Youth Against Normalization: 06/12/11

Jun 12, 2011

#BDS: Israel Supporters Declare Counter Boycott on Scottish Goods

"The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) – a partnership of 250 Jewish men’s clubs that claims more than 25,000 members throughout North America – has joined with synagogues both in Israel and in the diaspora in “suggesting a boycott of scotch from distillers located in West Dunbartonshire Council in Scotland at Kiddush and [in] public and private” celebrations.

The FJMC, which is affiliated with the Conservative movement, has called for Jews to avoid certain brands of spirits following a boycott of Israeli goods instituted by the local council of the whiskey-producing region."

#BDS: More on the University of Johannesburg boycott decision

"On 1st April we carried a postUniversity of Johannesburg to boycott Ben Gurion University. This included a news report on the decision and immediate reactions to it from the Chronicle of Higher Education, South African University Is First to Open Academic Boycott of Israeli Counterpart; John Strawson’s critical posting The University of Johannesburg’s boycott decision; and Ran Greenstein’s widerReflections on Academic Boycotts in the Wake of the UJ-BGU Campaign.

On 13th May a debate was organised by the law faculty of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to address the issue of academic boycotts. David Hirsh and Ran Greenstein were among the participants."

#BDS: Protest against #Israel-#Sweden handball game

"KARLSKRONA, Sweden — Police say around 150 pro-Palestinian demonstrators are protesting outside a sports stadium in southern Sweden hosting a handball game between Sweden and Israel.

Police spokesman Mats Trulsson says the protest, calling for a boycott against Israel, has been peaceful and shows no sign of developing into the violent riots seen during a Davis Cup game between Sweden and Israel in the city of Malmo.

Trulsson said a pro-Israel demonstration also attracted around 60 people to Karlskrona before the qualifier game for the European handball championship Sunday."

#BDS: An Open Letter to Jello Biafra by @DarthNader

"Dear Jello,

I'm a kid who grew up listening to you in Beirut, Lebanon and you inspired me to start the first punk band in Beirut. But the context we grew up in was way different...while you were singing about chemical warfare, we watched cluster bombs and white phosphorus fall on our cities. While you were having fun stealing people's mail, Israel was stealing people's land. When you were freaking out about Governor Jerry Brown, we had to deal with mass murderers like Ariel Sharon. The boycott isn't as "solid" as you say, but the oppressed, the Palestinians, have called for it. By playing apartheid Israel despite the boycott call, you are telling them that you don't respect their goals or aspirations. Solidarity with the oppressed doesn't mean telling the oppressed what's best for them, but helping them in any way you can. Jello, please, don't be a chickenshit conformist, don't go chant "Israel Uber Alles" in Tel Aviv. Heed the call of the oppressed, for if you, of all people don't, who will?

Sincerely,

A pissed off Arab punk."

#BDS: Open letter from #Lebanon to #Moby: Don’t play in #Israel next month

Does anybody in Lebanon know who's behind this open letter?

"The US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) posted a public letter signed by Lebanese civil society organizations and student groups commending the decision by musician Moby to visit Lebanon in early July, while urging him to cancel his upcoming concert in Israel planned for the week after in order to respect the call for Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions.

The signatories wrote to Moby (whose namesake is based upon Herman Melville’s eponymous novel):

Come to Lebanon on July 5th, but, please, in honor of Herman Melville’s recognition of the rights of and respect for the indigenous, and in honor of the 2005 call from Palestinian Civil Society, please do not go to Israel on July 12th. Come to Lebanon and learn of the oppression we have endured at the hands of the Israeli army and its collaborators; unlearn the myths Israel propagates. The soil that Arabs have cultivated for centuries, in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, has been militarily occupied for decades by Israel. The people who have cultivated that soil – namely the Palestinians – have been denied their right to return to their land solely because they are not Jewish."

#BDS: Open Letter to McCully

"The key to peace in the Middle East is an end to discrimination – open questions to Murray McCully

Dear Mr McCully,
Thank you for your letter dated May 4 in reply to our previous letter to you. Many questions arise from your response and we would welcome clarification. There is keen interest within global civil society in any expressions of support by UN member state governments for universally, rather than selectively, safeguarding justice and human rights under the provisions of existing international law. In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation to extend the right to vote to all women and to recognise their right to run for office. That capacity for reforming leadership sadly flagged last century when our country was, for a time, reluctant to oppose South African Apartheid. Today another moral challenge confronts us: The world is asking whether New Zealand has the courage to end its diplomatic support for Israel and join the world in support of the International Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS)."

