#BDS: New comprehensive BDS booklet

"Corporate Watch has just published a new, comprehensive booklet for those who are partcipating in the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement. Titled "Targeting Israeli Apartheid," the publication details who is profiting from the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories as well as Israel's inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip."

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Download the full booklet

#BDS Duty Free America is responsible for half of Netanyahu's donations

Owners of Duty Free America, a large chain of duty-free shops that operates in 13 airports, pledged half of NIS 330,000 Netanyahu raised.

...The most prominent name among the prime minister's donors is that of the Falics, a well-known family that owns Duty Free Americas, a large chain of duty-free shops that operates in 13 airports and along the United States' northern and southern borders. At one point, the family also owned the Christian Lacroix fashion house.  More here. 

#BDS Activists call for British musician to boycott Israel

Dear James Blake,

We are a group of Israeli citizens who support the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. We oppose our government's policies of ethnic cleansing, occupation and apartheid, we strongly believe that international pressure is essential in bringing these crimes to an end and creating an equal and just society in this region. We are, therefore, asking you to cancel your planned show in Tel Aviv on January the 27th.

The state of Israel denies Palestinians their rights and their freedom. To note but a few examples, Palestinians living in the West Bank suffer limitations on their freedom of movement and in many cases are denied the right to access their agricultural land. When they try to protest against the Israeli policies, they face brutal treatment. Their relatives in the Gaza Strip (56% of whom are children) live under an ongoing siege placing strict limitations on their access to food, clean water, medical supplies and construction materials. This state of barbarism takes place only an hour away from your scheduled performance. In the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, 40 minutes away from the scheduled venue, kids are regularly being abducted from their beds in the dead of night and taken into violent police interrogations with no access to their parents or a lawyer.

The call for BDS was issued and signed by over 170 civil society organizations, representing all sectors of the Palestinian people: exiled refugees, those under a harsh military occupation, and those who remained in what later became the State of Israel. This non-violent initiative was inspired by a similar campaign of the indigenous people of South Africa against the former case of apartheid back there. Unlike its predecessor, however, the Palestinian BDS movement does not target Israeli individuals. It chooses instead to focus on public events that promote a facade of normalcy as well as targeting complicit institutions.
By performing in Israel, you will be lending your voice to the promotion and legitimization of a brutal military occupation as well as the siege of Gaza, a regime based on ethnic-supremacy and systematic discrimination, and the continued expulsion of Palestinian refugees. Many artists and public figures are now publicly supporting the cultural boycott of Israel which is backed by almost the entire community of Palestinian cultural workers. Notable amongst those who chose to speak in support of BDS are Roger Waters, David R. Randall, Maxi Jazz of Faithless, Elvis Costello, filmmakers Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, prominent activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many more. Others, who have already preformed here, declared that they shall not do so again and even expressed their regret for their choice to perform here. Macy Gray stated that: "I had a reality check and I stated that I definitely would not have played there if I had known even the little that I know now."

In the past month, many fans and activists have addressed you on this matter and many comments have been made on your Facebookand Twitter accounts. These fans wrote many comments, which you have refrained from addressing and your representatives have chosen to delete or ignore. Sending a green light to apartheid is a stain that will not be erased by hitting the delete button. Dear James, the picket line has been clearly marked and we now ask you to decide: Which side are you on?

Please stand by the oppressed and refuse to play in apartheid Israel, until it complies with international law and respects the three fundamental rights of the Palestinians - equality, freedom and return.  Original source here. 

#Solidarity Massive march organized in Jakarta in support of the Aqsa

JAKARTA, (PIC)-- Tens of thousands took part in a massive rally in front of the UN office in Jakarta in support of the Aqsa mosque and in rejection of the Israeli Judaization of the holy city of Jerusalem. Palestinian MP Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Jamal, who is on a visit to Indonesia which started a few days ago, delivered a speech at the rally warning of a “ferocious Zionist” campaign to Judaize occupied Jerusalem. He underlined that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) was expanding its excavations under the holy Aqsa mosque, changing landmarks and names, and demolishing and confiscating land and property at a rapid, daily pace. Jamal said that the IOA was trying to empty the holy city of its indigenous people topped by their leaders, citing the banishment of Jerusalemite MPs Mohammed Abu Tir and Ahmed Attoun. The MP urged the Arabs, Muslims, and the Indonesian people to act in support of the Palestine cause and to swiftly intervene to defend occupied Jerusalem in face of the Judaization campaign.  Original source. 

