#BDS: Tuba Skinny Cancel Israel Gig

"The viewpoints of Tuba Skinny in regard to our recent cancellation at the Red Sea Jazz Festival have recently become a popular topic of debate among numerous websites and news forums. We did not want to comment on a situation that we as foreigners know so little about, but it seems that we now have no choice but to comment.

The reasons for our cancellation are numerous. First, when we agreed to play the festival we were not aware that it was largely state sponsored, or that people on the other side of the wall would be denied entry. This should suffice to demonstrate my meaning when I say that we do not have the comprehensive viewpoint necessary to make political commentary on such a
serious matter.

It is a fact that prior to our show, two days before we were scheduled to fly to Israel from Rome, we were approached by various people via E-mail who are affiliated with the BDS and AAA movements. After thoroughly researching what they told us in numerous emails, we were more enlightened on the current situation of the Wall, in addition to the extreme actions taken by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people. This was a shaking realization, especially because as a street band from New Orleans, we had not even heard the call to boycott, and never so much as considered the idea that playing music for people could be seen as a statement aligning us with any extremist group."

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#BDS: Update your Lists: Julio #Iglesias returning to #Israel

"One of top 10 best selling music artists in history to perform in Tel Aviv on December 12. 'I love the people in Israel,' he says

Just several months after Spanish pop singer Enrique Iglesias rocked Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena, his famous father is on his way toIsrael too. Julio Iglesias, one of top 10 best selling music artists in history, is scheduled to perform at the very same venue on December 12."

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#BDS: Lettre ouverte à Guilherme Botelho

"Le public qui vous a connu à Ramallah ne pourra pas vous admirer à Tel-Aviv : l'armée israélienne se moque que des Palestiniens aiment votre danse.

Cher Guilherme Botelho,

C'est avec consternation que nous apprenons que vous vous apprêtez à présenter votre spectacle Sideways Rain en Israël. Vous êtes l'un des chorégraphes les plus prestigieux de Suisse. Présentés à l'étranger, vos spectacles ouvrent les portes des scènes internationales à d'autres artistes de ce pays. En vous adressant cette lettre ouverte, nous mesurons donc l'importance de l'événement auquel vous vous préparez à participer. Nous souhaitons invoquer votre responsabilité politique d'artiste et de citoyen et espérons, par la seule force morale de nos arguments, de vous convaincre de faire un geste fort et d'inverser le sens des choses."

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#BDS: An open letter to Guilherme Botelho

"Dear Guilherme Botelho,
We are dismayed to learn that you are planning to present your performance « Sideways Rain » in Israel. You are one of the most prestigious choreographers in Switzerland. Your performances abroad open the doors to international stages for other artists of this country. Thus by addressing this letter to you, we fully realize the importance of the event that you intend to participate in. We appeal to your political responsibility both as artist and as citizen, hoping to convince you, purely through the moral strength of these arguments, to make a strong gesture and reverse course.


In writing this letter to you, the BDS movement remembers that in 2008 you gave a performance of « Approcher la Poussière » in Ramallah. By doing so you offered a moment of joy to the Palestinian people who have been bruised by 60 years of oppression. Today, by going to dance in Tel-Aviv, you do the opposite. You are going to participate in a sort of fake symmetry between the oppressors and those who are oppressed: having honoured, by your presence, people who are fighting for their survival and their freedom, your new performance, in the same manner as any other prestigious visit, will be considered by the Israeli authorities as a form of artistic legitimization of its doings that violate human rights and humanitarian conventions."


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#BDS Action at Bethlehem Checkpoint

"Checkpoint 300, separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem, worsens. On the second Friday of Ramadan, Palestinian police join the Israeli army in controlling the movement of Palestinian residents from the Bethlehem district who are allowed to reach an armored Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Thousands of Palestinians, at four in the morning, stand in front of the checkpoint. Women, men and children. A surreal show. To the traditional route of the checkpoint dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem, Palestinian police have now added new barriers: Two lines of walls separating men and women. At the entrance of the checkpoint, a sign reminds everyone that, according to an order of the Israeli authorities, the only people allowed to go pray in the Al Aqsa Mosque are men over 50 years old, women over 45 years old and those who possess a permit to enter Israel.

