#BDS: أمير قطر يلتقي نتنياهو؟ #Qatar

قالت صحيفة معاريف الخميس أن إسرائيل أعدت سلسلة خطوات ضد دولة قطر بسبب نشاطها المكثف المعادي لها على عدة أصعدة عالميا ولا سيما دعمها الواسع لحركة حماس وللمسعى الفلسطيني الأحادي الجانب للإنضمام إلى الأمم المتحدة الشهر القادم.
وأصدرت وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية بيانا يفيد بأن صانعي القرار في إسرائيل عملوا خلال الأشهر القليلة الماضية على إحباط أي مبادرة قامت بها دولة قطر في المنطقة بما في ذلك إجهاض عدة مشاريع بتمويل الدوحة في إسرائيل ومناطق أخرى.
وأكدت الصحيفة في تقريرها أن دولة قطر تقيم علاقات وطيدة مع حركة حماس وتساعدها ماديا إذ تقدر الأموال المرسلة إليها بنحو مليون يورو سنويا كما أنها تدعم ماديا الدعاوى القضائية المرفوعة ضد إسرائيل.
وقال التقرير الإسرائيلي أن "قطر تتلاعب مع إسرائيل حيث أنها خفضت التمثيل مع إسرائيل وسمحت بإبقاء موظفين محليين في مكتب التمثيل الدبلوماسي حتى يتسنى لها مواصلة العمل مع قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية وإدخال الأموال ومواصلة المشاريع المساعدة للفلسطينيين".
وبحسب بيان الخارجية الإسرائيلية، فإن "رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي "بنيامين نتنياهو" التقى قبل أشهر بأمير قطر وحاول إقناعه بضرورة تغيير قطر لمواقفها، إلا أن شيئا لم يتغير، بل على العكس، عمدت الدولة الخليجية بإدخال مواد بناء وأموال دعم لحركة حماس بقطاع غزة". وتضيف الصحيفة العبرية، أن مسؤولا رفيع المستوى في الوزارة صرح بأن "قطر الآن واحدة من الناشطين البارزين ضد إسرائيل على الساحة الدولية".

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#BDS: Community radio broadcasters back Israel boycott in #Canada

"Independent and community media makers in Canada have passed a groundbreaking national motion to join the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. 

In June, the National Campus and Community Radio Association of Canada (NCRA) ― an umbrella organisation representing more than 80 radio stations across Canada ― adopted the motion at its annual meeting.

NCRA said: “In doing so, the NCRA is proudly the first national media organization in Canada to join the global movement for BDS.”

Radio broadcasters with the NCRA pledged “to refuse to cooperate with Israeli media institutions, which are heavily controlled by the Israeli apartheid regime, as well as to support the development of community radio stations in Israel/Palestine”.

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#BDS: French giant #Veolia cut down to size for abusing Palestinian rights

"The French corporation Veolia once appeared unassailable; today it is ailing. It is faced not only with the global economic crisis but also the growing impact of theboycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against its involvement with Israeli apartheid infrastructure and transport projects. A recent merger between Veolia’s transport division and a subsidiary of the main French state investment fund indicates French industry and government have united to find a simple solution to Veolia’s problems: let the taxpayers finance Veolia’s income losses — and its complicity with Israeli war crimes and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.

On 4 August, Veolia management held a conference call with major financial analysts to defend the company’s latest figures. It wasn’t an easy task. Veolia’s management was forced to gloss over the terrible financial situation of the group that has forced it to draw up sharp cost reduction plans, initiate a complete restructuring of management, plan the pullout from more than forty countries and search for more investors to cover a high debt."

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#BDS: Swedish chain kicks out #SodaStream drink machines made in Israeli settlements

"The summer of 2011 has been a long, hot one for Israeli and international companies complicit in human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.

Facing an intense Europe-wide boycott campaign, Israel’s largest produce exporter, Agrexco, filed for bankruptcy. French multinational Veolia, an urban systems corporation contracted with the Israeli government to provide light rail services for Israeli settlers in the West Bank, announced massive losses due to sustained pressure by activists around the world.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, the Israeli maker of home carbonation devices, Sodastream, took a direct hit when the Coop supermarket chain announced on 19 July that it would stop all purchases of its products due to the company’s activity in illegal Israeli settlements. This marked another important victory for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, as Sweden is Sodastream’s largest market, with an estimated one in five households owning a Sodastream product (“Coop Sweden stops all purchases of Soda Stream carbonation devices,” 21 July 2011)."

