#BDS VICTORY: Natasha Atlas announces she cancels gig in #Irsael

Natasha Atlas announces she is cancelling her Israeli gig on her official facebook page: "I had an idea that performing in Israel would have been a unique opportunity to encourage and support my fans' opposition to the current government's actions and policies. I would have personally asked my Israeli fans face-to-face to fight this apartheid with peace in their hearts, but after much deliberation I now see that it would be more effective a statement to not go to Israel until this systemised apartheid is abolished once and for all. Therefore I publicly retract my well-intentioned decision to go and perform in Israel and so sincerely hope that this decision represents an effective statement against this regime."

#BDS: GLOBAL CALL TO BOYCOTT THE INTERNATIONAL HARP CONTEST IN #ISRAEL

"The International Harp Contest in Israel is NOT the place to play my harp.  I won't apply for it.  I don't want any part of apartheid!

It is essential for Israel to maintain the elegant facade of philharmonic concerts, chamber music ensembles, and gatherings of sophisticated harpists.  Covering up the brutal occupation in the West Bank, the slow genocide in Gaza, and the multiple violations of International Law in easier when a veil of eliteness is donned.  The denial of the rights of the Palestinian refugees to seek compensation or to return to their own property is ignored.  The legalized discrimination against Arabs with Israeli IDs is hidden from young harpists who are misled into thinking they must add "Israel" to their resume."

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#BDS ALERT: Don't buy #Agrexco - Don't support Occupation

"Last month, Israel exporter company Agrexco has gone bankrupt because of the world wide BDS campaign for the company's long and deep involvement with the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestine.

But now a Japanese company are going to buy the fallen Agrexco with two other Israeli company for 40 million NIS, to make the Apartheid business survive.

We ask you urgently to sign the petition below to put pressure on the company to divest from the Apartheid business."

Sign petition here

#BDS: South Africa should support boycott of #Israel

"Speaking at the UN, President Jacob Zuma said he supported the Palestinian Authority’s bid for full membership of the UN for a state of Palestine; proposed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday September 23. After two decades of fruitless negotiations with Israel (while the latter continued building illegal settlements on Palestinian land, violently displacing Palestinians and stealing their resources), the PA turned its attention to getting international recognition within the UN .
Before commenting on South Africa’s position, it is necessary to look at the nature of the PA’s proposal and the circumstances leading up to it.
The United Nations partition plan in 1947 divided British Mandate Palestine into a “Jewish state” and an “Arab state”. At the time, the UN was not representative of world opinion. Most African states, for example, were still colonised and not members. Today, the UN Security Council continues this pattern of allowing a handful of countries to make decisions on behalf of the rest of the world."


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#BDS Alert: Petition against King's College London involvement with #Ahava

"King’s College London is conducting research in close collaboration with Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories, an Israeli cosmetics company partly owned by and located in the illegal Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem, deep in occupied Palestinian territory. 

Ahava profits from, and helps to maintain, Israeli violations of international law. By collaborating with Ahava, KCL has itself become complicit with the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Echoing the overwhelming international consensus on the illegal nature of Israeli settlements, we join KCL Action Palestine in calling upon the university to withdraw from the project immediately, reject the grant it has received as part of the project, and take active steps to ensure that the university does not find itself in a similar position in the future."

Sign the petition here

Review: #BDS: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights

"Roughly four million Palestinians live under a brutal and illegal US-backed Israeli occupation. Approximately 1.5 million Palestinians live inside Israel, where, although they face less dire circumstances than those in the occupied territories, they nevertheless endure substantial and increasingly vicious racial oppression. And according to the UN, five million Palestinians worldwide are "registered" refugees whom Israel denies the right of return; roughly one third of them live in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the occupied Palestinian territories. Given this appalling situation, those concerned with social justice have sought to aid the Palestinian cause, producing many contending views of how best to proceed. Omar Barghouti's book contributes to this discussion. 