In a shocking atmosphere of normalisation and uncritical acceptance, Palestinian policemen monitor the queue and communicate easily with the Israeli soldiers on the other side of the checkpoint. During Ramadan, the Palestinian security forces are the watchdog and perform the job usually done by Israeli forces."

#BDS: Is BDS campaign working? YES!

"Ynetnews special: Anti-Israel boycotters increasingly successful in strangling economy of Jewish state: More than 20 organizations in Europe in 13 countries endorse boycott of Agrexco, Israel’s leading flower exporter

Many Israeli agricultural products have been recently targeted by the Israel boycott campaign: tomatoes, peppers, citrus fruit, carrots, melons, strawberries and celery. But the flowers have been the primary obsession of the divestment movement, which wants to strangle the Israeli economy."


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#BDS: Do Not Use eSnips

eSnips is an Israeli site for sharing files on the internet. Add it to your boycott list.

#BDS: Anti-Israel, anti-US demos in Jammu

"Jammu, Aug 26: Hundreds of Muslims, including students on Friday took to streets in the state’s winter capital to protest “the atrocities on the Muslims of Palestine by Israel with the active support of USA.” The protestors, who assembled at Karbla Complex under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Shia Federation here, marched towards Shaheedi Chowk and chanted anti-Israel and anti-USA slogans, urging the world community to take serious note of “atrocities” and “oppression” on people of Palestine by the Israeli government with the help of USA.


Supported by the activists of Ladakh Students Welfare Association, the protestors were carrying placards like “Stop supporting child killers”, “Boycott Israel”, “Stop killing innocent people” etc."

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#BDS: Is it time to boycott Whole Foods?

"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed assurances from Whole Foods Market that the company does not engage in boycotts of products from Israel or any other country.

"Whole Foods Market has made it unequivocally clear that it has not and will not engage in boycotts against the state of Israel," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "In fact they continue to carry a number of Israeli products, and have assured us that they do so with pride."

The League reached out to Whole Foods in response to a rumor circulating on the Internet suggesting that Whole Foods was engaged in a boycott of the Jewish State and had refused to stock products originating from Israel. "

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#BDS: Wikileaks: Israel's Relation with the Gulf Countries

"Summary. MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle

East Yacov Hadas provided PolCouns March 16 with an overview 
of Israel's relations with several of the Gulf states.  Hadas 
described Israel's relations with the Gulf as a function of 
the Gulf Arabs' fear of Iran, but also as due to the Arabs' 
belief in Israeli influence in Washington.  Fleshing out some 
of the points he had made earlier to NEA Acting A/S Feltman 
(reftel), Hadas described Qatar's shift toward the radical 
camp in the region as a "game" linked to Qatari rivalry with 
Saudi Arabia.  Hadas believes Qatar is feeling pressure from 
Israel, Egypt and the Saudis, adding that he has been invited 
to visit Doha for talks about how to resume normal 
Qatari-Israeli ties.  Hadas noted that while the Omanis are 
generally correct in their dealings with Israel, they appear 
not to recognize the seriousness of the threat from Iran.  He 
said that while the UAE is increasingly hostile to Iran, it 
remains unclear how far they are willing to go in terms of 
increasing financial pressures on Tehran.  Hadas said the 
Gulf Arabs feel that the U.S. does not listen to them and 
therefore sometimes try to pass messages through Israel. 
While he agreed that progress on the Palestinian track would 
make it easier for the Gulf states to be open about their 
ties to Israel, he cautioned that the Gulf states use the 
peace process as an "excuse not to take action" against Iran 
or in support of the PA.  End Summary."

