Jun 29, 2012

#BDS: لا لإحياء المغنية الصهيونية جولي زيناتي حفلاً في بيروت #لبنان


اطردوا المغنية الفرنسية من اصل جزائري جولي زيناتي من بيروت.
جولي زيناتي وصلت بيروت للمشاركة في مهرجان غنائي يقام في البيال ضمن فرقة
 "Notre Dame de Paris"
 ويستمر على مدى يومين "9 -10 تموز". 
ولمن لا يعرف زيناتي فهي مطربة تمجد "اسرائيل"، زارت "اسرائيل وشكرت المسؤولين فيه على مجزرة قانا، كما غنت عام 2008 في ساحل Trocadero في باريس بدعوة من السفارة الاسرائيلية في فرنسا احتفالاً بالذكرى الستين لتأسيس الكيان الصهيوني بينما كانت تمرّ خلفها على شاشة عملاقة صور لزعماء الحركة الصهيونية امثال اسحق رابين وغولدا مائير


إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS Action Alert: Petition to Urge the United Church to adopt the boycott of Israeli settlements

"We encourage the United Church to adopt a boycott of Israeli settlement products, as already recommended by the church’s Middle East working group. Israeli companies which profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory are in violation of the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. These norms forbid companies from engaging in and profiting from war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international law."


Sign the petition here

Jun 28, 2012

#BDS Victory: #India-n artist Zakir Hussain cancels performances in #Israel

Israel’s is a class apart, for it has built a violent, colonial state on the foundation of the exceptional sorrow Jews suffered in the Holocaust

It is possible you would think denying the people of Israel a chance to listen to the tabla is not the most appropriate method of opposing their state’s oppression of Palestinians. Yet the Indian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (INCACBI) persuaded the tabla maestro Zakir Hussain to cancel his performances scheduled in Israel in July, consequently enhancing the decibel of the growing clamour to shun Israel in the global cultural arena. Palestinians believe measures such as Hussain’s could compel Israelis to dismantle their discriminatory system, in the same manner as South Africa’s apartheid was two decades ago.


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#BDS: #G4S in #Israel: The Soldiers of Global Occupation

"You may not know much about G4S, but they almost certainly know something about you. The world's largest security firm, operating in over 125 countries and employing over 650,000 staff worldwide, are believed to be the second largest private employer worldwide, behind only Walmart. Globally they are responsible for security at over 150 airports, countless private companies, they do police work in the UK and are the main security firm for the 2012 London Olympics – so they make it their business to know who you are.
Known for their ruthless competitiveness, the British-Danish firm have recently been seeking to expand outside of their traditional base in Europe and the US. The Middle East is one of their main targets, with operations in the region worth $410 million and with just shy of 50,000 employees."
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#BDS: الجامعة الاميركية تمنح دونا شلالا دكتوراه فخرية.. ومغنية فرنسية تمجد "اسرائيل" قريباً في #لبنان


فضائج الاختراقات الصهيونية للنسيج اللبناني أكثر من أن تعد أو تحصى. وهي لا تقتصر كما يعتقد البعض على العمالة المباشرة للعدو. ثمة أوجه أخرى مختلفة يحاول العدو النفاذ منها الى ساحتنا الداخلية في غفلة من اللبنانيين، تهدف كلها بشكل او بآخر الى تطبيع العلاقات مع لبنان، ومحاولة خطف موقعه ودوره من ضفة الى أخرى، لكن في بلد مقاوم كلبنان ثمة من نذر نفسه وماله وكرس وقته فكان حاضراً بالمرصاد للتصدي لكل تلك المحاولات الآثمة فكانت مقاومة من نوع آخر.



*شركات اسرائيلية في لبنان

آخر تلك المحاولات وليس آخرها، كانت من البوابة الاقتصادية، وهو ما كشفت عنه حملة مقاطعة داعمي "إسرائيل" في لبنان لموقع "الانتقاد"، مشيرة الى انها بصدد اعداد ملف كامل حول ترويج وبيع أربع شركات "تجميل" اسرائيلية لمستحضراتها في لبنان، كاشفة انه يجري استيراد بضائع تلك الشركات عبر دبي (أكبر مورد لتسويق البضائع الاسرائيلية)، بعدما تكون قد خضعت هناك لاعادة تعليب، لتعود وتدخل لبنان على اساس انها بضاعة اميركية في حين انها اسرائيلية.


إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS: بيان ساخن لنقابة الصحفيين بخصوص التطبيع

طالب بيان لنقابة الصحفيين الفلسطينيين كافة الصحفيين والمؤسسات الذين تربطهم علاقة بالتطبيع بوقفه مع التلويح بسلسلة من الاجراءات النقابية بحق من يثبت عليه تجاوز الاعراف النقابية بهذا الخصوص.

وصدر عن النقابة بيان مساء اليوم الثلاثاء وصل لوكالة معا نسخة عنه وجاء فيه:"انه وفي اطار متابعتها للانشطة واللقاءات التطبيعية التي شارك بها عدد من الصحفيين الفلسطينيين في الآونة الأخيرة ولا سيما لقاءات اوسلو توقفت الامانة العامة لنقابة الصحفيين عند نتائج المسائلات والحوارات التي اجرتها اللجنة المكلفة بمتابعة القضية مع عدد من المشاركين في لقاءات اوسلو وما صدر خلال هذه الفترة من بيانات ومواقف وتعليقات


إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS Video: Cultural Boycott of Israel Takes Hold in South Africa


#BDS Video: A responds to Liberal Zionists: #Boycott #Israel on Both Sides of the Green Line


Jun 23, 2012

#BDS: حملة مقاطعة داعمي «إسرائيل»: اسحبوا تكريم شلالا! #لبنان


تستنكر حملة مقاطعة داعمي «إسرائيل» في لبنان، بأشدّ عبارات الاستنكار، تكريمَ «الجامعة الأميركيّة في بيروت» للصهيونيّة دونا شلالا في حفل التخرّج. وهي، أيضاً، تتضامن تضامناً كاملاً مع ناشطي مقاطعة «إسرائيل» داخل الجامعة ــ طلاباً وأساتذة.
شلالا، الحائزة شهادةَ دكتوراه فخريّة من جامعة بن غوريون، والمنضمّة إلى معهد بروكينغز اليمينيّ الصهيونيّ في الولايات المتحدة، عارضت المقاطعة الأكاديميّة التي تتزايد في العالم تجاه الجامعات الإسرائيليّة، المتواطئة مع الاحتلال والعنصريّة. بل هي زارت «إسرائيل» في تموز 2010، ضمن وفدٍ من رؤساء الجامعات الأميركيّة، بهدف زيادة التعاون بين هذه الجامعات وجامعات إسرائيل والسلطة الفلسطينيّة.
إنّ الحملة تودّ التذكيرَ بأنّ الجامعات الإسرائيليّة مسؤولة عن الإسهام في صياغة الأسطورة الإسرائيليّة الكاذبة عن «الديموقراطيّة» الإسرائيليّة. كذلك إنّ بعضَ علماء الجغرافيا والمهندسين المعماريين فيها مسؤولون عن تخطيط جدار الفصل العنصريّ وتنفيذه، بحسب المؤرّخ الإسرائيليّ الأبرز إيلان بابيه (مجلة الآداب، العدد 4-6، 2008). وللتذكير أيضاً، إنّ بعضَ متخرّجي القانون يعملون في المحاكم العسكريّة، وبعضَ متخرّجي كليّات الطبّ الإسرائيليّة يبرّرون التعذيبَ ويشاركون فيه (ديريك سمرفيلد، مجلة الآداب، العدد 12، 2008)! وشلالا، فوق ذلك، خدمتْ في عهد بيل كلينتون، الرئيس الأميركيّ المسؤول عن أقذر حصارٍ في العصر الحديث، حصارِ شعبنا العراقيّ الحبيب ــ وهو حصارٌ أدّى الى مقتل أكثر من مليون عراقيّ، معظمُهم من الأطفال. فما أرقى إنسانيّة شلالا، «وزيرةِ الصحّة والخدمات الإنسانيّة» في ذلك العهد!


إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS: #AUB staff condemn award for friend of #Israel , #Beirut #Lebanon

"Dozens of academics at Lebanon's leading university have signed a letter condemning the decision to give an award to a pro-Israeli American.
49 members of staff at the American University of Beirut (AUB) called on the university's management to rescind the honorary doctorate offered to Donna Shalala – an American citizen of Lebanese descent who was Secretary of Health and Human Services under former President Bill Clinton.
Shalala has long made clear her admiration for Israel, and has strong links with pro-Israeli academic institutions, such as Bar-Ilan University, which are involved in the research and development of military technology used against Palestinian and Lebanese civilians."
Read more

#BDS Video: #AUB Students Disrupt Ceremony Honoring Zionist Donna Shalala #Beirut #Lebanon


Jun 21, 2012

#BDS Victory! TIAA-CREF drops #Caterpillar from social choice funds

CAT smal

"The We Divest Campaign sent out the following press release:
June 21, 2012- Pension fund giant TIAA-CREF has removed Caterpillar, Inc. from its Social Choice Funds portfolio. As of May 1, 2012, financial data posted on TIAA-CREF’s website valued Social Choice Funds shares in Caterpillar at $72,943,861. Today it is zero.
“We applaud this decision,” said Rabbi Alissa Wise, Director of Campaigns at Jewish Voice for Peace and National Coordinator of the We Divest Campaign (www.wedivest.org). “It’s long past time that TIAA-CREF began living up to its motto of ‘Financial Services for the Greater Good’ when it comes to the people of Israel and Palestine.”
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#BDS: بيان حملة مقاطعة داعمي «إسرائيل» #لبنان


قريباً، سنكون في لبنان أمام عروضٍ لبعض الفنّانين العالميين الذين عزفوا وغنّوا في الكيان الغاصب. فبعد إيـفانيسانس، التي غنّت هناك سابقاً ويُفترض أن تغنّي في لبنان في 23 حزيران، يُفترض أيضاً أن تغنّي جيسي نورمان في لبنان في 13 تمّوز بعد أن غنّت في «إسرائيل» عام 2010.
إنّ حملة مقاطعة داعمي «إسرائيل» في لبنان تذكّر بأنّ قيام أيّ فرقة بتقديم عروضها داخل كيان العدوّ عملٌ يتغاضى عن جرائمه، الأمرُ الذي يدفعه إلى ارتكاب المزيد منها بعد أن «طبّع» جرائمَه الأولى في العقول، وكأنّه يقول: «اعزفوا ما شئتم، ودعونا نقتلْ كما نشاء!». لكنّ الحملة تذكّر أيضاً بأنّ العزف في الكيان الغاصب «أقلُّ سوءاً» من إعلان التأييد المباشر للاحتلال والاستيطان والصهيونيّة.


إقرأدي المزيد

Jun 19, 2012

#BDS: Kittens Against Apartheid


"Two cuddly kittens go searching for the right hummus and learn a valuable lesson about human rights! Join the kittens in supporting justice in Israel-Palestine! Boycott Sabra and Tribe hummus! From our member group Philly BDS."


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#BDS: #Norway’s pension fund divests from #Israel’s largest real estate firm

"Norway’s finance ministry has excluded Shikun & Binui from the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), the largest pension fund in Europe, over its construction of illegal Israeli colonies in East Jerusalem. Analysts have described the company as Israel’s largest real estate business. 


The Norwegian government has previously divested from Israeli military company Elbit, as well as Africa Israel Investments and Danya Cebus, two other construction companies involved in building illegal settlements. The two divestment announcements followed large international campaigns. The human rights organization Adalah-NY has recentlyunveiled evidence that Africa Israel continues to construct illegal settlements despite its reassurances to the Norwegian government and others to the contrary."
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#BDS: JTA and Haaretz distort Alice Walker’s position on boycott of Israeli publisher

"A JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) report that was carried by Haaretz, accuses Pulitzer prize-winning author Alice Walker of refusing to allow her iconic book The Color Purple to be translated into Hebrew:
Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple,” refused to authorize a Hebrew translation of her prize-winning work, citing what she called Israel’s “apartheid state.”
In a June 9 letter to Yediot Books, Walker said she would not allow the publication of the book into Hebrew because “Israel is guilty of apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people, both inside Israel and also in the Occupied Territories.”
In her letter, posted Sunday by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel on its website, Walker supported the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and offered her hope that the BDS movement “will have enough of an impact on Israeli civilian society to change the situation.”
But Walker’s 9 June letter to Yediot Books, full-text of which is posted on the website of PACBI, does not even mention the Hebrew language.
The JTA/Haaretz spin that makes it appear as if Walker were objecting to her book being in Hebrew is a complete distortion."
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Jun 18, 2012

