As a citizen of the United States, I have been an activist working to end US support for Israel’s occupation. With other anti-occupation activists, I demonstrated and wrote repeatedly against the Iraq war before it began. But once it was underway I had to make a difficult decision; would I continue as before, or focus on the long fight against our crimes in Iraq? The thought of becoming yet another person to abandon the Palestinians was abhorrent. So I stayed at my post. It remains a difficult decision today, but I do not regret it. Read more about On Boycotts, Activism and Moral Standards
As the daily death toll of Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israelis clearly indicates, Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians is driven solely by violence and aggression. No other avenues (the non-violent kind) are open. Because of this, Israel is now escalating its practice of keeping internationals out of the West Bank and Gaza, the idea being that the presence of internationals puts a crimp in Israeli operations. When Palestinians protest on their own, the Israeli forces can and do use live ammunition against them. Read more about Keeping the international eyewitnesses out
We are writing to you as deeply committed Jews to ask the Presbyterian Church of the United States to honor its commitment to doing justice and seeking peace, and, in so doing, to act as a true friend to our own people. We hope and pray that you will continue to disavow Christian Zionism, to condemn Israel’s continuing effort to extend and consolidate its hold on Palestinian land and water in the Occupied West Bank, and to begin selective divestment of holdings in multinational corporations enabling those efforts. Read more about Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church
We are writing you regarding the Black Eyed Peas’ concert in Tel Aviv June 3rd during which you put on a spectacular performance to an effusive Israeli crowd. During the concert, Ms. Ferguson declared that Israel is “one of the most fun places on the planet.” Mr. Adams described the Peas’ time in Israel as “the best five days of our lives.” However, for your Palestinian fans living in the West Bank in Gaza, who are not allowed to travel to Tel Aviv to attend hip-hop shows, life under the thumb of Israeli occupation is anything but fun. Read more about Black Eyed Peas: Celebrating South African freedom while normalizing Israeli apartheid
Fifty-eight years have passed since the great catastrophe (al-Nakba) that resulted in the imposition in Palestine of ‘Israel’, one of the most exclusionary-racist states in modern history, and the displacement of the largest and longest suffering refugee population in modern times. Despite the passage of time, the resilience of our people succeeded in internationalizing our struggle and accumulating a number of important victories. With continued proper and expanded coordination and participation, perseverance will lead to a qualitative shift in public understanding and political balance of power in our favor. Read more about Al-Awda Convention Announcement : July 14-16, 2006, San Francisco, CA
In July of 2006, Tadamon! [Solidarity! in Arabic], a Montreal-based collective of social justice organizers and media activists, will be sending a delegation to Lebanon. In the context of historic political change taking place in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East region, this delegation will be producing independent media reports concerning the current political, social and economic situation in Lebanon, for dissemination through alternative media networks in the Middle East, North America and internationally including the Electronic Intifada. Read more about Tadamon delegation to Lebanon in Summer 2006
Today, Palestinians commemorate the 39th anniversary of Israel’s illegal occupation. At a time of unprecedented Israeli repression and violations of human rights, when Israel is relentlessly pursuing the construction of its colonial Wall and settlements, both declared illegal by the International Court of Justice at the Hague in July 2004, we, representatives of Palestinian civil society, urge you to cancel your planned performance in Israel. We feel particularly disappointed because of your otherwise bright record of supporting just peace and human rights in our region and in other conflicts. Read more about A Stinging Tribute to an Apartheid State: An Open Letter to Sting Urging him to Cancel his Israel Gig
In the flurry of letters and comments against the boycott of Israeli academics who, according to Natfhe, are complicit through their work or silence, in the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the reality facing the other side of the coin, that of Palestinian academics, researchers and educational institutions, has been ignored. Under Israeli occupation, all eleven Palestinian universities have been closed, the longest being Birzeit between 1988 and 1992, and the most recent Hebron Polytechnic which was closed by military order for 8 months in 2003. Read more about The Boycott of Palestinian Education: Can the Anti-Boycotters Please Stand Up?
27 May 2006 - The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) congratulates CUPE Ontario (Canadian Union of Public Employees) for passing Resolution 50 in support of the global campaign against Israeli Apartheid. The resolution passed with overwhelming support at the largest provincial convention in the union’s history, held May 24-27 in Ottawa, Canada. Over 900 delegates from CUPE locals across Ontario attended the convention. CUPE represents about 200,000 public sector workers in Ontario and is the largest public sector union in the province. Read more about CUPE Ontario votes in Support of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Against Israeli Apartheid
On 29 May 2006, “British academics proved once again that they are up to the challenge of meeting injustice with the powerful message of civil resistance.” So said the Palestinian Academic Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (PACBI) in response to a vote by the UK’s National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) to impose an academic boycott of Israel in response to its “apartheid policies.” PACBI added that, “Just as in the South African case, a comprehensive regime of sanctions and boycotts remains … the most morally sound strategy in bringing about Israel’s compliance with international law and universal principles of human rights.” Read more about Palestinians welcome UK vote for Israel academic boycott