BDS: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions is a collection of essays and interviews that denounce injustice towards the Palestinians and promote "BDS" as "the most ambitious, empowering, and promising Palestinian-led global movement for justice and rights" (16). Since many excellent writings already exist that detail the dramatic injustice in the region -- and Barghouti's book, too, is hard-hitting and compelling in that regard -- this review focuses on Barghouti's arguments advocating and defending BDS, particularly with respect to organizing in the United States."

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#BDS: Video: Boycott Apartheid Israel Rally #Australia

#BDS: DONATE NOW! SJP's first national conference

"Dear Palestine Solidarity Allies,

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) needs your help hosting the first ever national conference at Columbia University this fall. Hundreds of SJP students from chapters across the country – and students who want to form SJP chapters -will meet Oct. 14-16 to begin a national discussion about making student Palestine solidarity work more effective.

This conference could not come at a more perfect time to connect the growing numbers of students involved in Palestine solidarity work. The bulk of the conference will be dedicated to building our movement. We will work to formalize a national SJP network to assist with national coordination. Student activists will learn from one another, gain skills and coordinate strategies, and return to their campuses more informed and ready to do better work."

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#BDS: British orchestra suspends 4 over call to boycott Israel

"The London Philharmonic Orchestra has suspended four of its musicians for nine months after they called for a boycott of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this month, in what cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht called, in his blog, "the most severe public penalty inflicted on London orchestral musicians in memory."

Cellist Sue Sutherley and violinists Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan and Sarah Streatfeild were among the 21 signatories to a letter that was sent to BBC Proms concert series director Roger Wright and published in The Independent on August 30. The signatories, headed by the Irish composer Raymond Deane, called for the cancelation of the IPO's appearance at the popular festival, held at the Albert Hall on September 1. The four LPO members who were later suspended, and a few of the other signatories, indicated the ensembles to which they belonged next to their signatures."

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#BDS: 5th Boycott #Israel Network Workshop (England)

"5^th Boycott Israel Network Workshop

14-16 October 2011

Coalbrookdale Youth Hostel,1 Paradise, Coalbrookdale, Telford, TF8 7NR.
Cost: (including meals and hostel accommodation) £35 – There is a special rate of £25 for a limited number of places for students on a first come first served basis.

The Boycott Israel Network (BIN) is a coalition of civil society organizations from the UK and mainland Europe, that are committed to campaign for a comprehensive boycott of all Israeli goods and institutions (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions-BDS) until Israel ends the occupation of all Palestinian territories and fully abides by International Law.

This is the 5^th BIN residential workshop . These workshops provide an opportunity for activists to come together over a weekend to exchange ideas, discuss progress, develop new projects and share best practice. They are also an opportunity for those who want to find out more about the BDS campaign to meet those with experience in BDS campaigning."

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#BDS: أبرز أخبار حملة المقاطعة حول العالم

مدينة بورتسموث تتجاهل شركة فيوليا

10 آذار 2011، كشفت شركة فيوليا الفرنسية متعددة الجنسياتعن المزيد من الخسائر التي لحقت بها بعد أن رفض مجلس مدينةبورتسموث توقيع العقد مع الشركة لجمع القمامة. جاء هذا الرفضعلى اثر حملة إعلامية طويلة الأمد أثبتت من خلالها حملة التضامنمع الشعب الفلسطيني في بورتسموث وجنوب داونز تواطؤشركة فيوليا ومشاركتها إسرائيل في انتهاك القانون الدولي. فيالسنوات الأخيرة، برزت "فيوليا" باعتبارها شركة تشكّل هدفاًرئيسياً لحملة المقاطعة حول العالم وذلك بسبب مشاركتها فيبناء وتشغيل مشروع القطار الخفيف في القدس المحتلة، الذييربط ما بين المستوطنات غير القانونية في القدس الشرقية معأحياء القدس الغربية. وجاءت خسارة فيوليا بعد فقدانها لعقودمماثلة في ضاحية ريتشموند في لندن في شهر فبراير 2010،وفي ادنبره في كانون الأول 2010، وفي ساندويل في العام2009.