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#BDS: Wikileaks: Qatari Fourth Interfaith dialogue with Israeli Participants

"1. Summary. On April 25-27, Qatar held its Fourth Interfaith Dialogue Conference. Representatives from the main monotheistic religions--Christianity, Islam, and Judaism--attended. This year's event witnessed notable differences from the previous three conferences. The conference was organized by the College of Shari'a and Islamic Studies at Qatar University; the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs delivered the opening statement; and the number of Jewish and Christian participants was significantly higher than in previous years, while local Qatari participation was minimal. However, these differences failed to produce any meaningful or inspiring outcome but rather contributed to a lackluster conference. End Summary.

2. In the weeks leading to the Fourth Conference there was little if any mention of the upcoming event. Unlike last year's event which witnessed controversy over the invitation and subsequent boycott by Israeli Jews and notable cleric Dr. Yousef al-Qaradawi (reftel), this year's event had no such flare-up. There was no public debate about the conference, either prior to, during or after."

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#BDS Add British artist Mark Ronson to your Boycott List

"Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. wrapped up their current international tour with Thursday's performance at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds. Ronson, who told the audience of 5,000 that it was the biggest of the tour, turned in an enthusiastic performance and even tried out his Hebrew from the stage.

On Thursday morning, Ronson spoke about peace and about music with a group of young Israeli Jews and Arabs at the Peres Center for Peace, in Jaffa."

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#BDS: #US raised academic boycott vote with Norwegian government, #Wikileaks show

"Cables released this week by Wikileaks show that the US government raised with the Government of Norway concern over a motion to boycott Israeli academic institutions at University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU) in Norway.

A 10 November 2009 cable with the subject “NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY TO VOTE ONBOYCOTT OF ISRAELI ACADEMICS” designated “unclassified/for official use only” explains that a US diplomat called a Norwegian counterpart to seek the Norwegian government’s views on the upcoming boycott vote. The Norwegian diplomat confirmed that the boycott measure is contrary to Norwegian state policy.

The memo also shows that the deputy chief of mission had also contacted his Israeli counterpart Aviad Ivri “to ascertain the Israeli Mission’s responses and actions to date on the threatened boycott.”

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#BDS: لماذا تعمل السفارة الفلسطينية في جنوب لأفريقيا ضد المقاطعة؟ #PA

قامت سفارة فلسطين في جمهورية جنوب أفريقيا، مشكورة، بالرد على مقالتي المعنونة على صيغة سؤال، (لماذا تعمل السفارة الفلسطينية في جنوب لأفريقيا ضد المقاطعة؟). و بداية لابد من توجيه الشكرللسفارة على اقتطاعها الوقت المطلوب للرد، وهذا شيء لم نتعود عليه من قبل سفاراتنا! وعلي أن أعترف أيضا أنني كنت فور قراءة المقدمة الجميلة على وشك أن أتسرع و أعلن سعادتي بسبب التلميح الواضح في هذه المقدمة بأن ما (اتهمته) مقالتي للسفارة عار عن الصحة، وأنه مبني على (افتراض) غير صحيح! بل أنني فكرت بكتابة اعتذار عن (سوء الظن) و(اتهام) السفارة بشيء لم يحصل.

ولكن ما هي (التهمة)؟

بمجرد الانتهاء من قراءة المقدمة، الجيدة بنيويا، لرد السفارة، والاقتباس الخارج عن السياق من الكواكبي، للدفاع عما اعتبره الكاتب العزيز (اتهام في غير محله)، أغرتني المقالة، بخاتمتها، أن أقتبس من الشاعر المعاصر، د. جمال محجوب:يا رب حزين أنا بينهم،

وأنا منهم ومش منهم!

