israel

Open letter in defence of the right to boycott Israel

Open letter in defence of the right to boycott Israel l

March 2010

We, the undersigned, condemn the attempt by Scottish prosecutors to criminalise the growing international campaign to boycott Israel until Israel comes into line with international law.

In July 2005, working in close co-operation with partners in South Africa, hundreds of civil society organisations across Palestine produced a call for an international campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions “against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era”.

The boycott did not emerge out of nowhere: according to the recent UN Goldstone report, “The prolonged situation of [Israeli] impunity has created a justice crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory that warrants action.” In the historic absence of any genuine attempt by state actors to hold Israel to account, ordinary people of conscience around the world must exert the pressure that political leaders are unwilling to.

The boycott is focussed on Israeli state institutions; companies (Israeli or not) which profit from the occupation of Palestine; Israeli ambassadors of all kinds (political, cultural, sporting etc.) whose job it is to promote Israeli interests; as well, of course, as all Israeli goods.

In Aug 2008, five members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) were arrested after protesting a concert performance by the Jerusalem Quartet, who enjoy the official status of cultural ambassadors of the State of Israel.

After standing up during the concert and making statements such as “End the Siege of Gaza”, “Boycott Israel”, “Stand up for human rights”, the campaigners were arrested and later charged with “breach of the peace”.

At the time of the concert, Gaza had already been under a brutal Israeli siege for 2 years. In June 2006, Israeli official, Dov Weisglass, explained that the idea behind the siege was not to starve them to death, just to “put the Palestinians on a diet”.

In Dec 2008 / Jan 2009, Israel massacred 1400 Palestinians in Gaza.

As the massacres began, the President of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann reminded “all member states of the United Nations that the UN continues to be bound to an independent obligation to protect any civilian population facing massive violations of international humanitarian law – regardless of what country may be responsible for those violations. I call on all Member States, as well as officials and every relevant organ of the United Nations system, to move expeditiously not only to condemn Israel’s serious violations, but to develop new approaches to providing real protection for the Palestinian people.”

In Scotland, rather than meet these obligations, authorities there decided instead to show solidarity with Israel: the Crown levelled new charges of “racially aggravated conduct” at the SPSC campaigners.

It is no more anti-Semitic to boycott Israel to end the occupation of Palestine than it was anti-white to boycott South Africa to end apartheid. Israel has a long history of deflecting criticism of its policies by calling its critics anti-semitic — a tactic typical of those who defend the indefensible. Whilst this is expected from Israel, it is unacceptable that the Scottish Courts should allow themselves to be politicised in this way.

Boycott is a legitimate non-violent means to pressure Israel to end its crimes; the right to boycott must be protected.

We call on Scottish prosecutors to drop the case against the SPSC members and issue a full apology.

Signed
John Pilger, Journalist
Haidar Eid, Associate Professor of Cultural Studies at Al-Aqsa University, Gaza
Ronnie Kasrils, former South African government minister and anti-apartheid activist
Omar Barghouti, Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
Tam Dean Burn, actor
Dr Sue Blackwell, BRICUP
Ismael Patel, Friends of Al Aqsa
Yvonne Ridley, journalist and author
Musheir Al Farra, Sheffield PSC
Zahid Ali, Edinburgh Radio Ramadhan
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
American Jews for a Just Peace
Moshe Machover, mathematician & philosopher
Mike Marquesee, writer
Richard Haley, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Prof Haim Bresheeth
Janet Green, Camden PSC
Mike Cushman, Convenor, Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods
Coalition contre Agrexco, France
Mike Arnott, Secretary, Dundee TUC
York PSC
Camden PSC
Betty Hunter, General Secretary, Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Sign the letter

source

March 23, 2010 0

Israeli fire kills Palestinian teen

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Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian teenager during violent clashes in the occupied West Bank, medics have said.

Muhammad Qadus had been taking part in a demonstration on Saturday, in which stones were thrown at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Palestinian hospital officials said the 16-year-old was struck in the heart by a bullet fired by Israeli forces.

Qadus was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital.

Medical sources said that the Red Crescent ambulance sent to collect him was delayed by Israeli forces.

