Protest against Colin Powell addressing the JNF

The Glasgow Palestine Human Rights Campaign is publicising a protest against the presence of Colin Powell at a fundraiser for the ethnic cleansers of the Jewish National Fund.

For three years Scottish Friends of Palestine questioned the activities of the UK based charity, the JNF Charitable Trust, with the Charity Commissioner for England & Wales. There was limited success with the Trust being required to amend its website. Subsequent approaches revealed that the Commissioner has, apparently, complete faith in the integrity of the charity's Trustees. With the trio of Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy all being Hon Patrons of the JNF Charitable Trust, perhaps we should not be too surprised at this position of the Commissioner.

It is worth noting that over three decades ago it took sustained effort by two dedicated MPs at Westminster to disclose that within the UK the JNF is a multifaceted body with, at that time, five bodies operating from premises at Edgeware Road, London using the name JNF. Only one had charitable status. This confusion was accepted, then, by the Charity Commission and the status quo has not changed over the decades.

You are invited to have a look at the website of the Trust at www.jnf.co.uk and spot anything which distinguishes this UK charity from the non-charitable JNF or JNF-KKL. This latter body is racist by nature and constitution. Through the application of Israeli laws which have nothing to do with justice, the JNF-KKL now "own" vast quantities of Palestinian looted lands and property. The JNF-KKL is a politically active body, it blatantly ignores international law and is a financial supporter of the continuing occupation of Palestinian land.

SFoP is concerned that General Colin Powell is the guest speaker at the JNF Charitable Trust's forthcoming fund raising Gala Dinners

London 15 January

Glasgow 16 January

Manchester 17 January

As a former representative of that "honest broker", the USA, Mr Powell's presence reveals the true nature of the links between the USA and Israel at government level.

Can't argue with that now.