#BDS: #US Artists Hurdle Over #Israel’s Barrier

"The barrier separating Israel from West Bank Palestinian territories is the theme of a Washington exhibit by a dozen U.S. and Canadian-based artists. Each gives a different representation of what the artist views as an obstacle to peace.

The curator at the non-profit and non-partisan Jerusalem Fund Gallery, Dagmar Painter, shows one of the pieces called Twisted Rope, an 18-meter rope made up of men’s headdresses, women’s garments and other fabrics."

#BDS: Film "Challenging Power" documents Olympia Food Co-op BDS campaign

"The short film “Challenging Power” by TrickleUp Films documents a successful BDScampaign in Olympia, Washington. It premiered in February this year at the 8th Annual Mideast Film Festival and is now available on DVD.

On July 15, 2010, the Olympia Food Co-op became the first grocery store in the United States to boycott Israeli products. The board of directors made the consensus decision with encouragement from member activists. The Co-op has 15,000 members and operates two stores in Olympia, WA–the hometown of Rachel Corrie."
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#BDS: British academics vote for #Israel boycott

"For the third time since 2007, Britain’s largest academic union has voted to adopt an academic and cultural boycott of Israel.

The resolution was passed May 30 at the group’s annual conference in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

In voting to move forward with the sanctions, the University and College Union — which represents more than 120,000 academics across the United Kingdom — ignored the legal advice it received after the first boycott vote in 2007.

Lawyers told the union then that a boycott “would be unlawful and cannot be implemented,” according to the union’s website."

#BDS: #Caterpillar Board confronted in Little Rock over sale of bulldozers to #Israel

"Caterpillar Board confronted in Little Rock over sale of bulldozers to Israel

21% of shareholders ask for review of company’s human rights practices

At its annual shareholder meeting, the Caterpillar Board of Directors was confronted once again with shareholders and activists upset about the use of Caterpillar bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes.

Since 2004, Jewish Voice for Peace, together with grassroots activists and an interfaith coalition of shareholders, has been attending the Caterpillar shareholder meetings in the Chicago area to hold the company accountable for their bulldozers being used to demolish Palestinian homes. This year, Caterpillar moved its shareholder meeting to Little Rock, AK, in an apparent attempt to make the meeting less accessible to company shareholders and to dampen criticism of the company’s human rights practices. Despite Caterpillar’s efforts, criticism of the company’s policies is on the rise. Over 2,500 people have contacted the Caterpillar Board of Directors within the last 24 hours, asking how many more Palestinians need to be made homeless before Caterpillar reacts."

#BDS Needed: #Egypt resumes natural gas supply to #Israel

""Gas has resumed flowing at commercial levels," an Israeli energy official told Reuters on Friday, 10 June.

Gas flow was stopped for more than a month following explosions on the Egyptian side of the pipeline in the wake of political turmoil and the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak.

Experimental testing on the pumping of gas to Israel and Jordan began on Tuesday after repairs were made to the pipeline that was attacked in April, Ampal-American Israel Corp said."

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#BDS: Letter to CUT/COPY – Please don’t sing for Apartheid #Australia

"Today we sent a letter to Melbourne based indie electropop band CUT/COPY, asking them to reconsider their scheduled performance in Tel Aviv, Israel. We hope to hear from them soon. Here is a copy of the letter. Please feel free to sign and re-send it if you like.

Dear Cut/Copy,

We are Artists Against Apartheid, a collective of Australian artists who are part of an international alliance committed to human rights and Justice and the elimination of Apartheid systems in the world. We are fellow artists, and some of us are big fans of your work. We are however deeply saddened to hear of your planned concerts tour in Israel and urge you to cancel for the reasons stated in this letter."

#BDS: Jello Biafra bucks international BDS call, will play show in Tel Aviv

"Someone once said that “punk rock is dead.” Alas, another nail in the coffin was hammered in on Tuesday, when punk rock legend and former frontman of the anti-imperialist, anti-corporate San Francisco-based band Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra, decided to go ahead with a planned gig in Tel Aviv despite pressure on him to respect and honor the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).

