#BDS: Former Israeli Defense Minister warns of BDS

"Usually in mainstream Israeli political discourse, BDS is the “love” that dare not speak its name.  If the Knesset is seeking to pass a law to criminalize references to the Nakba, all the more so references to the terrible act of ‘delegitimization’ (what an ugly, ungainly word) that is BDS.  It’s simplytreif in polite political discourse.  Which is why comments made this week in the Knesset by Labor MK Benyamin Ben Eliezer in retort to Bibi Netanyayhu’s triumphalizing about his recent hero’s welcome in Washington, DC, are all the more shocking."


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#BDS: #Gaza: Young Palestinians Lead a Global Movement

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"PSCABI is the student arm of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), itself part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee. Since its July 2005 founding by Palestinian organizations from Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, and the diaspora, BDS has grown into a formidable global movement with an impressive record of victories.


In the last month alone, the University and College Union (UCU) and the University of London Union (ULU), respectively the largest academic labor union in the United Kingdom and the largest student union in Europe, voted to support it and sever their ties with Israeli institutions;  UK Prime Minister David Cameron quietly resigned his post as Honorary Chairman of the Jewish National Fund, implicated in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian lands; students at the United States’ DePaul University voted by a nearly 80% margin (although without reaching the necessary quorum) to remove Sabra hummus, linked to the Israeli military, from their campus; the French-Belgian bank Dexia announced the impending sale of its Israeli subsidiary, “even at a loss;” and musicians Andy McKee and Marc Almond cancelled appearances in Israel."

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#BDS: أخبار مهرجان قطر للموسيقى والتطبيع

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من جانبه أكد المايسترو دانييل بارينبويم أن الموسيقى تستطيع أن تجعل كل شيء مترابطا بشكل ثابت ودائم، مشيراً إلى أن عمل الموسيقي هو عملية تكامل بعد أن تترابط كل عناصرها في ببعضها البعض، مما يكون قادراً على خلق حوار صوتين معاً كل منهما يعبر عن نفسه إلى أقصى درجة بينما في الوقت ذاته يستمع إلى الآخر وقال: نستخلص من ذلك إمكانية الاستماع ليس فقط للموسيقى وإنما أيضاً من الموسيقى، وأضاف 24 ساعة فقط لتغيير العالم، أرى في أحلامي أنني رئيس وزراء إسرائيل تعزف عصاي سيمفونية جديدة رائعة معاهدة تحتفل بالتعايش المنسجم للإسرائليين والفلسطينيين، في هذا العمل سأحقق ما بات مستحيلاً حتى يومنا هذا، الحقوق المتساوية للشعبين في الشرق الأوسط، وأشار إلى أن القدس عاصمة مشتركة ويجب ان تكون هذه المدينة المقدسة وطناً مشتركاً للمسلمين، المسيحيين، اليهود بالنسبة، مؤكداً أن القدس هي المدينة التي لا يزال لها صدى تاريخي أبعد من الحضارات القديمة لروما وأثينا.

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#BDS: لطيفة تعتذر عن مهرجان فلسطين: الغناء لأهل فلسطين كنز، لكني أرفض ختم إسرائيل وحواجزها

اعتذرت المطربة التونسية لطيفة، عن عدم المشاركة فى مهرجان فلسطين الدولي، الذى يقام خلال شهر يوليو / تموز المقبل بمدينة رام الله، ويضم عددًا كبيرًا من المطربين.

وهدف المهرجان منذ تأسيسه في العام ١٩٩٣ وفقا لمنظميه، كسر الحصار الثقافي الذي يفرضه الاحتلال الاسرائيلي على الشعب الفلسطيني، وبناء جسور من التواصل بينه وبين الثقافات الأخرى.