#BDS Protest rallies waiting for Netanyahu in the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM, (PIC)-- Palestinian activists in the Netherlands called for protest rallies against the visit of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to Amsterdam. The Palestine home in Holland on Monday invited protestors to gather in front of the Dutch parliament next Thursday morning.  It said in a statement that demonstrating against the visit “is the least we can do against this criminal”, and against crimes committed by Israeli leaders against the Palestinian people. It urged participants to hoist Palestinian flags and placards denouncing the visit and occupation in addition to bringing “old shoes”.  Original source. 

#BDS Lebanese activists want Lara Fabian concert ban after pro-Israel gig

The Lebanese government is under pressure to ban a prominent Belgian singer from appearing in Lebanon after footage emerged of her performing at an event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel.

Lara Fabian, a Belgian-Italian classical singer who has sold over 15 million records worldwide, is due to perform two concerts at Casino du Liban in Jounieh on the 14th and 15th of February, with tickets costing between US$200 and US$500.

YouTube videos have emerged showing the singer performing at a concert in France in 2008 to celebrate the creation of Israel in 1948.

In the concert, directed by her fiance Gerard Pulliccino, Fabian sang in Hebrew in front of images of various Israeli leaders, settlements and other iconography.

After her song finished she reportedly shouted: “I love you Israel” to the crowd. She has also performed in Israel on a number of occasions and attended pro-Zionist meetings.  Read more here. 

#BDS Palestinians Hold Third National BDS Conference

Last month, the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank hosted the Third National Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Conference. The Conference centered on BDS as a means of nonviolent popular resistance and addressed some key issues currently confronting the movement, both locally and internationally. Below is the Conference Report, published by the Palestinian BDS National Committee.

On 17 December 2011, Palestinians gathered in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank for the Third National Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions  (BDS) Conference. The event took place against the backdrop of continuous Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, and a growing resistance against injustice worldwide as demonstrated by the Arab revolutions and the occupy movements.  Just minutes away from the conference venue, 500 Jewish settlers live under escort of the Israeli military in a colonial enclave in the middle of old Hebron, terrorizing local Palestinian residents on a daily basis, with the stated intent of driving them from their homes. Hebron is also an important commercial center in Palestine, and thus was a fitting venue to hold the national BDS conference, after it was held in Nablus and Ramallah in previous years.

The day started early with about 500 Palestinians from all corners of the West Bank, as well as 48 Palestinians representing a diverse sector of civil society including trade unions, student and women groups, academics, cultural workers and NGOs, all uniting under the banner of BDS.

There was also a visible international presence as well as that of Israeli partners who have responded to the 2005 BDS call.  Notable was the absence of representation from Gaza, under an Israeli imposed siege, and refugees outside historic Palestinian, although their contribution to the movement was acknowledged.

The conference was an opportunity to take stock of the movement’s achievements worldwide, and to develop strategies to face the challenges ahead. The BDS movement witnessed impressive growth in 2011. Achievements include the withdrawal of German company Deutsche Bahn from construction of the A1 train line connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv; the forced closure of settlement company Ahava’s London flagship store and the loss of a $10 bn contract by French company Alstom in Saudi Arabia as a result of its role in the construction of the illegal Jerusalem Light Rail in occupied Jerusalem. 2011 was also the year when Israel’s foremost agricultural export company and a major BDS target – Agrexco – went bankrupt thanks in part to a sustained Europe-wide campaign.  To read more click here.

 

#BDS Report: Third National BDS Conference, Hebron, December 17

On 17 December 2011, Palestinians gathered in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank for the Third National Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions  (BDS) Conference. The event took place against the backdrop of continuous Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, and a growing resistance against injustice worldwide as demonstrated by the Arab revolutions and the occupy movements.  Just minutes away from the conference venue, 500 Jewish settlers live under escort of the Israeli military in a colonial enclave in the middle of old Hebron, terrorizing local Palestinian residents on a daily basis, with the stated intent of driving them from their homes. Hebron is also an important commercial center in Palestine, and thus was a fitting venue to hold the national BDS conference, after it was held in Nablus and Ramallah in previous years.  Read more here.

#BDS New comprehensive BDS booklet

Corporate Watch has just published a new, comprehensive booklet for those who are partcipating in the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement. Titled "Targeting Israeli Apartheid," the publication details who is profiting from the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories as well as Israel's inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip.  

 

"Targeting Israeli Apartheid" gives a run down of Israel's economy and exports and details how BDS has an impact on both. The handbook is useful for both internationals and Israelis involved in BDS as it  illuminates which Israeli businesses are tied to the occupation and how they encourage growth on Palestinian lands, noting, for example, that all Israeli banks offer mortgages for homes located in illegal settlements. 

offering housing


loans to Israelis wishing to live on settlements. Not only does this allow

them to collect profits in the form of interest, it also gives them a direct stake in the

26

http://www.whoprofits.org/Company per cent20Info.php?id=682, [accessed 04/03/2011].