#BDS Action Alert: Sign the Petition: Cirque Du Soleil: Do not shine on Apartheid! #CdSCancelIsrael

"“Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace” 
~ Oscar Wilde
Irish Dramatist, Novelist, & Poet (1854 – 1900)
We, citizens and residents of Qatar, came to know that Cirque du Soleil is scheduled to perform in Tel Aviv this August, after first performing in Doha in July. Many of us have always admired CdS and enjoyed their magnificent performances, however we cannot in good conscience attend their performance while Palestinians continue to face injustice and apartheid. We urge CdS to cancel their performance in Tel Aviv and demonstrate that the people of Palestine are not an exception when it comes to freedom, dignity and justice.
We, therefore, join this call and support the letter addressed from Qatar Youth Opposed to Normalization (QAYON) to Renée-Claude Ménard, the Director of Cirque du Soleil.
Twitter: #CdSCancelIsrael"
Sign the petition here

Jun 15, 2012

#BDS: مقاومة التطبيع النقابية تندد بمشاركة خيالة أردنيين وإسرائيليين في احتفالية مشتركة #الأردن


نددت لجنة مقاومة التطبيع النقابية الأردنية بمشاركة خيالة أردنيين وإسرائيليين وللمرة الثانية في "مسار الخيول" الذي تنظمه وزارة الثقافة والرياضة الإسرائيلية سنوياً في "جبل الجلبوع" الواقع في المناطق الفلسطينية المحتلة الواقعة جنوب مدينة جنين.
واكدت اللجنة في تصريح صحفي ان التنديد جاء بإجماع أعضاء اللجنة والتي تمثل (14) نقابة مهنية أردنية ترفض جميعها التطبيع مع العدو الصهيوني وفق قرارات للهيئات العامة فيها اتخذت بعد توقيع معاهدة وادي عربة العام 1994.
وكان موقع عمون الإخباري ومواقع أخرى قد نشرت في الخامس والعشرين من الشهر الماضي ونقلاً عن إذاعة بالعبرية ان مجموعة خيالة من الأردن شاركت في تقليد سنوي يسمى "مسار الخيول" تنظمه وزارة الثقافة والرياضة الإسرائيلية في جبل الجلبوغ الواقع ضمن المناطق العربية المحتلة الواقعة جنوب جنين حسب الإذاعة العبرية الجمعة.


إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS: Export Institute: Small Israeli exporters collapsing

"70% of small exporters stopped exporting or substantially reduced their activity between 2007 and 2011.

Analysis by the economics division of The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute reveals a worrying picture of Israeli exports: 70% of small exporters stopped exporting or substantially reduced their activity in the period 2007-2011. The Export Institute explains the trend by the continuing crisis in the global economy."

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Jun 11, 2012

#BDS: Cultural boycott biting, but quietly, Israel Festival’s classical music advisor admits


"The cultural boycott of Israel is beginning to bite, a prominent figure in Israel’s classical music world has admitted.
Gil Shohat, an Israeli composer and conductor, who is also the Classical Music Advisor to the Israel Festival and Artistic Advisor to Israel’s Red Sea International Classical Music Festival, told Israeli reporter Sharon Dubkin"
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#BDS: Cirque Du Soleil: Performing in Tel Aviv is a baroque ode to apartheid, colonialism and oppression

"It is with great disappointment that the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has learned of your scheduled performance in Tel Aviv which opens on August 8th, 2012 [i]. Given that Israel is involved in grave violations of international law and human rights we urge you to cancel this performance until the time comes when Israel is in compliance with its obligations under international law and fully respects Palestinian rights.
 
You note on your website that your performance titled 'Allegria’ (Jubilation) is a baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth. Yet, by performing in Israel, you are placing this ode and energy in the service of Israeli colonization and apartheid, which brings sorrow and misery to the Palestinian people. Moreover, it is both cynical and hard to believe that a group such as yours, that is so dedicated to global citizenship and social involvement[ii] would stand against the wishes of a people’s movement for citizenship, freedom, equality and justice. It is for this reason that we appeal to you to reconsider your performance."

