Youth Against Normalization

Mar 15, 2011

#BDS: Bahrain's Ambassador to the U.S meets with senior representatives of AIPAC

"Feb 19, (collive) -- One a recent snowy evening, guests arrived at the Lubavitch Center in Washington, DC, home of American Friends of Lubavitch, which played host to a private dinnermeeting for a visiting foreign dignitary.

"Heading to dinner with a prominent JewishAmbassador to the United States - will say more after I see if it's on-the-record," William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy for the Jewish Federations of North America, tweeted onhis account.

He was referring to Houda Nonoo, Bahrain's Ambassador to the U.S. - believed to be the Arab world's first Jewish envoy, who attends services at The Shul of the Nation's Capital at Lubavitch Center.

Joining him were senior representatives of AIPAC, American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, Anti-Defamation League and other prominent members of the Washington Jewish community."

#BDS: شركة 'غلوبال' الأمنيّة الإسرائيليّة تؤهل قوات الأمن في عدد من دول الخليج

الناصرة ـ 'القدس العربي' كشفت صحيفة 'يديعوت أحرونوت' النقاب عن عمل شركة أمن إسرائيلية في إحدى دول الخليج لتدريب وتأهيل مقاتلين وحراس لآبار النفط ومواقع حساسة أمنياً . ونشرت الصحيفة صوراً لمدربين إسرائيليين تحت أسماء أوروبية وغربية مستعارة، خشية انكشاف هويتهم الإسرائيلية وتعريض حياتهم للخطر.

وقالت الصحيفة إن المدربين هم من خريجي الوحدات القتالية في جهاز الأمن العام (شاباك) ووحدات النخبة القتالية في الجيش الإسرائيلي وتبلغ أعمارهم حوالى الـ25 عاماً. وذكرت الصحيفة أن المدربين يصلون إلى إحدى دول الخليج العربية من مطار بن غوريون في اللد مروراً بعمان أو أنطاليا، لافتة إلى أنّ عمل الشركة كان بمعرفة ومصادقة وزارة الأمن الإسرائيلية.

وزادت الصحيفة قائلةً إنّ عمل الشركة الإسرائيليّة استمر على مدار عامين، من العام 2007 إلى العام 2009، وهدف إلى تأهيل وحدات عسكرية نخبوية ووحدات شرطية في إحدى دول الخليج العربية لحراسة آبار النفط. وانتهى التعاقد مع الشركة الإسرائيلية نهاية العام الحالي في ظل انتقادات شديدة لها خشية نقلها خبرات أجهزة الأمن الإسرائيلية إلى دول عربية مقابل مبالغ طائلة.

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: Global actions, backlash during Israeli Apartheid Week

"The 7th annual Israeli Apartheid Week launched this week, with more than 75 cities across six continents participating in educational events and direct actions in support of the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

With events taking place from Boston to Zurich, Durban to Perth, and Montreal to Gaza City, on college campuses and in conference halls, thousands of activists, students and analysts are strengthening anti-apartheid solidarity networks while calling attention to the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation.

The Israeli Apartheid Week coordination website (http://apartheidweek.org/en) says that these annual events "have highlighted the role that could be played by people and governments across the world in providing solidarity with the Palestinian struggle by exerting urgent pressure on Israel to alter its current structure and practices as an apartheid state."

"A broad coalition of queer, trans and straight Palestinian, Israeli and allied international activists are protesting the Israeli government’s “Tel Aviv Gay Vibe” promotional events at the International Tourist Fair in Berlin March 12-13. The activists are asking the fair organizers to refuse to allow the “Gay Vibe” stand at the fair.

Tel Aviv Gay Vibe Campaign in Berlin is sponsored by the Israeli government. Activists argue that this portrayal serves to distract the international community from Israel’s serious and ongoing human rights violations of Palestinians in Israel and the OccupiedPalestinian Territories (OPT). Additionally, Israel makes political use of homophobia in their portrayal of the surrounding Arab states.

The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanction National Committee is therefore calling for a tourism boycott: “Supporting Israeli tourism comes at the cost of further destruction to Palestinian communities, heritage and culture. Tourism is used by the occupation to promote a "progressive", "peaceful" and "multicultural" face to the world despite the daily crimes committed against the Palestinian people. In the campaign against tourism to Apartheid South Africa, activists sought out tourist exhibitions or agents promoting travel to the regime under the slogan "Apartheid is NO Holiday".”