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#BDS: Australian BDS protesters say they won’t be silenced, intimidated

"Brisbane supporters of the boycott, sanctions and divestment campaign (BDS) have pledged to intensify their campaign following a successful protest on August 27. Despite the rain, fifty protesters took to the streets to highlight the links between the Max Brenner chocolate store and the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.

Protest organisers from the Justice for Palestine group believe that the success of the protest was made apparent by the response it received from supporters of apartheid Israel."

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#BDS: Zionists Admit BDS Effective and Successful in the #US

"Morton Klein is mistaken when he says (Letters, July 29) that “we, in America … do not have to worry about these kinds of threats” — that is, the effort to boycott, divest and sanction Israel. The BDS movement has been very active on American college campuses for many years.

In addition I’d like to share my own recent experience. A small but vociferous group of members of our food co-op in Brooklyn is strenuously engaged in these efforts to delegitimize Israel. They use the co-op’s newsletters and monthly general meetings to keep this issue front and center. Most disheartening, the most active and vocal of the leaders of the BDS movement are Jewish, even Israel-born."

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#BDS Australian Labor divided over union support for #Israel boycott

"VICTORIAN Labor is facing an increasingly embarrassing debate over party members and key unionists who are refusing to walk away from their support for an aggressive campaign targeting businesses with links to Israel.

The Baillieu government has called on Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews to reject any union donations paid to Labor by pro-Palestinian sympathisers backing the campaign.

Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien has asked Mr Andrews to take action against senior party figures supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.

Victorian Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, a former unionist, is among key BDS supporters in the ALP. She told The Australian she backed peaceful protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Mr O'Brien said Mr Andrews -- who also opposes BDS -- should make a stand against any party members backing the nationwide campaign against companies such as the Max Brenner chain of chocolate shops."

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#BDS: شركات اسرائيلية تعلن افلاسها بعد مقاطعة منتجاتها في 20 دولة اوروبية

كشفت وسائل إعلام إسرائيلية أن الكثير من المنتجات الزراعية فياسرائيل باتت مستهدفة بحملة المقاطعة التي تشن ضدها، لاسيمافي عدد من دول اوروبا.

وقالت صحيفة "يديعوت احرنوت" ان المنتجات المستهدفة هذه تشملالطماطم والفلفل والحمضيات والجزر والبطيخ والفراولة وكذلك الكرفس،فيما يسيطر الآن هاجس ازاء امكانية سحب الاستثمارات الخاصةبالزهور، ما يمكن أن يساهم في خنق الاقتصاد في اسرائيل.

واضافت ان شركة "اغرسكو" التي تعد الشركة الرائدة في مجال تصدير الزهور، اعلنت اخيرا عن افلاسها الذي كان احد اسبابهالمقاطعة العالمية التي تفرض على منتجاتها وفقا لما ورد في بعض التقارير.

واعلنت نحو 20 منظمة في اوروبا تشمل 13 دولة قرارها فرض مقاطعة تامة على المنتجات والصادرات الخاصة بشركة "اغرسكو".

إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms, London

"The Proms is an annual musical event at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I didn't know but apparently it is organised by the BBC but now I do know I am not surprised that this year they have invited the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to perform.  Here's a letter in yesterday's Independent protesting at the BBC siding with the racist war criminals of the State of Israel yet again:


Proms exploited for arts propaganda campaign


As musicians we are dismayed that the BBC has invited the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to play at the Proms on 1 September. The IPO has a deep involvement with the Israeli state – not least its self-proclaimed "partnership" with the Israeli Defence Forces. This is the same state and army that impedes in every way it can the development of Palestinian culture, including the prevention of Palestinian musicians from travelling abroad to perform."


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#BDS: Petition & Open Letter to Mona Eltahawy

"In February 2011, Mona Eltahawy accepted an invitation to a J-Streetconference in which she alleged that the Egyptian uprising of 25th January - 11th February 2011 was solely about internal issues and that it had nothing to do with Israel 

or the United States and its imperial control over Egypt and the wider 
Middle East. Indeed, she explicitly said "not one country's flag was 
burned... not one anti-Israeli or anti-American sentiment was 
expressed", and that Egyptians and other Arabs will embrace the Zionists
of J-Street, and Israeli Jews more generally, should they "march for 
Palestinian freedom and dignity".

