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SPORTS (3 Stories)
Argentina cancels game with Israel
In June, a match between Argentina and Israel’s national football teams to be held in Jerusalem was cancelled. The Argentine Football Association said they had informed their Israeli counterparts about the decision. The match, which was slated for 9 June, was set to be played in Jerusalem’s Teddy Kollek Stadium but had drawn intense reactions and faced boycotts from various groups. The manager of Argentina’s national football team, Jorge Sampaoli, was opposed to the match from the beginning and the players were also not willing to take part.
Adidas stops sponsoring Israeli football
In March, over 130 Palestinian football clubs urged German sports brand Adidas to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA)because they include six teams that are based in illegal Israeli settlements across occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. A petition with 16,000 signatures calling for Adidas to end its connection with IFA was delivered to Adidas’ headquarters in Amsterdam in June. In August, Adidas announced it was ending its sponsorship of IFA.
Honda Race in Israel Cancelled
Honda Israel announced that a motorcyle racing event scheduled for February in the city of Arad had been canceled, after having moved the race from Petzael, an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Activists in Japan and worldwide had contacted both Honda and US motorcycle racing star Joe Roberts, asking them to cancel the event and citing Israel’s human rights abuses. Alerted that they might become the target of boycott campaigns, Honda moved the event to Arad, within the 1948 borders of Israel, and subsequently cancelled the event altogether. The Palestinian BDS National Committee had urged Roberts not to let the Israeli government use his “good name to sportswash its crimes and blatant violations of human rights.” Roberts later said in an interview that he had not been aware originally that the race was to be located in a settlement in the West Bank.
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CULTURAL (12 stories)
Boycotting Israel’s Meteor Festival and Club Scene
By far the biggest headlines were given to Lana Del Rey’s cancellation, but there were many more artists who pulled out of Israel’s highly promoted music event, the Meteor Festival held in the Galilee region in September. Others who cancelled include: American electronic musicisn Shlomo, the South African duo Black Motion, Turkish singer Selda, electronic duo Zenobia and the US indie group Of Montreal. Also The withdrawal of celebrity DJ’s also hits Israel’s famed club scene, which so far had been immune to the cultural boycott. Haaretz reported: “The current tsunami of cancellations…could reflect a trend with effects far beyond the Meteor Festival,” which so far had been immune to the cultural boycott. Those who have cancelled include: Australian DJ Mall Grab, American DJ Volvox, British DJ Leon Vynehall, British DJ Shanti Celeste and Swedish DJ Seinfeld. Recent developments that have fuelled the cancellation include Palestinian civilians killed during the Great March of Return protests and news reports about Israel’s now infamous nation-state law.
EBU Moves Eurovision Contest
After winning the Eurovision contest and becaming the host for next year, Israel announced that it would hold the popular competition in Jerusalem, thereby sparking worldwide criticism and calls for boycotts. Subsequently, the broadcasting giant, European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an association of public service broadcasters in 56 countries, announced the contest would instead be held in Tel Aviv.
500 Latin American Artists stand with Palestine
Over 500 Latin American artists have publicly endorsed the Palestinian call for a cultural boycott of Israel. They pledged not to perform or exhibit in Israel and to decline Israeli funding, until Israel respects the comprehensive rights of the Palestinian people under international law.
The signatories include poets, painters, rappers, theater directors, filmmakers, actors, writers, and musicians from 17 Latin American countries. Among the most prominent artists are Chilean writer Lina Meruane, Colombian photographer Jesús Abad Colorado, Argentine rapper Daniel Devita, Colombian band Doctor Krápula, Chilean writer Carlos Labbé, Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff, Colombian actor Álvaro Rodríguez, and Colombian theater director Patricia Ariza.
The signatories condemned Israel’s apartheid regime, which they describe as “the system of segregation imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli government.” According to Peruvian poet Marlet Rios, “Israel has mocked the international community and UN resolutions with complete impunity.”
