"February 27, 2012, Olympia, WA and New York, NY – Today, in a lawsuit brought against current and former members of the Olympia Food Co-op board of directors for their decision to boycott Israeli goods, a Washington State court dismissed the case, calling it a SLAPP – Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation – and said that it would award the defendants attorneys’ fees, costs, and sanctions. The judge also upheld the constitutionality of Washington’s anti-SLAPP law, which the plaintiffs had challenged.
In a court hearing last Thursday, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP argued that the court should grant the defendants’ Special Motion to Strike and dismiss the case because it targeted the constitutional rights of free speech and petition in connection with an issue of public concern."
Read more
Feb 29, 2012
#BDS Lawsuit against Olympia Food Co-Op declared illegal lawsuit against public participation
VICTORY FOR OLYMPIA FOOD CO-OP, PALESTINE AND BDS MOVEMENT
Judge: Lawsuit Violates Washington Free Speech Protections
February 27, 2012 – Olympia, WA – In a landmark ruling, Judge Thomas McPhee has declared a lawsuit against the Olympia Food Coop illegal under Washington State law and awarded legal fees and sanctions to the defendants. Lawyers for the Olympia Food Co-op argued in court that a lawsuit brought against the store for its participation in a boycott of Israeli goods should be dismissed as illegal under Washington’s anti-SLAPP legislation.
Washington law forbids SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which target the right of free speech by forcing defendants into costly legal battles. Despite ultimately being found meritless, these suits make the exercise of constitutionally protected speech costly and difficult. “This ruling has huge implications for justice,” says Rochelle Gause, a board member and defendant in the lawsuit, adding “with growing awareness around this issue, the bullying and intimidation employed by those who defend Israeli Human Rights abuses at all costs is becoming less and less viable. Hopefully this judgment will open up the door for more businesses and organizations t o heed the call and join this movement for human dignity.”
“We are pleased the Court found this case to be what it is – an attempt to chill free speech on a matter of public concern. This sends a message to those trying to silence support of Palestinian human rights to think twice before they bring a lawsuit,” said Maria LaHood, a senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including several failed candidates for the board of directors, wrote that the coming suit was intended to hamper the Co-op’s ability to participate in the boycott of Israeli goods. The letter, dated May 31, 2011, states in part that “we will bring legal action against you,” and that the execution of the boycott would become “complicated, burdensome, and expensive.” In response, the board of directors reiterated that the proper process for overturning a boycott is a “member-initiated ballot”, and that the opponents of the boycott could put it to a vote of the membership, and Judge McPhee noted that the plaintiffs offered no evidence that they exhausted all manner of challenging boycott.
“The opponents of this boycott have had every opportunity to rescind the boycott using the fair and democratic process laid out in the Co-op bylaws,” says Johan Genberg, a longtime co-op member, adding “ wanted to punish the store for speaking out for social justice, but isn't that exactly what makes the Olympia Food Co-op unique? The store reflects the values of this community.”
Farihan Bushnaq, a Co-op member since 1983 adds “as a Palestinian refugee and a member of the Olympia Co-op I wholeheartedly support the boycott, as a way to save Israel from its own excesses, and to end the continued dehumanization of the Palestinian people under Israeli control.”
The Olympia Food Co-op, formed in 1976, is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to “contribute to the health and well-being of people by providing wholesome foods and other goods and services” and to “encourage economic and social justice”. The Co-op has participated in many national and local boycotts, including those against Norway for whaling practices and Colorado for anti-gay legislation. In 2010, the Board of Directors reached a consensus decision to remove Israeli products. The boycott urges Israel to comply with international law, end its occupation of Palestinians, and respect the rights of refugees. Members of the co-op suggested the boycott in response to the 2005 call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) by a broad coalition of over 180 Palestinian civil society organizations.
The Co-op’s decision to boycott Israeli products, the first of its kind in the nation, sparked several months of constructive discussion on the store’s relationship to social justice. The subsequent election for the Co-op Board demonstrated widespread support for the boycott among the membership when the five publicly pro-boycott candidates won by a large margin in a record turnout election.
Under anti-SLAPP legislation, defendants will be eligible to recoup attorney’s fees and penalties.
The case is Davis, et al., v. Cox, et al., Case No. 11-2-01925-7 in the Superior Court of the State of Washington in Thurston County.
Organizers are available to speak with the press.
» Read the press release from the Center for Constitutional Rights / Olympia Food Co-op...
» More information on the Center for Constitutional Rights’ case page...
» More information on the Olympia BDS website...
» Read more from the Olympia Food Co-op...
Source
Judge: Lawsuit Violates Washington Free Speech Protections
February 27, 2012 – Olympia, WA – In a landmark ruling, Judge Thomas McPhee has declared a lawsuit against the Olympia Food Coop illegal under Washington State law and awarded legal fees and sanctions to the defendants. Lawyers for the Olympia Food Co-op argued in court that a lawsuit brought against the store for its participation in a boycott of Israeli goods should be dismissed as illegal under Washington’s anti-SLAPP legislation.
Washington law forbids SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which target the right of free speech by forcing defendants into costly legal battles. Despite ultimately being found meritless, these suits make the exercise of constitutionally protected speech costly and difficult. “This ruling has huge implications for justice,” says Rochelle Gause, a board member and defendant in the lawsuit, adding “with growing awareness around this issue, the bullying and intimidation employed by those who defend Israeli Human Rights abuses at all costs is becoming less and less viable. Hopefully this judgment will open up the door for more businesses and organizations t o heed the call and join this movement for human dignity.”
