Activism and BDS Beat

South Africa and Denmark make historic rulings to correctly label Israeli settlement products; and international Quaker churches fully divest from the Caterpillar corporation.

Pressure to deny a public transport contract to Veolia because of its role in Israel’s violations of international law increases in the Netherlands.

This week in BDS news around the world: 10,000 signatures delivered to Irish building materials corporation demanding divestment from Israeli business contracts; a call for 24 hours of hunger in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails; and more!

10 million Palestinians worldwide. At 9 am GMT, 12 pm Palestine time, every Palestinian and their supporters are invited to step outside their stores, homes, schools, workplaces for ten minutes on the 28th day of the Palestinian prisoners’ mass hunger strike.

Palestinian and Dutch rights organizations call on the urban region of The Hague, to end its business with Veolia.

A statement released today signed by more than 100 student leaders in the United Kingdom condemns a policy at an Israeli college effectively barring Palestinians from its top student post.

Football Beyond Borders has issued a letter of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike. They also officially announced their boycott of the UEFA 2013 Under-21 European football championships, which Israel is set to host.

G4S has been severely criticized for its operations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in prisons and detention centers in Israel. Recently, Palestinian organizations called for action against G4S for its role in Israeli prisons.

In a statement and video published on the Gender and Sexuality Law Blog of Columbia Law School, Professor Katherine Franke has made a very public declaration of solidarity with Palestinians and support for the Palestinian call for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions on Israel.

Two open letters have been published this week in defense of UCLA professor David Shorter, who was recently the target of an attack by Israel lobby groups because of his endorsement of the BDS movement.