See the list of signers here: https://bdscolombia.org/boicot-cultural/carta500/
Hundreds of Artists Call for Boycott of Israel
Wolf Alice, Shame, Portishead, Circa Waves and Carl Barat are among the hundreds of artists calling for a boycott of Israel, in the wake of the killing of hundreds and wounding of thousands of protesters in the Gaza Strip. Using the hashtag #ArtistsForPalestine, they shared this message on social media: ““As long as the Israeli government commits war crimes against the Palestinian people, we support their call for a boycott of Israel as a means of peaceful protest against the brutal occupation.” Learn more about Artists for Palestine here: https://artistsforpalestine.org.uk/
LGBTQ Film Professionals Pull Out of TLVFest
Eleven artists and filmmakers boycotted the 2018 TLVFest, the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, part of a growing wave of international support for BDS in the wake of Israel’s massacres of unarmed Palestinians during the Great March of Return in Gaza. TLVFest is a cornerstone of Israel’s pinkwashing campaign. Pinkwashing is the public relations strategy that deploys Israel’s supposed enlightenment toward LGBTQ issues to deflect criticism from its human rights abuses and appeal particularly to Western liberal audiences. It often involves great exaggerations of Israel’s progressive policies, accompanied by lies about Palestinians. TLVFest is funded by the Israeli culture ministry, led by far-right politician Miri Regev, who is notorious for racist statements, such as compaing African refugees in Israel to “cancer.”
Shakira Cancels Concert in Israel
Grammy award-winning singer, the Columbian star Shakira, one of the world’s top music stars, cancelled her plans for a concert in Israel following a widespread international campaign in which hundreds of Palestinian municipalities and cultural organisations, and thousands of fans appealed to her to cancel. The campaign included a Lebanese-led twitter storm (Shakira has Lebanese grandparents) asking her to cancel reached more than 2 million people. After the cancellation and entering damage control mode, Israel claimed the gig was never scheduled to begin with, despite the previous jubilant announcements of her upcoming July concert in Tel Aviv. Then they said it wasn’t cancelled, it was just postponed, despite the many previous and jubilant announcements of her upcoming July concert in Tel Aviv.
Brazilian Music Legend Cancels Israeli Gig
In May, the legendary Brazilian guitarist Gilberto Gil cancelled his planned performance in Israel, scheduled for July. The decision came in the aftermath of Israeli soldiers’ massacre of Palestinian demonstrators in the occupied Gaza Strip. Gil was the focus of a campaign by fans in Brazil and across Latin America.
Israel’s Leading Actor-Director Supports BDS
Itay Tiran, “widely considered Israel’s leading theatrical actor-director”, has declared his support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, in an interview with Haaretz. Tiran said “BDS is a perfectly legitimate form of resistance. And if we want to preach for a certain kind of political discussion that isn’t violent, we must strengthen these voices, even if it’s difficult.” He added: “I think a normal political left should support BDS. After all, it doesn’t matter what the Palestinian will do. When he commits an act of terror he is called a violent, bloodthirsty terrorist. And when he supports BDS he’s a political terrorist.”
Director of Portugal’s National Theater Boycotts Israel Festival
Portuguese director and playwright Tiago Rodrigues, who was scheduled to take part in next month’s Israel Festival, has announced that he is officially joining the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement (BDS). He was supposed to perform in Israel twice in the beginning of June but reversed his decision after learning that the festival was part of Israel’s 70th Independence Day celebrations. He decided to cancel because he believed “that it is the only guarantee that my artistic work will not be used to condone and promote a government that deliberately violates human rights and is currently violently attacking the Palestinian people.”
Lauryn Hill Cancels Concert in Israel
In May, African-American singer Lauryn Hill cancelled her planned concert in Israel after receiving a open letter from The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), explaining that “performing in Israel today is the equivalent of performing in Sun City South Africa during the apartheid era.” It also alerted her that the performance, due to take place on 7 May “is a week before we Palestinians commemorate the catastrophe of 1948.” Online actions went viral using the hashtag #KillingMeSoftly, named after one of Hill’s most famous songs, alongside devastating pictures of Palestinian suffering in the hands of the Israeli occupation.
Israeli Author Refuses Honor from Israeli Consul
Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari refused to be honoured by the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, USA, in protest against Israel’s nation-state law. Harari, who authored the bestselling novel “Sapians: A Brief History of Humankind”, called the bill an “erosion of Israel’s basic liberal norms,” and said that he could not collaborate with the consulate because it is “the long arm of the Israeli government’s policy, which limits the freedom of communication, expression, creativity and thought.”’
