Jan 24, 2011

#BDS: Elisabeth Guigou défend le boycott des produits israéliens

"Soutenir le principe du boycott économique qui, en l’occurrence, est l’expression politique de la protestation contre la tyrannie israélienne dans les territoires occupés, voilà un courage parlementaire suffisamment rare pour qu’il nous redonne quelque espoir dans la revalorisation de l’Assemblée Nationale, et dans sa saine opposition à une pensée unique pernicieuse.
Cette parole, qui s’élève au-dessus de la réprobation univoque contre ceux qui ont choisi de censurer les produits israéliens BDS, émane d’Elisabeth Guigou, députée (PS) de Seine-Saint-Denis et ancienne ministre de la Justice, laquelle défend cette stratégie de la mise à l’index comme étant l’arme des forces vives de la société pour lutter contre le mutisme de l’Europe, et l’inertie complaisante du gouvernement français et de sa realpolitik aux amitiés coupables, sous toutes les latitudes..."
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#BDS: Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employee: Statement of Position

"The Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE) wishes to reiterate its firm opposition to any bilateral or multilateral relationships between Palestinian and Israeli academic institutions. In reference to the decision by the University of Johannesburg Senate in September 2010 to review the University's Memorandum of Understanding with Ben-Gurion University, and particularly regarding the condition of partnering with a Palestinian university, PFUUPE, representing Palestinian academics at virtually all Palestinian universities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip stands firmly behind the position of the Palestinian Council for Higher Education (CHE) rejecting cooperation with Israeli universities.  The CHE, representing all higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), has rejected, since the early 1990s, any form of cooperation by Palestinian institutions of higher education with Israeli academic institutions until the Israeli occupation ends.[1] This position was reiterated again with particular reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between Ben-Gurion and Johannesburg Universities during one of its meetings  in October 2010. Members of the CHE reaffirmed their rejection to any form of cooperation with Israeli universities, be it direct cooperation, or through third parties.   
PFUUPE fully endorses the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it fulfils its obligations under international law [2] and, as part of it, the Call by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).[3] Within the framework of this non-violent form of resistance to the occupation and dispossession of the Palestinians, the boycott must be applied to Israeli institutions, including all universities that are complicit in the state's violations of international law and human rights until they end their direct and indirect collusion in the state's colonial and apartheid policies.[4] "
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#BDS: تأجيل محاكمة ناشط دعا لمقاطعة الشركة المصدرة للغاز إلى إسرائيل


أجلت محكمة جنح الاقتصادية، اليوم السبت، نظر ثانى جلسات محاكمة كريم رضا، ناشط حركة شباب 6 أبريل بتهمة سب وقذف وإزعاج رئيس مجلس إدارة شركة كبرى للغاز، عندما أسس موقعًا إلكترونيًا يدعو إلى مقاطعة الشركة احتجاجاً على تصديرها الغاز إلى إسرائيل، ما اعتبرته الشركة إزعاجًا لها ويسبب الإضرار بالاقتصاد القومى، وذلك إلى جلسة 29 يناير الجارى للإعلان بالدعوى المدنية المقابلة..

كانت البداية بتأسيس "كريم رضا" حملة مصرية لمقاطعة الشركة المصدرة للغاز حملت شعار "مش هاندفع الفواتير طول ما فى تصدير"، وذلك احتجاجاً على تصدير الغاز المصرى إلى إسرائيل بأسعار مخالفة لسعر السوق.


