#BDS Victory: Brighton Batsheva show cancelled to delight of Israel boycotters #fuckIsrael

"A performance by an Israeli dance group in Brighton next month has been cancelled amid security concerns, in a decision that anti-Israel campaigners are hailing as a victory.

The Batsheva Ensemble, the youth company of the internationally acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company, has been invited to perform Deca Dance in Bradford, Salford, Birmingham, Brighton, Plymouth, Leicester and London in a tour organised by Dance Consortium."

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#BDS Photos: Boycott #Batsheva Protest in Edinburgh #fuckIsrael

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#BDS: DON’T DANCE WITH ISRAEL APARTHEID – Edinburgh – 30 Aug to 1 Sep #fuckIsrael

"Protest Brand Israel’s Batsheva in Edinburgh and across the UK

Scottish Friends of Palestine is a member of Don’t Dance with Israeli Apartheid campaign, which is organising demonstrations against Israeli State-funded Batsheva at the Edinburgh International Festival and across the UK in November.  Batsheva is part of the Brand Israel effort to shift attention away from Israel’s crimes: ethnic cleansing and mass violence against the Palestinian people."

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#BDS: Did you know there is a law against 'Israeli' flag racism? I did not.

"A student at St Andrews University has been found guilty of a racist breach of the peace after he insulted the flag of Israel.

Paul Donnachie, 19, put his hands down his trousers then rubbed them on a flag belonging to Jewish student Chanan Reitblat.

Donnachie also accused Mr Reitblat of being a terrorist during the incident at the halls of residence in March."

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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: اقليم اسكتلندي يقرر مقاطعة المنتجات الاسرائيلية

ادنبره: قرر المجلس الإقليمي لاقليم «دانبرطوشنير» الاسكتلندي، بمقاطعة المنتجات الإسرائيلي الاقتصادية والثقافية.
وأصدر المجلس الذي يعتبر اكبر مجلس إقليمي في اسكتلندا تعميما للمكتبات في الإقليم لمقاطعة كل كتاب كاتبه إسرائيلي تأييدا للشعب الفلسطيني، وكل منتجات إسرائيل الأخرى التي تصل إلى الإقليم.

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#BDS: بريطانيا واسكتلندا تتخليان عن رعاية أنشطة الصندوق القومي اليهودي

لندن - وفا- تلقت منظمة الصندوق القومي اليهودي وأنصار إسرائيل في بريطانيا ضربات قوية خلال أقل من أسبوع عبر قرار رئيس الوزراء البريطاني ديفد كاميرون، التخلي عن «رعاية» أنشطة الصندوق وقرار جمعية أصدقاء الأرض في اسكتلندا خلال مؤتمرها السنوي نهاية الأسبوع، بمقاطعة الصندوق وفضح ارتكاب القائمين عليه بأعمال التطهير العرقي ضد المواطنين الفلسطينيين.
ورحبت جمعيات التضامن مع المقاومة الفلسطينية وحملة مقاطعة إسرائيل بقرار كاميرون الذي اتخذه ،وفق ما أعلنته الحكومة، بهدف «تخفيف أعباء والتزامات رئيس الوزراء»، في حين قالت صوفيا ماكلود الناطقة باسم حملة «أوقفوا دعم الصندوق اليهودي» إن قرار كاميرون يعود إلى الحملة المنظمة ضد أنشطة الصندوق، وإنه لم يعد بالإمكان وقف نجاحات العاملين ضد أنشطة الصندوق ومقاطعة إسرائيل في بريطانيا، حيث يساند الرأي العام في بريطانيا وأوروبا نضال الشعب الفلسطيني والثورات العربية».

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#BDS: Scottish council reaffirms boycott policy in face of smear campaign

"West Dunbartonshire council has reaffirmed its support for BDS following false allegations made about the implementation of its boycott policy.

The statement read:

Over recent days there has been some highly misleading publicity in the national and international press concerning West Dunbartonshire Council’s policy on the boycott of Israeli goods. In light of this publicity, the Council has received a number of complaints.

The facts are as follows.

· The boycott on the purchase of Israeli goods followed a unanimous decision of West Dunbartonshire Council in January 2009. The boycott was in response to the Israeli state’s policy and actions in the Occupied Territories."