Celebrities Defend BDS-supporting Music Band
The actors Hollywood actors Danny Glover and Viggo Mortensen were among 79 international artists, writers and producers from all fields of the arts in the UK, the US, Germany and beyond plus public figures including Desmond Tutu, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, to speak out against what they say is an “alarming form of censorship, “blacklisting” and repression” of pro-Palestinian activists.
Their concerns over the suppression of free speech was raised in an open letter published in the Guardian today after an award-winning band called the Young Fathers was disinvited from the Ruhrtriennale festival in Germany. The Scottish band was under pressure to declare themselves non-supporters of the Palestinian-led BDS movement for human rights as a condition of appearing at the festival, something they refused to do.
The artists’ open letter in The Guardian stated: “Conflating nonviolent measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation and human rights violations with anti-Jewish racism is false and dangerous. It denies Palestinians their right to peaceful protest and undermines the struggle against antisemitism.” In backing the BDS campaign they concluded: “Boycotts that are anchored in universal human rights and aimed at achieving justice for marginalised and oppressed communities are a legitimate nonviolent tactic. They have been used worldwide, including against apartheid in South Africa and the Jim Crow segregation laws in the US.”
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POLITICAL & SOCIAL (5 Stories)
The Biggest Call for Sanctions on Israel To Date
In July, Socialist International (SI), a global association of 140 political parties – including 35 parties currently in government – endorsed the BDS movement. Reaffirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, SI called on governments and civil organisations to “activate boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli occupation.” It called for the “total embargo on all forms of military trade and cooperation with Israel as long as it continues its policies of occupation and Apartheid against the people of Palestine.” Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National CommitteE said “Given its sheer size and global reach, Socialist International’s call for sanctions against Israel is a game-changer in the global BDS movement: “It is the most significant call for sanctions against Israel to date since BDS was launched in 2005.”
US Law Enforcement Reject Israeli training
In April, The City Council of Durham, North Carolina voted unanimously to ban training exchanges for their police force with Israel, the first such ban in the U.S.
Then in November, there were two more, almost simultaneous firsts: both the Vermont State police and the Northampton, MA police department pulled out of a "counter-terrorism seminar" sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to be held in Israel in December.
A little known source of the alarming militarization and violent tactics in American policing and immigration enforcement is widespread training with the Israeli military and police. Since the 1990's, thousands of the highest ranking police officials and law enforcement leaders across the United States have participated in exchange programs that bring together U.S police, ICE, border patrol, and the FBI with Israeli military and police. In these programs, "worst practices" are shared on the racist and repressive policing practices: extrajudicial executions, shoot-to-kill policies, police murders, racial profiling, massive spying and surveillance, deportation and detention, and attacks on human rights defenders. Jewish Voice for Peace, trailblazer in the U.S. movement for Palestinian rights and valued UMKR partner, is leading this campaign to alert Americans and put an end to this truly Deadly Exchange. Learn more about the Deadly Exchange campaign: deadlyexchange.org
10 Million Women in India
Seven women’s organizations which represent ten million people in India have supported calls to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and for the release of Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi and other minors held in Israeli jails.
In their statement in February, the women’s groups said their struggles in India formed the basis of their solidarity with Palestinian women. “The Indian women’s movements have fought against the deeply hierarchical systems of patriarchy, caste, class and religious divide that our society faces. We understand all too well what militarised patriarchy looks like in everyday life. Our struggle for freedom and justice for women and all oppressed sections of our society is built upon solidarities.”
“We, the undersigned, demand the immediate release of Ahed Tamimi and all Palestinian child prisoners. We further believe that the strongest way to support Ahed’s struggle and the Palestinian quest for justice, freedom and equality is to support the BDS movement."
Movement for Black Lives Solidarity
The powerful statement “The Movement for Black Lives Stands with the Palestinian People” was published in May 2018 .
THE FULL TEXT:
“Since the Great March of Return began on March 30th, 2018, 111 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and more than 10,000 have been injured. These Palestinians were courageously demanding their right to live in freedom and to return to land they were forced from.
