Leadership of Palestinian boycott campaign responds to new law

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Written by Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

Published: 13 July 2011 13 July 2011

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http://www.bdsmovement.net/2011/bnc-responds-law-7583

Leadership of Palestinian boycott campaign responds to new law

The Israeli parliament (Knesset) last night passed a new law  criminalizing support for the Palestinian civil society campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, penalizing Israeli persons and organizations active in the campaign, or indeed in any other partial boycott of Israel or any of its institutions. The repressive legislation also bars companies that refuse to to deal with Israel’s illegal colonies built on occupied Palestinian land from receiving government contracts.

Hind Awwad, coordinator with the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the largest Palestinian civil society coalition comprising all major political parties, trade unions, NGOs and mass organsations, said:

“Israel is once again taking draconian measures to criminalize civil resistance to its system of apartheid, colonialism and occupation over the Palestinian people. But so long as Israel continues its illegal siege of the Gaza Strip, brutal occupation, denial of Palestinian refugee rights and system of instituionalized discrimination against Palestinians, repressive acts such as these will only offer further evidence of the undemocratic and oppressive nature of Israeli political life and motivate even more people of conscience to join our global BDS movement for freedom, justice and equality.”

“This new legislation, which violates international law, is testament to the success of the rapidly growing global BDS movement and a realisation within political elites inside Israel that the state is becoming a world pariah in the way that South Africa once was.”

Prof. Gabi Baramki, former head of Birzeit University and currently a Steering Committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), reacted to the new law saying: “The boycott bill is but a continuation of the Knesset’s decades-old pivotal role in legislating Israeli apartheid, colonialism, and other forms of oppression of the Palestinian people.”

Ms. Awwad also stated: “We stand in solidarity with all principled Israeli citizens and organizations who are the primary target of this law, and whomay be fined and even imprisoned for exercising their fundamental right to speak out and act non-violently in order to bring their state into compliance with international law..”

ENDS

For more information:

www.bdsmovement.net
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NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Palestinian civil society campaign for BDS calls for applying broad boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) initiatives against Israel, similar to those applied to South Africa during the apartheid era, until Israel meets its obligations under international law by respecting the basic right of the Palestinian people to self determination by ending its occupation and colonization of the 1967 territory, ending racial discrimination against Palestinians inside Israel, and granting Palestinian refugees their UN-sanctioned right to return.

2. Key BDS movement successes include the divestment campaign against French multinational Veolia, which has cost the company billions of dollars in lost contracts due to its ongoing involvement in the illegal Jerusalem Light Rail and the decision taken by the Norwegian government to exclude Israeli companies involved in the construction of illegal settlements and the wall from its national pension investment fund. Earlier this year, the University of Johannesburg severed links with Ben Gurion University because of its complicity in human rights violations. Numerous artists have heeded the Palestinian cultural boycott call against Israel, including Roger Waters, Jello Biafra, the Pixies and Faithless. Carmel Agrexco, a partially state owned agricultural export company targeted by the BDS movement, recently announced record losses.

A letter from a Palestinian woman to the supporters of Palestine.

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Written by Hekmat Bessiso Hekmat Bessiso

Published: 10 July 2011 10 July 2011

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A letter from a Palestinian woman to the supporters of Palestine.

I would like to talk to you as  the voice of the thousands of Palestinians who appreciate what you are doing.  You who have a great commitment to human rights and who actually act upon your beliefs.  You risk your life to both witness and tell the truth of  what you see.  You are a group of people who understand what is happening in the holy land and have decided to dedicate your time, money and energy to the issue.  You demonstrate that religion nor race is important when it comes to standing up for the rights human beings.  And every step you take justice and humanity wins.

I want you to trust that your actions are making a difference and changing the violence we see here in our land. Your solidarity is helping fuel our non violent fight.  Palestinians face many kinds of violence and torture, however, being ignored is the worst punishment of all.  Those who refuse to hear and see us are just as bad as those who occupy us.  Those who stand in solidarity with us send a strong message of humanity and are helping us to overcome our suffering.  In the middle of all this crisis, your help puts a smile on our face.  From this smile you will always be welcome in our hearts even if you are unable to enter our land.