“We are pleased the Court found this case to be what it is – an attempt to chill free speech on a matter of public concern. This sends a message to those trying to silence support of Palestinian human rights to think twice before they bring a lawsuit,” said Maria LaHood, a senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including several failed candidates for the board of directors, wrote that the coming suit was intended to hamper the Co-op’s ability to participate in the boycott of Israeli goods. The letter, dated May 31, 2011, states in part that “we will bring legal action against you,” and that the execution of the boycott would become “complicated, burdensome, and expensive.” In response, the board of directors reiterated that the proper process for overturning a boycott is a “member-initiated ballot”, and that the opponents of the boycott could put it to a vote of the membership, and Judge McPhee noted that the plaintiffs offered no evidence that they exhausted all manner of challenging boycott.
“The opponents of this boycott have had every opportunity to rescind the boycott using the fair and democratic process laid out in the Co-op bylaws,” says Johan Genberg, a longtime co-op member, adding “ wanted to punish the store for speaking out for social justice, but isn't that exactly what makes the Olympia Food Co-op unique? The store reflects the values of this community.”
Farihan Bushnaq, a Co-op member since 1983 adds “as a Palestinian refugee and a member of the Olympia Co-op I wholeheartedly support the boycott, as a way to save Israel from its own excesses, and to end the continued dehumanization of the Palestinian people under Israeli control.”
The Olympia Food Co-op, formed in 1976, is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to “contribute to the health and well-being of people by providing wholesome foods and other goods and services” and to “encourage economic and social justice”. The Co-op has participated in many national and local boycotts, including those against Norway for whaling practices and Colorado for anti-gay legislation. In 2010, the Board of Directors reached a consensus decision to remove Israeli products. The boycott urges Israel to comply with international law, end its occupation of Palestinians, and respect the rights of refugees. Members of the co-op suggested the boycott in response to the 2005 call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) by a broad coalition of over 180 Palestinian civil society organizations.
The Co-op’s decision to boycott Israeli products, the first of its kind in the nation, sparked several months of constructive discussion on the store’s relationship to social justice. The subsequent election for the Co-op Board demonstrated widespread support for the boycott among the membership when the five publicly pro-boycott candidates won by a large margin in a record turnout election.
Under anti-SLAPP legislation, defendants will be eligible to recoup attorney’s fees and penalties.
The case is Davis, et al., v. Cox, et al., Case No. 11-2-01925-7 in the Superior Court of the State of Washington in Thurston County.
Organizers are available to speak with the press.
» Read the press release from the Center for Constitutional Rights / Olympia Food Co-op...
» More information on the Center for Constitutional Rights’ case page...
» More information on the Olympia BDS website...
» Read more from the Olympia Food Co-op...
Source
#BDS Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Filed Over Boycott of Israeli Goods
February 27, 2012, Olympia, WA and New York, NY – Today, in a lawsuit brought against current and former members of the Olympia Food Co-op board of directors for their decision to boycottIsraeli goods, a Washington State court dismissed the case, calling it a SLAPP – Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation – and said that it would award the defendants attorneys’ fees, costs,and sanctions. The judge also upheld the constitutionality of Washington’s anti-SLAPP law, which the plaintiffs had challenged.
In a court hearing last Thursday, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP argued that the court should grant the defendants’ Special Motion toStrike and dismiss the case because it targeted the constitutional rights of free speech and petition in connection with an issue of public concern.
“We are pleased the Court found this case to be what it is – an attempt to chill free speech on a matter of public concern. This sends a message to those trying to silence support of Palestinian humanrights to think twice before they bring a lawsuit,” said Maria LaHood, a senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. Read more here.
In a court hearing last Thursday, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP argued that the court should grant the defendants’ Special Motion toStrike and dismiss the case because it targeted the constitutional rights of free speech and petition in connection with an issue of public concern.
“We are pleased the Court found this case to be what it is – an attempt to chill free speech on a matter of public concern. This sends a message to those trying to silence support of Palestinian humanrights to think twice before they bring a lawsuit,” said Maria LaHood, a senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. Read more here.
#BDS Brooklyn’s Park Slope Food Coop to take the first step towards a boycott of Israeli goods on March 27
Members of Brooklyn’s Park Slope Food Coop will be voting on more than work shift arrangements at the Coop's monthly General Meeting in March. They’ll be deciding on whether they'll be having a co-op wide referendum about the Coop’s stance on human rights.
On the agenda for the March 27 meeting is a proposal spearheaded by a diverse group of the Coop's members on holding a referendum to determine the Coop’s participation in the global nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel's violation of international law and human rights. Members hope the vote will bring some sort of conclusion to over two years of heated arguments in meetings and in the pages of the Coop’s biweekly newspaper. A vote in favor of a referendum would allow all 16,000 Co-op members to vote on the boycott. Opposition to even voting on having a referendum has been fierce. Those in favor of a Co-op boycott are hoping for a yes vote on the referendum. Without it, only members present at a General Meeting (typically a few hundred) could vote on whether the Co-op will join the boycott. "On an issue that Co-op members feel so strongly about", according to one of the organizers of the boycott, "it is essential for the entire membership to have a voice". Read more here.
Feb 28, 2012
#BDS: Preparations continue for the Global March to Jerusalem
"A two-day conference of the international committee for the "Global March to Jerusalem" opened in Amman on Sunday. Members of both the executive and central committees of the march, representing more than 60 countries, were present.
