Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Lobbying Organisation Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Date published 10 Jan, 2017

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 Sep, 2016 to 31 Dec, 2016

Specific Details Minister of State John Halligan's visit to Israel

Intended results To raise concerns about Minister of State Halligan's visit to Israel, particularly his meeting with Israeli Education Minsiter Naftali Bennett and to oppose any proposed eductaional cooperation between the Irish and Israeli states

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Fatin Al Tamimi

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Email Minister of State Halligan urging no collaboration with Apartheid Israel’s education ministry

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Email to Minister of State Halligan & selected Oireachtas members (details below) informing the Minister of the Israeli Education Minister's record of anti-Palestinian racism, and means by which Israeli academia collaborates with the state's occupation of Palestine & international law violations. "Mr. Bennett is, without doubt, one of the most reprehensible figures in what has widely been seen as the most extreme Israeli government in history. Mr. Bennett - who has openly boasted of killing Arabs - is leader of the second largest party in Netanyahu’s coalition, and in his Ministerial position is responsible for overseeing the education of Israeli youth – an area in which academic investigations have already uncovered an abundance of racism and anti-Palestinian bias. Furthermore, the Israeli educational system is inextricably intertwined with the Israeli occupation, military and population subjugation industries" Full text: http://www.ipsc.ie/press-releases/7725

Email (2-5)

Following our initial email, Gino Kenny TD informed us that he had submitted a question on the matter.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

John Halligan Minister of State (Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

Richard Bruton Minister (Department of Education and Skills)

Brendan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Thomas Byrne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Carol Nolan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Crowe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joan Burton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Gino Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard Boyd Barrett TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Connolly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ivana Bacik Senator (Seanad)

Frances Black Senator (Seanad)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn Senator (Seanad)