Sir Keir Starmer

• CADFA, Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association, is a charity working to promote human rights in Palestine.

We know well the systematic differences that the controlling (Israeli) government makes between the Israeli settlers with easy access to water, good roads, new housing and civil law (etc) and the Palestinians who are treated as second-class citizens in every way under a lengthy, cruel and racist military occupation.

We have for many years described this as apartheid and so now do numerous respected organisations among them B’tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Since he was first elected, we have been writing to Sir Keir Starmer on this subject and have several times been to see him.

We have taken some of our Palestinian visitors to meet him so he has been directly informed by Palestinian children and adults of the shocking circumstances of their life.

Last time we saw him, maybe two months ago, we gave him a copy of our leaflet Palestine – it’s all about human rights.

Sir Keir knows about the situation, and so he discredits himself by telling the Jewish Chronicle that the situation in Israel / Palestine is not apartheid.

Local people who care about human rights do not currently have an MP who will listen on this subject, but we can take heart as we see the increasing number of people in Camden who do care and cannot bear the ugly racism.

If readers would like to know more about the subject, they can ask us, and soon can hear in person from Palestinian youth workers and young people who will be coming to London in two visits in May and June-July. Or they may want to go on a CADFA visit to the West Bank where they can see for themselves.

NANDITA DOWSON
Director, CADFA
Fortess Road, NW5
cadfa.org @camdenabudis