Live ammunition?

read on

March 21, 2010 0

Top Ten Brands to Boycott

Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 12/03/2009 – 13:05
USACBI — While there are many Israeli and multinational companies that benefit from apartheid, we put together this list to highlight ten specific companies to target.

Many of these produce goods in such a way that directly harms Palestinians — exploiting labor, developing technology for military operations, or supplying equipment for illegal settlements. Many are also the targets of boycotts for other reasons, like harming the environment and labor violations.

1. AHAVA

This brand’s cosmetics are produced using salt, minerals, and mud from the Dead Sea — natural resources that are excavated from the occupied West Bank. The products themselves are manufactured in the illegal Israeli settlement Mitzpe Shalem. AHAVA is the target of CODEPINK’s “Stolen Beauty” campaign.

2. Delta Galil Industries

Israel’s largest textiles manufacturer provides clothing and underwear for such popular brands as Gap, J-Crew, J.C. Penny, Calvin Klein, Playtex, Victoria’s Secret (see #10) and many others. Its founder and chairman Dov Lautman is a close associate of former Israeli President Ehud Barak. It has also been condemned by Sweatshop Watch for its exploitation of labor in other countries such as Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey.

3. Motorola

While many of us know this brand for its stylish cellphones, did you know that it also develops and manufactures bomb fuses and missile guidance systems? Motorola components are also used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) and in communications and surveillance systems used in settlements, checkpoints, and along the 490 mile apartheid wall. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has launched the “Hang Up on Motorola” campaign.

4. L’Oreal / The Body Shop

This cosmetics and perfume company is known for its investments and manufacturing activities in Israel, including production in Migdal Haemek, the “Silicon Valley” of Israel built on the land of Palestinian village Al-Mujaydil, which was ethnically cleansed in 1948. In 1998, a representative of L’Oreal was given the Jubilee Award by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for strengthening the Israeli economy.

5. Dorot Garlic and Herbs

These frozen herbs that are sold at Trader Joe’s are shipped halfway around the world when they could easily be purchased locally. Trader Joe’s also sells Israeli Cous Cous and Pastures of Eden feta cheese that are made in Israel. QUIT, South Bay Mobilization, and other groups have targeted Trader Joe’s with a “Don’t Buy into Apartheid” campaign.

6. Estee Lauder

This company’s chairman Ronald Lauder is also the chairman of the Jewish National Fund, a quasi-governmental organization that was established in 1901 to acquire Palestinian land and is connected to the continued building of illegal settlements. Estee Lauder’s popular brands include Clinique, MAC, Origins, Bumble & Bumble, Aveda, fragrance lines for top designers, and many others. They have been the target of QUIT’s “Estee Slaughter Killer Products” campaign.

7. Intel

This technology company that manufactures computer processors and other hardware components employs thousands of Israelis and has exports from Israel totaling over $1 billion per year. They are one of Israel’s oldest foreign supporters, having established their first development center outside of the US in 1974 in Haifa. Al-Awda (the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition) has urged action against Intel for building a facility on the land of former village Iraq Al Manshiya, which was cleansed in 1949.

8. Sabra

This brand of hummus, baba ghanoush and other foods is co-owned by Israel’s second-largest food company The Strauss Group and Pepsico. On the “Corporate Responsibility” section of its website, The Strauss Group boasts of its relationship to the Israeli Army, offering food products and political support.

9. Sara Lee

Sara Lee holds a 30% stake in Delta Galil (see #2) and is the world’s largest clothing manufacturer, which owns or is affiliated with such brands as Hanes, Playtex, Champion, Leggs, Sara Lee Bakery, Ball Park hotdogs, Wonderbra, and many others. Similar to L’Oreal (see #4), a representative of Sara Lee received the Jubilee Award from Netanyahu for its commitment to business with Israel.

10. Victoria’s Secret

Most of Victoria’s Secret’s bras are produced by Delta Galil (see #2), and much of the cotton is also grown in Israel on confiscated Palestinian land. Victoria’s Secret has also been the target of labor rights’ groups for sourcing products from companies with labor violations, and by environmental groups for their unsustainable use of paper in producing their catalogues. That’s not sexy!