27Who Profits (October 2010), Financing the Israeli occupations, Idem.

Bank Hapoalim's branch in Bnei Yehuda settlement, occupied Syrian

Golan (Corporate Watch 2010)11 A BDS Handbook

settlementsAll major Israeli banks, as well as the Bank of Jerusalem, have mortgage subsidiaries offering housing loans to Israelis wishing to live on settlements. Not only does this allow them to collect profits in the form of interest, it also gives them a direct stake in the settlements.

The handbook also discusses the havoc Israel has wreaked on the Palestinian economy, turning the Palestinians into a captive market that are essentially forced to hand money to the businesses that profit from their continued disposession. "Targeting Israeli Apartheid" also lists companies that are located in settlements as well as those that build on Palestinian land so conscientious consumers know what products to boycott. 

Taken as a whole, the handbook reminds readers that the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands isn't about security as the Israeli government and right-wingers often claim. "Targeting Israeli Apartheid" helps individuals can put sticks in the spokes of the machine that turns a profit from occupation. Via the Alternative Information Center.

Download the full booklet here

#BDS A personal appeal– PennBDS needs your help

...The organizers could really use some additional donations as they gear up to pay for a bunch of big expenses. The registration fee for this conference is so cheap (seriously, I was aghast when I went to register online, it's like the cost of 2 movie tickets for the friggin' weekend!), but unfortunately the overhead isn't. So if everyone and anyone who can afford it can just head on over to PennBDS website and make an extra donation that would be simply splendiferous and very much appreciated. Read more here.

#BDS: #UK’s student body endorses divestment

"In a historic move, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK has thrown its weight behind campaigns targeting companies complicit in Israel’s occupation and breaches of international law.

A new page on the NUS website that went online today calls on students to campaign against the campus presence of Eden Springs and Veolia. In the preamble, NUS notes:

In a similar move to the South African Anti-Apartheid movement, activists in Palestine - from Students’ Unions to LGBTQ organisations - have asked international supporters to refrain from supporting companies and institutions that profit from or maintain the occupation.

For both Eden Springs and Veolia, NUS acknowledges the work already done on a number of campuses, and offers “resources and support” to any students wishing to organise their own campaign."

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#BDS: Quebec TV host: #Israel ‘does not deserve to exist’

"An outspoken Quebec television host and mayor who questioned Israel’s right to exist has drawn the ire of an international Jewish human rights group and sparked an investigation by the national broadcast regulator.

Stéphane Gendron, host of Face à Face, a daily talk show on Quebec’s V Television network, garnered a flood of complaints after a December broadcast where he said he supported an ongoing boycott of a Montreal store that sold Israeli-made shoes. “Products made in Israel on land stolen from the Palestinians that is walled in, in an apartheid regime where they are cut off, it’s very serious,” said Mr. Gendron, who is also the mayor of Huntingdon, a small town south of Montreal. “And a country like that does not deserve to exist.”

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#BDS: Israeli flag at the entrance to the restroom at #Tunis airport

Source

#BDS: Open Letter to Ana Moura: Don’t perform in Apartheid #Israel

"Renowned Portuguese Fado singer Ana Moura plans to perform in Israel on 27th January, in violation of the Palestinian call for a cultural boycott of the Israeli state. Before goingto Israel, she will be playng in Dublin’s National Concert Hall on Thursday 19th January.

While welcoming Ms. Moura to Ireland, the IPSC will balance that welcome with  a demonstration against her indifference to the fate (= “fado”) of the Palestinian people. The demo will start at 8pm on Thursday 19th January at 7pm outside the National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2."

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#BDS in #France: 2011 a Breakthrough Year!

"The BDS movement had amazing successes in 2011 in France. Before 2011, French activists for Palestinian human rights had never seen a French musician cancel a show in Israel.  But 2011 saw three famous musicians cancel.  
In January, Vanessa Paradis refused to sing in Israel.  Her partner, Johnny Depp, also cancelled his trip to Israel.   French activists had asked the pop star to cancel her trip, in a highly visible creative protest outside of one of her concerts.  In November, Mireille Mathieu made an announcement on her website that she was postponing her Tel Aviv concert.  BDS France had written her an open letter, and they encourage her to stand strong against pressure from both French and Israeli booking agents to “reschedule” her concert in the apartheid state.  In December famed from opera singer, Oumou Sangaré chose to cancel her planned performance with the Israeli Opera.  An informative letter from BDS France was followed by a letter from BDS Italy."

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