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#BDS:

"Marrickville Council has stayed firm in the face of criticism for its recent decision to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid in Palestine.
The council passed a Greens-initiated motion to support the BDS campaign on December 14.
The motion read: “In particular recognition of its sister city relationship with Bethlehem and the strong support for this relationship from local progressive faith communities and other community members, Marrickville Council support the principles of the BDS global campaign and reports back on any links the Council has with organisations or companies that support or profit from the Israeli military occupation of Palestine with a view to the Council divesting from such links and imposing a boycott on any future such links or goods purchases.
“Marrickville Council [will] boycott all goods made in Israel and any sporting, institutional academic, government or institutional cultural exchanges.
“Marrickville Council [will] write to the local state and federal ministers (Carmel Tebbutt and Anthony Albanese) informing them of council’s position and seeking their support at the state and federal level for the global BDS movement.”
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#BDS: The Jerusalem Book Fair & Prize: Both Eminently Boycottable

"It was announced yesterday that British novelist Ian McEwan has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize, awarded biennially at the Jerusalem Book Fair, to a writer whose work explores the theme of the ‘freedom of the individual in society’. The Book Fair is notable for its Fellowship scheme, in which selected ‘promising’ international editors and agents are treated as guests of the Fair, and offered tours of the city and environs. The Prize, which comes with a trip to Jerusalem and $10,000, has been awarded to authors including Susan Sontag, Arthur Miller and J.M. Coetzee. Five previous winners have gone on to be Nobel Laureates, giving the Prize a prestige beyond its relatively modest cash reward.
BWISP reacts with dismay to today’s further announcement that McEwan intends to accept the Prize. The writer stated in The Guardian:
“I think one should always make a distinction between a civil society and its government. It is the Jerusalem book fair, not the Israeli foreign ministry, which is making the award. I would urge people to make the distinction – it is about literature.
“I am not a supporter of the Israeli settler movement, nor of Hamas. I would align myself in the middle of a great many of my Israeli friends who despair that there will ever be peace while the settlements continue. I support the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon’s call for a freeze on the settlements. But I also have no time for Hamas lobbing missiles into Israel either.”
In a sign of how far the BDS movement has come, The Guardian solicted a response from Betty Hunter, the general secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who said: “We welcome Ian McEwan’s statement about his disapproval of the settlements but we would point out that accepting this prestigious prize is a way of giving support to the Israeli government, which is dedicated to pursuing illegal expulsion policies against the Palestinian people. His acceptance will be used as a public relations exercise by the Israeli government.”
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#BDS: هل رَأيتُمْ مطاراً أو حدوداً تُغْلق في ساعات اللَّيلْ؟

ديانا ريان


كُنّا في الأردن في إجازة قصيرة في شهر دسيمبر ٢٠٠٩ وكان لدينا متسع من الوقت فقلت لأمي: لِمَ لا نقضي اليومين القادمين في سوريا فهي قريبة جداً؟ فقالت: أمسموحٌ لحاملي جواز السلطة الفلسطينية بدخولها فهم كل يوم بقرار؟ فقلت: نعم وسأتصل بالسفارة السورية الآن لأتأكد وهذا ماقالته لي إحدى موظفي السفارة: تستطيعون الدخول إن كانت مدة مكوثكم في الأردن الحالية أقل من شهر وإن كنتم تحملون إقامة سارية المفعول في إحدى دول الخليج وإن لم تكن جوازاتكم مختومة من الأراضي المحتلة؟!؟ فوضبنا الحقائب وذهبنا لمنطقة العبدلي حيث توجد الباصات والتكاسي التي تنقل الركاب إلى سوريا واتفقنا مع سائق تاكسي وجلسنا ننتظر اكتمال عدد الركاب. وفي هذه الأثناء جاء إلينا سائق تاكسي آخر وسألنا عن هوية جوازاتنا وقال: راح كون صريح معكن بس ماتفهموني غلط الله يخليكن! هلأ أنتُ فيكن تدخلو بس بدكم سواق شاطر ليمشيلكم الأمور عالحدود وتكرم عيونكن!! التزمنا الصمت ثم قالت أمي: إن لم يكن مسموحٌ لنا بالدخول فكان مكتب التاكسي قد منعنا ولكنه لم يفعل، فهذا يدل على أن الأمور على مايرام ثم انطلقنا وكنت في قمة السعادة حيث هذه المرة الأولى لي.. وصلنا للحدود في خلال ثلاث ساعات تقريباً وطلب سائق التاكسي من الجميع بدخول الصالة وختم الجوازات ثم الرجوع للسيارة وفي ثواني كنا أمام الشباك حيث يجلس موظف الحدود السورية خلفه وابتسم وقال: أهلا وسهلا فيكن بسوريا وفي لمحة بصر تحولت هذه الإبتسامة إلى علامات تعجب ونهض ونظر إلينا ثم قال: فيكن تنتظرو عالكراسي هنيك بس لنادي عليكن.. وبعد ساعة قال لأمي: حضرتك كنتِ بالضفة بالصيف؟ فقالت: كُنِت بغزة عشان أزور إمِّي في أي مشكلة؟ فقال: الله يخليلك إياها بس بعد إذنك هلأ بنتك فيها تدخل سوريا أهلا وسهلا فيها بس حضرتك مضطرين نرجعك على الأردن لإن جوازك مختوم من البلاد المحتلة وهادا بنافي قوانينا!! فقالت: بس غزة مش محتلة، هيمحاصرة وبعدين مو عأساس سوريا بلد العروبة؟ هاي هي العروبة اللي بتحكو عنها؟ على كلٍ كسبنا شوفتكم وهالوش السمح!! وعدنا أدراجنا للأردن ثم إلى جدة