The head of the Jordanian committee taking part in the meeting, Abdullah Obeidat, said that trades unions and opposition parties decided to support the march and participate in defence of the holy city and Palestinian families in the occupied territories. "This is a global, peaceful protest with the aim of bringing about an end to Israel's occupation and fighting racism in occupied Palestine," he said."
Read more
#BDS: Cornell University group circulates petition ‘refusing to collaborate’ on Israeli Technion deal
"Students and faculty at Cornell University are challenging the school's partnership with the Israeli Technion Institute to build a complex on New York City’s Roosevelt Island. Cornell’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is circulating a petition calling into question the deal with Israel's key weapons development institute.
The student-run Cornell Daily Sun covered the story earlier this week. In addition to the SJP campaign, two professors condemned the planned campus."
Read more
#BDS: UNM Students for Justice in Palestine issues statement on assault
" SJP expresses gratitude to groups across the nation and the world who have shown their support for UNM Students for Justice in Palestine(SJP) and the students and members of(Un)Occupy Albuquerque who were brave enough to actively reject the normalization of Islamophobia and human rights violations.
Though SJP was not a part of the planning process, we fully support the Mic-Check of Nonie Darwish’s lecture, “Why the Arab Spring is failing and how Israel is involved.” Students and members of (Un)Occupy spoke up in solidarity with Palestine and against Islamophobic propaganda. We are appalled and disturbed by the physical assault by audience members on the peaceful activists. These actions are reflective of a growing trend of physical violence by people who deny Israeli’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land."
Read more
#BDS: Harvard student groups declare solidarity with activists physically assaulted at UNM
"The Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee, the GSAS Alliance for Justice in the Middle East, and the Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine stand in solidarity with activists who were physically assaulted by a mob at the University of New Mexico (UNM) while peacefully protesting an Islamophobic event.
On Thursday evening, the UNM Israel Alliance hosted a speech by Nonie Darwish, a notorious Islamophobe who has called Islam "a poison to society." Darwish is a member of the speakers' bureau of the extremist Zionist group StandWithUs and a fixture of the right-wing lecture circuit."
Read more
Feb 27, 2012
#BDS: Beirut-born conductor George Pehlivanian working on concert with Israeli Opera
"Beirut-born conductor George Pehlivanian's first concert in Israelwas under particularly traumatic circumstances. The day of the premiere was also the day Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Center was hit by a devastating terrorist attack in 1996. In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, Pehlivanian says he had to urge the distraught orchestra members to go on with the show.
Pehlivanian also insisted on performing in Israel during the Gulf War and the Second Lebanon War. He says that he felt that every time he visited Israel, something bad had happened and that it was the orchestra's job to change the somber atmosphere."
Read more
#BDS: Metal band 'Symphony X' to perform in #Israel
"American "progressive" metal band "Symphony X" is expected to take the stage and rock it out on July 6 at Tel Aviv Port's Hangar 11.
Read more
#BDS: Iranians cancel soccer friendly against Israeli coach's team. #Iran
"Iranian soccer club Sepahan Esfahan, which was scheduled to play a friendly against Partizan Belgrade later this week, cancelled the match because the Serbian team is coached by Avram Grant".
Read more
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#BDS: Egyptian judoka who snubbed Israeli rival 'national hero' #Egypt
"Egyptian judoka Ramadan Darwish refused to shake Arik Zeevi's hand after he defeated the Israeli in their quarterfinal bout on Sunday at the Judo Grand Prix in Dusseldorf, Germany, Ynet reported.
Egyptian news websites published a number of reports on the incident with a link to a video of the bout. "Darwish is a national hero," one website declared, adding "Israel is a terrorist nation."
#BDS: Israeli village for earthquake victims inaugurated in #Turkey
"Three months after an earthquake hit the Van region in Turkey and caused the death of hundreds and left thousands wounded and homeless, an "Israeli village" was inaugurated on Monday with 130 mobile homes donated by Israel to the Turkish survivors. "
Read more
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Feb 26, 2012
#BDS: Video: Students Physically Attacked for Interrupting Israel Talk in New Mexico
A group of University of New Mexico students "mic checked" anIsrael Alliance talk on their campusThursday night, when audience members got up out of their seats and physically attacked the protesting students.
"Mic check! Nonie Darwish speaks for Israeli apartheid!," yell the students at around 15 seconds into the video. "And genocide at the hands of the IDF [Israeli army]!” From there, older male audience members begin to slowly walk their way up to the students (some of them young women), and start physically pushing and attacking them. At 55 seconds in, you can see one of the students goes flying over a row of seats.
Read more
#BDS Global Day of Action to mark Land Day on March 30
"Campaigners for Palestinian rights are again gearing up for the BDS Global Day of Action, an annual wave of protests, creative actions and media outreach in support of the movement for boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law.
The BDS National Committee (BNC), the Palestinian civil society coalition that leads the BDS movement, has also called on activists to use the BDS Global Day of Action to mobilise for the World Social Forum Free Palestine, a potentially historic gathering of the international solidarity movement due to take place in Port Alegre, Brazil, in November 2012."
The BDS National Committee (BNC), the Palestinian civil society coalition that leads the BDS movement, has also called on activists to use the BDS Global Day of Action to mobilise for the World Social Forum Free Palestine, a potentially historic gathering of the international solidarity movement due to take place in Port Alegre, Brazil, in November 2012."
