Youth Against Normalization: 07/12/11

Jul 12, 2011

#BDS: Call for Papers on BDS at BirZeit University

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as a Means of Enforcing International Law in Palestine

The Theme of Volume XVII of the Palestine Yearbook of International Law is “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as a Means of Enforcing International Law in Palestine”.

One of the principle criticisms of public international law remains the relatively impoverished mechanisms available for its effective enforcement, particularly when compared with those that exist under advanced municipal legal systems. It cannot be said, for instance, that there exists at international law a practical equivalent of the long-established common law principle expressed in the maxim ubi jus ibi remedium – “where there is a right, there must be a remedy”.[1] To be sure, while international law includes a regime that governs responsibility for wrongful acts of both States and, to a lesser extent, individuals, with very few exceptions these norms can only be enforced with the cooperation and express support of States, which in turn requires sufficient levels of political will of governing elites that can be very difficult to secure. The result has been to leave unaddressed a growing number of grave violations of international law, many of which are at the core of regional or global conflicts, where aggrieved parties are either powerless to defend their rights or cannot rely on States to do so, even where such States may be under legal obligations to act.[2]"

#BDS: Leadership of Palestinian boycott campaign responds to new law

"The Israeli parliament (Knesset) last night passed a new law criminalizing support for the Palestinian civil society campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, penalizing Israeli persons and organizations active in the campaign, or indeed in any other partial boycott of Israel or any of its institutions. The repressive legislation also bars companies that refuse to to deal with Israel’s illegal colonies built on occupied Palestinian land from receiving government contracts.

Hind Awwad, coordinator with the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the largest Palestinian civil society coalition comprising all major political parties, trade unions, NGOs and mass organsations, said:"

#BDS: La campagne BDS appelle à l’embargo militaire contre Israël

"Alors que la pression monte pour mettre fin à l’impunité d’Israël, la société civile palestinienne appelle à un embargo militaire complet sur Israël

• La société civile palestinienne appelle à un embargo militaire complet sur Israël. • Les activistes de mouvements de jeunesse délivrent un appel et la preuve de la collusion militaire avec Israël à l’ONU. • Les organisations qui représentent des millions de personnes à travers le monde entier ainsi que Prix Nobel Desmond Tutu ont exprimé leur soutien à l’appel à l’embargo palestinien.

Le Comité National palestinien Boycott Désinvestissement et Sanctions (BNC), la plus grande coalition palestinienne englobant tous les partis politiques palestiniens, des syndicats, des ONG et des organisations de masse, a appelé à un embargo immédiat et global militaire sur Israël."

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#BDS: Australian activists defy police’s attacks

"Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) - Australian police viciously attacked a pro-Palestine BDS demonstration in Melbourne on Friday July 1. 19 activists were arrested and charged with a variety of offenses including trespass, riotous behaviour and besetting (an antiquated anti-picketing law).

Arrests of political activists on this scale have not been seen here for many years. The attack by police was totally unprovoked, and clearly politically orchestrated. The Zionist lobby in Australia has been strident in its attacks on the BDS campaign. For example Walt Sercord, recently elected member of the NSW parliament and former journalist with Australian Jewish News, used his maiden speech in parliament last month to demand action against BDS campaigners. “With the BDS gaining support, the NSW Government and the Police Minister must ensure that companies with an Israeli connection are protected and are not unfairly targeted,” Secord said. “BDS is part of a worldwide attempt to isolate Israel, to boycott Israeli products, creativity, programs and culture. It has reached Australia and that is of concern.”

#BDS Alert: #Ahava products to be back at the Bay, #Canada

"A new line of Ahava skin care products from Israel will be at the cosmetics counters of select Bay stores in Canada by September, Elana Drell Szyfer, Ahava’s CEO for North America, says.

“It will be a completely new line,” she said in a telephone interview from New York. “We’re very much looking forward to it.”

Shayne Tryon, the Bay’s senior manager of service excellence, confirmed the message."

#BDS: #Israel passes law banning calls for boycott

"The Knesset passed Monday a law penalizing persons or organizations that boycott Israel or the settlements, by a vote of 47 to 38.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present during the vote. MK Zeev Elkin (Likud), who proposed the law, said the law is not meant to silence people, but "to protect the citizens of Israel."

#BDS: إسرائيل: الكنيست يجيز قانونا يعاقب كل من يقاطع المستوطنات في الضفة الغربية

أجاز الكنيست الإسرائيلي قانونا مثيرا للجدل ينص على معاقبة كل شخص أو منظمة في إسرائيل يقاطع المستوطناتالإسرائيلية في الضفة الغربية.