Attempting to explain his (in)action to the public, Biafra posted this confusing letter to the facebook page of his band, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, and addressed it to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign:

Believe me, the decision to play in Tel Aviv was not taken lightly by me or the band. We have been through weeks of intense ongoing debate and discussions, soul searching and research."

#BDS: Controversy at the Sacramento co-op: Boycott #Israel?

"The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op has become a battleground for Middle East politics as some members are trying to get the board of directors to sign off on a boycott of Israeli products.

Arguing that Israel is violating human rights by occupying Palestinian territories, the group of members says that the co-op should not sell products from Israel because that supports human rights violations.

All co-op members are considered partial owners as well.

Co-op General Manager Paul Cultrera said he does not support the boycott in the store.

“We’re here to run a store,” he told The Sacramento Press Wednesday. “I think that the issue about Israeli human rights violations – it’s a valid issue. I’m not taking a side on it, but we’re not here to be political.”

DS: أساتذة «الأميركية» ينجحون في إلغاء استضافة وولفنسون

نجح «الأساتذة الأبطال»، كما وصفهم الرئيس سليم الحص، في تحقيق هدف حملتهم ، لجهة منع إدارة «الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت» من منح شهادة الدكتوراه الفخرية لرئيس البنك الدولي السابق جيمس وولفنسون، المعروف بدعمه لإسرائيل.

فقد أصدرت الجامعة، أمس، بياناً أعربت فيه عن أسفها لأن «وولفنسون قرر عدم حضور الاحتفال في الخامس والعشرين من حزيران الجاري، حرصاً منه على ألا يؤدي حضوره إلى تحييد الأنظار عن الطبيعة الاحتفالية للحدث»، مشيرة إلى أن رئيس الجامعة بيتر دورمان سيلقي كلمة افتتاح الاحتفال، بعدما كان من المقرر أن يلقيها وولفنسون. وفيما ذكر بيان الأمس أن الجامعة ستصدر لاحقاً بياناً تفصيلياً حول الموضوع، أكد أكثر من أستاذ في الجامعة، من بين مئة أستاذ شاركوا في الحملة، أنهم «رغم إظهار الجامعة أن وولفنسون هو من ألغى دعوته، غير أننا تلقينا الخبر بسعادة، وقد شاركنا الطلاب في فرحتنا. فنحن لا نتشرف باستقبال شخصية صهيونية في جامعتنا، وهكذا كان».

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: Stop Greenwashing Apartheid Makes a Breakthrough

"London, (Pal Telegraph) - On the occasion of Palestinian Land Day and the Global BDS Day of Action last 30th March, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) officially launched an international campaign to Stop the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The call to revoke the JNF's charitable status has had an overwhelming response from civil society groups and individuals around the world so far. Just about two weeks ago, British Prime Minister Cameron resigned as patron of the JNF. Joining the campaign helps to raise awareness on the little known issue about the JNF, its real nature of and role in the ongoing displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

Commemorating the Palestinian Land Day and the Global BDS Day of Action, the BNC in conjunction with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other international partners, called upon people of conscience around the world to oppose the presence and activities of the JNF in their countries and take boycotts and legal action against the JNF wherever it operates. The global initiative draws attention to the long-standing central role of the JNF in Israel’s system of occupation, exposing its crimes of colonization, ethnic cleansing and apartheid against the Palestinian people."

#BDS: A concerted effort from Europe against Israeli produce exporter Agrexco

"This past weekend in the Montpellier, France, over 100 activists from 9 countries gathered for the first ever European Forum Against Agrexco. Delegates from Italy, UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Palestine joined the French organizers for two full days of workshops aimed at strengthening the boycott campaign against the Israeli agricultural export giant.

Agrexco is Israel's largest fresh produce exporter and European markets account for the vast majority of their sales under the brand Carmel. The Israeli government's 50% stake in the company as well as their marketing of 60-70% of the fruit and vegetables grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank have made Agrexco a prime strategic target for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign."

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#BDS: Aussie students hold boycott Israel protest outside Max Brenner's cafe

"A group of students gathered outside of one of Max Brenner's franchise cafes in Sydney in protest at its support for the Israeli army.

The protest is part of the global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS campaign, which was called from a broad cross-section of Palestinian civil society organisations in 2005.

Max Brenner is a chocolate retailer owned by the Strauss Group, which is the second largest Israeli food and beverage company and is largely touted as one of the greatest successes of Israeli industry."

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