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#BDS: لاعب كويتي يرفض ملاقاة “إسرائيلي” في بطولة رومانيا الدولية #الكويت



أحرز المنتخب الكويتي للمعوقين ميداليتين برونزيتين في بطولة رومانيا الدولية المفتوحة لتنس الطاولة للمعوقين، والتي شهدت أيضا انسحاب اللاعب الكويتي عوض الحربي لرفضه لقاء منافسه (الإسرائيلي) جيفا ليران في الدور نصف النهائي للمسابقة. 
إقرأ\ي المزيد


#BDS: #Australia-n educational program bars speakers who support #Israel boycott

"Limmud Oz, an offshoot of the international festival of Jewish learning, canceled a panel featuring several controversial Jewish speakers for its upcoming conference in Melbourne.


The Jewish panelists no longer speaking, although they initially appeared on the Limmud Oz website, include Vivienne Porzsolt, a spokeswoman for Jews Against the Occupation who was detained in Israel last year en route to the flotilla to Gaza, and who recently marched in Sydney alongside Hezbollah supporters; Avigail Abarbanel, who renounced her Israeli citizenship in 2001; and Peter Slezak, a co-founder of the far-left Independent Australian Jewish Voices."
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#BDS: Palestine: a History of Nonviolence #PalHunger


"The recent hunger strikes of almost 1,600 Palestinian prisoners represent a watershed juncture in nonviolent resistance in Palestine. While Palestinians have long utilized methods of nonviolence—dating back to Mandatory Palestine of the thirties and epitomized by the First Intifada of the eighties—only recently has a truly international effort appeared. In the midst of the Arab uprisings, the international attention on the region provides a moment of focus for civil resistance, and the nascent coalition of actors utilizing these methods is growing. While the groups have different agendas and tactics, their notable successes in recent months show that, regardless of divisions among them, strategic nonviolence is gaining powerful momentum in Palestine.
The present international activity has been a long time coming. In 2001, the deeply controversial United Nations Durban conference convened to address Israeli repression of the Second Intifada. Though it failed to produce a formal resolution or offer recommendations, the NGO forum associated with the conference condemned “Israel as a racist, apartheid state” (Article 162), and spurred many to action. For Omar Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian activist, “Durban confirmed that grassroots support, even in the West, for the justness of the Palestinian cause was still robust.” Academic institutions, trade unions, and religious organizations began to use targeted boycotts and sanctions against Israel. In 2004, the US Presbyterian Church voted for “a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations doing business in Israel.”
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#BDS: Cafe at Evergreen State College #US Announces Boycott of Israeli Products

flaming_eggplant

"According to the Flaming Eggplant’s mission statement, one of the cafe’s goals is to “nourish the local food system by making delicious, healthy, ecologically and socially just food accessible to all.” In its statement of principles, the collective also expresses its commitment to “supporting political participation and direct action to create a just and egalitarian society.” Office Coordinator Cris Papaiacovou said, “We came to a consensus as a collective to support the Palestinian civil society call for BDS because it is directly in line with our mission and statement of principles.” He added, “We are proud to join this non-violent movement to pressure Israel until it ends its human rights violations against Palestinians.”

The café’s support of the boycott becomes the latest victory in ongoing student-led activism for Palestinian human rights at TESC. In the Spring of 2010, the student body 
voted overwhelmingly to support two resolutions, one calling for divestment from companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and the other prohibiting the use of Caterpillar Inc. equipment on campus. Rachel Corrie, an Evergreen student, was killed in 2003 by a weaponized Caterpillar bulldozer operated by the Israeli military as she attempted to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family’s home in the Gaza Strip."

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#BDS: #Egypt shuts down production of film that promotes #Israel ties

"Egypt's censor has stopped production of an Egyptian film because it reportedly promotes the normalization of relations with Israel, according to the Al-Ahram newspaper.


The film, called "A Loaf of Bread," was written and directed by Mohamed Kenawy, who denied the accusation, saying the film is meant to promote peace and cooperation among all people regardless of sex, race and religion.
The story revolves around an Egyptian, a Palestinian and an Israeli, and it deals generally with life in the Arab world. The movie had been in production for two months before filming was halted."
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#BDS Action Alert: UEFA - Play Fair - Don't Play Apartheid!


