Youth Against Normalization: 03/11/11

Mar 11, 2011

#BDS: قلق صهيوني من "مقاطعة عالمية" لمنتجات المستوطنات

حذّرت صحيفة عبرية من اتساع نطاق المقاطعة الاقتصادية لمنتجات المستوطنات بحيث تغدو مقاطعة عالمية، في ظل تصاعد الحملات والتحرّكات الداعية إلى عدم ابتياع منتجات المستوطنات، لا سيما في الدول الأوروبية.

وأفادت صحيفة /عنيان مركزي/ العبرية المقرّبة من أجهزة الاستخبارات الصهيونية، أن الدول الأوروبية تشهد تزايدا ملحوظا للدعوات المطالبة بمقاطعة المنتجات الصهيونية، موضحة أنه تم رصد تحركات نسوية في أوروبا تتمثّل برفع لافتات أمام المحال التجارية تناشد عدم ابتياع منتجات المستوطنات.

فيما حذّرت من تداعيات إعلان الحكومة الأردنية مقاطعة منتجات مائتين وعشرين شركة ومصنع صهيوني مقام على أراضي الضفة الغربية المحتلة، حيث وبموجب هذا الإعلان سيصار إلى وقف عمليات استيراد وإدخال منتجات المستوطنات إلى الأراضي الأردنية.

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: الكنيست تقر قانون يقاضي كل من يقاطع اسرائيل

القدس- معا- اقرت الكنيست الاسرائيلي اليوم الاثنين، بالقراءة الاولى اقتراح قانون لعضو الكنيست الاسرائيلي زئيف الكين رئيس الائتلاف الحكومي، يهدف الى مقاضاة كل من يقاطع اسرائيل بسبب سياسة الاحتلال والاستيطان.

وقدم اعضاء الكنيست العرب عن الجبهة د. حنا سويد رئيس الكتلة، ود. دوف حنين، ود. عفو اغبارية اعتراضهم على القانون.

وقال النائب سويد خلال نقاش الكنيست حول قانون منع المقاطعة عن اسرائيل، إن هذا القانون ينضم الى حزمة القوانين "العنصرية" المناهضة للديمقراطية التي يقترحها نواب اليمين اسبوعًا تلو الآخر، استغلالا لاغلبيتهم البرلمانية، التي يجيروها لتشريع قوانين عنصرية، تمس القيم الانسانية وتحاكم المواطنين بموجب آرائهم السياسية.

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: Who benefits from EU-Israel academic cooperation?

"One of the most enjoyable things that has happened since I wrote a book on Israel's relations with Europe is that I have been asked to speak at various universities. So when an invitation appeared in my email inbox to visit King's College London (KCL), I immediately accepted. Big mistake.

The request came from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR), a partnership between King's College and the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel. I only became aware of the partnership one day before I was scheduled to address an ICSR seminar in January. Following a hasty consultation with some friends in the Palestine solidarity movement, I withdrew from the event, informing the organizers that I fully supported the campaign to boycott Israeli goods and institutions."

#BDS: China wants Israel as technology partner

"Chinese commerce minister's visit to Israel serves as another stepping-stone in economic collaboration between Jewish state, Asian superpower

Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming signed a memorandum of understanding to promote commerce and cooperation between the Israel Export Institute and the Chinese commerce development institute during his recent visit to Israel."

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#BDS: France: Israeli artist singer of the year

"Three years after winning Album of the Year award in World Music category, Israeli artist takes center stage at French music award ceremony

Israeli singer Yael Naim was crowned Best Female Singer of the Year in France's musical award ceremony "Victoires de la Musique" on Tuesday.

Naim competed against French singer Vanessa Paradis, who recently called off her concert in Israel, and Asa, a singer of Nigerian descent considered a rising star in France."

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#BDS: Add this artist to the boycott list: José Carreras arrives in Israel

"World famous opera singer to perform in Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena on Thursday. Between rehearsals, he plans to visit Jerusalem too

World famous opera singer José Carreras landed in Israel on Monday for his first perofrmance in the Holy Land. Carreras will perform in Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena on Thursday, and will be accompanied by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, IBA."

#BDS: More reason to hate Pamela Anderson: She's returning to Israel

"Four months after previous visit, American-Canadian actress to arrive in Holy Land for lingerie photo shoot

American-Canadian actress Pamela Anderson will land in Israel on Tuesday for the second time in four months. Anderson will shoot a lingerie campaign for Bonita de Más, replacing the company's former presenter – supermodel Bar Refaeli."

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#BDS: Anti-boycott bill aims to punish foreign-funded organizations

"Anti-boycott bill might punish talkbackers who support anti-Israel activity. Meanwhile, legislators seek to expand another law to revoke tax benefits from organizations financed by foreign funds

Encouraged by the preliminary approval of their anti-boycott bill, which aims to impose harsh punitive fines on Israelis who call for boycotts of Israeli institutions, Coalition Chairman Zeev Elkin (Likud) and Knesset Member David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu) are seeking to expand another bill's reach to punish organizations that are financed by foreign funds."

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#BDS: CulturEscapes Festival in Switzerland and the Moral Duty of BDS Today

"The neutral Switzerland is about to host a yearly Culturescapes festival. Every year the festival focuses on a different country. This year- the most successful for cultural boycott, yet- it just had to play into Desmond Tutu’s hands and focus on Israel.

