return with a full and comprehensive update of what I have been up to. However whilst I am writing that up, I wanted to post a motion I have submitted to be discussed at next Friday’s NEC meeting. If you agree with it then please do write to my fellow NEC members, particularly those you voted for and ask them to support it and vote in favour of it.

For those of you who think NUS should not be discussing such topics, one needs only to look at the increasing ‘anti-terror’ raids that are taking place in the U.K to see the direct link between what is happening in the Middle East and what is taking place on our shores.

Also if anyone has any issues or disagreements, than I would also like to hear them and discuss them with you.

Yours truly,

Jamal

Submitted by Jamal El-shayyal

NEC Notes

1. Israel has occupied the South of Lebanon since 1982.

2. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem since 1967.

3. The U.N has passed numerous resolutions calling for Israel to withdraw from ALL occupied territories.

4. The U.N Security Council passed resolution 1701 on 11/8/2006 calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hizbollah.

5. Israel violated this cease-fire within days, once again showing disregard to the U.N

6. Whenever a nation has ignored U.N resolutions, it has been met with widespread condemnation, and at times been invaded such as the case of Iraq.

NEC Believes

1. Peace cannot be achieved in the absence of justice.

2. Justice requires the implementation of one rule for all; no nation is above criticism or above the law.

3. The continual siege of Lebanon by Israel is severely hindering aid agencies trying to get into Lebanon.

4. The massacre in Qana, where 47 women and children were killed, is unjustifiable and must be condemned.

NEC Resolves

1. To mandate the NUS President to write a letter to the Israeli Ambassador to London, condemning their lack of adherence to the ceasefire and calling for an immediate end to the siege of Lebanon – in line with the stance of Kofi Annan.

2. To mandate the NUS President to write a letter to Margret Becket calling for her to put pressure on Israel to adhere to the cease-fire, end the siege of Lebanon and implement ALL U.N resolutions that have thus far been ignored.

3. To blog both these letters.

NB:

List of U.N resolutions regarding Israel can be found bellow; the vast majority have been ignored by Israel.

List of the UN resolutions concerning Israel

www.doublestandards.org

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