H-Blocks Easter 1998 | GFA Protects Everyone | Israel’s apartheid war

The Good Friday Agreement protects everyoneAt the beginning of the month Jeffrey Donaldson established a panel, which includes Peter Robinson, Arlene Foster and some business and legal people, to advise on the DUP’s approach to the Windsor Framework. Some have interpreted this as Donaldson buying time until the other side of the local government elections on 18 May. Others believe that the panel will provide Donaldson with the fig leaf he needs to buy into Protocol 2.0, accept the Windsor Framework as a fait accompli, and go back into the Executive and Assembly.H-Blocks April 1998 by Pádraic WilsonPadráic Wilson hosts our guest spot on the Good Friday Agreement 25 years on. Here he is looking back on the H Blocks in April 1998. As Easter 1998 approached there was an air of anticipation on the wings of the H Blocks and in other prisons.There was also a level of caution that was based upon past experiences.From the outset of the peace process Republican prisoners had made it clear, publicly, that we were not a bargaining tool. Maintaining the support and confidence of the wider republican base was critical for the development of the peace process.  Resolving the issue of prisoners was an important part of that. However, more important would be addressing the core causes of conflict, not tinkering with some of the consequences.Israel’s apartheid warThe apartheid war being waged by the Israeli Government against the Palestinian people has reached new heights of violence. In the first three months of this year there have been more Israeli attacks against Palestinians living in the occupied west Bank than in any previous year since 2000, when the Second Intifada began.Among those killed in that time by Israel was Rachel Corrie, a 23 year old American activist who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in March 2003. Rachel was attempting to prevent the Israeli Army from destroying the home of a Palestinian pharmacist. I was reminded of Rachel because it was her anniversary last week and because I saw for the first time the video of a speech she made as a ten year old to her school friends.A Step ForwardSome United Irelanders have voiced doubts about the Irish Labour Party’s call for the Irish Government to set up a national Citizens Assembly to plan for the future and for the SDLPs recent support for Irish Unity. This column sees these developments as good news.