The Movement for Black Lives stands with the Palestinian people and especially those in Gaza, that have been engaging in resistance at the Gaza border. As we watched the brutal attacks on these brave activists which continued during and after the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, we were painfully reminded of what happens when Black people, here in the U.S., decide to resist. We know that the United States government sends the same weapons to Tel Aviv as it sends to Ferguson, and hundreds of other cities across the country. We know that police officers in the United States learn the tactics of war from Israeli police forces, who come annually to train U.S. officers in methods of oppression, surveillance and murder. We understand that we are connected to the Palestinian people by our shared demand for recognition and justice and our long histories of displacement, discrimination and violence.
We categorically condemn the mass murder of Palestinians whose only crime was taking acts of moral resistance to life under occupation. We join them in calling for an end to the illegal blockade on Gaza which has allowed for the sealing off of its borders, trapping 2 million residents in an open air prison.
We also demand an end to the over 3 billion US taxpayer dollars that are sent to Israel to purchase military arms from U.S. corporations that are used on Palestinians.
We stand on the side of those fighting for the freedom of Black people, Palestinians and oppressed people all around the world.”
Over 40 Jewish Groups Worldwide Set the Record Straight
Jewish groups oppose equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism
THE FULL TEXT
“As social justice organizations from around the world, we write this letter with growing alarm regarding the targeting of organizations that support Palestinian rights in general and the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in particular. These attacks too often take the form of cynical and false accusations of antisemitism that dangerously conflate anti-Jewish racism with opposition to Israel’s policies and system of occupation and apartheid.
We live in a frightening era, with growing numbers of authoritarian and xenophobic regimes worldwide, foremost among them the Trump administration, allying themselves with Israel’s far right government while making common cause with deeply antisemitic and racist white supremacist groups and parties.
From our own histories we are all too aware of the dangers of increasingly fascistic and openly racist governments and political parties. The rise in antisemitic discourse and attacks worldwide is part of that broader trend.
At times like this, it is more important than ever to distinguish between the hostility to or prejudice against Jews on the one hand and legitimate critiques of Israeli policies and system of injustice on the other.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which is increasingly being adopted or considered by western governments, is worded in such a way as to be easily adopted or considered by western governments to intentionally equate legitimate criticisms of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism, as a means to suppress the former.
This conflation undermines both the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality and the global struggle against antisemitism. It also serves to shield Israel from being held accountable to universal standards of human rights and international law.
We urge our governments, municipalities, universities and other institutions to reject the IHRA definition and instead take effective measures to defeat white supremacist nationalist hate and violence and to end complicity in Israel’s human rights violations. Israel does not represent us and cannot speak for us when committing crimes against Palestinians and denying their UN-stipulated rights.
The Nobel Peace Prize-nominated, Palestinian civil society-led BDS movement for Palestinian rights has demonstrated an ongoing proven commitment to fighting antisemitism and all forms of racism and bigotry, consistent with its dedication to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Some of the undersigned organizations support BDS in full, others in part, and others have no formal position on BDS. We all affirm the current call for BDS as a set of tools and tactics that should not be defined as antisemitic.”
See the organizations who signed here
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FAITH-BASED (4 Stories)
Episcopal Church to Divest from Israeli Occupation
In July, The Episcopal Church adopted legislation to divest from the Israeli Occupation, the result of years of tireless organizing by EPF PIN (Episcopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network). The General Convention 2018 "…directs our Executive Council's Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility to develop criteria for Israel and Palestine based on a human rights' investment screen and the actions of General Convention and Executive Council over the past seventy years…" With this landmark action, The Episcopal Church has joined nine other U.S churches in divestment and boycott actions directed at ending the Israeli occupation.
U.S. Quakers expand their boycott of Israeli occupation
In March, Friends Fiduciary Corporation, the Quaker investment management company with assets of $400 million, announced it will exclude all companies from its investments that contribute to any and all internationally recognized conflict zones and occupations – including Israel's military occupation of Palestinian lands. In 2012, Friends Fiduciary was one of the first faith-based institutions in the US to divest from the occupation, specifically from three high profile occupation profiteers: Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard and Veolia. Episcopal Church will end complicity in Israeli occupation.
