Our next post in The Protesters Speak Interview series over this summer is with ex-parliamentarian, Sandra Kanck. Please read and enjoy Sandra's eloquent commitment to BDS and the Palestinian cause.
When did you first become interested in the issue of Palestine?
Being raised as a Christian I held the view that the Israelites were “God’s chosen people” and therefore everything they did was blessed. It was not till I was in my mid-30s that I was brought up short. By that time I had rejected Christianity and belief in a god, and was running as a candidate for the Australian Democrats. A potential voter asked me about the party’s position on Palestine, and I undertook to find out and get back to them. That was when I found out the party policy was strongly pro-Palestinian causing me to research why, ultimately resulting in a 180 degree turn in my personal position.
Why is the Palestinian issue so important to you?
One might describe my change in position as a conversion, and I began paying attention to news coming from that part of the world. The more I heard and read, the more convinced I became of the international importance of this small piece of land. The injustice of the Israeli takeover of Palestinian land was not simply a historical fact: it is an ongoing travesty and an embarrassment to me as an Australian citizen when successive Australian governments blatantly support the human rights violations perpetrated by Israel. My tour of Palestine led by Bassam Dally cemented my views.
What motivated you to join AFOPA?
With my passion for the issue and my frustration about the position held by our government and opposition I was relieved to know that there was an organisation that I could be a part of which held the same views.
How did you find out about the protests and what motivated you to join the protest group?
I assume I found out about the protests via AFOPA. Joining them was simply a case of ‘putting my money where my mouth was’. Given that I see a satisfactory resolution of the Palestinian issue as central to peace in the middle-east, it was a logical step to join the BDS actions.
What do you see as the main purpose of the BDS actions in Adelaide?
It is a continuing statement to the people of Adelaide that this human rights issue is not going away and there are people committed to making that happen. The process of handing out the leaflets is a public relations exercise with some educational outcomes if people read the leaflets. Within the group it is also an affirmation of belief and the opportunity to mix with people of like minds.
What do you think the protests have achieved?
I am noticing a small number of people who positively recognise our presence because they have taken a brochure from us in the past, and they usually thank us they go past. For those who do hold similar views it is reinforcing for them to know that we are doing this, just as it was for me when I found out about the group’s existence. Clearly, for those Palestinians under Israeli occupation, it tells them that they are not alone. We are clearly having an impact on stores such as ‘Seacret’ who have to keep reinventing themselves.
The protests can be eventful. Do you have any special memories to share?
The highs are the occasional Palestinians who are overjoyed to discover us, and who are even more astounded to know that the group does this on a weekly basis. These encounters are always emotional ones where I find my eyes brimming with tears. The lowest was the angry woman who screwed up a Bat-Sheba Dance Company leaflet and in the process of attempting to stuff it down the front of my shirt scratched my chest, leaving me with a ‘scab of honour’.
Do you have any predictions for the Palestinian people?
The ongoing spread of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has made a two-state solution impossible. UN votes show that, despite the embarrassing position of the Australian government and pivotal pro-Israel position held by the US, most of the world understands the reality of what is happening. The $10m per day funding given to Israel by the US Government does enormous damage in the short term, but it is the only thing shoring up the Israeli occupation. The long but slow decay of the United States has been sped up by the election of Donald Trump, and a tenuous economic situation will no doubt weaken, and that foreign aid to Israel will inevitably reduce. Under those circumstances, Israel could become a rogue state, and with their nuclear capabilities I hold fears for the region. On the other hand, things happen that are totally unpredictable. I like to think that Israelis will elect a President who would replicate what happened in South Africa.