#BDS: Chicagoan arrested calling for boycott of Israel’s Guantanamo

Chicago, IL - Chicago police at downtown Millennium Park arrested an activist who was participating in a protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago, Aug. 23. At the Chicago Sister Cities annual International Festival, more than 30 activists protested Israel’s inclusion in the program and called for the cutting of Chicago ties with Israeli apartheid.

The activist was arrested while the protest was ending outside of the International Festival tent. The protesters were on their way out when the police began shoving the activists and grabbed the young Arab male protester and placed him under arrest.

Minutes earlier, after picketing and chanting directly outside of the front entrance of the tent, activists brought the message into the actual venue. Protesters chanted in the tent for a few minutes to make the message clear: “Drop Petach Tikva!” - Chicago’s sister city in Israel. The pianist who was performing in the hall at the time stood at attention out of respect once he heard the protesters’ message.

#BDS: August 12 Olympia Center forum on the Oly Food Co-op boycott

I remember when I first learned of the conflict in Israel/Palestine. I was a child, about the age of 10, sitting in the living room of my Palestinian friend's home. They were discussing how they missed and feared for their families who were still in Palestine; about how their family's farm had been destroyed, their lands taken, and their home demolished, again. I remember wondering how anyone could do such a horrible thing to such wonderful people. I was not able to understand why nothing was being done to stop these atrocities.

Over thirteen years have gone by since that day, and since then I have been involved in Palestinian solidarity work in a number of different ways. I have lobbied the government, protested in the streets, participated in dialogues, as well as other forms of non-violent action. As the years went on, I watched as multiple peace talks failed. I watched as countless UN resolutions and international laws were broken. It slowly became very clear to me that all of these efforts seemed to make no tangible difference in the policies of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people.

I began to seriously question the strategies that I had been using and began to search for a viable alternative, an alternative that has been proven to work in the past to bring about social change. I also knew that whatever the alternative was, it had to be a strategy that allowed me, an ordinary citizen, to take matters into my own hands. This factor was especially important to me because we are living in a country whose government has remained complacent on these issues. That is when I first learned about the Global BDS movement. The Global BDS movement has been gaining momentum since July 9, 2005 when a group of over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations issued a call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) towards the state of Israel until the government of Israel chooses to comply with international law and end its occupation of Palestine. The movement is based upon the success of the BDS movement to end South African apartheid. Since the call was issued, thousands of individuals and organizations have endorsed the call including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Naomi Klein, Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb and several others.

#BDS: No matzo, no peace

Matzo and bath salts are stirring up controversy over at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, where a fraction of its 12,000 owner-members is moving to boycott products that come from Israel.

The boycott is being pushed by the Sacramento Boycott, Divestments, Sanctions Working Group. The group says the boycott would end when Israel stops its Gaza blockade, exits the West Bank, grants Arab Israelis the same rights as Jewish Israelis and lets Palestinian refugees return.

More than anything, the controversy is a war of symbols, as the half-dozen Israeli brands that would be affected constitute less than 1 percent of SNFC inventory.

“If we can stop carrying products tested on animals, surely we can stop carrying products that violate human rights,” activist and Co-op member Maggie Coulter said at a meeting of the Co-op board on September 7.

That meeting drew two dozen people to the Co-op on Alhambra Boulevard, where boycott backers accused Israel of creating a system of apartheid for Palestinians. They said rather than support the nation by buying its goods, the store should do its part in pressuring Israel to make concessions to Palestine.

Opponents questioned the legality of a boycott, which would alienate Jewish customers and set a double standard for other human-rights violators, including China and countries in Africa and the Mideast. Besides, they said, the board should stick to managing SNFC finances and leave the politicking to President Barack Obama.