Read more
#BDS: Israeli Apartheid Week ( #IAW) in #Gaza - March 12-22
"The One Democratic State Group (ODSG), The Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI) and BDS Campaign in Gaza are pleased to announce the launch of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) in Gaza for the third time March 12-2510, 2012 along with more than 90 cities around the world. Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. It includes lectures, film screenings, round- table discussion and workshops in response to the call of Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
We urge international solidarity groups and individuals during this week to create a week of action against Israeli Apartheid that echoes the height of South African Apartheid Movements in the 70s and 80s."
Read more and check program here
#BDS: Public appeal to international writers: do not partake in celebrating apartheid Jerusalem!
"We are writing to you from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) to urge you in the strongest terms to cancel your participation in the International Writers' Festival to be held in Jerusalem (Mishkenot Sha'ananim) from May 13-18, 2012. Doing otherwise would inadvertently lend a stamp of approval to Israeli policies of colonialism, apartheid and occupation. This is especially given the festival's ties to the Israeli political and cultural establishment, which uses the festival as an opportunity to rebrand Israel as a normal country by showing its “prettier face”--its vibrant cultural and artistic community. [1] Israel, however, is not a normal country and should not be admitted into the global cultural arena until it respects international law and recognizes the Palestinian people's right to freedom, equality and justice."
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#BDS: المقاطعة لدولة الاحتلال تتضاعف في زمن حكومة نتنياهو
كشف مركز رصد في تل أبيب أن المقاطعة لدولة الاحتلال في العالم اتسعت بشكل كبير في السنوات الثلاث الأخيرة، من عمر حكومة بنيامين نتنياهو، بسبب الجمود في المفاوضات مع الفلسطينيين.
وقال رئيس المنظمة، نفتالي راز، إن هذه المقاطعة تضاعفت في هذه الفترة. ولكن الجمهور "الإسرائيلي" لا يعرف مدى حجمها، بسبب تجاهل وسائل الإعلام لها.
وأضاف راز: «مجتمعنا يفضل دفن رأسه في الرمل حتى لا يرى ما الذي يحدث لنا. فلدينا حكومة تشغلنا بتكريس الجهود لبناء مزيد من الاستيطان وتفضيل المستوطنات والمستوطنين على استئناف مفاوضات السلام مع الفلسطينيين. ولا ننظر كيف تبدو صورتنا في الرأي العام العالمي. ولكن العالم لا ينتظر. وهو يتخذ مواقف عملية تلحق بنا الضرر».
إقرأ\ي المزيد
#BDS: TAKE ACTION: STOP #JCB EQUIPMENT DESTROYING HOMES IN SILWAN
"At 6am on Monday February 13th, the Israeli authorities demolished the Madaa creative centre and children’s playground in Silwan, East Jerusalem. The demolitions, which will make way for a controversial tourist site, were carried out using UK-made JCB equipment.
WAR ON WANT HAS WRITTEN TO JCB demanding an investigation of the use of JCB equipment to demolish Palestinian homes and communities in Jerusalem. We're asking supporters to show solidarity with Silwan by EMAILING JCB and writing on the JCB FACEBOOK PAGE."
Read more
#BDS: Norcal Activists take on #Veolia
"The North Coast Coalition for Palestine in the San Francisco North Bay are preparing to present a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors opposing the county's contract with Veolia. The French multinational company currently operates the county's bus system and has come under international pressure due to its involvement in a light rail line in Occupied East Jerusalem. Activists plans to collect signatures and present the letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors."
Read more
Read more
Israeli delegates set out to counter #IAW #BDS
"With the BDS campaign broadening its reach - last year 97 cities participated in Israeli Apartheid Week activities - Israel has created a new program to counter the movement.
New York City native Avi Abelow is leaving his job, his wife and four children in Efrat to visit the state of California for 10 days. His plan - and that of nearly 100 other Israelis who are boarding flights this week to 20 cities in Europe, Africa and North America - is to talk. And to talk a lot."
Read more#BDS: Norman Finkelstein: From Hezbollah To ‘Zionist Bully’?
"Norman Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors whose anti-Israel statements and actions got him barred from the country until 2018 for suspected ties to Hezbollah terrorists, has now become the darling of pro-Israel bloggers — sort of — and a traitor to Palestinian supporters.
The Brooklyn political science professor stunned supporters Feb. 9 when in a taped interview at the Imperial College London he derided the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign for concealing the fact that it is out to destroy Israel."
Read more#BDS: Judge to rule Monday whether Olympia Co-op's lawsuit is legal
"A judge will decide Monday whether a lawsuit aimed at nullifying the Olympia Food Co-op’s boycott of Israeli goods is illegal and should be dismissed.
During a hearing Thursday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee heard about two hours of impassioned argument from attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants. He announced that he’d rule Monday on whether the lawsuit is a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation,” or SLAPP.
More than 100 people attended the hearing, and some were turned away from the courtroom amid concerns of overcrowding."
Read more
#BDS roundup: US Presbyterian church one step closer to major divestment policy
"This week on global news from the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, an Israeli dance company faces boycott actions for its role in the “Brand Israel” campaign; more musicians face calls to cancel their upcoming appearances in Israel; and the Presbyterian Church USA moves one step closer to divesting from three US companies that profit from Israel’s military occupation of Palestine."