Lobby the UEFA President to stop the U21 Championship in Israel

Israel has been chosen to host the next UEFA U21 Football Championship in 2013. 
Hosting an international sporting competition is an honour which should not be given to a country that defies international law and bars Palestinians from taking part in international sporting competitions.
Please send a letter to the President of UEFA, Michel Platini asking him to reverse this decision.
Click here to send the letter

#BDS: Boycott Israeli goods campaign receives momentum from abroad

"The Palestinian campaign to boycott the Israeli goods made in the illegal settlements of the occupied territories in the West Bank has received a boost from abroad with South Africans and more European states joining the movement.

The “Made in Israel” label has already become a big problem for Israel’s international trade. 

The Palestinians have long called for a boycott of goods made in the illegal Israeli settlements and have even lit bonfires to destroy them."

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#BDS: من #الجزائر إلى #تونس موســم «الردّة» إلى #إسرائيل


كانوا في طليعة المناوئين للمشروع الصهيوني، فإذا بهم يستسلمون فجأة للاغراءات الاسرائيليّة. جميعهم دخلوا الكيان الغاصب من البوّابة نفسها: السفارة الفرنسية. وآخرهم نادية الفاني التي شاركت في ندوة «الديموقراطيّة والدين» في تل أبيب، مؤكّدة أنّ مبادرتها… «لا تتعارض مع دعمها للقضية»
باريس | أيّ لوثة هذه التي أصابت عدداً من أبرز مثقفي وفناني اليسار المغاربيين؟ منذ قرابة عامين، نشهد موجة غريبة ومفاجئة من التنازلات التطبيعية من قبل شخصيات كانت بالأمس القريب في طليعة المناوئين للصهيونية والمناصرين لحقوق الشعب الفلسطيني. وإذا بهذه الأسماء تقع تباعاً في الفخ الصهيوني، وتُستدرج جميعها إلى زيارة تل أبيب من البوابة ذاتها: السفارة الفرنسية لدى الكيان الغاصب.

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#BDS: Former Israeli Knesset Speaker endorses boycott of settlement products

"Former Israeli Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg endorses boycott of settlement products in The Independent -- what Peter Beinart calls Zionist BDS:
[The world must] tell Israel that it is impossible to be treated as "the only democracy in the Middle East", while it is also the last colonial occupier in the Western world."
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Jun 7, 2012

#BDS: Open Letter to Cirque du Soleil from QAYON in #Doha #Qatar

"Dear Renée-Claude Ménard,Date: 29 May 2012“Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral” ― Paulo Freire  


We were dismayed to learn that Cirque du Soleil is scheduled to perform in Tel Aviv this August, after first performing in Doha in July. Doha has a rich history in welcoming and advocating arts and cultural exchange, but the choice by Cirque du Soleil to perform in Israel is tantamount to condoning the policies of an apartheid state. As people of conscience we are writing to ask you to respect the Palestinian Civil Society Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)[1].  


Those that live under apartheid do not have the same privileges as their occupiers. They will not be able to attend your performance due to arbitrary checkpoints; a system of discriminatory permits based on ethnicity, religion and gender; and an illegal police and military occupation [2]. To profit from those that engender such violations with overwhelming impunity only adds insult to injury [3]. "


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Jun 6, 2012

#BDS Student-Run Cafe at The Evergreen State College Announces Boycott of Israeli Products

Monday June 4, 2012, The Flaming Eggplant Cafe  a student-run cafe at The Evergreen State College in Olympia announced it will boycott Israeli products. A statement, released today, reads:

Our Mission Statement outlines a commitment to serving socially just food. Israel's policy of illegal land seizure and destruction on Palestinian lands means purchasing items from Israel is in Flaming Eggplant in conflict with our mission.

As a student-run collective with the stated principle of supporting direct action for a just and egalitarian society, and as a café representing the student body at large, we feel it is important to uphold the desire for boycott and divestment as voted for by the students at The Evergreen State College. 



Read the full statement from the Flaming Eggplant

TESC Divest, a student-led organization that works to end The Evergreen State College's complicity in Israel's abuses of Palestinian human rights, has issued a press release:


On Monday June 4, 2012 The Flaming Eggplant Café, a student worker collective at The Evergreen State College (TESC), formally announced its decision to boycott Israeli goods, becoming the most recent business to join the growing international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.


According to the Flaming Eggplant's mission statement, one of the cafe's goals is to "nourish the local food system by making delicious, healthy, ecologically and socially just food accessible to all." In its statement of principles the collective also expresses its commitment to "supporting political participation and direct action to create a just and egalitarian society."