#BDS: Eminent Scholar Ann Stoler Endorses Boycott of Israel

Below is a statement released by Ann Stoler in support of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement aimed at Israel:

BY COLONIAL DESIGN

As someone who has worked for some thirty years as a teacher and student of colonial studies– on comparative colonial situations, colonial histories, and the violent and subtle forms of governance on which colonial regimes rely, it would be difficult not to describe the Israeli state as a colonial one. It would be difficult not to recognize Israel’s past and ongoing illegal seizure of Palestinian land, the racialization of every aspect of daily life, and the large-scale and piecemeal demolition of Palestinian homes, destruction of livelihoods, and efforts to destroy the social and family fabric, as decimation by concerted and concentrated colonial design. These are the well-honed practices of regimes that define colonialisms and have flourished across the imperial globe. As with other colonial regimes, the Israeli state designates and redraws geographic borders, suspends Palestinian civil rights and arbitrarily transgresses what for Israelis are recognized and guarded as private space.

#BDS: Inauguration of H&M apartheid store

On 26 August 2010, H&M opened its fourth store in the apartheid state of Israel. To mark the occasion, BDS activists in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 8 September protested outside the local H&M flagship store. The protest theme was a satirical inauguration of the new apartheid store, with an inaugural speech, ribbon cutting ceremony, question competition, checkpoint, and flyers.

Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg, Sweden

Text: Special Offer! Buy into Apartheid.

#BDS: Canada-Israel relationship called shining success of free trade program

TORONTO – Canada’s economic relationship with Israel was held up as a shining example of the success of our free trade program by International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan at a recent luncheon held by the Canada Israel Chamber of Commerce and co-sponsored by Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP.

“Canada and Israel have been fortunate to be emerging from this global economic downturn...in pretty good shape. The free trade agreement between our countries has proven the success of open trade and investment. Our two-way trade...has more than doubled now, reaching $1.3-billion last year," he said.

“As everybody knows, Israel is a leader in science and technology and innovation and, [as for] Canada, we’re pretty proud of our record, as well. And that’s why our collaboration is, in fact, so important.”

Canadian companies such as Research in Motion, Air Canada and Super-Pharm are “building a strong commercial presence” in Israel, while Israeli investors including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ormat Technologies, Amdocs and TheraVitae “have made significant inroads” in Canada.

“We're also making things together for the global marketplace, trading inputs and services back and forth, and becoming part of each other’s value chains.”

The Jewish Tribune asked Van Loan for specific examples. 

“You might find it in medical instruments [where] parts might be manufactured in Canada, some parts might be manufactured in Sweden, some parts in Israel and [they] all come together into one piece.”

When asked about the possibility that Canadian goods manufactured with Israeli parts might be targetted for boycotts by anti-Israel groups, he said, “Individual consumers can make the choices individual consumers want.  We don’t think there is a legitimate basis for any kind of economic boycott of Israel and so we would discourage that. I know there have been efforts over the years to have those kinds of boycotts take place but those have not in any way altered our policies.”

#BDS: Seven Million Back Biggest British Boycott

At their annual conference this week the TUC, Britain’s all-encompassing trade union coalition, announced their most comprehensive boycott policy yet. It targets settlement goods as well as companies profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestinian land. The motion to boycott and disinvest from these companies passed unanimously on behalf of the TUC’s seven million members. The announcement will increase pressure on British retailers to cut ties with suspect suppliers.

#BDS: TUC: UNISON & Palestine

Full text of speech by UNISON delegate Mike Kirby in TUC 2010 Congress Palestine debate: 


Trade unionists across the world are at the centre of progressive alliances and movements. And in December 2008 as the world watched aghast at the Operation Cast Lead incursion into Gaza and we condemned the actions of Israel, HISTADRUT the Israeli trade union centre, did not join the international chorus of condemnation.

While we respect rights of self determination in solidarity movements across the world sometimes we have a duty to say when they get things wrong.

2009 saw a major shift in both trade union and public opinion on Palestine.

The cause was Gaza and the unprecedented and disproportionate use of force by the Israeli state.


Those events led to an historic vote by Congress, committing the TUC to support a major campaign calling for a ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements.

And as another round of peace talks continues, the prospects for a real deal will be tested later this month, when Israel reviews its policies on settlements, which continue to colonise the Palestinian Territories, and another generation grows up under occupation.

Can there be a peace, a lasting peace

Without a right of return, Without East Jerusalem

Without an end to Occupation and Colonisation?

The Palestinian people have been suffering for too long at the hands of occupation.