Read more
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#BDS Victory: Japanese distributor drops #Ahava, #Japan
"
DaitoCrea, Japanese agent of AHAVA, announced on their website
that they have ended the sales of AHAVA cosmetics
in January 31, 2012.
http://www.ahava.jp/
This decision is the result of the almost two years boycott-campaign,
in which we demanded to stop the dealings with
AHAVA, which produces their goods in the illegal settlement
located in the occupied Palestine."
that they have ended the sales of AHAVA cosmetics
in January 31, 2012.
http://www.ahava.jp/
This decision is the result of the almost two years boycott-campaign,
in which we demanded to stop the dealings with
AHAVA, which produces their goods in the illegal settlement
located in the occupied Palestine."
Read more
#BDS: Anti-Israel group urges boycott of #Sears, #Canada
"Supporters of the campaign to boycott Israel are once again targeting Canadian retailers, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has launched a counter-campaign.
The latest call for a boycott of Israeli products is aimed at Sears Canada.
A group called Canadians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME) has asked the retail giant to drop several Israeli-made products that it carries, including Ahava cosmetics, Keter Plastic and Stanley Israel products. The group says that many of the firms’ “products are sourced and manufactured in illegal colonies located in the occupied Palestinian territories,” it wrote in a Jan. 17 letter erroneously addressed to former Sears president and CEO Dene L. Rogers."
Read more
#BDS: Hundreds of administrative Palestinian prisoners boycott Israeli courts
"Hundreds of Palestinian detainees, imprisoned in Israeli jails without charge or trial under so-called administrative detention, have decided to boycott Israeli military courts in an effort to battle their imprisonment.
According to a statement issued by the Palestinians Prisoners’ Club on Wednesday, more than 300 Palestinian prisoners would cease recognizing the courts from next month.
The move came after imprisoned Palestinian prisoner, Khader Adnan, ended 66 days of hunger strike on Tuesday after Israeli authorities promised to release him in April."
The move came after imprisoned Palestinian prisoner, Khader Adnan, ended 66 days of hunger strike on Tuesday after Israeli authorities promised to release him in April."
Read more
Feb 22, 2012
#BDS: صفقة أسلحة ايطالية إسرائيلية بمليار دولار
تعتزم الحكومتان الإيطالية والإسرائيلية توقيع صفقة أسلحة تشتري "إسرائيل" بموجبها من ايطاليا 30 طائرة حربية بقيمة مليار يورو وتنال روما بالمقابل أسلحة إسرائيلية بنفس القيمة.
وأفادت وكالة "آكي" الإيطالية، أن وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي إيهود باراك أوصى حكومة بلاده بقبول الصفقة والتي تتضمن شراء 30 طائرة من طراز إم 346 قيمتها الإجمالية مليار دولار على ان تستحوذ ايطاليا أسلحة من إسرائيل بنفس القيمة.
المصدر
وأفادت وكالة "آكي" الإيطالية، أن وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي إيهود باراك أوصى حكومة بلاده بقبول الصفقة والتي تتضمن شراء 30 طائرة من طراز إم 346 قيمتها الإجمالية مليار دولار على ان تستحوذ ايطاليا أسلحة من إسرائيل بنفس القيمة.
المصدر
#BDS Victory: "The Pains of Being Pure at Heart" refrain playing apartheid #Israel
"In a move in support of human rights and justice, the New York Indie band The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announced they will not play Israel. Israel’s “Walla” press reports the cancellation was political."
Read more
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#BDS: 30. März: Globaler BDS Aktionstag 2012
"Im Gedenken an den Tag des Bodens lädt das Palästinensische Nationale BDS Komitee (BNC) Menschen mit Gewissen in aller Welt dazu ein, sich zu einem Globalen BDS Aktionstag am 30. März 2012 zusammenzuschließen in Solidarität mit dem Kampf des palästinensischen Volkes für Freiheit, Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit und für Boykott, Desinvestition und Sanktionen gegen Israel, bis es seine Verpflichtungen gegenüber dem Völkerrecht vollständig erfüllt.
Lasst uns unsere BDS Erfolge durch kreative Aktionen und Medienarbeit präsentieren und zugleich für das Weltsozialforum Freies Palästina im November 2012 mobilisieren."
Read more
Lasst uns unsere BDS Erfolge durch kreative Aktionen und Medienarbeit präsentieren und zugleich für das Weltsozialforum Freies Palästina im November 2012 mobilisieren."
Read more
#BDS: رسالة إلى إنغلبرت: لا تغنِّ للاحتلال وجرائمه من جديد!
وزعت حملة «مقاطعة داعمي «إسرائيل» ـــــ لبنان»، رسالة موجهة إلى المغني البريطاني إنغلبرت همبردينك، لدعوته إلى مقاطعة إحياء الحفلات في الكيان الصهيوني، وهنا نصها:
السيد انغلبرت همبردينك المحترم
تحيّة طيّبة وبعد،
فنحن الموقّعين أدناه مواطنون لبنانيّون من اتجاهات فكريّة متنوّعة يجمعهم نبذُ عنصريّة «إسرائيل» واحتلالها لأراض عربيّة، وضمنها أراضٍ لبنانيّة، كما يجمعنا تأييدُ حقوق الشعب الفلسطينيّ غير القابلة للتصرّف، بما فيها حقُّه في تقرير مصيره وعودته إلى الأراضي التي هُجّر منها بالتطهير العرقيّ عام 1948.