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PSFC members call for #BDS (@PSFC_BDS)

"We are a group of members of the Park Slope Food Coop (PSFC) who believe that Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a valid tactic in the struggle for peace and equality in Israel and Palestine.

Equally importantly, we believe in exercising the democratic process at the Coop on this issue.  That is why we request a referendum vote so that all Coop members have the opportunity to vote on whether the Coop should participate in the larger international BDS movement and work towards peace for Israelis and Palestinians."

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Cultural #BDS against Israel exploding everywhere

"Film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, theatre director Michael Attenborough and actress Dame Harriet Walter are among the 117 signatories to a letter of protest over the “harsh” punishment. They claim that artists should be allowed to express themselves freely “without fear of financial or professional retribution”.

The four musicians – Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan and Sarah Streatfeild, all violinists, and Sue Sutherley, a cellist – had called for the cancellation of a September 1 Proms concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

They added their names and LPO [London Philharmonic Orchestra] affiliation to a letter published on August 30 which stated that “Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians fits the UN definition of apartheid”.

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#BDS Update: An Eventful Summer

"Festival season is winding down in Israel, as it is most other places. There's certainly no denying that the Israeli concert industry was able to dodge the slew of cancellations that it experienced the previous summer. There weren't the large groups of acts and artists backing out of fests in protest. In fact, with the concerts by Dylan, Paul Simon, Moby, Justin Bieber and others, it's safe to say that there were some real boons for Israel's summer concerts.

Does this mean that the call for cultural boycott is waning? Certainly not. True, there hasn't been the kind of sensationalism this past summer that we saw last year with the assault on the Freedom Flotilla. In fact, Israel's skillful maneuvering of this year's flotilla represents how much last summer's events put them on the back of their heels. What's more, the Arab revolutions have really upped the pressure. It stands to reason that last week's storming of the Israeli embassy in Egypt is only the start; the long-standing hatred of the US' watchdog runs deep through the region, and the progressing revolts are guaranteed to unleash that outrage even further."

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#BDS: Video: Boycott #SodaStream Flashmob at Bed, Bath and Beyond

#BDS: ألستوم: شريكة الاحتـلال

قوم الناشطون العرب والأوروبيون بالضغط على البلدان الأوروبيّة لوقف التعامل مع الشركات التي تساعد الاحتلال الإسرائيلي. ينجحون في أوروبا، لكنّهم يفشلون في البلاد العربيّة. شركة «ألستوم» التي أنشأت خطّ المترو في القدس الشرقيّة خير دليل. قاطعها أوروبيّون وشرّعت الدول العربيّة أبواب الاستثمار لها في قطاعات الكهرباء والنقل

إمارات الخليج وممالكها. لم تعقد صلحاً مع إسرائيل، لكنّها تُطبّع معها. هذا ليس اتهاماً سياسياً، بل واقع يُترجم من خلال العديد من الحوادث والشواهد. ليست أوّلَها مشاركةُ وزير إسرائيلي في مؤتمر في الإمارات العربيّة المتحدة منذ أشهر ثلاثة، ولن تكون آخرَها مشاريعُ شركة «ألستوم» الفرنسيّة في العالم العربي.

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#BDS campaigners force London #Ahava shop to move

"The BDS movement celebrates another victory this week as the Israeli cosmetics company Ahava is forced to move its London location.  Read more about the boycott of Ahava here.

The central London flagship store of Ahava, an Israeli cosmetics company whose products come from stolen Palestinian natural resources in the occupied West Bank, and are produced in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem, has been forced to move following a sustained campaign from BDS activists."

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#BDS: دعم للمناهضين للأوركسترا الإسرائيلية

أعرب المخرج البريطاني مايك لي وعدد من الفنانين البريطانيين عن استيائهم نتيجة إيقاف أوركسترا لندن أربعة من عازفيها عارضوا مشاركة الأوركسترا الإسرائيلية في مهرجان «بي بي سي» للموسيقى الكلاسيكية «برومز».

