Palestinian youth group claim victory over Israel ‘normalisation group’ in Manchester

Youth Front for Palestine hold a banner during a demonstration against Loreto High School's hosting of Solutions Not Sides


Support us and go ad-free

A youth-led Palestine group has claimed victory after working with a Manchester secondary school to stop hosting a “normalisation group” for pro-Israel politics.

‘False narrative’ on Israel’s occupation of Palestine

The Youth Front for Palestine (YFFP) celebrated its ‘victory’ on 7 June. It said Loreto High School in Chorlton had “committed to never hosting Solutions Not Sides (SNS) or any other normalisation group ever again”:

SNS is a registered charity that says it facilitates “dialogue” on the “diverse narratives on the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its resolution”. However, YFFP said in a press release that SNS is:

Related articles

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free

an Israeli-State linked group that aims to spread the false narrative of a ‘two-sided conflict’.

The charity primarily delivers workshops in secondary schools but also provides training for teachers and community leaders. It started in 2010 as a project by OneVoice Europe, which Palestinian voices have previously called out for shilling for Israel.

SNS separated from OneVoice in 2019. However, the charity’s rhetoric seems to continue OneVoice’s stance on Israel. Journalist Ben White outlined how the charity’s materials create a false impression of two equal sides in conflict with each other.

This was also the basis of YFFP’s effort to deplatform SNS. In YFFP’s campaign petition, it said that the charity:

falsely presents the Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people as a mere “conflict” in which “both sides” are guilty of wrongdoing.

For SNS, the basic right of Palestinians to self-determination in their historic homeland is a matter for debate.

YFFP said this process of “normalisation… attempts to justify and confuse the reality of the Zionist state”.

Fourth successful campaign

YFFP said Loreto High School hosted SNS in February. Following this, it launched a campaign that culminated in a meeting with the school’s headteacher. It was this meeting that led to the school’s commitment not to invite SNS or other ‘normalisation groups’ for Israel in the future.

A spokesperson for the group subsequently said that the victory at Loreto High School showed that:

day by day it is becoming more clear that people all over the world are ready to fight for a liberated Palestine.

This victory is the fourth for the group. Previous successes include helping to stop the Manchester leg of normalisation group Friends of Roots UK (FoRUK) nationwide tour.

Featured image via Youth Front for Palestine

Support us and go ad-free

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us
  • Show Comments

    1. Who would not want a liberated Palestine? It is heartening to read that a pro-Israel front group has not been able to spread its lies in schools. However, what is meant by liberation for Palestine? More is needed. What are the goals of, say, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad, and why should socialists like me support them? What kind of new society are they fighting (and killing civilians as well as members of IDF, let’s be honest) for?

      Report comment

    2. The Palestinian resistance should be supported because they are fighting for their freedom from invasion and occupation. No one asked the French Resistance, the Vietnamese or Nelson Mandela for a list of beliefs and policies before opposing apartheid and occupation. But some people have a different view when the victims happen to be Muslims.

      Report comment

    3. Well done in stopping the false narritive it is an occupation and the Palestinians have a right to resist the illeagl occupation and to stop the lies that are spred by the mouthpieces of the terrorist group the IDF

      Report comment

    Leave a Reply

    Join the conversation

    Please read our comment moderation policy here.

Related articles