وتقول منظمات مدافعة عن حقوق الإنسان إن القانون الجديد يخنق حرية التعبير ويقوض الديمقراطية في إسرائيل.

ووافق الكنيست على القانون بواقع 47 مقابل 36 نائب بعد محاولات فاشلة لتأجيل مناقشته في البرلمان الإسرائيلي.

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: Boycott #Cadbury

Cadbury Schweppes announced on Dec. 17, 2002 plans to invest $4.5 m in Israeli confectionary maker and distributor Carmit after a year’s trial association with Carmit whereby the latter distributed Cadbury’s goods in Israel. The money, Cadbury specified, will be paid in the first three months of 2003 and will be used for the advertising to promote its products in Israel. Carmit would become Carmit-Cadbury.

إهداء إلى فلسطين: وليام نصار - يما مويل الهوى

#BDS: More reasons to boycott McDonald's

"Fast food chain competing against Israel's boutique hamburger restaurants with premium product sold for NIS 31.50 for 250 grams of meat

The McDonald's fast food chain is launching a new product, only inIsrael: A premium burger made of entrecote and prime rib.

At the same time, the chain is removing the McFalafel product introduced recently from all of its restaurants."

#BDS: Boycott, Divestment, Sanction Against #Israel Regime

"There is a growing movement around the world (particularly in Europe, US and Australia) to boycott Israel - a country that is increasingly being described as Apartheid Israel.

International corporate organisations and companies, civic and cultural bodies such as churches and universities and also the public are mounting pressures on their respective governments to* **boycott** *(cultural, academic relations), to *divest* (economic, financial interests) and to impose *sanctions* (trade, travel) on Israel - a country that continues to defy UN Resolutions and International Law daily. Israel's occupation of Palestine is illegal, and the goods and products that originate from Occupied Palestine are consequently (in terms of International Trade Laws) illegal.

The fact that the company called Dead Sea Premier from Israel has been trading in New Zealand Aotearoa is legally untenable and morally reprehensible. Moreover, Auckland University Students for Justice in Palestine* *is concerned that the products being sold to the New Zealand public are `stolen property'."

#BDS: New #Tunisia: Tunisians protest against #Israel ties

"Around 600 people rallied in Tunis Sunday threatening to out leaders believed to support normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel.

"Death to all Tunisians attempting to normalize relations with Israel," said Ahmed Kahlaoui, who chairs a committee opposing the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries."

"Cher Moby,

Nous avons pris récemment connaissance de votre concert du 12 juillet en Israël. Nous vous écrivons pour vous demander d’annuler votre concert à Tel Aviv.

Comme vous le savez certainement, depuis 2005 la société civile palestinienne a appelé les artistes internationaux à refuser de jouer en Israël, dans le cadre de la campagne Boycott, Désinvestissement et Sanctions (BDS) contre Israël. La campagne BDS est une réponse non-violente à la politique israélienne de colonialisme et d’apartheid. La campagne s’inspire des boycotts qui ont aidé à abolir l’Apartheid en Afrique du Sud. En plus de leur soutien à des mouvements de solidarité dans le monde, de nombreux artistes ont annulé leurs concerts en Israël, parmi eux Elvis Costello, Roger Waters des Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana, August Burns Red, feu Gil Scott Heron, Gorillaz Sound System, The Pixies, Vanessa Paradis et Devandra Banhart."

#BDS: A view from South Africa on the need to unfriend Israeli universities

"A presentation to the Association of American Geographers Annual Meetings, Seattle, Washington, April 12, 2011. Posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with Patrick Bond’s permission.

This panel is not only devoted to considering arguments about implementing the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, but also about broader problems of progressive political positioning and backlash in the academy.

Although I do not deal with the April 2 case of Richard Goldstone’s unprincipled U-turn on the findings of the United Nations commission into Israel’s 2008-09 Gaza invasion, the incident suggests the extent to which South African commentary on the oppression of Palestinians has become acutely politicised. For if Goldstone’s return to his Zionist past – recalling, too, his past as a minor apartheid-era judge (hence as a human rights ally, his zig-zag unreliability, reliability and now unreliability) – serves any purpose aside from empowering Israeli militarists, it will be to compel us to use South Africa as a base from which critical inquiry into the condition of Palestine must now be intensified."

Youth Against Normalization

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