While we hope for a successful outcome to current peace talks, our values as trade unionists and our commitment to solidarity, mean that we cannot stand idly by, while the people of Nablus, Hebron, Jerusalem and Gaza suffer on a daily basis, without homes, without jobs, without basic freedoms, and increasingly without hope.

It is our duty as trade unionists, to offer whatever support we can to end that suffering.

UNISON at all levels, along with others in PSC, is actively involved in developing the campaign to boycott goods from illegal settlements, and to pursue companies involved in the wall and illegal construction.

We strongly support this composite, and welcome the attitude of the General council, which sees this campaign as an ongoing process, that we need to step up.

Shimon Peres, master of the one-liner, put it this way.

He said, “The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel; the bad news is there is no tunnel.”

We can help concentrate governments’ minds, in building that tunnel towards the light.

On BDS and the possible negative impact upon Palestinians, I was part of an STUC delegation last year, we were told by the PA Minister, “The boycott may affect 20% of those Palestinians in employment in construction and service industries.

They don't work in export industries. For the sake of the political issue of our land, we can afford the economic sacrifice.”

#BDS: 8 US universities launch study programs in Israel

Top American universities to offer students one semester study-abroad programs. Project conceived by MASA in an effort to draw more foreign students to Israeli academic institutions

Israel is trying to draw more American students: eight leading universities in the United States will launch study-abroad programs in Israel this year.

The programs will send American students from participating universities to one- semester in the Jewish state, and grant them credit points that will be recognized by American universities.

Harvard University, Columbia University, New Jersey City University, University of Florida and University of Michigan will collaborate with Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

The University of Maryland will join efforts with Haifa University; Washington University will cooperate with The Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya (IDC), and Miami University will launch a program in Carmiel.

#BDS: NBA superstars discover Judaism

Shaq asks Omri Casspi 'how are you?' in Hebrew, LeBron James seeks financial advice from rabbi, Kobe Bryant wants to visit Israel, and Amare Stoudemire spent time in Holy Land searching for his 'Jewish roots.' Sports analyst: Trend spreading throughout entire US

When Omri Casspi became the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association, he never imagined his Hebrew would come in handy.

Shaquille O'Neal asked Casspi, "Shalom, ma shlomcha (how are you?)" and even said in front of the TV cameras, "Baruch Hashem, Shana Tova."

The veteran superstar joined a long list of NBA players who have discovered Kabbalah, Judaism and Israel. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers recently said, "I want to visit Israel," and he is not the first to do so.

LeBron James, considered the best NBA player along with Bryant, sought the financial advice of Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto; former Knicks shooting guard Alan Houston has visited Israel twice in the past year; and Amare Stoudemire, who signed a $100 million deal with the Knicks over the summer, recently visited the Holy Land in search of his "Jewish roots."

#BDS: K’s Choice shuns boycott calls, rocks Tel Aviv again

Belgian band back in Israel for two shows despite boycott calls, says local crowd ‘best in world’

Making a statement: For the second time in four months, Belgian band K’s Choice traveled to Israel for two shows, despite boycott calls.

Back in May, the band’s bass player Eric Grossman referred to English singer Elvis Costello as a "douchebag" for calling off his concerts in Israel. Grossman wrote on his Facebook page: "Well done. You're an idiot. Ditto to Santana, Bono, and all the other self important ego-maniacs, who think the Israeli people don't deserve their presence."

Playing to a sold-out crowd in Tel Aviv Tuesday night, Singer Sarah Bettens said the band resisted calls to boycott the latest shows, and vowed to return to Israel in the future. The concert featured several unique moments highlighting the band’s great affection for its Israeli fans.

#BDS: Sign the Petition: Ban Israel from the London 2012 Olympics

To: International Olympics Committee

Dear International Olympics Committee (IOC)

We, the undersigned citizens of the world, call on the international Olympics Committee to rescind Israel’s participation in the London 2012 Olympics.

Israel’s attack on a humanitarian aid fleet on Monday 31 May 2010, its murder of 9 human rights activists in international waters, and wounding many more, demonstrate that Israel rejects the structural tenets of our shared humanity, manifested in a global moral consensus and international law.