A Word about Culture

Culture is a word I’ve been hearing a lot lately. Israel’s Brand Israel campaign is focusing on PR apartheid; Hiding it’s atrocities as best it can, and highlighting it’s “advantages”:

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6 niches were identified in which Israel has a relative advantage… The 6 niches through which it is planned to promote Israel, in the world, are environment (with an emphases on desert agriculture); Science and technology (medicine, internet and hi-tech); Culture and art; Human variety and tradition; lifestyle and leisure culture; Tikun Olam [=Fixing the world] (support of populations of special needs).

The word “culture” originates from the Latin “cultura” (“to cultivate”). Unsurprisingly, the word was resurrected in the 18th and 19th century colonialist Europe. Sure enough, you can read all about it in this Wikipedia article, describing its racist, supremacist origins and its re-appropriation by non-white/western/males."

#BDS: " Minnesota Break the Bonds" Group asking Minnesota State Board of Investment to divest Israeli bonds

"At this morning's meeting of the Minnesota State Board of Investment, a group says it will ask for the divestment of Israeli bonds held in the state's portfolio.

The governor, attorney general, state auditor and president of the Senate make up the investment board, which is responsible for investing nearly $60 billion in retirement funds, trust funds and cash accounts.

The group Minnesota Break the Bonds says Israeli bonds held by the state should be sold for moral and legal reasons, saying the "investment in Israel supports an apartheid system in both Israel and the Occupied Territories that causes thousands of civilian deaths, many of whom are children, and which involves the widespread abuse of human rights."

#BDS: University of Vermont called to divest over Palestine issues

"A new divestment proposal, targeting companies that reinforce Israel's foothold in Palestinian territories, has begun making its way through the University of Vermont's lengthy review process.

The proposal calls for the university to withdraw endowment funds from all companies "contractually involved in, and directly profiting from, the occupation of Palestine." Palestine is defined as land that includes the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. The companies in question would be those that supply products or services to the Israeli military or to Israeli settlements in the territories."

#BDS: Roger Waters voices support for Israel boycott

"Former Pink Floyd frontman urges fellow artists to join ban until Israel to ends the occupation, grants full equality to Israeli Arabs, and allows all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.

Roger Waters, founding member, vocalist and bassist of the iconic rock band 'Pink Floyd' has voiced his support for a cultural boycott of Israel.

The British musician performed in Israel in 2005, ignoring calls from Palestinian rights advocates to cancel. While in Israel, Waters visited Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He was taken to the controversial separation fence in the West Bank, which he called "an appalling edifice to behold."

#BDS: Warning — BDS success answered by ‘Boycott Arab goods’ smear

"Your global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions effort is hurting Israel so much that panic-stricken propaganda bosses are casting about in desperation for something to hit back with… for example, the libelous press release which portrays yours truly and other Palestine freedom campaigners as promoters of a new movement boycotting Arab goods.

This tissue of lies arrived the same day as news that Israel is spending $1.6 million to train “new media warriors” in the use of social media tools for disseminating the regime’s endless stream of disinformation. Of course, it’s nothing new. Israel’s Ministry of Dirty Tricks launched a revised training manual eighteen months ago to serve as a communications primer for the army of cyber-scribblers it was then recruiting to spread Zionism’s poison across the internet."

#BDS: Dutch opposition boycotts parliamentary delegation to Israel

"Dutch opposition parties boycotted a parliamentary delegation to the Middle East in February after parties supporting the right-wing government insisted on going ahead with the visit despite an Israeli government ban on allowing the lawmakers to visit the besieged Gaza Strip.

Following the uprising that overthrew former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman blocked a proposed visit to Gaza, all parties opposing the right-wing government preferred to postpone the visit.

In spite of the tradition of deciding on such official parliamentary visits on the basis of consensus, right-wing and Christian parties decided to proceed on their own and their visit from 22 to 28 February became a right-wing junket.

In 2009, the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs decided to plan an official visit to Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan. Egypt was to have been the focus of the visit given the important role of the country in the region. "

#BDS: Israeli trade union congress to US Jewish leaders: Don’t underestimate BDS movement

"Chairman of the Histadrut labor federation says that the boycott movement against Israel is “doing a good job all over the world.”

NEW YORK – Ofer Eini, chairman of the Histadrut labor federation, told Jewish leaders in New York on Wednesday not to underestimate the power of the BDS boycott movement, and pledged to speak as often as possible to combat its efforts to sow anti-Israel sentiment among international unions.

Eini, who is also vice president of the International Trade Unions Confederation, spoke at a briefing about the relationship between the Israeli and American labor movements, and about efforts being made to combat the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign to delegitimize Israel. The event was hosted by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the World Jewish Congress."

#BDS: Belgian Bank excluded for involvement in Israel

"08-03-2011 | Belgian bank Dexia has been excluded from the Triodos sustainable investment universe because of its ongoing financing of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Dexia in Israel

Dexia Israel Bank (DIB), a subsidiary of Dexia, has financed Israeli settlements in the past. In response to shareholder and stakeholder pressure, DIB stopped new loans to Israeli settlements in June 2008. There are also indications that current loans are being withdrawn, although the longest maturity loan in the portfolio will not end until 2017. DIB’s actions have caused uproar in Israel and a regional council major in southern Israel called for a DIB boycott.

Despite the freeze on new loans and withdrawal by DIB, the bank still has loans outstanding to the Municipality of Jerusalem. Jerusalem lies at the heart of the occupied territories and since 1967 East Jerusalem has been under Israeli government rule. Settlements have been established for Jewish Israeli occupants only and settlers receive substantial financial benefits, as well as access to land and natural resources in the disputed territory. By financing the municipality, DIB loans are potentially being used to finance human rights abuses against Palestinians in East Jerusalem."

Youth Against Normalization

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