ولنبدأ بالتعامل مع الحقائق، بناء على طلب السفارة. والحقيقة الواضحة التي تقر بها مقالة السفارة هي أن اللقاء بين الوفد (الطلابي) الاسرائيلي، والذي، وحسب اقرار السفارة أيضا، يشمل في عضويته جنودا خدموا في جيش الاحتلال خلال مجزرة غزة، والسفير الفلسطيني قد تم! 

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#BDS: أمير قطر يلتقي نتنياهو؟ #Qatar

قالت صحيفة معاريف الخميس أن إسرائيل أعدت سلسلة خطوات ضد دولة قطر بسبب نشاطها المكثف المعادي لها على عدة أصعدة عالميا ولا سيما دعمها الواسع لحركة حماس وللمسعى الفلسطيني الأحادي الجانب للإنضمام إلى الأمم المتحدة الشهر القادم.
وأصدرت وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية بيانا يفيد بأن صانعي القرار في إسرائيل عملوا خلال الأشهر القليلة الماضية على إحباط أي مبادرة قامت بها دولة قطر في المنطقة بما في ذلك إجهاض عدة مشاريع بتمويل الدوحة في إسرائيل ومناطق أخرى.
وأكدت الصحيفة في تقريرها أن دولة قطر تقيم علاقات وطيدة مع حركة حماس وتساعدها ماديا إذ تقدر الأموال المرسلة إليها بنحو مليون يورو سنويا كما أنها تدعم ماديا الدعاوى القضائية المرفوعة ضد إسرائيل.
وقال التقرير الإسرائيلي أن "قطر تتلاعب مع إسرائيل حيث أنها خفضت التمثيل مع إسرائيل وسمحت بإبقاء موظفين محليين في مكتب التمثيل الدبلوماسي حتى يتسنى لها مواصلة العمل مع قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية وإدخال الأموال ومواصلة المشاريع المساعدة للفلسطينيين".
وبحسب بيان الخارجية الإسرائيلية، فإن "رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي "بنيامين نتنياهو" التقى قبل أشهر بأمير قطر وحاول إقناعه بضرورة تغيير قطر لمواقفها، إلا أن شيئا لم يتغير، بل على العكس، عمدت الدولة الخليجية بإدخال مواد بناء وأموال دعم لحركة حماس بقطاع غزة". وتضيف الصحيفة العبرية، أن مسؤولا رفيع المستوى في الوزارة صرح بأن "قطر الآن واحدة من الناشطين البارزين ضد إسرائيل على الساحة الدولية".

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#BDS: Community radio broadcasters back Israel boycott in #Canada

"Independent and community media makers in Canada have passed a groundbreaking national motion to join the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. 

In June, the National Campus and Community Radio Association of Canada (NCRA) ― an umbrella organisation representing more than 80 radio stations across Canada ― adopted the motion at its annual meeting.

NCRA said: “In doing so, the NCRA is proudly the first national media organization in Canada to join the global movement for BDS.”

Radio broadcasters with the NCRA pledged “to refuse to cooperate with Israeli media institutions, which are heavily controlled by the Israeli apartheid regime, as well as to support the development of community radio stations in Israel/Palestine”.

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#BDS: French giant #Veolia cut down to size for abusing Palestinian rights

"The French corporation Veolia once appeared unassailable; today it is ailing. It is faced not only with the global economic crisis but also the growing impact of theboycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against its involvement with Israeli apartheid infrastructure and transport projects. A recent merger between Veolia’s transport division and a subsidiary of the main French state investment fund indicates French industry and government have united to find a simple solution to Veolia’s problems: let the taxpayers finance Veolia’s income losses — and its complicity with Israeli war crimes and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.

On 4 August, Veolia management held a conference call with major financial analysts to defend the company’s latest figures. It wasn’t an easy task. Veolia’s management was forced to gloss over the terrible financial situation of the group that has forced it to draw up sharp cost reduction plans, initiate a complete restructuring of management, plan the pullout from more than forty countries and search for more investors to cover a high debt."

