South Australian launch
of Australian Friends of Palestine

"Ladies and gentlemen — I hope you can hear me up the back 
there — the aims of this association are, broadly speaking, the 
formation of a just peace in Palestine. There are some of you who 
have come this evening because you have an affinity with that 
aim. There will be others who have come from a desire to learn a 
bit more about this defining conflict of our time. There will be 
some who have a commitment to Israel who have come to ensure that 
their views may be heard. You are all welcome. So far as the last 
group is concerned, you are not in the wrong place."

With these words, Paul Heywood-Smith QC started his impressive 
summary of the history of the dispossession of the Palestinians 
for the audience of about 100 people. The thoroughness of the 
presentation was reflected in every other aspect of the Adelaide 
launch of the Australian Friends of Palestine Association last 
Thursday at the Thebarton Neighbourhood House.

If success for an organisation can be guaranteed by having 
contacts in high places, this new association would appear to 
have a bright future. Senator Nick Bolkus was in the audience. So 
were state Members of Parliament Kris Hanna and Julian Stefani. 
Trade unions were well represented, also.

However, the aims of the Friends of Palestine are not restricted 
to engaging politicians and other office-holders. They want to be 
part of the type of broadly based movement that swung the 
sympathies of the Australian people behind the cause of an 
independent East Timor in the face of government opposition.

The Friends are planning to reach out to communities with 
meetings and cultural projects. They also want to raise funds to 
support the considerable humanitarian needs of the Palestinians.

They will try to restore some measure of independence and good 
judgement in the Australian media in reporting the Israeli 
occupation of the Palestinians territories. Association secretary 
Dr Bassam Daly took time out to correct some of the spin put on 
reports fed by Israeli and US government sources for his 
listeners:

"A four metre concrete wall is not a 'fence'. A full military 
assault with F-16 aircraft, Apache helicopters and dozens of 
tanks is not an 'incursion'. Firing a missile at a car suspected 
of carrying a suspected militant in the most densely populated 
place on earth is not 'targeted killing'."

Clearly, there is a lot of work to do but last Thursday's 
inaugural public meeting of the Australian Friends of Palestine 
took an important first step.

* * *

The Australian Friends of Palestine can be contacted at:

PO Box 52 Greenacres SA 5086 Phone 04 1061 7357Fax 08 8303 4367 
E-mail: bdally@chariot.net.au