السيد همبردينك،
لقد علمنا أنّك ستحْيي حفلين في كازينو لبنان ليلتيْ 9 و10 آذار. وكنتَ قد اخترتَ أن تحْيي حفلاً في «إسرائيل» في الأول من كانون الأول من العام الماضي (2011)، متحدّيًا نداءً فلسطينياً لمقاطعة إسرائيل ثقافياً وأكاديمياً ـــ وهو نداءٌ يقتفي آثارَ المقاطعة العالميّة لنظام الفصل العنصريّ (الأبارتهايد) في جنوب أفريقيا، ويحظى بتأييد جميع الفنّانين الفلسطينيين تقريباً، كما تجاهلتَ رسالةً من طلاب جامعة ليستر، مؤرّخةً في 5 تشرين الثاني 2011، يناشدونك فيها إلغاء حفلك في «إسرائيل».
إقرأ/ي المزيد
السيد انغلبرت همبردينك المحترم
تحيّة طيّبة وبعد،
فنحن الموقّعين أدناه مواطنون لبنانيّون من اتجاهات فكريّة متنوّعة يجمعهم نبذُ عنصريّة «إسرائيل» واحتلالها لأراض عربيّة، وضمنها أراضٍ لبنانيّة، كما يجمعنا تأييدُ حقوق الشعب الفلسطينيّ غير القابلة للتصرّف، بما فيها حقُّه في تقرير مصيره وعودته إلى الأراضي التي هُجّر منها بالتطهير العرقيّ عام 1948.
السيد همبردينك،
لقد علمنا أنّك ستحْيي حفلين في كازينو لبنان ليلتيْ 9 و10 آذار. وكنتَ قد اخترتَ أن تحْيي حفلاً في «إسرائيل» في الأول من كانون الأول من العام الماضي (2011)، متحدّيًا نداءً فلسطينياً لمقاطعة إسرائيل ثقافياً وأكاديمياً ـــ وهو نداءٌ يقتفي آثارَ المقاطعة العالميّة لنظام الفصل العنصريّ (الأبارتهايد) في جنوب أفريقيا، ويحظى بتأييد جميع الفنّانين الفلسطينيين تقريباً، كما تجاهلتَ رسالةً من طلاب جامعة ليستر، مؤرّخةً في 5 تشرين الثاني 2011، يناشدونك فيها إلغاء حفلك في «إسرائيل».
إقرأ/ي المزيد
#BDS: We want our rubbish managed by a company with clean hands #Veolia #UK
"Since 1967 homes in the Occupied Territories have been bull-dozed on a daily basis, crops are being vandalized, water cisterns smashed, all to make way for the building of illegal Israeli settlements, on stolen land. The list of crimes is endless. And all of this has been, and is still being, committed in order to build an increasing number of illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land
Gazans are trapped in an area no bigger than Shepherd’s Bush in London, effectively a concentration camp, and after having been brutally attacked in ‘Operation Cast Lead’ are prohibited from obtaining the materials needed to rebuild their lives."
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Gazans are trapped in an area no bigger than Shepherd’s Bush in London, effectively a concentration camp, and after having been brutally attacked in ‘Operation Cast Lead’ are prohibited from obtaining the materials needed to rebuild their lives."
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#BDS: Naples, #Italy Stands For Palestinian Rights
"The Italian Coalition Stop That Train celebrates the news that the City Council of Naples, Italy has approved a motion condemning Pizzarotti for its involvement in a project in blatant violation of international law, the Israeli high-speed train cutting through the occupied Palestinian territories. The decision of the Naples City Council, which follows that of Rho (Milan) on November 30, 2011, is a strong sign for responsible action by local authorities, in this case one of Italy’s largest cities.
Stop That Train congratulates the Committee “For a Pizzarotti-Free Naples!” for the work done to mobilize citizens in support of the Campaign and in establishing dialog with the local administration in order to encourage it to take a stand on the issue."
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Stop That Train congratulates the Committee “For a Pizzarotti-Free Naples!” for the work done to mobilize citizens in support of the Campaign and in establishing dialog with the local administration in order to encourage it to take a stand on the issue."
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#BDS: The 8th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week 2012 #IAW
Europe: February 20 - March 10
Palestine: March 12-19
United States: February 26 - March 3
Canada: March 5-9
Arab World: March 5-11
South Africa: March 5-11
More on Israeli Apartheid Week here
Palestine: March 12-19
United States: February 26 - March 3
Canada: March 5-9
Arab World: March 5-11
South Africa: March 5-11
More on Israeli Apartheid Week here
#BDS: World Bank Joins Anti-BDS Campaign, #Lebanon
"The World Bank has officially requested that Lebanese boycott legislation – against companies with Israeli links – not apply to bids for bank-funded projects.
Over the past two years, Lebanese contractors working on projects overseen by the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) – a Lebanese government entity that deals with post-war reconstruction – have been hearing disturbing talk from representatives of foreign governments and organizations."
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Over the past two years, Lebanese contractors working on projects overseen by the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) – a Lebanese government entity that deals with post-war reconstruction – have been hearing disturbing talk from representatives of foreign governments and organizations."
Read more
#BDS: #IAW: Find a city near you
Click here for a list of Israeli Apartheid Week events planned in a city near you.
#BDS: #IAW Evets in NY: Witnessing Apartheid, Supporting the BDS Call
"Jasbir Puar, Queer BDS: Homonationalism and the Occupation
Moderated by Riham Barghouti
This event is part of Israeli Apartheid Week. See the full NYC calendar HERE.
