#BDS: Message to Vieux Farka Touré: Colonialism is colonialism, whether it happens in West Africa or Palestine

I was greatly disappointed to learn that Vieux Farka Touré performed last week at the Tel Aviv Opera House on November 26, 2010.  The son of the late, world-renowned Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré, Vieux Farka Touré has gained prominence in the international music world in recent years as one of Africa’s leading musicians.  His eponymous debut album was released in 2006, and he has since released three albums and performed at the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Vieux Farka Touré’s performing in Tel Aviv is a clear breach of the international movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli apartheid in Palestine—whose inception was in Occupied Palestine by Palestinian civil society. As an artist hailing from post-colonial Mali—a country well familiar with the ravages of colonialism and western imperialism—I had hoped and expected that Touré would have the moral courage to stand against participating in the normalization and legitimization of Israel’s colonization of Palestine.

#BDS: New South Wales Greens embrace BDS

At its State Delegates Council meeting held on the weekend in Sydney, the NSW Greens unanimously endorsed the following proposal:

That the Greens NSW call upon all Australians and the Australian government to boycott Israeli goods, trading and military arrangements, and sporting, cultural and academic events as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation and colonisation of Palestinian territory, the siege of Gaza and imprisonment of 1.5 million people, and Israel’s institution of a system of apartheid, by endorsing the following actions:
1. condemning Israel’s apartheid and occupation policies;
2. censuring Israel’s violations of the human rights of Palestinians and its failure to abide by international law;
3. halting any military cooperation or trade with Israel;
4. refraining from participation in any form of sporting event, academic and cultural cooperation, collaboration or joint projects with Israeli institutions or teams except those that publicly oppose Israel’s apartheid and occupation policies;
5. advocating a comprehensive boycott of Israeli institutions at national and international levels, including suspension of all forms of funding and subsidies to these institutions; and
6. supporting and promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.

#BDS: مسؤول سعودي يدعو لـ"مساعدة" الإسرائيليين

المنامة، مملكة البحرين (CNN)-- دعا الأمير تركي الفيصل، الرئيس الأسبق لجهاز المخابرات السعودي، وسفير المملكة الأسبق لدى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، إلى ضرورة "دعم ومساعدة" الشعب الإسرائيلي في اختيار "طريق الديمقراطية"، بدلاً من "الفصل العنصري."

وأشاد الأمير السعودي، الذي يتولى حالياً رئاسة المجلس الاقتصادي بالمملكة، في كلمته أمام "حوار المنامة"، المنعقد حالياً بالعاصمة البحرينية، بما جاء في خطاب العاهل الأردني، الملك عبد الله الثاني، الذي ألقاه في وقت سابق أمام المنتدى الأمني، والذي دعا خلاله الإسرائيليين إلى "الاختيار بين الديمقراطية، أو الفصل العنصري."

#BDS: In Argentina workers’ movements, community radios take up BDS

November saw a flurry of BDS activities in Argentina, where workers from the recovered factories, along with the global umbrella organization for community radio, committed to active support of the 2005 Palestinian BDS call.

Workers in the recovered factories in Argentina pledged to support the BDS call. These workers are part of a larger movement in Argentina that began in 2000 during Argentina’s economic crisis. At that time, the first workers resisted eviction from their places of work, and with the bankruptcy and flight of the management, took upon themselves the duties of production, administration and marketing. Since 2001, 205 factories around Argentina have been reclaimed by the workers.

In a statement issued in support of the BDS call, representatives from eight of the recovered factories pledged to “ensure that our work sites, our businesses and factories, […] will be spaces free of Israeli apartheid. We resolve to ensure we do not have contracts and business between our recovered companies and Israeli companies, the State of Israel or companies that support the State of Israel.” 

#BDS: City councilors to Adidas: Boycott Jerusalem Marathon

Opposition wants race out of east J’lem: “A marathon doesn't bring Jews, Arabs together. This is just an aggressive move,” Meretz councilman says.

Three Jerusalem City Council members from the opposition sent a warning letter last week to sports apparel company Adidas, one of the major sponsors of the International Jerusalem Marathon, calling on the company to withdraw its sponsorship of the race if the municipality did not remove east Jerusalem segments from the route.

“There’s no reason why it needs to go through the eastern part of the city,” said City Councilman Pepe Alalu (Meretz), who heads the opposition. “A marathon does not bring Jews and Arabs together. This is just an aggressive move.”