Your solidarity reminds the world that we are all one human family and that we Palestinians are still part of it.  Please do not give up.  Even if your boats do not make it to the shores of Gaza or if your planes refuse to fly, the unseen effects are still huge.

I want to say thank you for all that your work involves.  Thank you for booking your tickets, taking time off from work, leaving your loved ones, and for all of the other small things, I am truly grateful.

Please continue to be with us, hand in hand, in our non-violent struggle.  We need to reach the end of the path of occupation and your presence on this journey is crucial, we cannot make it alone.

I hope one day to share a coffee with you in my home or in yours, for when this day comes we will have reached our freedom.

Hekmat Bessiso

Gazan living in Ramallah

Israeli peace groups support the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla

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Written by Gush Shalom Gush Shalom

Published: 04 July 2011 04 July 2011

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Israeli peace groups support the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla

Statement of Support for the Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla

July 4, 2011

We, Israeli organizations, Jews and Arabs, full-heartedly support Freedom Flotilla, aim of sailing to the Port of Gaza with the proclaimed goals of breaking through the sea and land  siege and blockade of Gaza, which is a manifestation of a continuing occupation by Israel. We condemn the campaign of slander which the government of Israel is waging against the flotilla and those who take part in it. There is a very real reason to worry that such lies might be designed by the government as a pretext and justification in advance for further acts of violence against activists taking part in a legitimate political act of protest.

The Gaza Flotilla is indeed a courageous act of political protest, an expression of worldwide solidarity with the Palestinian people and rejection of Israeli practices of oppressive occupation, as manifested in the continuing siege and blockade of Gaza and the imposition of collective punishment upon a mass of civilians.

At present the Gaza Strip is little more than a giant open air prison where a million and half residents are held, deprived of their fundamental rights. It is the right of Gaza Palestinians to maintain direct contact with the outside world; it is their right to open and maintain sea port where vessels might freely dock and depart, to import and export all goods, for the benefit of their economy and in fulfillment of its needs. The Palestinians have all these rights – not one whit less than Israel has them. The state of Israel is obliged, under International Law,  to put an end to its control over the Gaza Strip  - indirect  as well as direct -  which is part of Israel's wider  obligations to out an to the occupation of Palestinian territory and facilitate the independence of Palestine.

We must reiterate that, contrary to the statements issuing from the government, the flotilla is acting non-violently in setting out to Gaza. Moreover, if attacked by Israel's armed forces it is with non-violence that activists on board intend to respond. A member of the flotilla 's International Coordinating Team specifically explicitly stated, when responding to assertions emanating from the security system in Israel, that  “there are no weapons of any kind on board any of our boats – which could be confirmed by dozens of international media representative on board". Activists intenting to take passage in the flotilla are undergoing non-violence training and sign clear personal commitment not to resort to violence.”

The government of Israel is conducting considerable efforts to cause the flotilla to be regarded with fear, and to discourage people from taking part in it. So as to create a baseless atmosphere of fear, lies are knowingly spread lies regarding supposed preparations for violent resistance and alleged plans to kill soldiers, and peace activists taking part are accused of intending  to run weapons into Gaza. At the same time, an unprecedented pressure is applied to international journalists, so as to deter them from covering the flotilla from on board. The continuing media  campaign which is clearly designed to cause fear and hatred among the Israeli population, and there are grounds for suspecting that it is intended to provide justification in advance for the dangerous and harsh outcome liable to occur should the boats be violently taken over and harm comes to their passengers.



We strongly condemn the the Government of Greece for its decision of block the flotilla boats  from leaving Greek ports in the direction Gaza. This decision is in violation of International Law concerning Freedom of the Seas, and is highly unreasonable. Reports in Israeli newspapers regarding contacts between the governments of Israel and Greece create the impression that Greece in fact caved in to political pressures of an unacceptable kind, applied by the government in Israel.