Israel was established on the ruins of another country, Palestine. In 1948 more than half the population of Palestine were uprooted from their cities and villages, 400 of which were completely destroyed. The state of Israel has never allowed Palestinian refugees to return and today their number has reached 7 million, many of whom are still stateless, living in refugee camps in Palestine and other Arab countries

Since its establishment the state of Israel has consistently violated international law. To date, it has defied 246 UN Security Council Resolutions. As a direct consequence, seven million Palestinians are excluded from the right to live on land internationally acknowledged to be theirs; and increasingly, they are being excluded from their right to any future at all as a nation. The 4 million Palestinians in the occupied territories have endured over 40 years of brutal occupation and denied even the most basic Human rights. The 1.4 million who remain in Israel are second class citizens.

The daily brutality of the Israeli army in Gaza and the West Bank continues; Palestinian land continues to be stolen, houses demolished and crops destroyed. For years now the state of Israel has been carrying out a slow genocide in the Gaza Strip, maintaining a tight blockade over its inhabitants and repeated bombing raids all of which are contrary to International Laws which prohibit collective punishment.

The Israeli military used white phosphorus munitions in the 2008-2009 Gaza war. The IDF acknowledged it’s use after the war ended.

Several reports from human right groups during the war indicated that white phosphorus shells were being used by Israel in violation of international law. Human Rights Watch said shells exploded over populated civilian areas, including a crowded refugee camp, a UN compound where food was stored, and a United Nations school where civilians were seeking refuge.

Human Rights Watch said its experts in the region had witnessed the use of white phosphorus. Kenneth Roth, the organisation’s executive director, added: “This is a chemical compound that burns structures and burns people. It should not be used in populated areas.”

Amnesty International said a fact-finding team found “indisputable evidence of the widespread use of white phosphorus” in crowded residential areas of Gaza City and elsewhere in the territory. Donatella Rovera, the head of an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza, said: “Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.”

“Israel’s policy on settlements is not only unlawful, it also impacts severely on the human rights of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the constructions taking place on occupied Palestinian land,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other prominent South Africans have likened the situation of the Palestinians to apartheid for which South Africa were banned from international sporting events including the Olympic Games.

The challenge of apartheid was fought with the non-violent international response of a campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions. Today Palestinian artists, trade unionists, teachers, writers, film-makers and non-governmental organisations have called for a comparable boycott of Israel, as offering another path to a just peace, saying, ì At a time when the international movement to isolate Israel is gaining ground in response to the escalation of Israel’s violently colonial and racist policies, we respectfully urge conscientious organisations, sportsmen, academics, artists and intellectuals from around the world, including those who visit [or host Israeli's from] the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), to refrain from visiting [or hosting] Israel to participate in any event or encounter that is not explicitly dedicated to ending Israel’s illegal occupation and other forms of oppression. Regardless of intentions, such visits only contribute to the prolongation of injustice by normalizing and thereby legitimizing it, and inadvertently support Israel’s efforts to appear as a “normal” participant in the “civilized” world of sport, science, scholarship and art while at the same time practising a pernicious form of apartheid against Palestinians.î This call has been endorsed by some brave Israeli dissidents and many prominent international figures.

Boycott is a tactic which allows people, as distinct from their elected governments, to apply pressure on those wielding power in an unjust way. It is directed not against people but against oppressive and unjust policies and regimes in order to bring about change. I would also remind you that Principle 2 of the Olympic Charter declares the principles of Olympism to ìplace sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignityî. Also principle 5 which states “Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion,
politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.” Clearly the acts of genocide against Palestinians and the forcing out by the illegal expansion of the settlements is a violation of this principle. By your own words in Principle 6 “Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC.” As Israel are not compliant how can they then participate under the current conditions that Palestinians are faced with? Particularly considering that “The name of an NOC must reflect the territorial extent and tradition of its country…” However many Israelis are living on disputed land and therefore Israeli athletes cannot be considered to be from the legitimate territorial extent of their country.