حين أتى صيف ٢٠١٠ وهو الموعد المعتاد لأمي لزيارة غزة فكان جوازها قد انتهت مدة صلاحيته وتم تجديده فقالت أمي أريد زيارة سوريا أولاً لبضعة أيام ومن ثم ننتقل لغزة، فقلت: ولكن لم يسمحوا لكِ بالدخول قبل ثمانية أشهر فقالت: مزبوط بس جوازي هلا اتجدد وماعليه أي ختم! وفعلا دخلنا سوريا وكان نفس الشرطي عالحدود وضحك وقال: انتو جيتو قبل هيك ورجعناكم ما؟ اهلا وسهلا فيكن وقت بتيجو من السعودية باي وقت بس مو من الضفة!! ولم يختموا دخول على جوازاتنا بل على كرت أزرق خارجي وطلبوا منا الاحتفاظ به لمغادرة البلاد

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#BDS: Protest Held at Mercer County Plant Over Tear Gas

"A Mercer County company is manufacturing and selling a type of tear gas to law enforcement agencies around the world.

Monday, a group of protesters gathered outside of that facility, upset that the company is allegedly selling that product to Israeli military forces who are in turn using it against Palestinians.

Combined Systems Incorporated, or CSI, based in Jamestown, Pa., manufactures and sells what they call less-lethal weapons to law enforcement.

One of those products is a type of tear gas called CS."

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#BDS: مقاطعة لمنتجات المستوطنات بلندن


واصل نشطاء التضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني السبت إقامة مظاهراتهم الاحتجاجية أمام الفرع الرئيسي لشركة أهافا الإسرائيلية لمستحضرات التجميل وسط العاصمة البريطانية لندن للمطالبة بمقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية.

ورفع المتظاهرون الأعلام الفلسطينية وأذاعوا نداءات تدعو لمقاطعة المنتجات الإسرائيلية، كما حملوا لافتات تدعو للمقاطعة ووزعوا مئات المنشورات على المارة.

وانضمت متاجر جون لويس الكبرى لنداءات المقاطعة، حيث أعلنت الشركة أنها توقفت كليا عن بيع منتجات شركة أهافا الإسرائيلية.

وقد أكد المدير العام  لمتاجر جون لويس، أندي ستريت، في رسالة وجهها لحملة التضامن مع فلسطين مؤرخة في 7 يناير/كانون الثاني، أن شركات جون لويس لم تعد تقوم بتخزين أو بيع منتجات البحر الميت من شركة أهافا.

