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The Association Iceland-Palestine was founded on November 29th, 1987. The Association’s goals were from the beginning to encourage positive attitudes to the Israeli and Palestinian people and to work against all forms of apartheid in Palestine. The Association supports the Palestinian struggle against occupation and refugees’ right of return. On May 18th 1989 the Icelandic National Assembly passed a resulution that endorses all the Association’s major goals, Israel’s right to existance and Palestinians’ national rights.

In the past years the Association has made it possible for numerous Palestinians to visit Iceland in the purpose of advocating their cause. Those include Omar Sabri Kitmitto, the PLO’s ambassador to Iceland, who visits the country regularly, and Munib Younan, bishop of the Palestinian Lutheran Church. Among non-Palestinian visitors are Mary Lawrence, an American Methodist priest who worked as volunteer in Hebron for years, and Arna Meir, Israeli activist for peace and justice, who is now passed away.

Through the years, the Association has organised countless meetings, demonstrations, and lectures. Members have visited schools to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause, arts and culture festivals have been organised, etc. At such occasions the Association has often enjoyed the support of Iceland’s major labour unions, and in some cases, political parties.

Since the year 2000, the main focus of the Association’s activities has been raising funds for emergency relief in the occupied territories. It has also prepared and funded volunteers’ trips to Palestine who have mainly worked with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC). At the time of writing, over 5 million Icelandic crowns and around 30 volunteers have been sent from Iceland to Palestine through the Association Iceland-Palestine.

Contact information:
Association Iceland-Palestine
Address: Depluhólar 9, 111 Reykjavík, Iceland
Tel/Fax: 553 1302
E-mail: palestina@palestina.is