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#BDS: Swedish chain kicks out #SodaStream drink machines made in Israeli settlements

"The summer of 2011 has been a long, hot one for Israeli and international companies complicit in human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.

Facing an intense Europe-wide boycott campaign, Israel’s largest produce exporter, Agrexco, filed for bankruptcy. French multinational Veolia, an urban systems corporation contracted with the Israeli government to provide light rail services for Israeli settlers in the West Bank, announced massive losses due to sustained pressure by activists around the world.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, the Israeli maker of home carbonation devices, Sodastream, took a direct hit when the Coop supermarket chain announced on 19 July that it would stop all purchases of its products due to the company’s activity in illegal Israeli settlements. This marked another important victory for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, as Sweden is Sodastream’s largest market, with an estimated one in five households owning a Sodastream product (“Coop Sweden stops all purchases of Soda Stream carbonation devices,” 21 July 2011)."

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#BDS: Australian BDS protesters say they won’t be silenced, intimidated

"Brisbane supporters of the boycott, sanctions and divestment campaign (BDS) have pledged to intensify their campaign following a successful protest on August 27. Despite the rain, fifty protesters took to the streets to highlight the links between the Max Brenner chocolate store and the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.

Protest organisers from the Justice for Palestine group believe that the success of the protest was made apparent by the response it received from supporters of apartheid Israel."

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#BDS: Zionists Admit BDS Effective and Successful in the #US

"Morton Klein is mistaken when he says (Letters, July 29) that “we, in America … do not have to worry about these kinds of threats” — that is, the effort to boycott, divest and sanction Israel. The BDS movement has been very active on American college campuses for many years.

In addition I’d like to share my own recent experience. A small but vociferous group of members of our food co-op in Brooklyn is strenuously engaged in these efforts to delegitimize Israel. They use the co-op’s newsletters and monthly general meetings to keep this issue front and center. Most disheartening, the most active and vocal of the leaders of the BDS movement are Jewish, even Israel-born."

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#BDS Australian Labor divided over union support for #Israel boycott

"VICTORIAN Labor is facing an increasingly embarrassing debate over party members and key unionists who are refusing to walk away from their support for an aggressive campaign targeting businesses with links to Israel.

The Baillieu government has called on Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews to reject any union donations paid to Labor by pro-Palestinian sympathisers backing the campaign.

Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien has asked Mr Andrews to take action against senior party figures supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.

Victorian Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, a former unionist, is among key BDS supporters in the ALP. She told The Australian she backed peaceful protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Mr O'Brien said Mr Andrews -- who also opposes BDS -- should make a stand against any party members backing the nationwide campaign against companies such as the Max Brenner chain of chocolate shops."

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#BDS: شركات اسرائيلية تعلن افلاسها بعد مقاطعة منتجاتها في 20 دولة اوروبية

كشفت وسائل إعلام إسرائيلية أن الكثير من المنتجات الزراعية فياسرائيل باتت مستهدفة بحملة المقاطعة التي تشن ضدها، لاسيمافي عدد من دول اوروبا.

وقالت صحيفة "يديعوت احرنوت" ان المنتجات المستهدفة هذه تشملالطماطم والفلفل والحمضيات والجزر والبطيخ والفراولة وكذلك الكرفس،فيما يسيطر الآن هاجس ازاء امكانية سحب الاستثمارات الخاصةبالزهور، ما يمكن أن يساهم في خنق الاقتصاد في اسرائيل.

واضافت ان شركة "اغرسكو" التي تعد الشركة الرائدة في مجال تصدير الزهور، اعلنت اخيرا عن افلاسها الذي كان احد اسبابهالمقاطعة العالمية التي تفرض على منتجاتها وفقا لما ورد في بعض التقارير.

واعلنت نحو 20 منظمة في اوروبا تشمل 13 دولة قرارها فرض مقاطعة تامة على المنتجات والصادرات الخاصة بشركة "اغرسكو".

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