Feb 16, 2011

#BDS: Israel Launches New PR Campaign on North American Campuses: Faces of Israel

"A delegation of young Israelis will embark next week on a singular public relations campaign on North American campuses. Entitled Faces of Israel, the delegation includes Arabs and Jews, representatives of the LGBT community and Ethiopian immigrants who are meant to show the “real face” of Israeli society.

Yuli Edelstein, the Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs and the initiator ofFaces of Israel, said that “We believe this is the appropriate answer to the campaign of delegitimisation occurring against Israel throughout the world. This campaign will bring local students face to face with Israeli students just like them. The delegation will be divided into groups and go to various universities, where they will participate in panels and direct encounters on campus.”

According to Israel’s Artuz 7 news outlet, delegation members were “carefully selected with the goal of representing Israeli society as a colourful and diverse society which protects equality and human rights, and thus refute attempts to present Israel as an apartheid state.”

#BDS: Josep Carreras to perform in Israel"

"Letter to Josep Carreras

Dear Mr Carreras,

We were saddened to hear that you will be giving a concert in Israel in March.

You may not be aware of the serious violations of International Law and Human Rights that have been carried out against the Palestinian population by Israel over the last 60-odd years. One of the most recent violations was the brutal attack made on the Gaza Strip in 2008-2009, during which Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity as detailed in the report that the South African judge Richard Goldstone drew up for the United Nations in 2009.

In 1948-1949 the budding Jewish State implemented a policy of ethnic cleansing that converted more than 750,000 Palestinians into refugees. From then on, the Israeli regime has denied basic rights and freedoms to the whole of the Palestinian population, whether resident in Israel, in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 or in other countries as refugees. Since then the indigenous population of Palestine –made up of Christian, Druze and Moslem Arabs– has suffered occupation, colonisation of their lands and apartheid measures. Since 2002, the Jewish State has been building a separation Wall in the occupied territories (East Jerusalem and the West Bank). This was declared illegal on 9 July 2004 in a ruling by the International Court of Justice."

#BDS: Israel — a fruitless lie

"I understand the point of complaining that Jaffa Grapefruit are being sold by Coles Australia under the cover of false labelling.

I realise also that it puts a lie to the claim of ‘Ethical Sourcing’ by Coles (see Coles Ethical Sourcing Supplier Fact Sheet). Especially when its purchase of fruit involves the exploitation of Palestinian people whose land was stolen by deception and by force of arms.

Coles false labelling of Jaffa Grapefruit as a 'Product of Australia'

Boycott Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) groups in Australia request that the fruit be labelled ‘Product of Israel’ so that people can choose not to buy those fruit — fair enough.

But to label Jaffa Grapefruit/oranges as a ‘Product of Israel’ contains an historic lie.

The incorrectly labelled Jaffa (in Arabic: يَافَا‎, Yāfā) oranges/grapefruit were the product of Palestine long before Israel existed as a ‘country of origin’.

For example, the Palestinian people of the village Al-Jammasin in the precinct of Jaffa grew citrus for generations before the Zionist settlers came in 19th and 20th centuries."

#BDS: Edmonton Israeli Apartheid Week 2011

#BDS: Action Alert: Ban Ahava from Professional Beauty 2011

"We, the undersigned, are aware that Ahava have a stand at Professional Beauty 2011 ExCel 27-28 February. We urge Professional Beauty to reconsider granting Ahava a stand for the following reasons:
• Ahava’s products are made with natural resources from areas in the Dead Sea which are within the West Bank, an internationally-recognised part of the Palestinian Territories
• These natural resources are taken against the will of their owners and are thus stolen
• Ahava’s products are produced in a settlement in the West Bank called Mitzpe Shalem
• All settlements in the West Bank, including Mitzpe Shalem, are illegal under international law
• Palestinians, the internationally-recognised owners of the resources and the land, do not benefit in any way from the resources and lands Ahava uses against their will
• It would be compliant to international law and decent to the true owners of the resources and land to send a strong message of condemnation to Ahava, which is an illegitimate company"

Sign petition here

#BDS: SEPHORA Mulhouse retire les produits AHAVA de la vente!

"La marque de cosmétiques AHAVA est produite dans la colonie Mitzpe Shalem de la vallée du Jourdain à partir de boues. L'exploitation de territoires occupés est illégale selon les Conventions de Genève.

depuis septembre 2010, le collectif Boycott 68 mène une action d'information auprès de Sephora et de ses clients et appelle au boycott de la marque.
La direction régionale Alsace a décidé le retrait des produits de marque.."

#BDS:Seriously, what else did you expect? Bill that prohibits boycotts of Israel approved in preliminary reading

Ynet reported:

"In a first reading, the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved a law proposal that would prohibit boycotts of Israel. If the bill is passed, the State would place criminal sanctions on anyone wishing to boycott it. The proposal was accepted despite opposition from the Foreign and Justice Ministries, whose representatives claimed that the law might hurt Israeli interests."

Feb 15, 2011

#BDS: Israeli former IDF soldier and tennis player in Dubai

"Shahar Peer, who is being kept away from her rivals at the Dubai Championships in a heavily-guarded compound for the second year in a row, said she was feeling under even more pressure to succeed this time round.

Two years ago the tournament received a record $300,000 fine from the WTA and was threatened with removal from the tour after the Israeli was refused a visa to compete.
Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates which, like most Arab countries, has no diplomatic ties with the Jewish state and Israelis are routinely denied entry.
Peer was granted entry in 2010 and reached the semi-finals before losing to Venus Williams. The security conditions she encountered last year exist again this week but she said that was not the reason she felt extra pressure to perform."
Read more

#BDS: Bryan Ferry coming to Israel

"Roxy Music lead vocalist to perform in Tel Aviv on April 19, just five days after teen idol Justin Bieber

Ferry was considered one of the biggest music stars in the 1970s and 1980s, with dozens of hit singles both with the Roxy Music band and as part of his solo career.

