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From: "prc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <@prc.org.uk;>
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 14:12:22 -0000
Subject: PRESS RELEASE- 17/01/2006
17 January 2006
ISRAELI CAMPAIGN AGAINST INTERPAL AN AFFRONT TO BRITISH LAW
The Palestinian Return Centre (London ) condemns current efforts by the Israeli and American governments to pressure Britain to black-list the relief charity INTERPAL .
Less than a month after its successful out-of-court settlement of libel proceedings brought against the Board of Deputies of British Jews over allegations published on the Board's website in September 2003, the charity is once again under attack.
INTERPAL which was established in 1994, is one of the largest European charities which conduct humanitarian, educational and medical projects in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It also works among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.
In 1996 the Charity Commission carried out a thorough investigation into INTERPAL's operations following Israeli intelligence claims that its funds were misappropriated for terrorist activities. The inquiry found no wrong doing and described INTERPAL as "a well-run organization".
In 2003 the Commission again investigated INTERPAL amid renewed claims of misapplication of funds. These investigations were ongoing when in August 2003 the Bush administration declared INTERPAL a 'specially designated global terrorist' organisation. When the US government failed to provide any evidence to verify the claims the Commission unfroze INTERPAL's bank accounts and closed its inquiry.
The latest attacks against INTERPAL have come about in the wake of reports that the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Mr. George Galloway will donate £160,000 to the charity from the proceeds of his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
PRC Director Majed al Zeer said, 'the current attempts by Israel to pressure the British government to support their campaign against INTERPAL can only be seen as an affront to the independence of the British judiciary.'
The PRC calls upon all its friends to write to their local MPs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Johnson, informing them of your opposition to attempts by Israel - a foreign country - to subvert the British judiciary and public institutions namely the Charity Commission.
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Press Release.doc
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