Remember, it’s also important to let these companies — and the stores that sell them — know that we will not support them as long as they support Israeli apartheid!

To report more Product Sightings, email products[at]baceia.org.
source :

March 20, 2010 0

The Dark Face of Jewish Nationalism

9/11 – The US Military Knows Israel Did It

Audio interview below

By Dr Alan Sabrosky

March 19, 2010 “Redress” – -Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu once remarked to a Likud gathering that “Israel is not like other countries”. Oddly enough for him, that time he was telling the truth, and nowhere is that more evident than with Jewish nationalism, whether or not one pins the “Zionist” label on it.

Nationalism in most countries and cultures can have both positive and negative aspects, unifying a people and sometimes leading them against their neighbours. Extremism can emerge, and often has, at least in part in almost every nationalist/independence movement I can recall (e.g. the French nationalist movement had The Terror, Kenya’s had the Mau Mau, etc.).

read on

March 20, 2010 0

Cool Facts About Israel

March 17, 2010 0

“non-Jews to leave the land of Israel,”

Flyer calls on non-Jews to ‘leave the land’

Ma’an News Agency

Right-wing ultra-orthodox Jews handed out Arabic fliers calling on “non-Jews to leave the land of Israel,” in the streets of Jerusalem on Sunday, witnesses reported.

The fliers, quoting Torah and Qur’an, used scripture to urge Palestinians living in the city to leave.

“The Old Testament says the land of Israel is small and belongs to Jews only. Others are not allowed to stay permanently,” the flier read

Jewish exile from ancient Israel was due to a failure of compliance with divine orders, the paper explained, adding “now, after the Jewish people returned to Israel, the people of Israel have complied with divine orders.

“Thus, we ask you to leave the land of Israel in order to guarantee peace in this land. There are verses in the Old Testament and in the Quran that prove this.”

The leaflet continued, “After you have seen divine explanations, and as Islam is a religion of manners, you have many countries in which you can live.

You have to understand that we are complying with the orders in the Old Testament, so we suggest you negotiate with Israel to get reimbursement.”

No organization was identified as being behind the leaflet, and phone calls to the number provided went unanswered.

March 16, 2010 0

Israeli Apartheid and The Nakba

thanks Gilad

There can be absolutely no doubt that Israel has created an inhuman, illegal and utterly disgraceful Apartheid state, and the international community will never be able to excuse itself if it takes no action against this blatant, ongoing and in-plain-sight crime against humanity.

Please join the millions of decent people around the world who are crying out against Israel’s ongoing persecution of the Palestinians. Send the link to this video to your elected representative and make sure he or she does something about it. You have to ask yourself: If I keep quiet , will it ever end?

This video started life being loosely based on the YouTube video: ‘Press TV- Epilogue -Zionist Israel and Apartheid South Africa -02-24-2010’, and uses some of its imagery, and wording. It was expanded into its present form to take into account the U.S. vice president’s recent visit to Israel and the announcement that Israel was to build yet more structures on the illegally occupied settlement of Beitar Illit. I wrote to Press TV to tell them what I was doing, but received no reply. In any event, I think that the issues are too important for anyone to be concerned about drawing from research done by others, and anyone who would like to use extracts from this video is welcome to do so.

An apology: I hope that Reem Kilani does not mind that I have used here hauntingly beautiful voice at the end of this video. I should have asked for permission, and I apologise for failing to do so.

March 16, 2010 0

Israel’s Arabs have been misbehaving lately

By Gideon Levy

Our Arabs have been misbehaving lately. After all we did for Scandar Copti – funding and grooming him and sending him off to Hollywood – he dared say that his film “Ajami” – our film, the film of us all – doesn’t represent us in the end. After we allowed MK Ahmed Tibi to study medicine at Hebrew University (!) and even let him be elected to the Knesset, he dared compare our saintly Zionist militants – the Olei Hagardom who were hanged by the British during the Mandate period – to their terrorists. That’s not nice, Scandar. That’s not right, Ahmed.

read on

March 14, 2010 0