Irish activist Caoimhe Butterly today began the first day of a
two-week, water-only hunger strike outside of Cement Roadstone Holdings in
Fitzwilliams Square [from Saturday12/06/2004]. The hunger strike has been initiated in an
attempt to focus attention on direct Irish complicity in the construction
of the Apartheid Wall, which violates International Law and contributes to
grave human rights violations of the Palestinian people.

C.R.H. own a 25% stake in the Mashav Group, an Israeli holding company for
Nesher Cement, which is the sole provider of cement in Israel. Amnesty
International recently
stated that, "C.R.H., through it's subsideries Mashav and Nesher is likely
to be providing the raw material of the fence/wall ... if so, it would
contravene the U.N. norms on the responsibilities of Transnational
Corporations and other Business Enterprises with regard to Human Rights(2003)."

The Apartheid Wall, which is 8 meters high in some places is
responsible for the de facto annexation of over 50% of Palestinian
agricultural land. Although the Israeli Authorities attempt to sanitize it's
construction by
referring to it as a "security" or "defensive" measure, it has been
repeatedly condemned internationally as a land grab and further
solidification of a system of apartheid.

Close to 90% of the Wall is being built on Palestinian land inside the West
Bank, not on the Green Line. It cuts off families and communities from each
other, separates farmers from their land and cuts off Palestinians from their
places of work,
schools, health care facilities, places of worship etc. The Wall poses
unprecedented restrictions on Palestinians' movement within Occupied
Palestine. Palestinian activists and farmers have also been killed or wounded
while demonstrating against it's construction .

Caoimhe Butterly states, "It is shameful that an Irish company should
profit from anything that is as immoral, unjust, and destructive as the
construction of this Wall. This fast is being initiated as an attempt
to pressure C.R.H. to divest from these companies. It is the only moral
option.

At a time when the Israeli Occupation forces act with increasing
impunity in their violent humiliation and brutalization of the Palestinian
people, Irish civil society must take a stand. Despite International
support for the suspension of the Trade Association agreements between the E.U.
and
Israel, the Irish government- in it's term of presidency of the E.U.- has
refused to get off the fence and endorse the growing calls for their
suspension.

In this vacuum of any dedication on the part of our government to
advocate for genuine self-determination, and basic human rights, for
Palestinians, companies such as C.R.H. continue to profit from the Occupation.
Consumer boycotts and sanctions contributed greatly to the isolation of
apartheid South Africa. 21st-century Israeli Apartheid must be isolated in the
same manner and the courage of the growing popular resistance to the Wall, in
Palestine, must be matched by an upping of the ante on the outside,
too."

Joinng, visiting or supporting the fast are a number of activists and
politicians which include Dennis Halliday, former humanitarian
co-ordinator to Iraq, Tom Hyland, Senator David Norris and Nuria Mustafa.
There will be a constant, 24-hour presence- with candle-lit vigils at
night, from the 10th-24th of June.

For more details on how to support Caoimhe over the next two difficult
weeks, please contact the IPSC or Caoimhe directly through details
below.

Caoimhe Butterly 087-213-4160
or at  masasa73@hotmail.com

Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Suite 16 Dame House
24-26 Dame Street
Dublin 2