Ferry formed Roxy Music in 1970 together with saxophonist Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera, Paul Thompson and Brian Eno – who is today one of the most important music producers in the world."

Read more

#BDS: Resisting Pinkwashing: Queers Won’t Hide Israel’s Dirty Laundry

"Recently a pro-gay ad from Israel popped up on my Facebook feed. It used the metaphor of the closet to push Israeli parents to accept and support their queer kids. I’m queer. I’m Jewish. And I care deeply about queer issues. So why didn’t the ad spark even an ounce of excitement in me? Because I am wary of my queerness being used by Israel. For some time now, Israel has been promoting gay rights to “pinkwash” its image in an attempt to divert attention away from its treatment of Palestinians.

Why Brand Israel? Why Make It Gay?

As Israel’s reputation becomes more and more unpopular around the world because of its increasingly publicized violations of Palestinian human rights, the Foreign Ministry and other Israel advocacy organizations have been attempting to bolster its image with a “Brand Israel” campaign that promotes Israel’s innovation, culture, and tourism. In the last few years, this effort has started including Israel’s support for gay rights as part of its “cosmopolitan” culture.

While emphasizing the thriving gay community in cities such as Tel Aviv in order to portray Israel as an oasis of gay freedom and democracy in the Middle East, Israel advocacy groups use colonialist language to suggest that Israel is surrounded by “backwards” homophobic, uncivilized Arabs, including Palestinians. Blaming “fundamentalist Islamic beliefs,” groups such as Stand With Us (SWU), a Right Wing Israeli advocacy organization highlights the violence that gay Palestinians face from their families and authorities in Palestine. Of course, they never mention the violence allPalestinians, whatever their sexual orientation, face from the Israeli government."

#BDS: Hamas prohibits import of Israeli-manufactured clothing

"GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A new set of restrictions on importing Israeli-manufactured goods into Gaza, were anounced by Gaza's Ministry of the National Economy Sunday.

The ministry statement included a ban on clothing manufactured in Israel. Merchants would have to apply to the ministry for permission to sell several other items, the statement said.

Ma'an obtained a copy of the list of restricted items manufactured in Israel, including the following:

Require approval

- Home and office furniture
- Plastic products
- Tissues, toilet paper
- Hoses
- Juices, soft drinks
- Chemical products
- Canned beans
- Biscuits, candies
- Packaging materials"

"On Saturday 12 February, boycott campaigners staged a Valentine’s Day picket outside Ahava. Shop staff quickly called the police and displayed a closed sign thus even further discouraging custom during the time we were there.

Many people were attracted to our brightly coloured broken heart-shaped signs that read “Ahava: Stop Breaking Palestinian Hearts”, “Settlements are Heartless”, “Apartheid is Heartless” and ”Occupation is Heartless”.

The picket not just attracted attention to the boycott of plundered goods that Ahava sells and the crimes that are being perpetrated continuously upon Palestinians by the Israeli government, but also our presence recalled the murder of Jawaher Abu Rahmah of the Palestinian village of Bil’in by the Israeli army of occupation who died on 31 December after succumbing to fatal injuries after inhaling tear gas, fired by the Israeli military during one of the village’s weekly protests against the apartheid wall and Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.

Jawaher was the sister of Bassem Abu Rahmah, also killed in Bil’in in 2009 when an American-made, high velocity tear gas projectile was fired directly at his chest by an Israeli soldier."

#BDS #JAN25: Oil and Gas Workers on Strike إضراب عمال البترول والغاز

Courtesy of 3arabawy:

Feb 14, 2011

#BDS: BDS Campaign in Qatar opposes invitation of Israeli tennis player

"Qatari Youth Opposed to Normalization" has launched a campaign targeting the invitation of Shahar Peer, by the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) to play in the Qatar Ladies Open for the second year. While Shahar Peer enjoys the privilege to train and travel freely, the Palestinian athletes are denied the basic right of mobility and have been prevented from participation in international events:

In 2006 Israel bombed the stadium in Gaza
In October 2007, Israel refused the Palestinian football team exit visas to play a FIFA World Cup Qualifier second leg.
In May 2008, Israel again refused the team exit visas to allow them take part in the AFC Challenge Cup.
In 2009 three footballers, Ayman Alkurd, Shade Sbakhe and Wajeh Moshtahe were murdered by Israeli bombs during the month long ‘Cast Lead’ assault on Gaza.

Noting the above, and having faith in our leaders vision; we call for the immediate withdrawal of the invitation to Shahar Peer and not granting her a visa to participate in the event.

What can you do?

1 - Contact QFT and express your opposition to them inviting an Israeli tennis player

Telephone: 44832991
Send feedback online: http://www.qatartennis.org/feedbacks/

2 - Send a letter to the local newspapers stating your opposition and demanding they cover the topic critically:

The Peninsular: (http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/contact-us.html)
Tel: 4455-7739/41/47/48
Fax: 4455-7746
E-mail: editor@pen.com.qa

Qatar Tribune: Tel:+974 44422077 / 44666810 / 44554333 Email:letters@qatar-tribune.com Editorial: editor@qatar-tribune.com

Gulf Times (http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/static.asp?cu_no=2&lng=1&template_id=52&temp_type=42&parent_id=33)
Tel: 4350478 (News)
e-mail: editor@gulf-times.com

3 - Make at least 10 copies of the pamphlet and share it with your colleagues, neighbors, and friends.. or just leave it hanging around somewhere public ;)

4 - Come to the event with a Poster and let Peer know she is not welcome!

More? Contact us: qatariyouth.on@gmail.com

Youth Against Normalization

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