#BDS: Congress of South African Trade Unions Supports Call for Termination of U. Johannesburg Relations with Ben Gurion U.

"The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) fully supports its affiliate NEHAWU in calling on the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to terminate any relationship with the Israel’s Ben Gurion University (BGU).

NEHAWU, the biggest public sector union in South Africa, said, “The union, mindful of our own country`s history and the role that international solidarity played in ending South Africa`s apartheid regime, is convinced that all of us in this country have a particular responsibility to take seriously the struggles of others who face similar conditions of racial oppression and economic exploitation that we have known”.

COSATU supports the call from students, academics and numerous prominent individuals, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, for UJ to terminate its apartheid-era relationship with Israel`s BGU, a university that actively collaborates with the Israeli Defence Force in its enforcement of apartheid occupation against Palestinians, by offering special privileges and services to the army."

#BDS: Security Company G4S to 'partially' cut ties with Israeli Apartheid

"The world’s largest security company G4S, has this morning announced that the company will end a number of its activities in the occupied West Bank. This happens after the independent Danish research center DanWatch has uncovered that G4S is supplying, among others, Israeli prisons and checkpoints, with security technology.

G4S writes in a statement today that their security services in the West Bank are not in compliance with the company’s ethical policies, even though their activities “are not discriminating or controversial”.

“We have concluded that we, in order to ensure that our business activities are in compliance with our ethical policy, will work to withdraw from a number of contracts in the area”, legal director Soren Lundsberg writes."

#BDS: Israel's falafel food fight

What is the writer of this article trying to say? I really don't get it. I read the article over and over again and I still don't. It's about a project examining the 'Israelisation' of falafel that raises some "interesting" questions about the boycott movement.

"It is the 1960s and a systematic effort to create a collective 'Israeli' identity is at its peak. Falafel is nationalised into Israeli culture and used as a symbol of 'Israeliness' as part of its nation-building campaign. Popular songs claiming falafel as an exclusive Israeli provenance, like And We Have Falafel, are composed, while falafel restaurants - reconstructed in Arab street-vendor fashion - are mapped across the state.
Fifty-one years later, Israel's branding of falafel persists, both locally and internationally, from popular postcards labelling falafel "Israel's national snack" to McDonald's recently 'Israelised' menu that includes a kosher McFalafel sandwich.
In the short film Soup over Bethlehem, Palestinian artist and filmmaker Larissa Sansour chronicled the relationship between food and politics to tell the Palestinian narrative. Now, in Falafel Road, a project that stemmed from an art residency with the London-based Live Arts Development Agency, Sansour, in collaboration with Israeli artist Oreet Ashery, visits London eateries, recording what they call "the falafel experience"."

Read more

Mar 14, 2011

#BDS: BDS: A call to the Coens

"Dear Joel and Ethan Coen

We understand that you’re among this year’s winners of a $1mn Dan David prize, awarded jointly by the Dan David Foundation and Tel Aviv University. We read that you’re likely to attend the award ceremony in Israel on May 15, in the company of Israeli president Shimon Peres.

All this may seem unexceptional to you. But we think you’re too smart not to understand that nothing in this situation is simple. The Dan David judges apparently like your ability ‘to tell a simple story in a complex manner’. Allow us to complicate your reported acceptance of this prize.

Your much-celebrated presence will adorn a colonial settler state still vigorously engaged in the business of dispossessing and driving out the indigenous inhabitants, who are the Palestinians. Of course the United States itself is built on the bones and demolished civilizations of its own indigenous inhabitants, but for the Palestinians the struggle is real and present – an every day battle to hang on to land, houses, livelihoods, hopes and ambitions."

Demonstrations outside Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA

"Activists protested the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last week as part of a growing global movement of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) in support of the Palestinian cause.

Los Angeles marked the end of the orchestra’s U.S. tour and a potential turning point in the BDS movement in the United States. It was one of the first times that regional BDS activists coordinated a unified national call to boycott Israel through the Philharmonic.

“We hope to send a message to the Israeli Philharmonic and Israel that it can’t drown out Palestinian calls for justice with pretty music,” said Radhika Sainath, of BDS Los Angeles for Justice in Palestine."