وكانت أوركسترا لندن قد برّرت توقيف عازفيها لتسعة أشهر باستخدام العازفين اسم الفرقة عند توقيعهم رسالة اعتراض على المشاركة الإسرائيلية في المهرجان المعروف باسم «برومز». وقال المدير التنفيذي للفرقة تيموثي ووكر إن العازفين «لم يكونوا ليعاقبوا لو أنهم وقعوا خطاب اعتراضهم كأفراد». والأربعة هم عازفو الكمان توم آيزنر ونانسي إيلان وسارة ستريتفيلد وعازفة التشيلو سو ساثرلي.

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#BDS: توجس في الخرطوم بشأن التطبيع بين جوبا وتل أبيب

أثار تطبيع العلاقات بين جنوب السودان وإسرائيل ردود فعل واسعة في الخرطوم بشأن تداعيات هذه الخطوة على العلاقة مع جنوب السودان وما قد تفرزه من واقع جديد ربما يزيد من تعقيد المشهد السوداني وفيما أبدت نسبة كبيرة ممن استطلعت آراءهم “الاتحاد” في الخرطوم تخوفاً من نتائج التطبيع علي علاقة الجنوب بالشمال قلل آخرون من الخطوة التي وصفوها بـ”غير المفاجئة”.
ويلاحظ أن سياسيين مخضرمين اتخذوا جانب الرأي المتحسب لتطورات سالبة خلال الفترة المقبلة على خلفية التطبيع مع دولة تضمر العداوة للسودان فيما ذهب الشباب باتجاه أن الجنوب لن ينزلق في علاقة مشبوهة مع إسرائيل مشيرين إلى أن إسرائيل تربطها علاقات مع دول مجاورة للسودان مثل مصر واثيوبيا فيما يعتبر رأي آخر أن الاحتمالات مفتوحة علي جميع الأصعدة بما يصعب عملية التكهن بما ستسفر عنه هذه العلاقة.


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#BDS Update: Buttressing an Independent Palestine

"A new Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was launched this summer by the United Church of Canada, which will try to persuade six companies operating in Canada — Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Veolia, Elbit Systems and Chapters/Indigo — to stop supporting the Israeli occupation. “The Campaign follows similar campaigns launched some time ago by the US Presbyterian Church and the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. We have launched ‘Occupied with Peace’ after almost two years of discernment and information gathering,” says spokesperson Jean Lee.


The UK’s Trades Union Congress voted to reconsider its ties with Israel’s national trade union federation Histadrut, reaffirming its policy to encourage affiliates, employers and pension funds to disinvest from, and boycott the goods of companies who profit from illegal settlements, the Occupation and the construction of the Wall."

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#BDS: بريطانيون يغلقون متاجر إسرائيلية بلندن

أجبر متضامنون بريطانيون وأجانب مع القضية الفلسطينية سلسلة متاجر إسرائيلية تتخذ من لندن مقرًا لها على الإغلاق بسبب بيعها منتجات مصنوعة في مستوطنات أقيمت على أراضٍ فلسطينية.

وقالت صحيفة "يديعوت أحرونوت" العبرية في عددها الخميس إن استمرار اعتصام واقتحام المتضامنين البريطانيين الذين حملوا لوحات بعنوان "منتجات مسروقة من أراضٍ مسلوبة" أمام وداخل سلسلة متاجر "أهافا" المتخصصة في مستحضرات التجميل أجبرها على الإغلاق.

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#BDS: الجزائر تقاطع شركات أدوية اشترتها "إسرائيل"

قررت السلطات الجزائرية وقف استيراد الأدوية من عدد من الشركات الدولية بعدما اشترتها مجموعة إسرائيلية.

ونقلت صحيفة "الخبر" الجزائرية عن مصدر جزائري مطلع أن مجموعات ومخابر دولية مثل "راسيو فارم" و"تيراميكس" و"سيفالون" وهي شركات أميركية وألمانية تم شراؤها من قبل المجموعة الإسرائيلية "تيفع".

وأضاف المصدر أن الجزائر قررت وقف التعامل مع تلك الشركات مباشرة، موضحًا أنه تم وقف برامج استيراد هذه الشركات بصورة شبه كلية.

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