The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and all its partners, individuals and organizations active in art, culture and human rights, regard the cancellation of the Jericho-Tel Aviv event, planned by “One Voice” to take place on 18 October, as a substantial accomplishment for the Palestinian boycott movement. A solid partnership between diverse civil society organizations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has succeeded in thwarting the event’s organizers’ attempt to mislead public opinion and to use deceptive slogans to market a political program that concedes some fundamental Palestinian rights. Read more about Concert cancellation victory against normalization
On 18 October, One Million Voices, an organization led by Israelis and international figures with the support of some Palestinians, is organizing a public event in Jericho and Tel Aviv, simultaneously but suspiciously fails to call for an end to Israel’s occupation, amongst other basic requisites to genuine peace. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel finds that the event falls under the category of normalization projects and violates the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions. Read more about One Million Voices: Celebrating peace or camouflaging apartheid?
MONTREAL, CANADA, 18 September — The Montreal network of the Coalition against Israeli Apartheid welcomed former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney during a launch of his autobiography at Indigo bookstore by unfurling a banner denouncing the apartheid situation under which Palestinians are living. Marcel Sevigny, a member of the network, wanted to call on Mulroney to speak out against the apartheid system now being used against the Palestinian people, given the role Mulroney is said to have played in bringing down the apartheid system in South Africa. However, Sevigny was removed by security before he could do so. Read more about Montreal activists call on Mulroney to denounce Israeli Apartheid
When Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine (APJP) sent a letter to the new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown two weeks ago describing as “disturbing” his decision to become a patron of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), this was another example of the active campaigning of this international pressure group. The letter says: “Your becoming a patron of JNF-UK can be seen as a tacit acceptance of an unacceptable status quo, and also places you in the position of not being an unbiased mediator in the peace process.” Susannah Tarbush reports. Read more about Architects protest Brown's JNF patronship
On Tuesday, the Israeli high court decided in favor of a petition drawn up by the Palestinian villagers of Bil’in in the occupied West Bank to change the current route of the illegal apartheid wall which encircles the small village. For years, residents of Bil’in, along with international and Israeli activists, have led nonviolent resistance actions every week against the encroaching wall and the illegal settlement colonies that expand on a daily basis on their land. Nora Barrows-Friedman reports for EI. Read more about Legal victory in struggle against wall
While British colleagues prepare to discuss the Palestinian boycott call and consider the implications of normal academic links with the Israeli academy during the coming academic year, a disturbing development has been noted in the United States and Canada. No sooner had the UK’s University and College Union motion deploring the denial of educaitonal rights for Palestinans been passed than dozens of American and Canadian university presidents and rectors rushed to condemn the Union, basing their attacks on mostly false or inaccurate data. Read more about Open door to boycott debate and uphold academic freedom
BIL’IN, West Bank, 13 August (IPS) - Amidst acres of twisting olive trees in front of the Israeli apartheid wall, eight protesters in a weekly nonviolent demonstration were injured and three arrested on Friday when Israeli occupation soldiers fired rounds of tear gas, smoke bombs, sound grenades and rubber bullets at the crowd in the West Bank village of Bil’in. Five Palestinian children and a paramedic were also wounded as over one hundred protesters, including village residents, Israeli activists and international campaigners took part in a weekly demonstration that has been planned every Friday for more than two years. Read more about A village makes its own protest
Sometimes it’s the little things that reveal the horror of oppression most vividly. Dr. Mona El-Farra, speaking in Chicago as part of a 17-city US tour, related how recently a Palestinian woman in the Occupied Territories had gone into labor and was heading to a hospital. “She was about to give birth, but she was detained at an Israeli checkpoint for three hours,” El-Farra said. “Amazingly, she eventually got through and was able to deliver her child.” Mark Almberg reports on El-Farra’s description of the current situation in occupied Palestine, particularly Gaza. Read more about Palestinian doctor paints picture of Gaza under siege
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in London published on its website a link to my article Volvo: Symbol of safety or human rights abuses?,” and asked the company to respond. The article highlights the use of Volvo construction machinery by the Israeli military as a tool in the occupation, which is the reason behind recent calls for economic pressure on Volvo. Mr. M. Wikforss, Vice President of Media Relations & Corporate News of Volvo Group wrote a letter in response, which is also published on the Resource Centre’s website. In this article I react to Volvo’s arguments. Read more about Volvo: Evading corporate responsibility
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions — representing trade unions and trades councils from the whole island of Ireland — have today passed two motions on Palestine that are extremely critical of the actions of the Israeli government in its oppression of the Palestinian people. The two motions condemn Israel for its human rights abuses, its policy of ethnic cleansing and its war crimes. The motions have been proposed by Belfast Trades Council and by Derry Trades Council. Both motions go into considerable detail about the suffering endured by the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Read more about Irish Congress of Trade Unions calls for boycott and divestment
