#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.