#BDS: http://www.jewishnews.net.au/israel-boycotts-now-official-nsw-greens-policy/

GREENS Senator-elect Lee Rhiannon has helped push through a policy to prevent trade between Australia and Israel, and stop Israeli sportspeople and performers coming to Australia.

At its state conference last weekend – held in the run-up to the NSW election in March – the NSW Greens passed a proposal by consensus for Australians and the Australian Government to “boycott Israeli goods, trading and military arrangements, and sporting, cultural and academic events as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation and colonisation of Palestinian territory, the siege of Gaza and imprisonment of 1.5 million people and Israel’s institution of a system of apartheid”.

Rhiannon, who will take her place in the Senate in July next year, added: “The BDS [boycott, divestment and sanction] opposition to all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, reflects the principles of the Greens. The campaign is motivated by the universal principles of freedom, justice and equal rights,” Rhiannon said.

The new policy, though, has set her at odds with the federal Greens. A similar proposal was put forward at the Greens’ most recent national conference, but was rejected.

Even though the NSW Greens BDS policy is likely to have a limited effect on the party’s day-to-day operations, particularly at a federal level, it has upset the Israeli Government.

#BDS: Cadbury sweets returning to Israel

British confectionary company considering re-entering Israeli chocolate market in 2012 after attempting to conquer significant share of chewing gum market with Trident

British confectionery company Cadbury is considering re-entering the Israeli chocolate market through its representative, Globrands.

"We plan to focus on chewing gum in the coming year, but the chocolate will be introduced in 2012 and we'll set up a big distribution center in Modiin at a total investment of some NIS 18 million (about $% million)," revealed Globrands CEO Gadi Netzer.

Cadbury tried to enter the Israeli market in 2002, but was blocked aggressively by the Elite company. According to Netzer, "The company is not traumatized by the past. It looks at the Israeli market from a business perspective, and the gum test will prove it."

#BDS: Justin Bieber's Israel concert booked

Canadian teen heart-throb to perform at Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park on April 14. Organizers expect to attract 60,000 people

Canadian teen heart-throb Justin Bieber will perform in Israel on April 14, 2011. The concert's expected location is Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park.

As reported by Yedioth Ahronoth, seven Israeli producers negotiated with Beiber's representatives. The one who eventually succeeded in striking a deal with the popular singer is producer Marcel Avraham, who was behind the Israel concerts of Elton John, Rod Stewart, Metallica and Leonard Cohen.

The initial plan was to hold the concert at the Ramat Gan Stadium, but the 16-year-old singer's rising popularity promoted the production team to gamble on the Yarkon Park, with the hopes of filling up the grass with 60,000 teenagers.

#BDS: THE DAY THE DEAD SEA DIED

NOTE: The beach at Kalia described in the article below is part of an illegal settlement that is co-owned by Ahava and is subsidised by its profits.

Ramzi is a very handsome Palestinian who hails from the Tulkarm Refugee camp in the northern West Bank.

Ramzi has never seen the Mediterranean – merely 10 miles from his home – but he loves the sea. His ideal vacation has always involved summer, sand and the sea. Perhaps this is why his typical suggestion to “what shall we do this weekend?” is always “let’s go to the Dead Sea!”

I’m not always enthusiastic about going to the Dead Sea because of the lack of services, the lack of chairs, the expensive entry and the overall feel that the place is not well taken care of. But I always comply because the Dead Sea is the only saltwater body Ramzi has access to.

Since the Dead Sea shore is divided, the southern beaches are inside the internationally-recognised borders of Israel and the northern beaches are Israeli-run but inside the Occupied West Bank. Ramzi can only travel within the West Bank because he carries the Palestinian Authority ID.

Ramzi always picked northern beaches that “allowed Arabs” – run by Israelis in an area that the Palestinian Authority has no control over – regardless of the fact that one can see the cheaper and better quality northern beaches on the other side. Those are Jewish-only beaches.

I never really gave this form of segregation much thought. I went there because Ramzi wanted to go there and because I liked hanging around with him.

It was not until my best friend Carla, an Argentine, decided to visit me in Palestine for the first time. “What shall we do this weekend?” Ramzi’s response was very clear. Off to the Dead Sea we went. But this time, we chose Kalia beach because we wanted Carla to feel comfortable wearing her bikini – rarely seen on the beach I always go to which “allowed Arabs”.

We reached the entrance. I, a pale-skinned-Palestinian-holder-of-an-Israeli-passport, paid my ticket. Carla paid her ticket. Now it was Ramzi’s turn.