لطيفة صرحت لصحيفة المصري اليوم: "بشكل عام أرفض التطبيع، وأرفض أيضًا ختم جواز سفري بالختم الاسرائيلي، أو حتى دخول دولة عربية عن طريق معابر وحواجز اسرائيلية، فلن أتحمل لحظة عبوري من الأردن إلى فلسطين، أو وقوفي أمام ضابط اسرائيلي هو صاحب القرار في دخولي إلى دولة عربية، حتى لو استعنت بوثيقة للمرور إلى فلسطين."

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#BDS Victory: #Turkey-#Israel concert for religious tolerance canceled

"Three Religions' concert to be held in Istanbul canceled at last minute after IHH and other Islamic organizations claim Israel participation in event 'unacceptable' and a 'provocation'.


A Turkish concert meant to bridge the religious divide between Jews, Christians and Muslims was canceled at the last minute Thursday due to pressure from a Turkish humanitarian NGO, according to a Channel 10 report.
Members of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief foundation (IHH) along with other Islamic organizations demanded that organizers cancel the "Three Religions" concert to be held in Istanbul, claiming that Israeli participation in the event was "unacceptable".

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#BDS: IGLYO abandons Arab queer youth, signs up for Israel’s pinkwashing campaign

"Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (Toronto) joins with those expressing disappointment in the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization. To accept Israeli government money to hold its General Assembly in Israel despite the international call for boycott until Israel complies with international law, is a betrayal of the IGLYO mandate. This is especially disturbing given that the decision was made after appeals by Palestinian queer organizations to respect the boycott. They have made it clear that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is a major barrier to their work. The IGLYO has not only chosen a site inaccessible to them, but it has sent a message to queers throughout the Arab world that they are not part of our movement. In doing so, IGLYO increases their vulnerability, undermines their work and isolates them from the wider queer solidarity movement."


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#BDS: IGLYO- أخرجوا من إسرائيل!

دعوة من ناشطين مثليين/ات فلسطينيين/ات من "القوس" و"أصوات" وكويريين فلسطينيين لأجل دعم حملة مقاطعة إسرائيل موجهة إلى "الجمعية العالمية للمثليين والمثليات الشباب" لعقد مؤتمرها خارج إسرائيل

في أعقاب نية المنظمة الدولية للشباب مثليي ومثليات الجنس (IGLYO) عقد مؤتمر جمعيتها العامة للعام 2011، في كانون
 الأول القادم، في تل أبيب، إسرائيل، أصدرت جهات مثلية فلسطينية بيانًا يدعو إلى رفض هذا المؤتمر وعدم عقده في إسرائيل .

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#BDS: Israel Supporters Declare Counter Boycott on Scottish Goods

"The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) – a partnership of 250 Jewish men’s clubs that claims more than 25,000 members throughout North America – has joined with synagogues both in Israel and in the diaspora in “suggesting a boycott of scotch from distillers located in West Dunbartonshire Council in Scotland at Kiddush and [in] public and private” celebrations.

The FJMC, which is affiliated with the Conservative movement, has called for Jews to avoid certain brands of spirits following a boycott of Israeli goods instituted by the local council of the whiskey-producing region."

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#BDS: More on the University of Johannesburg boycott decision

"On 1st April we carried a postUniversity of Johannesburg to boycott Ben Gurion University. This included a news report on the decision and immediate reactions to it from the Chronicle of Higher Education, South African University Is First to Open Academic Boycott of Israeli Counterpart; John Strawson’s critical posting The University of Johannesburg’s boycott decision; and Ran Greenstein’s widerReflections on Academic Boycotts in the Wake of the UJ-BGU Campaign.

On 13th May a debate was organised by the law faculty of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to address the issue of academic boycotts. David Hirsh and Ran Greenstein were among the participants."

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#BDS: Protest against #Israel-#Sweden handball game

"KARLSKRONA, Sweden — Police say around 150 pro-Palestinian demonstrators are protesting outside a sports stadium in southern Sweden hosting a handball game between Sweden and Israel.

Police spokesman Mats Trulsson says the protest, calling for a boycott against Israel, has been peaceful and shows no sign of developing into the violent riots seen during a Davis Cup game between Sweden and Israel in the city of Malmo.

