What?
‘Freedom for Palestine’ is a single being released in the UK on 3 July 2011. The song is the brainchild of producer and composer Dave Randall (Slovo/Faithless) who has written and produced the song. The project began after Dave returned recently from the West Bank. What he saw there convinced him that life for most Palestinians living under the illegal Israeli occupation is at least as bad as that endured by black South Africans in the bad old days of apartheid. His inspiration was the Special AKA's classic track 'Free Nelson Mandela' which was an introduction to many people to the anti-apartheid struggle.
Who?
OneWorld includes Maxi Jazz (Faithless), the Durban Gospel Choir, LSK, Jamie Catto (1 Giant Leap), Dave Randall (Slovo/Faithless) and various artists from around the world.
The project is supported by a number of UK based organisations. These include War on Want, The A.M.Qattan Foundation, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, A Just Peace for Palestine, Friends of Al Aqsa, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK, Stop the War Coalition and Trust Greenbelt
When?
The track was officially launched on the 31st May 2011- From this date onwards the song is available to listen to online and you can also pre-order the song from iTunes, HMV digital or from Amazon. Official release week is 3 July 2011.
This release week was chosen because that week, on 9 July, it is the 7th anniversary of the International Court of Jurists ruling that the Wall being built by Israel in the West Bank is illegal, should be torn down and reparations paid to Palestinians who have suffered because of its route.
Why?
If ‘Freedom for Palestine’ gets into the charts it would be a powerful message of solidarity with the Palestinian people. It would also send a message to the UK government, and all those who lend economic support or political cover to Israel that a critical mass of people want to see an end to the Israeli occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people.
How much does it cost?
The individual track costs 79p from HMV digital. Here you can purchase lots of different remixes and versions, either individually or as part of an “album”. On iTunes, you can purchase a bundle of two tracks for £1.29 or the whole album which contains all the remixes for £3.49.
Where does the money from the sales go?
Profits raised will go to the charity War on Want who will fund projects in Palestine, in particular, communities affected by the Wall in the West Bank.
What is pre-ordering?
Pre-ordering involves purchasing the track in advance of the release date (3rd July). You will only receive the track on the 3rd of July though. All pre-order purchases will contribute to the UK chart position in the first week that it’s released.
What about the remix versions?
Purchasing individual remixes of the single counts towards the chart position.
What about the album – it has 5 versions, does each count towards the chart?
Purchasing the “album” still contributes to the chart position but only once.
What if I’m not based in the UK – can I still buy the track?
You can still buy the track if you’re based outside the UK however only sales from inside the UK count towards the chart positioning.
To purchase from outside the UK please go to iTunes and click on the country flag at the bottom right hand corner of the page. This should enable you to go to the relevant page for your country and purchase a copy there.
Will the track be released in any other countries?
We are hoping to release the track in other countries but this will in part depend on how successful the track is here in the UK and globally. To help create momentum to do this, help distribute the song, play it at events, tell your friends and family about it and help to make it popular.
What can I do to help?
See our get involved page…