#BDS: CODEPINK Boston singing Ahava boycott carols at Lord & Taylor

This past Saturday, CODEPINK Boston sang Ahava boycott carols outside Lord & Taylor. You can check out the Stolen Beauty web site for a description of how to organize your own holiday caroling protest. You can download a song sheet and watch a video of a sample carol performed by the staff of Global Exchange. 

In response to the planned Ahava protest the American Jewish Committee of Boston organized an Ahava buycott, and claim to have "cleaned out the shelves" in Lord & Taylor. Way to go, AJC, in supporting occupation profiteering and the subsidy of two illegal settlements in the West Bank.

#BDS: The MUJI Decided to Cancel its Plan to Open a Store in Israel

The First Victory of the BDS Campaign against Israel in Japan

On 1st December, the MUJI officially announced the cancellation of its plan of opening a store in Israel on their website. Since the MUJI released its plan on 12th April 2010, in order to respond to the BDS Campaign against Israel called upon the people in the world by Palestinians, we, Palestine Forum, had appealed to the MUJI to cancel the plan along with other civil organisations and individuals.

For over 7 months, various nationwide actions such as appeal actions in front of some of the MUJIbranches, constant appeal through websites or Twitter and sending message cards to the MUJI, had been addressed as the Stop MUJI Campaign. Additionally the appeal action in front of the MUJIbranch in Seoul, South Korea, was organised. Since the campaign was gradually growing into the international movement, the MUJI management finally had to cancel the plan.

According to the MUJI's announcement, the cancellation of its plan was made because of the "economic reason". However, when some members of the Palestine Forum made inquiries at theMUJI management in last August, they replied that it seemed hard to be understood its plan of supplying MUJI's brand goods into Israel by all the people, therefore, we had to say that our plan had been "undecided". So from this reply, we could substantially say that the final decision of the cancellation was made due to the request for cancellation by citizens of Japan.

The official announcement of the cancellation can be placed as the first historical victory of the BDS Campaign against Israel in Japan. We can also expect that this victory will bring big progress to the internationally expanding BDS Campaign in Asia. The Victory in this context means the first and certain step to change the international society which has kept silence against Israel's criminal act.

We also believe that this tiny victory is one of the examples of which people's anger against Israel's continued criminal act even after the Gaza Attack conducted from the end of 2008 to early 2009, such as blockade of Gaza or expanding settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and deep sympathies for solidarity to Palestinians moved the reality.

We, Palestine Forum, have a high opinion of the MUJI's sensible judgement that opening a store in Apartheid state Israel does not bring not only economic profit but also moral profit to the company. We request the MUJI to keep and raise its corporate ethics and business sense which do not slight the issue on human rights and racism from now on, too.

We, Palestine Forum, declare that we will continue urging Japanese corporations which benefit from Israel's human rights abuses and war crimes against Palestinians, such as retail shops selling cosmetic products of the settlement company "Ahaba" which extracts resources from occupied Palestinians' land. We also call upon many civil organisations and individuals for a joint struggle towards the next victory.

3rd December 2010,

Palestine Forum, Osaka, JAPAN

#BDS: Adidas, Don't Help Running Apartheid: Cancel Sponsorship of Jerusalem Marathon!

To Adidas International Headquarters (Global_Public_Relations@adidas.com),

We are a group of Israeli citizens who support the Palestinian 2005 Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and universal principles of human rights. We have noticed the mounting campaign ^[1] against your company's sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon scheduled to be held in March, 2011. Going through the settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev in occupied East Jerusalem, to the background view of the illegal apartheid and annexation wall, and circling the Hebrew University, which is built on land belonging to the East Jerusalem neighborhood Issawiyah - this marathon boasts of the Israeli illegal control and occupation of the oppressed indigenous Palestinian population of East Jerusalem. Indeed, as the campaigners noted, the marathon aids and abets a violation of international law, namely the war crime described by article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”.

We would like to inform you that Adidas' sponsorship of this marathon, in its current route or a revised one, also undermines the Palestinian Call for a cultural, including sports, boycott of Israel. The marathon is organized by the same municipality that routinely organizes house evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem. It signals an international 'business as usual' message to apartheid and occupation, perpetuated by Israel, on behalf of Adidas.

#BDS: Arab actor: Boycott Israeli cinema

Director of 'Jenin, Jenin' Mohammad Bakri tells Turkish daily he's being persecuted in Israel over his political opinions; says Ankara's response to deadly flotilla raid was not harsh enough

"Israeli films and film producers should be boycotted and not invited to international festivals," Israeli Arab actor and director Mohammad Bakri told Turkish newspaper Star recently.

In the interview, Bakri said he was being economically and politically persecuted in Israel due to his political opinions and his controversial documentary "Jenin, Jenin", adding that he was being portrayed as a traitor.