Quakers in United Kingdom will not profit from Israeli occupation
In November, Quakers in Britain announced that they will not invest any of their centrally held funds in companies that are profiting from Israel's occupation of Palestine, making it the first church in the United Kingdom to do so.[UMKR note: other UK churches have taken some actions of boycotting or divesting from the Israeli occupation, but have not adopted such a comprehensive policy.] In their statement: "With the occupation now in its 51st year, and with no end in near sight, we believe we have a moral duty to state publicly that we will not invest in any company profiting from the occupation."
Presbyterians adopt 10 Israel/Palestine resolutions
At their General Assembly in June 2018, the Presbyterian Church (USA) forged ahead on many fronts for justice in Israel/Palestine. An impressive slate of legislation spearheaded by the church's Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) included:
» Opposing anti-BDS legislation at the state and federal level
» Urging RE/MAX to stop facilitating sales in Israeli settlements
» Opposing Israel's illegal annexation of Jerusalem and its discriminatory practices against Palestinians
» Encouraging authentic Jewish-Christian relationships that recognize systemic inequality and are grounded in a mutual commitment to work together for justice
See them all in the report by USCPR
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2018 SUCCESSES:
BDS & MORE
ON THIS PAGE:
Left side - Right side -
• Faith-based (4) • Political and Social (6)
• Academic (13) • Business (3)
• Cultural (12) • Labor (2)
• Sports (3)
The 2018 successes listed on this page are in addition to those in other sections of our 2018 Review, such as:
U.S. Scene: On Campus and
Around the World: see Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa and Spain.
BUSINESS (3 Stories)
Airbnb drops settlements listings
By far the biggest headline-grabbing BDS success of 2018, international vacant rental giant Airbnb announced, that after a careful process of investigation and dialogue, it would be removing listings of properties which are located in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. It made that announcement one day ahead of a damming Human Rights Watch report “Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land.”
Israel threatened to take action against Airbnb, prohibiting its listings within Israel and some U.S. Governors have also made threats of actions against the international tourist service. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared that state of Florida employees will no longer be reimbursed for Airbnb stays while traveling and said further sanctions will be imposed if Airbnb doesn’t reverse its decision to delist properties in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Governor said Airbnb is in violation of his state's anti-BDS legislation, House Bill 545.
SEE MORE ON THE AIRBNB STORY IN OUR 2019 NEWS:AIRBNB WHIRLWIND LEADS TO DISGRACE
Europcar Leaves the Occupied Territories
After becoming a franchisee of Europcar, Israeli company Albar terminated its businesses in the occupied West Bank. Europcar thus joins other multinationals that have ended operations in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
HSBC Divests from Elbit
In December, HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services companies in the world, announced that it has divested from Israeli drone manufacturer Elbit Systems, which sells weapons to the Israeli military. HSBC’s decision came after a coordinated campaign which saw over 24,000 people email the bank with concerns over its investments in Elbit Systems, as well as monthly picketing campaigns outside scores of the organisation’s UK branches. HSBC had also come under pressure from its own investors, including the University of Leeds; HSBC placed under review by the university’s investment managers for its provision of loans to Elbit Systems, Caterpillar and BAE Systems, all of which sell weapons and military equipment to the Israeli government.
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You might also be interested in:
• Top 70 Moments of Solidarity & BDS for Palestine in 2018
• UMKR's global list of faith-based bodies that have supported boycott and/or divestment for Palestinian rights and to end the Israeli occupation.
• "BDS at 13: 250 US Victories" at USCPR’s website, which has details and links for 250 of the biggest BDS successes in the U.S.
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Download 2018 Review: Part One –
Download 2018 Review: Part Two –
The Big Stories of 2018
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Read these sections of
Part Two on our website:
• The Top Stories
• People in the Spotlight
• Events IN Israel/Palestine
• U.S. Scene: Anti-Zionism, Anti-Semitism
• U.S. Scene: More from Trump Admin
• U.S. Scene: On Campus
• U.S. Scene: Legislation- State, Federal
• U.S. Scene: Changes on the Horizon
• Around the World
• Successes: BDS & More
• Last, But Not Least
• For Information Junkies
ACADEMIC (13 Stories)
Leeds Is First University in the UK to Divest
In November, the University of Leeds became the first UK university to divest from firms supplying the Israeli army. Following a student campaign, the university made the decision to divest from three companies which were found to be complicit in the violation of Palestinian human rights: Airbus, United Technologies and Keyence Corporation.