In June 2011, eleven indigenous and women of color scholars, activists, and artists visited occupied Palestine. In January 2012, a diverse group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and trans activists, academics, artists, and cultural workers from the US participated in a solidarity tour in Palestine. Both groups returned to publish statements about what they saw and learned, the connections they made between and among struggles, and their unequivocal support for the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it guarantees rights for Palestinian people. Members of these delegations will share their reflections on solidarity in the context of their recent trips, and offer suggestions for moving forward."
Click here for event details.
Moderated by Riham Barghouti
This event is part of Israeli Apartheid Week. See the full NYC calendar HERE.
In June 2011, eleven indigenous and women of color scholars, activists, and artists visited occupied Palestine. In January 2012, a diverse group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and trans activists, academics, artists, and cultural workers from the US participated in a solidarity tour in Palestine. Both groups returned to publish statements about what they saw and learned, the connections they made between and among struggles, and their unequivocal support for the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it guarantees rights for Palestinian people. Members of these delegations will share their reflections on solidarity in the context of their recent trips, and offer suggestions for moving forward."
Click here for event details.
#BDS: Israeli Gov. dispatches PR envoy to “fight” #IAW
"Yesterday it was announced that the Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy would dispatch “envoys” around the world in an attempt to undermine the upcoming plans for Israeli Apartheid Week (starting today, 20 February, in some places).
According to the Jerusalem Post, the participants of the Israeli “mission” have all “undergone several weeks of training in the Public Diplomacy Ministry” and will include settlers and “experts in national security”.
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According to the Jerusalem Post, the participants of the Israeli “mission” have all “undergone several weeks of training in the Public Diplomacy Ministry” and will include settlers and “experts in national security”.
Read more
#BDS: #IAW in Montreal, #Canada
"8th annual Israeli Apartheid Week featuring inspiring conferences, workshops, film screenings, demonstrations, and cultural events to raise awareness around the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid."
March 5-13 2012
Check events here
March 5-13 2012
Check events here
#BDS: #IAW Event: #Canada and #Israel: Allies in Apartheid; Allies in Colonialism
"On a recent trip to Israel, Canadian foreign minister John Baird stated that ‘Israel has no greater friend in the world than Canada.’ This is only the latest statement of strong support by the Conservative government for Israel, at a time when around the world Israel is coming under growing criticism for its ongoing policies of apartheid towards Palestinian people, the continued occupation of their lands, and the denial of their right to return to the lands from which they have been displaced in repeated wars of colonization since 1948."
Check event details here
Check event details here
Another #BDS Victory: Cassandra Wilson cancels Holon concert, joining artistic boycott of #Israel
"Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has called off her scheduled concert in Holon tonight, after receiving requests from pro-Palestinian activists asking that she join an artistic boycott of Israel.
Wilson, an American jazz singer known for her unmistakably husky voice, had been scheduled to perform at the Holon International Women’s Festival."
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Wilson, an American jazz singer known for her unmistakably husky voice, had been scheduled to perform at the Holon International Women’s Festival."
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#BDS: Never mind Johnny Rotten, real punks boycott #Israel
“If Elvis-fucking-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he’s suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians then good on him. But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won’t understand how anyone can have a problem with how they’re treated.”
These words weren’t spoken by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. They didn’t crawl from the bile of AIPAC, Newt Gingrich or some hardened, right-wing ideologue from the heart of the Israel’s illegal settlements. They came from the mouth of John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols."
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These words weren’t spoken by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. They didn’t crawl from the bile of AIPAC, Newt Gingrich or some hardened, right-wing ideologue from the heart of the Israel’s illegal settlements. They came from the mouth of John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols."
Read more
Feb 13, 2012
#BDS: Update on #Qatar Airways Flights to Tel Aviv #Israel
Just a few hours after posting about Qatar Airways flights to Tel Aviv yesterday, our website received over 1000 clicks. I was informed that internet users in the Arab world were unable to choose Tel Aviv as a destination on the airways' website. After checking it myself now, it appears that this is not only the case in Arab countries. Somebody must have alerted Qatar Airways, so they quickly removed Tel Aviv from their destinations. Although this is good, it is still not enough. I am sure that they did not cancel their flights to the Zionist entity. I have also learned that there is a boycott campaign against the same airlines due to high prices and alcohol selling. Please let us know if you contact them via phone or email to inquire about the matter.
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#BDS University of Regina Students Union joins the global movement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions!
Students Against Israeli Apartheid – Regina (SAIA) is pleased to announce that a motion was passed at the University of Regina Student Union AGM to support the Palestinian call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) as a means of pressuring Israel to comply with international and human rights law. This resolution is a huge first step towards the full divestment of the University of Regina from companies complicit with the human rights violations currently taking place in Palestine. Plans are already in motion for SAIA, together with the University of Regina Student Union (URSU) and other members of the community, to begin investigating URSU’s portfolio for companies that support or profit from Israeli war crimes, as well as collectively launching an education campaign on campus about the issue.
SAIA would like to thank everyone who came out to vote for the resolution and all those who have been supporting and organizing around this issue within the community. There will be a lot of work to do before the end of the school year – if anyone is interested in joining the group please feel free to contact us at saiauofr@gmail.com. Thanks for all the support!
#BDS: #LGBT and Human Rights Advocates Speak Out Against Israeli Pinkwashing
"As Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month gets underway in the UK, human rights advocates are adding their voices to the global responses to Israel's attempt to 'pinkwash' its oppressive nature by portraying itself as progressive and liberal with regard to gay rights. In a letter to the press today, veterans of the Gay Liberation Front, Stop Clause 28, Outrage!, other campaigns and their allies express concern over the hi-jacking of LGBT rights as a propaganda smokescreen to divert attention from Israel's persecution of the Palestinians.