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#BDS: إسكتلندا تدعو إلى مقاطعة منتجات إسرائيل بما فيها الإنتاج الأدبي والترجمات #Scotland

 كشفت صحيفة (يديعوت أحرونوت) الإسرائيلية، اليوم الأربعاء، عن أن البلديات في إسكتلندا قررت حظر عرض أو نشر أو بيع أو توزيع الكتب والروايات والقصص والمؤلفات الإسرائيلية أو المترجمة من العبرية إلى الإنجليزية.

وأكدت الصحيفة "أن هذا الحظر يأتي في إطار حملة المقاطعة الثقافية ضد إسرائيل، والتي بدأت في مدينة (جلاسكو) غرب إسكتلندا، إثر الهجوم الذي نفذته البحرية الإسرائيلية ضد (أسطول الحرية) التركي، الذي راح ضحيته 9 أتراك قبل عام". 

وأضافت، أن هناك ملصقات علقت في مدينة (داندي) الإسكتلندية، تدعو المواطنين إلى مقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية بما فيها المؤلفات والتراجم والروايات.

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#BDS: Scottish First Minister supports sanctions against Israel

"First Minister Alex Salmond supported economic sanctions against Israel. He described Israel's massacre of nine Mavi Marmara passengers as an "atrocity on the high seas" and put Israel firmly beyond the pale. "This has implications for example in trading relationships—you can't have normal relationships if you believe another country has been involved in what Israel has been involved in."

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#BDS: Scotland: Glasgow districts boycott Israeli books

"Several districts in southwest Scotland expands boycott on Israeli products, bar stores from carrying English translations of Israeli books.

LONDON – Scottish citizens might not be able to purchase English translations of Israeli pieces such as "A tale of love and darkness" by Amos Oz and "Someone to run with" by David Grossman, due to a boycott on Israeli books.

Two and a half years ago, shortly after Operation Cast Lead, the West Dunbartonshire Regional Council, located west of Glasgow, approved a bill that called to boycott goods produced in Israel."

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#BDS: طلبة جامعة إدنبرة الاسكتلندية يقاطعون المنتجات الإسرائيلية

لندن 18-3-2011 وفا- حققت حركة مقاطعة إسرائيل انتصارا إضافيا مع تصويت طلبة جامعة ادنبره في اسكتلندا على قرار بمقاطعة إسرائيل.

وذكر موقع التضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني، اليوم الجمعة، أن اتحاد الطلبة في جامعة أدنبرة العريقة  باسكتلندا صوتوا بأغلبية 270 لصالح مقاطعة البضائع الإسرائيلية، مقابل 20 ضد.

ونص قرار المقاطعة على عدم بيع أية منتجات إسرائيلية في المحال التجارية داخل مباني اتحاد الطلبة بجامعة إدنبرة، كما سيحث اتحاد الطلبة على تشجيع الموردين على التوقف عن شراء وتوزيع المنتجات الإسرائيلية، وتضمن القرار نصا يؤكد أن إسرائيل 'دولة تمييز عنصري'.

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#BDS: Another BDS Success: Edinburgh University Votes To Boycott Israel

"The student association of Edinburgh University in Scotland voted overwhelmingly Thursday night to support a boycott of Israeli goods and services. This comes after the student association, which represents all students at the University, voted last year to divest from Israeli companies.

In the lead-up to the vote, students from Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine, which introduced the resolution, held a large-scale education campaign on campus about Israel’s colonial origins and practices toward the indigenous population of Palestine. Many students related the experience of the Palestinian people to their own experience, having been colonized by England for several hundred years."

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#BDS Event: 'Boycott Israel Conference: Will Scotland Lead The Way?'