We call upon the Government of Greece to rescind forthwith its order, prohibiting the  flotilla boats from leaving the ports of Greek, let them sail and ensure the safety of passengers and  boats alike.

We call upon the Government of Israel and its armed forces to let the boats get to Gaza and deliver peacefully their cargo of humanitarian supplies. 

We hope to witness the boats arriving in safely to their destination.

We call upon the Government of Israel to put an immediate end to the siege and blockade of Gaza. .

Contact:

Adam Keller: +972-54-2340749

Yaakov Manor: +972-50-5733276



Alternative Information Center (AIC)  * Coalition of Women for Peace * Combatants for Peace * Gush Shalom * Hithabrut-Tarabut * Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD) * New Profile *Rabbis for Human Rights* Ta’ayush: Arab-Jewish Partnership * Yesh Gvul



Social TV video of support demo outside Greek Embassy Tel Aviv on July 2 night, and extreme right counter-demonstration

http://tv.social.org.il/politics/2011/07/04/demo-embassy-of-greece

Action Alert: July 3, 2011: Let U.S. Boat to Gaza Sail

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Written by U.S. Boat to Gaza U.S. Boat to Gaza

Published: 03 July 2011 03 July 2011

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Action Alert:  July 3, 2011

The U.S. Government Must Pressure Greece
to Let U.S. Boat to Gaza Sail

Release Captain John Klusmire
and Our Boat Immediately! 

The U.S. Boat to Gaza calls for pressure
on the U.S. State Department

People around the world are rallying for the release of the boats that Greece is preventing from sailing to Gaza. We call on you to show your solidarity and support for the flotilla as a whole, and in particular for the captain of the U.S. boat, John Klusmire.

Over the past two weeks, two boats of the international flotilla to Gaza have been sabotaged while docked at Greek ports.  No one has claimed responsibility for the damage done to these boats.  The potential danger to the U.S. boat was obvious to the captain, the crew and the passengers: there was a clear possibility that the U.S. boat would be sabotaged next.   

The departure of the U.S. Boat to Gaza - The Audacity of Hope - was first delayed by a complaint filed by the Israel Law Center and shown to be frivolous. Greek authorities then inspected the boat but, until the boat set sail five days later the, the results of that inspection has not been shared with the captain and his crew. Those results were not shared until the Hellenic Coast Guard stopped The Audacity of Hope some 20 minutes after it had left the dock on Friday, July 1. The Hellenic Coast Guard intercepted the ship and ordered that the ship stop. This order was obeyed. Commandos with drawn rifles ordered the ship to return.  It is now impounded at a military dock in Athens and the captain has ben arrested.

Captain Klusmire faces two charges: disturbing sea traffic and endangering passengers; and moving away from the dock in violation of an order not to do so. He is being held in a cell without a bed and does not have access to toilet facilities. The only food and water he has had has been brought in by visitors. He has not been visited by anyone from the U.S. Embassy even though he is entitled to such a visit by international law.

The U.S. Boat to Gaza campaign urges you to immediately take the following actions. Even though it is a holiday weekend we urge you to make these calls now, and if necessary to place calls again on Monday and Tuesday.

Contact your members of Congress and urge him or her to pressure the Greek authorities to drop the charges against Captain Klusmire.
Contact the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Greece. Insist that they fulfill their duty to advocate on behalf of Captain Klusmire and that they demand the release of the U.S. boat by Greece so it can freely sail to Gaza.
Sect. of State Hillary Clinton: 202-647-5291
Kim Richter, Consular Affairs, Overseas American Citizens Services, U.S. State Dept: 202-647-8308
Greek Desk, U.S. State Dept: 202-647-6113
U.S. Embassy in Athens: 011-30-210-721-2951, fax 011-30-210-645-6282, website: athens.usembassy.gov
Activate your emergency response network to publicly demonstrate support for Captain Klusmire and our call for Greece to let the flotilla sail! Pass along this action alert as widely as possible.

Below is a copy of the latest press release from the U.S. Boat to Gaza.

Read more: Action Alert: July 3, 2011: Let U.S. Boat to Gaza Sail