Pointing out that the gay rights movement originated at the time of civil rights, anti-apartheid and Women's Liberation movements, and drew inspiration from people striving for freedom from colonialism, they say it would be 'ironic if, in an attempt to gain a veneer of respectability by promoting itself as a liberal, tolerant haven for gay people and a prime gay holiday destination, a regime routinely violating human rights, practising institutional racism and dispossessing an indigenous population' tried to co-opt their hard-won progress."
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Pointing out that the gay rights movement originated at the time of civil rights, anti-apartheid and Women's Liberation movements, and drew inspiration from people striving for freedom from colonialism, they say it would be 'ironic if, in an attempt to gain a veneer of respectability by promoting itself as a liberal, tolerant haven for gay people and a prime gay holiday destination, a regime routinely violating human rights, practising institutional racism and dispossessing an indigenous population' tried to co-opt their hard-won progress."
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#BDS Action: Protest Batsheva Dance Company's 2012 performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
"Join Adalah-NY to protest a performance by Batsheva, "Israel’s leading cultural ambassador".
In an exchange of letters with Adalah-NY, Batsheva's host, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, tried the excuse that Batsheva's performance won't "further a political agenda", but there's no denying it's part of the "Brand Israel" propaganda campaign.
In solidarity with the Palestinian call for cultural boycott, don't let Israel use dance to whitewash apartheid!
Click here to check the event
In an exchange of letters with Adalah-NY, Batsheva's host, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, tried the excuse that Batsheva's performance won't "further a political agenda", but there's no denying it's part of the "Brand Israel" propaganda campaign.
In solidarity with the Palestinian call for cultural boycott, don't let Israel use dance to whitewash apartheid!
Click here to check the event
#BDS: #UK helps the water thieves #Israel
"(LONDON) - There are few crimes more despicable then stealing your neighbour’s water.and polluting what’s left, then watching him and his children suffer thirst, disease and ruin.
Most of us would want nothing to do with the perpetrators of such evil.
British Water describes itself as the voice of the water industry. It talks about best practice and corporate responsibility, and lobbies governments and regulators on behalf of its members. No doubt it does a good job.
It also has international ambitions including in the Middle East. So presumably it knows what's going on water-wise in the Holy Land.
British Water should know, for example, that the 400-miles long structure known worldwide as Israel's Apartheid Wall bites deep into the Palestinian West Bank dividing and isolating communities and stealing their lands and water."
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Most of us would want nothing to do with the perpetrators of such evil.
British Water describes itself as the voice of the water industry. It talks about best practice and corporate responsibility, and lobbies governments and regulators on behalf of its members. No doubt it does a good job.
It also has international ambitions including in the Middle East. So presumably it knows what's going on water-wise in the Holy Land.
British Water should know, for example, that the 400-miles long structure known worldwide as Israel's Apartheid Wall bites deep into the Palestinian West Bank dividing and isolating communities and stealing their lands and water."
Read more
#BDS: Heartless Israeli fans beg PM to hold off #Iran attack over #Madonna show
"In a newly launched Facebook page, Israeli fans of U.S. pop megastar Madonna are pleading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off any such plans to strike Iran until the Queen of Pop's planned show in Tel Aviv on May 29.
The group, simply and directly enough, is named: "Bibi don't start a war with Iran until after Madonna's show on May 29."
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The group, simply and directly enough, is named: "Bibi don't start a war with Iran until after Madonna's show on May 29."
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#BDS Report: #EU Trade with Israeli Settlements
"1. Background information on Israeli settlements in the OPT
Israeli settlements are areas in which Israeli and Jewish civilians have
established homes, communities and new towns on occupied Palestinian land.
There are over 200 Israeli settlements and settlement outposts in the West
Bank and East Jerusalem with a combined population of half a million people.
1
200,000 of these settlers are living in East Jerusalem.
2
The total area
controlled by settlements is around 43 per cent of the West Bank (See Appendix
B).
3
Settlement construction first began in 1967 and, despite their illegality and
international condemnation, settlements have grown and prospered over the
past 50 years, significantly changing the facts on the ground. The annual
growth rate of the settler population in the West Bank is significantly higher
than population growth inside Israel at 3.7 per cent
4
and as these new towns
grow, more of the land falls under Israeli control. There are different
motivations for Israelis to move to the occupied territories. Some move for
economic reasons while others are ideological settlers, who make up the
majority of settlement outposts. "
Read the full report
Israeli settlements are areas in which Israeli and Jewish civilians have
established homes, communities and new towns on occupied Palestinian land.
There are over 200 Israeli settlements and settlement outposts in the West
Bank and East Jerusalem with a combined population of half a million people.
1
200,000 of these settlers are living in East Jerusalem.
2
The total area
controlled by settlements is around 43 per cent of the West Bank (See Appendix
B).
3
Settlement construction first began in 1967 and, despite their illegality and
international condemnation, settlements have grown and prospered over the
past 50 years, significantly changing the facts on the ground. The annual
growth rate of the settler population in the West Bank is significantly higher
than population growth inside Israel at 3.7 per cent
4
and as these new towns
grow, more of the land falls under Israeli control. There are different
motivations for Israelis to move to the occupied territories. Some move for
economic reasons while others are ideological settlers, who make up the
majority of settlement outposts. "
Read the full report
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