"Organised by Scottish Friends of Palestine
Saturday 19 March 2011 10am to 5pm
Renfield St Stephen's Church Centre, Bath Street Glasgow
2011 is the year of election to the Scottish Parliament.
Can those parties vying to form the next Scottish government be persuaded of the case for action against the state of Israel?
Will Scotland be the first country to announce a boycott of Israel?
In this election year, we must make it known, loud and clear, all of us who support the rights of the Palestinian people, that we are not prepared to see our taxes spent supporting trade with Israel.
Israel's commercial, academic, sporting and cultural relations with other nations provide the state with a veneer of respectability, while it boycotts the rights and the livelihoods of the Palestinian people. The state of Israel must be boycotted.
The speakers at our conference will present the arguments for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions. Please show your support by participating, joining the debate, and spreading the word.
Boycott is an ambitious aim and, with your help, possible.
Book now Entry is by donation (£10 recommended for the waged)
By PAYPAL to info@scottish-friends-of-palestine.org
By Cheque please contact info@scottish-friends-of-palestine.org for details
Speakers
· Ali Abunimah Palestinian journalist, author (latest book: One country: a bold proposal to end the Israeli-Palestinian impasse ) co-founder and executive director of Electronic Intifada
· Ramzy Baroud Palestinian journalist, author (latest book: My father was a Freedom Fighter)and former Al Jazeera producer"

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#BDS: Edinburgh University Students Protest Hosting of Israeli diplomat

                             Ishmael Khaldi (centre, blue shirt) is     surrounded by shouting pro-Palestinian activists in Edinburgh

"A university has pledged to take action after the Israeli Foreign Ministry's most senior Muslim diplomat faced a student mob which shouted him down and called him a Nazi.

Ishmael Khaldi had to be surrounded by security guards as he began to speak at Edinburgh University last week.

Protesters marched towards him screaming "Viva, Viva Palestina" and "boycott Israel" as they unfurled Palestinian flags.

At one stage the mic was ripped from his lectern and a demonstrator shouted: "We don't discuss with the Ku Klux Klan, why should we discuss with this thug?"

Mr Khaldi, a Galilee Bedouin who serves as an adviser to Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, was back in Israel this week. He did not want to discuss the incident in detail, but said: "There's no other humiliating, insulting and hurtful experience like this."

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#BDS: Veolia loses bids for contracts in Scotland, France

Veolia, the French multinational firm building the light rail in Jerusalem, recently lost two important bids in France and Scotland after the protests of solidarity organizations.

In Scotland, Veolia was bidding for a contract to provide trash collection and street cleaning in Edinburgh, where the city is privatizing public services. During the selection process, however, the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign protested against the company and likely influenced the city council’s decision to reject Veolia’s offer.

A similar story played out in Lille, France where Veolia was competing against another transportation firm to operate the metro, bus and tramlines in the city and faced opposition from the Association France Palestine Solidarite (AFPS). A Veolia spokesperson denied that AFPS objections and the Jerusalem rail played any role in the loss of this contract, but did admit that AFPS has damaged the image of Veolia.

#BDS: FRENCH CONSULATE PROTESTED OVER PERSECUTION OF “BOYCOTT ISRAEL” ACTIVISTS

The French Consulate in Edinburgh faced protest yesterday on the day that a French Green Party MP and a university professor faced trial on charges of racism over their support for the growing campaign to boycott Israel.

 

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) organised the protest to show support with Senator Boumediene-Thiery and Professor Omar Slaouti, a leading member of the NPA anticapitalist party. Around 30 campaigners held placards with slogans such as “Boycott Israel, not Gypsies”, and “Israel is a country, not a race”.

 

However, the case against the French pair lasted only 45 minutes before being thrown out of the Pontoise court to cheers from their supporters, who had gathered in their hundreds despite a national transport strike.

 

SPSC chair Mick Napier welcomed the legal decision but criticised what he referred to as the “political show-trials”. Said Napier, “The French Interior Minister, Brice Hortefeux, stated before the trials had even begun that boycotting Israel was a crime. This is a very dangerous interference in the judicial process, but it is encouraging to hear that the judge today was not swayed. It is clearly ironic that a French state in the process of expelling its Roma population is accusing human rights activists of racism.”

 

Napier was one of five SPSC activists cleared of similar racism charges in Scotland earlier this year. In dismissing that case, Sheriff Scott said, “… if persons on a public march designed to protest against and publicise alleged crimes committed by a state and its army are afraid to name that state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour, it would render worthless their Article 10(1) rights. Presumably their placards would have to read, ‘Genocide in an unspecified state in the Middle East’; ‘Boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East’”.

 

Olivia Zemor of French group EuroPalestine said that more trials were set for coming months, including the appeal by Sakina Arnaud, who was convicted of racism for fixing a sticker saying "Boycott Apartheid Israel" to a bottle of orange juice.