Since 2006 up to August 2020, 3,501 children have been rendered homeless by house demolitions, according to Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem. Israel’s systematic house demolitions have been condemned by a wide-ranging body of human rights organisations, including Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The policy is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention which forbids the occupying power from destroying civilian property belonging to the occupied people.
The NSPCC has been fully informed of the use of JCB equipment in these demolitions which inflict trauma on Palestinian children, and of the high level of criticism of JCB.
The NSPCC has responded by saying that their due diligence does not cover what corporate donors export and therefore the charity is happy to accept JCB funding.
We recognise the excellent work the NSPCC does and applaud the charity’s aim to “give a voice to children” and to “fight for every childhood”.
British children should not benefit from the suffering of children overseas, however. Nor should the NSPCC accept money from a company whose chosen policies pose such a reputational risk to the charity.
We call on the NSPCC to stop taking money from JCB and to prove that – as they claim in their literature – “Every Childhood Is Worth Fighting For”.
Signatories
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK – Dr Monica Wusteman, chair
Social Work Action Network – Rory Anderson, National Convenor
UK-Palestine Mental Health Network – Guy Shennan, spokesperson
Protecting Palestinian Families – Sharen Green, co-founder
Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Ben Jamal, director
Legal expert
John Spencer CBE, LLD, QC, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge
Author of: Children and Cross-examination, The Evidence of Children – The Law and the Psychology and Children’s Evidence in Legal Proceedings – an International Perspective
Children’s Author
Lynne Reid Banks
Health workers
Dr Swee Ang, former Consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon to UNWRA and WHO in Gaza and Palestine, and also to the Palestine Red Crescent in Lebanon.
Gillian Barnett, retired mental health professional
Sally Bishop, former school nurse
Dr Charlotte Burck, Honorary Consultant Systemic Psychotherapist, Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Tim Coldicott, family therapist
Caroline Dalal, retired child and adolescent family psychotherapist
Dr Heather Formaini, psychoanalyst (working in Italy)
Michael Foulkes, consultant family psychotherapist (retired)
Caroline Gainsbury, clinical nurse specialist, Great Ormond Street Hospital
Julia Garratt, counsellor
Margaret Goddard, health visitor
Dr David Goldberg, retired doctor
Prof Colin Green, Emeritus Professor of Surgical Science
Prof Pamela Heaton, Dept of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London
Jessica Hope, school counsellor
Heather Hunt, child psychologist
Bridget le Huray, retired nurse, SRN, RSCN and health visitor
Dr Martin Kemp, Psychoanalyst,
Ian Mc Cabe , Clinical Child Psychologist
Dr Brooke Maddox-Marquis, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and a founding member of the FRPALMHN (France Palestine Mental Health Network).
Deirdre Malcolm, psychotherapist.
Sid Singer, retired Consultant Psychologist and Educator, Israel and UK
Deirdre Sisson former school counsellor, currently part-time counsellor of the young.
Rose Stockwell, retired mental health worker
Dr Derek Summerfield, Hon Sen Clinical Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College. Formerly Research Associate, Refugee Studies Centre, Univ of Oxford; consultant to Oxfam.
Maggie Towsie, retired consultant psychiatrist
Janet Tyrell, retired mental health professional who worked with children in the UK and abroad
Dr Pam Wortley, retired GP
Educators
Sheila Allen, former teacher
David Clinch, retired teacher
Liz Clinch, retired teacher
Lesley Cook, retired teacher
Joseph Cotterell, nursery school worker
Geoffrey Court. educator
Ann Farr, former teacher
Hilary Firth, former teacher
Heather Goodman, retired educator and mental health worker
Michael Goodwin, retired head teacher
Jenny Hardacre, former teacher
Jehan Helou, Palestinian educator and children’s rights activist
Prof Roger Iredale, Emeritus Professor of International Education, Manchester University
Mavis Iredale, former teacher and teacher trainer
Anwen Hughes, retired teaching assistant
Chris Jones, former university lecturer
Val Johnson, former deputy head teacher
Georganne Lamont, educator and author
Dr Dvora Liberman, Research Associate,
Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford
Annie O’Gara, former teacher
Carole Oosthuysen, former teacher
Brian Oosthuysen, former teacher
Sue Owen, former teacher
Margaret Peace, former teacher
Françoise Pinteaux-Jones: former teacher
Fiaz Rashid, teacher
Louise Regan, national officer for Membership and Equality, National Education Union
Caroline Ross, retired educator and author
Jennifer Runham, former teacher and school governor
Tom Sanders, former teacher
Bernard Spiegal, director,PLAYLINK which designs spaces for child development
Paul Wimpeney, former teacher
Social Workers
Simon Cardy, social worker
Naomi Cole, Family Support Worker,
Prof Ann Davis FAcSS, Emeritus Professor Social Work and Mental Health, University of Birmingham
Alissa De Luca-Ruane – Children and Families Social Worker
Catherine Crowther, Jungian psychoanalyst SAP London; formerly Senior Social Worker in the Children’s Dept. Maudsley Hospital London; formerly Family Therapist CAMHS Royal Free Hospital London
Rupert Franklin, social worker
Nia Higginbottom, former principal social worker
Lynette Hughes, former principal social worker in the children’s dept. of the Maudsley Hospital and retired psychotherapist.
Leah Levane: social worker
Diana Neslen: retired social worker
Professor Nigel Parton, emeritus professor of child care studies, University of Huddersfield
Cheryl Qamar, social worker, somatic experience practitioner and trauma specialist (based in Kingston, NY)
Liz Richmond, social worker
Hilary Smith, retired children and family social worker
Bethan Welch, former social worker
Irris (sic) Singer retired Social Worker and Psychotherapist, Israel and UK
Youth Workers
Bernard Davies, former youth worker, current advocate and blogger on youth issues
Richard Bush, former youth worker
Ben McConaghy, Youth Justice Practitioner
Robert Pearce, former teacher and youth worker
Richard Phillips, former youth worker
Mark Strange trustee of Citizens Advice Bureau
Bernard Spiegal 