#BDS: PALESTINE CAMPAIGNERS CLAIM BOYCOTT SUCCESS AS COUNCIL REJECTS CONTROVERSIAL BIDDER

A pro-Palestinian pressure group claimed success last week after Edinburgh Council rejected an attempt by a controversial firm to take over a range of public services in the city.

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) had argued that Veolia should be excluded from Council contracts because of the company's involvement in Israel's Occupation of Palestine.

Veolia had been shortlisted to take over environmental services contracts, including refuse collection and street cleaning, but a Council report published Friday indicated that the firm is no longer being considered. This latest blow for Veolia comes on top of similar multi-billion pound losses around the world, and is likely to add to the pressure on the firm to cease providing waste and transport services to Israel's illegal settlements in Palestine, including the construction of a tramway that the United Nations Human Rights Council deems, "in clear violation of international law".  The line is set to link Israel with some of its illegal settlements.

Council leaders also heard from leading law firm, Hickman & Rose, who warned that employing the French multinational could expose the local authority to "legal action for failing to take on board their obligation to recognise and comply with their duties and responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions and international law."

#BDS: Strauss reposts IDF-support commitment on website

Humous producer rewords pledge to Golani troops following boycott threats from Philadelphia BDS movement.

The Strauss Group, one of the country’s foremost food and beverage companies, has returned its website banner in support of the IDF after it was removed following pressure and boycott threats in the US.

Three weeks ago the Post reported that the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement in Philadelphia had initiated a campaign against Sabra and Tribe humous, produced by Strauss under its American logo, the Sabra Dipping Company, purportedly in protest of the company’s public support for the IDF.

BDS activists held demonstrations in supermarkets and called on them to stop selling Strauss’s products.

#BDS: 1st Arab in Beitar

Ja'ad Sarsur of Kfar Kassem puts on Beitar Ariel uniform, says boycotts are negative move, soccer unites people from around the world

Critics of the Ariel boycott receive tail wind from an unexpected source: Ja'ad Sarsur, a Kfar Kassem soccer player, recently joined the Beitar Ariel soccer team. The players have welcomed the move, the management is pleased with the results and Sarsur has already managed to speak out against those who refuse to perform in Ariel's new cultural center.

Beitar Ariel plays soccer in Israel's third league, the fifth and last in the country and is hoping to make it to the second league this year. After a good season opener, the team got a bit weaker and when it decided to strengthen the team, the coach Asher Shwartzboim turned to Sarsur, a striker he had trained in Kfar Kassem.

#BDS: Los Angeles JVP calls on TIAA-CREF to divest from Caterpillar

PASADENA - Members of the Los Angeles Jewish Voice for Peace on Friday protested a retirement planning office they claim profits from the conflict in the Middle East.

Organizers called on TIAA-CREF to divest from Caterpillar Inc. because the company allegedly supplied bulldozers to Israel that were used to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank, protest organizers said.

About 10 protestors gathered outside the office in conjunction with Human Rights Day.

"I think that they're making a mistake by not talking to people," said Estee Chandler. "We came with a petition with 650 signatures ... it asks them to divest from companies that directly profit from the occupation of Palestinian lands."

#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: Israeli companies sign 5-10 billion dollar gas deal with Egypt

NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Four Israeli companies have agreed to purchase 5-10 billion dollars worth of gas from Egypt to be paid in installments over the next 20 years. Israel Chemicals, Dead Sea Works, Oil Refineries, and F. NBC Rotem have signed agreements to receive 1.4 billion cubic meters of gas from Egypt with the option to raise that amount to 2.9 billion cubic meters, the Ampal American Israel Corporation said. The companies will use the gas to operate three power plants. The trade off will kick off next year. The gas signed off in the contracts would bring the total amount of gas to reach Israel 6 billion cubic meters, with a total value of 19 billion dollars as the East Mediterranean Gas company had made another series of gas purchases alongside other Israeli companies back in 2005.

#BDS: END THE SIEGE ON GAZA- Vigil 27th Dec, London

Between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, over 1400 Palestinians were killed by Israel in a brutal and illegal attack on the Gaza Strip, destroying lives and infrastructure. Two years on, Gaza’s infrastructure has still not been repaired due to Israel’s blockade. Families are still living in tents. UN schools are unable to rebuild as Israel blocks concrete and building supplies.     Vigil outside the Israeli embassy, London, 27 December 1-3pm to mark the second anniversary of the start of Operation Cast Lead.    Join us, and bring family and   friends, to send a clear message – END THE SIEGE ON GAZA! FREE PALESTINE!