Trinity College BDS Referendum Wins by Large Majority
In March, students at Trinity College in Dublin voted to support the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, with the referendum result announced to cheers and chants. Asked whether Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) should “accept a long-term policy on Palestine and in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)”, 64.5 per cent of students voted in favour. The referendum reportedly saw the highest turnout in recent years. The long-term policy mandates that the student union support the movement and “comply with the principles of BDS in all union shops, trade, business and other union operations,”,as well as lobby the college and the government to adopt a BDS policy.
University of Pisa Students Denounce Israeli Apartheid, Support Academic Boycott
In March 2018, the Student Council at the University of Pisa in Italy adopted a motion in a nearly unanimous vote supporting the academic boycott of Israel and calling for attention by the academic community to Israel’s apartheid policies. The motion stated in part: “We believe that the tool of the academic boycott promoted by the BDS campaign is one of many means to counter human rights violations and we support the work carried out by international activists and BDS-Italy ( www.bdsitalia.org ) in countering the crimes of the Israeli regime.”
Canada’s Largest Student Federation Supports BDS
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), which represents a half million students, approved a resolution supporting the BDS movment. They endorsed a statement that “the ongoing occupation of Palestine be condemned” and also approved support for Palestine-solidarity organizations with in-kind support and financial donations. The resolution also recommended that “a statement be released to our membership condemning the recent atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.” The federation also said it would support local chapters to begin weapons divestment campaigns. The Canadian Federation of Students also supported the boycott of apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. The federation’s 2018 action follows the lead of several Canadian universities and individual chapters of the federation of students which have adopted BDS measures.
Sydney Faculty Pledge Support for Academic Boycott
In April, dozens of academics at the University of Sydney have signed a pledge declaring their support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Their statement comes as a response to the lethal crackdown by Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip. Their pledge says that they “will not attend conferences sponsored by Israeli universities, participate in academic exchange schemes, or otherwise collaborate professionally with Israeli universities until the stated goals have been fulfilled.”
Pitzer Faculty Suspend Study Abroad in Israel
In November, faculty at California’s Pitzer College voted to suspend study abroad in Israel programs. Voting by a 4-to-1 ratio in favor, the faculty said the programs should be curtailed “until the Israeli state ends its restrictions on entry to Israel based on ancestry and/or political speech” and until Israel “adopts policies granting visas for exchanges to Palestinian universities on a fully equal basis as it does to Israeli universities.” Professors also rejected their administration’s move to nullify a resolution passed by Pitzer’s student senate last year in support of the BDS campaign for Palestinian rights.
Such study abroad programs violate equal rights clauses because Israel regularly denies entry to persons on the basis of their Palestinian, Arab, Middle Eastern, or Muslim ancestry. Israel’s racial profiling has a discriminatory impact on students participating in educational programs, and, due to Israel’s anti-BDS law, US students could be prohibited entry into the country for an act of political expression that is protected under the US Constitution.
Faculty Union in California Calls for Pension Fund to Divest
The faculty board of the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers voted nearly unanimously for their pension fund to divest from Caterpillar, which provides equipment to the Israeli military to demolish Palestinian homes and land; and from G4S, which has helped operate Israeli prisons where Palestinians are tortured and has managed juvenile prisons, detention and deportation facilities in the US and UK. This union represents faculty in the second-largest community college district in California. The resolution also urges its parent union, the California Federation of Teachers, to pass a similar divestment resolution.
NYU Student Government Says Divest for Human Rights
In December, The New York University (NYU) Student Government passed a resolution which calls for ‘divesting from corporations that violate Palestinian human rights and calls on NYU to adopt a socially responsible investment policy that upholds human rights for all.’ Earlier in the year, 50 student organizations at NYU, covering a expansive range of ethnic and racial diversity, pledged their support for the BDS movement
Barnard College Students Support BDS, Name 8 Companies
In April, students at Barnard College, the prestigious liberal arts school within Columbia University, voted in favour of divestment from companies complicit in Israeli occupation. The school wide referendum showed 64.3% support for Barnard divestment from eight multinational companies (Hyundai Heavy Industries, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Elbit Systems, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Bank Hapoalim, Mekorot) that profit from or engage in the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.” The referendum was an initiative of Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition between the student groups Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (CSJP) and Columbia/Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). CUAD’s press release said: “The message from Barnard students is clear: get our tuition dollars out of settler colonialism and its benefactors."