Office Coordinator Cris Papaiacovou said, "We came to a consensus as a collective to support the Palestinian civil society call for BDS because it is directly in line with our mission and statement of principles." He added, "We are proud to join this non-violent movement to pressure Israel until it ends its human rights violations against Palestinians."


#BDS Cirque du Soleil

The Canadian circus arts company Cirque du Soleil is touring the Middle East this summer; one of the cities they’re performing in is Tel Aviv. A local Jordanian campaign is working on convincing them to respect the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions and cancel the event in Tel Aviv. Source.

Finkelstein renews attack on #BDS “cult,” calls Palestinians who pursue their rights “criminal”

Read entire article here.
Finkelstein renews attack in Democracy Now interview

In an interview today on Democracy Now – looking relaxed and rested – Finkelstein renewed his attack on Palestinians and their quest for their rights in even more strident terms, leaving no doubt where he stands.
The interview was about his new book Knowing Too Much whose main argument is that liberal American Jewish opinion has shifted on Israel to a point where uncritical support is no longer politically tenable, a shift that is also becoming evident in the mainstream.
Finkelstein attributed this shift almost entirely to the efforts of Jewish Americans such as himself and Israeli groups like B’Tselem, and a few international groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

#BDS Israel is new South Africa as boycott calls increase


Some of the world's biggest stars – from Madonna to the Red Hot Chili Peppers – are being accused of putting profit before principle in a growing backlash against artists performing in Israel.


Campaigners angry at human rights abuses against the Palestinian people – symbolised by Israel's policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinians and allowing Israeli settlers to take over their land – are demanding a boycott of Israeli venues in a campaign that echoes the 1980s protests against South Africa and the infamous venue Sun City.

Last week Madonna came under fire for her decision to perform in Israel to kick off her world tour last Thursday. "By performing in Israel, Madonna has consciously and shamefully lent her name to fig-leafing Israel's occupation and apartheid and showed her obliviousness to human rights," said Omar Barghouti of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Read article here

#BDS PCHR Welcomes South Africa Move to Label West Bank Goods

The South African Ministry of Trade and Industry has signified its intention to outlaw the labelling of products from illegal Israeli settlements as ‘Made in Israel’.
 
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Rob Davies, published a notice in the Government Gazette on Thursday, 10 May 2012, stating: “I, … intend to issue a Notice in terms of … the Consumer Protection Act…to require traders in South Africa, not to incorrectly label products that originate from Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as products of Israel” (GG No.35328 Notice 379 of 2012).  Read article here

#BDS Arab writers withdraw from U.S. book over publisher's refusal to remove Israeli contributions


But, according to Inside Higher Ed, one of the anthology's 29 authors said that she would withdraw her work from the anthology unless it excluded the work of two Israeli writers who were also asked to contribute to the anthology.
When the publishers refused to exclude the Israelis, a total of 13 authors withdrew their work from the book -- which would have left the book without any Arab contributors. This led the center to cancel the book's publication. Read the article, here

#BDS US student body backs divestment from Israel

The student body of an American university has become the latest Western institution to back divestment from companies involved with the Israeli army.
Arizona State University's student union unanimously passed a bill demanding the university divest from and blacklist companies that continue to provide the Israeli army with weapons and militarized equipment.
Among the companies that work with the Israeli army are Boeing, Motorola, United Technologies, Petrochina, Sinopec, and Alstom.
A statement from the university's student body said the decision was part of a wider movement to encourage Western companies to stop supporting the occupation of Palestinians.
"This announcement, coming on the last day of the 2012 school year, is another victory in the global call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) on Israel as well as other global solidarity movements calling for the end to human rights violations."
"Arizona State University, a university with an endowment of over US$735 million, aspires to be the 'New American University' with globally engaged students. We, students, at ASU want our university to make socially responsible investment decisions; we also want ASU’s investments to reflect its values as an institution." Continue reading.

#Solidarity: In blow to Zionist censors, California backs professor’s right to call for Israel boycott on state university website

Read article here.