#BDS: Agrexo Blockaded at Belgian Airport: Campaign against Imports from Israeli Settlements to Europe

"On February 11, 2011, a group of Belgian peace activists blocked the entrance of the Israeli company Agrexco’s distribution centre at Liège Airport. The activists protested against the import of agricultural goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

The settlements are in violation of international humanitarian law. Agrexco facilitates the economical growth of the settlements by exporting their agricultural produce to the worlds markets. The activists were aiming to prevent Agrexco from distributing its products on the European markets via Liège airport.

The blockade of Agrexco

The activists chained themselves to the entrance of the distribution centre at LACHS at Liège Airport, in order to block the trucks coming to collect Agrexco products. They demand guarantees that products traded by Agrexco, do not originate from the illegal settlements. As long as the company refuses to give this guarantee, the government should put a halt to the unethical trade of agricultural goods from Israel."

#BDS: Using Sports to Whitewash Israeli Crimes: Adidas – Don’t Run With Apartheid

"On 8 January 2011, London BDS activists kicked off the Adidas – Don’t Run With Apartheid campaign at the Adidas store near Covent Garden regarding the company’s sponsorship of the first-ever Jerusalem Marathon due to take place on 25 March 2011.

BDS activists spoke with the manager, explained the reasons behind the campaign and presented a letter to be forwarded to the UK and European head office. The manager accepted the letter and claimed that Adidas was aware of their concerns. Activists then distributed flyers directly outside the shop and talked to passersby and customers, asking them to urge Adidas to withdraw its sponsorship.

A few weeks later, this was Adidas’ reply:

Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Jerusalem Marathon.
Adidas is convinced by the unifying power sport offers. As a general rule we do not influence any political processes or event details.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for contacting the Adidas Group.
Yours sincerely
Lauren Cruse
Customer Care Manager
For and on behalf of Adidas (UK) Limited"

#BDS: Another sign that the Egyptian revolution is not over yet: Natural gas from Egypt to Israel to resume today

"(Reuters) - Natural gas supply from Egypt to Israeli customers is expected to resume on Monday after the pipeline was damaged five weeks ago, an Israeli partner in the East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) consortium said on Sunday.

The resumption of gas supply will follow the successful completion of repair work and testing of the pipeline that was damaged in an explosion and fire on Feb. 5, Ampal-American Israel Corp (AMPL.O) (AMPL.TA) said in a statement. It initially was slated to resume on March 4 but was delayed several times.

Egyptian state television and local government officials had reported saboteurs blew up a pipeline that runs through Egypt's North Sinai, disrupting flows to Israel and Jordan after Islamists called on militants to exploit the unrest that led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak."

#BDS: Another BDS Success: Norwegian union votes to support Israel boycott

"OSLO, Norway (Ma'an) --The congress of the Electrician and IT workers union in Norway unanimously voted in favor of a resolution calling for boycott of Israeli goods, a ban on Norwegian arms trade with the Israeli military, and end to all research cooperation.

Norway's Network One news said in a report that union members also urged the country to push for international sanctions against Israel through the UN."

Mar 12, 2011

Traveling

Mar 11, 2011

#BDS: قلق صهيوني من "مقاطعة عالمية" لمنتجات المستوطنات

حذّرت صحيفة عبرية من اتساع نطاق المقاطعة الاقتصادية لمنتجات المستوطنات بحيث تغدو مقاطعة عالمية، في ظل تصاعد الحملات والتحرّكات الداعية إلى عدم ابتياع منتجات المستوطنات، لا سيما في الدول الأوروبية.

وأفادت صحيفة /عنيان مركزي/ العبرية المقرّبة من أجهزة الاستخبارات الصهيونية، أن الدول الأوروبية تشهد تزايدا ملحوظا للدعوات المطالبة بمقاطعة المنتجات الصهيونية، موضحة أنه تم رصد تحركات نسوية في أوروبا تتمثّل برفع لافتات أمام المحال التجارية تناشد عدم ابتياع منتجات المستوطنات.

فيما حذّرت من تداعيات إعلان الحكومة الأردنية مقاطعة منتجات مائتين وعشرين شركة ومصنع صهيوني مقام على أراضي الضفة الغربية المحتلة، حيث وبموجب هذا الإعلان سيصار إلى وقف عمليات استيراد وإدخال منتجات المستوطنات إلى الأراضي الأردنية.