Contrary to Olympic Charter bye-laws stating “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas” you will; by allowing Israel to participate and not taking a stand against their racist policies; be implicitly supporting war crimes, ethnic cleansing, dispossession, and continued oppression of the Palestinian people, a people seeking to end the silence of the international community and achieve a just peace. The Israeli politicians and citizens see every visit to and from Israel as an act of support for their policies. Every cancellation is a reminder to them that all is not well and that there will be a price for the ongoing oppression and the indifference for rights of Palestinians.

If you require more information about the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories, organisations such as Amnesty International, the World Health Organisation and the Israeli human rights organisation BíTselem have published detailed reports.

We feel sure that, in the light of the information available, you would not wish to lend support ñ however indirect and implicit ñ to Israelís policies, by allowing them to attend and participate in such a high profile event that aims to be ìa force for goodî.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Click here to sign petition

#BDS: Australian call to boycott grows

More Australian unions have issued strong statements condemning the Israeli occupation and blockade of Gaza, and joining the Palestinian call for boycott.  The Victorian Trades Hall Council and RTBU Queensland Branch added their union’s strength to the BDS call.  TheMaritime Union Queensland Branch issued a strong statement calling to end the illegal blockade of Gaza.  The latest CFMEU Western Australia journal has written about the recent visit of Diana Buttu to their union.

In international union news, the British trade unions have taken their BDS campaign one step further with a resolution to boycott companies “profiteering” from the Israeli Occupation. Canadian postal workers have found an innovative way to get mail to Gaza, following the Israeli Post Office’s embargo on delivering postal services to the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian unions have pledged their support for a boycott of settlement goods.  Palestinian journalistsin Gaza call for the IFJ, currently visiting their Palestinian counterparts in the West Bank, to not forget to visit Gaza as well.

View the AUSPalestine NEWS page  for this latest September news.

The AUSPalestine EVENTS page also has photos of an Australian firefighter visiting his Palestinian colleagues recently in Nablus and Gaza.  Stuart was greatly impressed by the dedication and professionalism of his Palestinian counterparts, and also managed to pay a visit to an injured firefighter in Gaza.

#BDS: محاكمة 5 فرنسيين دعوا لمقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية

بدأت في مدينة ميلوز الفرنسية محاكمة خمسة فرنسيين دعوا إلى مقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية المنتجة في المستوطنات في أحد المحال التجارية بالمدينة. وقد رفعت منظمات مؤيدة لإسرائيل دعوى ضدهم بتهمة التحريض على العنف والتمييز العنصري. ويقول دعاة المقاطعة إن حملاتهم ترمي إلى الضغط على إسرائيل حتى تصدر منتجات الأرض المحتلة تحت اسم صنع في إسرائيل.

#BDS: اتحاد عمال بريطانيا يدعم مقاطعة بضائع المستوطنات عبر مؤتمره السنوي

بيت لحم- معا- أبرق الأمين العام لاتحاد نقابات العمال البريطاني (TUC) إلى الأمين العام لاتحاد نقابات عمال فلسطين شاهر سعد برقية أرسل له فيها قرار مؤتمر اتحاد نقابات عمال بريطانيا بدعم توجهات اتحاد نقابات عمال فلسطين بمقاطعة بضائع المستوطنات الإسرائيلية واعتبر المستوطنات في تلك المناطق "غير شرعية".

من جهته أعرب الأمين العام شاهر سعد عن شكره وامتنانه عبر رسالة وجهها للامين العام البريطاني(TUC) برندن باربر، لهذا القرار الداعم الذي اتخذه المؤتمر ودعا سعد الأمين العام لاتحاد نقابات عمال بريطانيا إلى زيارة فلسطين هو والوفد المرافق له للاحتفال بهذا القرار.

علما أن هذا المؤتمر يمثل أكثر من عشرة ملايين عامل بريطاني يجتمعون سنويا لاتخاذ قرارات تهم وتصب في مصلحة الحركة النقابية البريطانية.

يذكر أن اتحاد نقابات العمال في بريطانيا (TUC) رفض مشاركة نقابة عمال أصدقاء "إسرائيل" في مؤتمره السنوي، رغم الضمانات التي قدمها برفع الحظر الذي أقره العام الماضي.