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#BDS: AMARC: World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Joins BDS Movement

"As the world remembers the Israeli bombardment of Gaza at the turn of 2009, the Palestine solidarity movement continues to build the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid. Social justice networks globally are moving in unprecedented ways to back the growing BDS campaign, launched in occupied Palestine by civil society organizations in 2005.
Recently in La Plata, Argentina, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) held their 10th international conference and voted to join the global BDS movement.

In the first move by a major international media organization to back BDS, the decision is critically important due to the deep implication of AMARC member radio stations within grassroots social movements around the world from Africa, to Asia, to the Americas. As community radio has long been a key element to grassroots social justice movements internationally, the BDS resolution passed by AMARC in Argentina points to the increasing interconnections between the Palestine solidarity movement and liberation movements globally– an injustice to one is an injustice to all."
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#BDS: Israelis target Macy Gray with racist diatribes after she agrees to play Tel Aviv

"The Israeli media is filled with reports about Macy Gray confirming her plans to perform in Tel Aviv in March. This should have been an occasion for Israelis to celebrate their continuing ability to behave as a normal society despite occupying millions of people, holding Gaza under siege, maintaining an apparatus of racism against its non-Jewish citizens. But in a poorly calculated stunt designed to wash her hands of human rights concerns, Gray had first asked her “fans” if she should perform despite what she called Israel’s “disgusting” treatment of the Palestinians. Within hours, thousands of people who had no prior interest in Gray or her music flocked to her Facebook page (they only had to “like” her page in order to post) to register their opinions. Gray, who appeared to have every intention of performing anyway, remarked after announcing her plan to go to Tel Aviv, that some of those urging her to boycott were “assholes.”


Under normal circumstances, Gray’s roundhouse attack on some supporters of BDS and her subsequent pledge to perform in Tel Aviv should have pleased nationalistic Israelis. However, her initial criticism of Israel’s occupation has invited a firestorm of racist, sexist and generally hateful diatribes from Israelis. Indeed, many Israelis are more furious with Gray for performing inside their country than for refusing to come. Several internet forums, including one called “Don’t Betray,” have sprouted up to incite public anger at artists such as Gray who have criticized Israel — even if they agree to perform in the country. Meanwhile, the talkback sections of articles in the Hebrew media about Gray’s Tel Aviv shows have provided a forum for the most extreme screeds about the singer."


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#BDS: USACBI Appeal to Macy Gray: Don’t legitimize apartheid

"Dear Macy Gray,
You report on your Facebook page that you are receiving “a lot of letters from activists urging/begging me to boycott by NOT performing in protest of Apartheid against the Palestinians.” And you say that you “don’t know how my NOT going changes anything.”  The answer is that the cultural boycott of Israel is having the same effect on Israel as the cultural boycott of Apartheid South Africa once had in delegitimizing the crime of Apartheid there.
Activists, including a group of courageous Israeli activists, Boycott from Within, are urging you not to go because the effect of your appearing in Tel Aviv will be to send a strong message to Israelis that what they are doing to Palestine is acceptable.  You would be saying that their state and its policies, which systematically discriminate against Palestinians in Israel and in the Occupied Territories and Gaza, are normal and that Israel is just one democracy among others.
To go to Tel Aviv is to actively lend your support to Israel’s discriminatory and illegal occupation of Palestine, which has been recognized as a form of apartheid by statesmen like Jimmy Carter and Bishop Desmond Tutu, by numerous human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and by millions of ordinary citizens worldwide."
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#BDS: Israeli-Palestinian dispute lands Seattle agency in court

"(Reuters) - An escalating war of words between supporters of Israel and Palestinians landed the transit agency for Seattle in federal court on Wednesday, accused of censorship.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington sued the city, arguing the transit agency infringed free speech rights of the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign by refusing to carry its pro-Palestinian placards on buses.
The group's advertising bore the words: "Israeli War Crimes: Your Tax Dollars at Work," next to a picture of children standing next to a damaged building.
The Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign had paid for the advertising to run on 12 Metro buses run by King County, shortly after it received approval from a private company that handles advertising for King County's transit system."
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