Trulsson said a pro-Israel demonstration also attracted around 60 people to Karlskrona before the qualifier game for the European handball championship Sunday."

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#BDS: An Open Letter to Jello Biafra by @DarthNader

"Dear Jello,

I'm a kid who grew up listening to you in Beirut, Lebanon and you inspired me to start the first punk band in Beirut. But the context we grew up in was way different...while you were singing about chemical warfare, we watched cluster bombs and white phosphorus fall on our cities. While you were having fun stealing people's mail, Israel was stealing people's land. When you were freaking out about Governor Jerry Brown, we had to deal with mass murderers like Ariel Sharon. The boycott isn't as "solid" as you say, but the oppressed, the Palestinians, have called for it. By playing apartheid Israel despite the boycott call, you are telling them that you don't respect their goals or aspirations. Solidarity with the oppressed doesn't mean telling the oppressed what's best for them, but helping them in any way you can. Jello, please, don't be a chickenshit conformist, don't go chant "Israel Uber Alles" in Tel Aviv. Heed the call of the oppressed, for if you, of all people don't, who will?

Sincerely,

A pissed off Arab punk."

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#BDS: Open letter from #Lebanon to #Moby: Don’t play in #Israel next month

Does anybody in Lebanon know who's behind this open letter?


"The US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) posted a public letter signed by Lebanese civil society organizations and student groups commending the decision by musician Moby to visit Lebanon in early July, while urging him to cancel his upcoming concert in Israel planned for the week after in order to respect the call for Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions. 

The signatories wrote to Moby (whose namesake is based upon Herman Melville’s eponymous novel):

Come to Lebanon on July 5th, but, please, in honor of Herman Melville’s recognition of the rights of and respect for the indigenous, and in honor of the 2005 call from Palestinian Civil Society, please do not go to Israel on July 12th. Come to Lebanon and learn of the oppression we have endured at  the hands of the Israeli army and its collaborators; unlearn the myths Israel propagates. The soil that Arabs have cultivated for centuries, in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, has been militarily occupied for decades by Israel. The people who have cultivated that soil – namely the Palestinians – have been denied their right to return to their land solely because they are not Jewish."

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#BDS: Open Letter to McCully

"The key to peace in the Middle East is an end to discrimination – open questions to Murray McCully

Dear Mr McCully,
Thank you for your letter dated May 4 in reply to our previous letter to you. Many questions arise from your response and we would welcome clarification. There is keen interest within global civil society in any expressions of support by UN member state governments for universally, rather than selectively, safeguarding justice and human rights under the provisions of existing international law. In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation to extend the right to vote to all women and to recognise their right to run for office. That capacity for reforming leadership sadly flagged last century when our country was, for a time, reluctant to oppose South African Apartheid. Today another moral challenge confronts us: The world is asking whether New Zealand has the courage to end its diplomatic support for Israel and join the world in support of the International Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS)."

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#BDS: #US Artists Hurdle Over #Israel’s Barrier

"The barrier separating Israel from West Bank Palestinian territories is the theme of a Washington exhibit by a dozen U.S. and Canadian-based artists. Each gives a different representation of what the artist views as an obstacle to peace.  

The curator at the non-profit and non-partisan Jerusalem Fund Gallery, Dagmar Painter, shows one of the pieces called Twisted Rope, an 18-meter rope made up of men’s headdresses, women’s garments and other fabrics."

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#BDS: Film "Challenging Power" documents Olympia Food Co-op BDS campaign

"The short film “Challenging Power” by TrickleUp Films documents a successful BDScampaign in Olympia, Washington. It premiered in February this year at the 8th Annual Mideast Film Festival and is now available on DVD.

On July 15, 2010, the Olympia Food Co-op became the first grocery store in the United States to boycott Israeli products. The board of directors made the consensus decision with encouragement from member activists. The Co-op has 15,000 members and operates two stores in Olympia, WA–the hometown of Rachel Corrie."

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