Cal State University, East Bay: Unanimous Student Gov't Vote
In May 2018, the student government of CSU East Bay unanimously adopted a resolution that calls upon the school trustees to divest from corporations that are complicit in the illegal military occupation of Palestine. Corporations named specifically include Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard, G4S, and Motorola Solutions, for being directly involved in allowing the Israeli government to maintain and enforce the occupation and construct Jewish-only settlements, walls and barriers, and checkpoints.
George Washington U. Student Senate defies intimidation, endorses divestment resolution
In spite of an intimidation campaign by Canary Mission and others that included threats to their safety, in April 2018, the George Washington
University Student Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution to divest from nine companies known to be complicit in Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights: following companies: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems Ltd., Caterpillar Inc., CEMEX, General Electric, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Above: Flyer posted on George Washington University campus to
intimidate students voting on divestment.
UC Davis Students Stand Up to Canary Mission and Government Agencies
In May 2018, the UC Davis student senate passed a resolution to safeguard students’ right to engage in political activism.
The resolution denounces the shadowy website Canary Mission and similar sites that seek to tarnish the reputations of educators and students who speak out for Palestinian rights and compromise their future careers. Such tactics “threaten the security of student activists, as well as create a toxic atmosphere of fear and paranoia among fellow students, thus infringing upon students’ ability to freely express their opinions.” The resolution also condemns student organizations that inform on fellow students to groups like Canary Mission and denounces surveillance and intimidation on campus by police and US immigration authorities.
Univ. of Oregon Students Endorse BDS, Call for Divestment and Boycott of Israeli Settler Colonialism and the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
In May 2018, after a twice extended debate, the University Senate passed a resolution by a two thirds majority that had been spearheaded by Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER). The resolution endorses the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, calls for divestment from the Strauss Group, the Osem Group, Hewlett-Packard Company, Ahava, General Electric, Eden Springs, Motorola, Caterpillar, G4S, and Elbit Systems, and also prohibits the purchase on campus of Sabra, Tribe, Hewlett-Packard Company, Sodastream, Motorola, Caterpillar, G4S, and Elbit Systems.
Univ of Minnesota Student Referendum: “Yes” to demanding school's divestment from Israeli human rights violations
In March 2018, in a campus-wide election at the University of Minnesota, a majority of students voted “Yes” on the referendum question: “"Should the students of the University of Minnesota demand the Board of Regents divest from companies that are 1) complicit in Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, 2) maintaining and establishing private prisons and immigrant detention centers, or 3) violating Indigenous sovereignty?"
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News & Analysis UMKR News & Alerts
LABOR (2 Stories)
Tunisia’s largest labor union joins BDS, blocks Israeli freight ships
In May, The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGGT), with over half a million members, announced that it has joined the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In a statement released on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, the union said the move highlights its support for Palestinian refugees, their right of return and is in condemnation of the US’ decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.
In related news, the same Tunisian union forced Zim, the largest Israeli shipping company, one of the top 20 global carriers, to suspend its services to the Tunisian port of Radès. The BDS National Committee called this “the first victory of its kind in the Arab world.” The UGTT had called on members to prevent the Israel-linked ship Cornelius A from landing in Tunisia. This mirrors similar union action that has been successful in ports in the western United States.
Over 1000 Mental Health Professionals Protest Conference in Israel
Mental health workers and professionals from around the world have signed a petition protesting the decision of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP) to hold its 2019 international conference in Tel Aviv, citing Israel’s human rights abuses against the Palestinians. Launched by the USA-Palestine Mental Health Network and Jewish Voice for Peace, the petition gained global support, with many arguing that the conference could not be deemed a “safe space” and many Palestinians would be prevented from participating. The statement said: “Holding the conference in Israel inevitably severely limits conference participation by Palestinian clinicians because of the longstanding imposition of movement restrictions, curfews, and checkpoints by Israel as well as its targeting of community leaders in Palestine.” It further listed the numerous measures taken by Israel that supress the freedom of speech of those criticising Israel, including banning entry for members of certain groups in Israel’s BDS blacklist.
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