We,
the undersigned, declare with emphasis the falsehood of both 
statements. While the first statement is easily falsified through a 
cursory review of photographic and journalistic evidence from the 18-day
uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak, the second statement is falsified 
in principle owing to the fact that Mona Eltahawy is NOT an elected 
spokesperson, negotiator or representative of ANY Egyptian or other Arab
movement, nor is she connected in any substantive way to any of the 
active Egyptian groups that are associated with the 25th January 
revolution, whether through the official, state-recognized 25th January 
Youth Coalition or through other political and social movements on the 
ground. In short, Mona Eltahawy speaks only for herself and is not an 
elected or legitimate spokesperson for public opinion in Egypt, 
Palestine or elsewhere in the Arab or Muslim world."

Read the rest of the petition and sign it here

#BDS: مسيرة في جنين تدعو إلى مقاطعة المنتجات الإسرائيلية

جنين - "الأيـام": شارك عشرات المتطوعين في الحملة الشعبية لمقاطعة المنتجات  الإسرائيلية، أمس، في مسيرة جابت 

شوارع مدينة جنين، تطالب بمقاطعة تلك المنتجات، وذلك تحت شعار "الإفطار الحلال مش من صنع الاحتلال".

وانطلق المتطوعون من أمام مكتبة البلدية العامة في البلدة القديمة من جنين، وهم يحملون لافتات كتبت عليها شعارات

 تدعو لمقاطعة المنتجات الإسرائيلية، وتشجيع المنتجات الوطنية.

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#BDS: سيناتور أميركي يخرق تقاليد للكونغرس- اقتراح وقف المعونة لوحدات «الكوماندو» الإسرائيلية

في سابقة تعكس التغييرات التي تجري داخل الولايات المتحدة بسبب الأزمة الاقتصادية والغطرسة الإسرائيلية، وللمرة الأولى في تاريخ مجلس الشيوخ الأميركي، تقدّم سيناتور من الحزب الديموقراطي باقتراح قطع المعونات العسكرية عن وحدات النخبة في الجيش الإسرائيلي لأسباب تتعلّق بممارساتها ضد الفلسطينيين.

وقد بادر السيناتور البارز في الحزب الديموقراطي، باتريك ليهي إلى بلورة اقتراح لوقف المساعدات الأميركية عن كل من وحدة الكوماندوس

 البحري المعروفة بـ«شييطت 13» والتي كانت أبرز جرائمها الأخيرة مجزرة سفينة مرمرة التركية، ووحدة المستعربين المعروفة باسم «دفدفان» ووحدة الكوماندو الجوي المعروفة باسم «شلداغ». وأشار السيناتور في مبادرته إلى أن موقفه هذا نابع من حقيقة أن هذه الوحدات تشارك في انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان الفلسطيني في الضفة والقطاع. وأشارت صحيفة «هآرتس» التي نشرت النبأ إلى أن وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي إيهود باراك    والذي يرتبط بعلاقات صداقة حميمة مع السيناتور ليهي التقى به في
زيارته الأخيرة لواشنطن قبل أسبوعين، محاولاً إقناعه بالتراجع عن مبادرته

إقرأ\ي المزيد

#BDS: Why boycott #Israel?

"Author and history professor Mark LeVine speaks with sociologist Lisa Taraki, a co-founder of the Palestinian campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

Mark LeVine: What is the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" movement and how is it related to the academic and cultural boycott movement? How have both evolved in the past few years in terms of their goals and methods?

Lisa Taraki: The BDS movement can be summed up as the struggle against Israeli colonisation, occupation and apartheid. BDS is a rights-based strategy to be pursued until Israel meets its obligation to recognise the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination and complies with the requirements of international law.

Within this framework, the academic and cultural boycott of Israel has gained considerable ground in the seven years since the launching of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) in 2004. The goals of the academic and cultural boycott call, as the aims of the Palestinian Civil Society Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions issued in 2005, have remained consistent: to end the colonisation of Palestinian lands occupied in 1967; to ensure full equality of Palestinian citizens of Israel and end the system of racial discrimination; and to realise the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194."


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#BDS: Video: How-To Flash Mob BDS

#BDS: Boycott #Israel campaign targets London's Hatton Gardens

"London's Hatton Gardens is being targeted this weekend to highlight the deceptions of the Kimberley Process, which tracks the trading of rough diamonds for illicit purposes but excludes Israeli Blood Diamonds.

The international Boycott, disinvestments and Sanctions (BDS) campaign is being joined by Palestinian groups to raise awareness about Israel's huge diamond industry funding for its illegal occupation and human rights abuse. Sean Clinton, who has been leading the Boycott Israeli Diamonds campaign in Ireland, said that both jewellers and the public at large were being targeted at Hatton Gardens on Saturday because it was “one of the major hubs of the global diamond industry.”