Attorney General finds claims against Klein baseless
In a 17 May letter to the Global Frontier Justice Center’s lawyers, a copy of which Klein posted on his website, the Attorney General’s office rejected the claims:
Thank you for your letter to Attorney General Harris concerning the alleged misuse of state resources by Professor David M. Klein. The Department of Justice is committed to upholding and enforcing state laws, and we take allegations like these very seriously.
We have carefully reviewed the letter and materials you sent to this office on April 2, 2012, in which you request we prosecute an alleged misuse of the name and resources of the California State University, Northridge by Dr. Klein. Because we conclude upon review that the evidence provided does not support a finding of misuse of such name and resources, we find no basis for any action on our part.

#BDS Arizona State University student government votes to divest from Israel



At the last Senate hearing of the year, the undergraduate student government at Arizona State University unanimously passed a bill demanding that ASU divest from and blacklist companies that continue to provide the Israeli Defense Force with weapons and militarized equipment or are complicit with the genocidal regime in Darfur.

This announcement, coming on the last day of the 2012 school year, is another victory in the global call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) on Israel as well as other global solidarity movements calling for the end to human rights violations.

Arizona State University, a university with an endowment of over $735 million, aspires to be the “New American University” with globally engaged students. We, students, at ASU want our university to make socially responsible investment decisions; we also want ASU’s investments to reflect its values as an institution. The bill calls for ASU to divest from and blacklist companies such as Alliant Tech Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, Motorola, United Technologies, Petrochina, China National Petroleum Company, Sinopec, Oil and Natural Gas Company, and Alstom.

This is not the first time ASU has divested from companies supporting human rights abuses. In 1985 Arizona public universities supported divestment from apartheid South Africa. The undergraduate student government has also supported the idea of the creation of an Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing on campus in the past. This is just another step in the right direction for the New American University. The bill concludes, “that the [ASU] Undergraduate Student Government supports on-campus divestment from and blacklisting of corporations that are complicit in human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian Territories and Sudan.”

Lina Bearat- ASU SJP President, ASU USG Senator

Aman Aberra- ASU SJP Vice President, ASU USG Senator

Shifa Alkhatib- ASU SJP Media/PR
Here is the bill that passed:
THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATE
NINTH LEGISLATURE
<XXXX> REGULAR SESSION
<XXX XX>, 2012

SENATE BILL 53

INTRODUCED BY
SENATOR LINA BEARAT, SENATOR AMAN ABERRA, SENATOR LAILA ALKAHLOUT


An act imploring human rights divestment


The Undergraduate Student Government Senate,
WHEREAS, ASU aspires to be a New American University with “socially embedded” students who are “engaged globally.”
WHEREAS, Our investments impact conflicts and human rights situations world-wide, including the Israel-Palestine conflict and the genocide in Darfur.
WHEREAS, although over 300,000 have been killed in Darfur and 5.6 million civilians have fled from violence, although some corporations continue to prop up the genocidal regime of Omar al-Bashir.
WHEREAS, corporations continue to provide the Israeli Defense Force with weapons and militarized equipment, despite the Israeli occupation being found a violation of the 4th Geneva Convention, the charter of the United Nations, the principles of international law, and repeated United Nations resolutions (UN Res. 3414).
WHEREAS, our investments should reflect our values as an institution.
WEHREAS, ASU invests over $735 million through the ASU Foundation.
WHEREAS, Other universities, including Harvard, Yale, Amherst College, Hampshire College and Stanford, have divested from either the genocide in Sudan or the Israel-Palestine conflict.
WHEREAS, Arizona public universities have a history of supporting divestment from human rights abuses, being among the first universities to divest from apartheid South Africa in 1985.
WHEREAS, Arizona State University Undergraduate Student Government has previously supported the idea of socially responsible investment on campus.
WHEREAS, Arizona State University Undergraduate Student Government specifically supports the call for an Advisory Committee for “Socially Responsible Investing.”

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Arizona State University Undergraduate Student Government supports on-campus divestment from and blacklisting of corporations that are complicit in human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian Territories and Sudan. These companies include Alliant Tech Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, Motorola, United Technologies, Petrochina, China National Petroleum Company, Sinopec, Oil and Natural Gas Company, and Alstom.  Source

#BDS AP investigates the ‘Made in Israel’ label

Following decisions from the South African government and Switzerland’s largest supermarket chain to distinguish between products made in the occupied territories from those west of the green line, the Associated Press reports on the "Made in Israel" label.  Continue reading, here