27 jan 2014
G4S is a British-Danish private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli police.
In 2007, G4S signed a contract with the Israeli Prison Authority to provide security systems and other services for major Israeli prisons. G4S provides systems for the Ketziot and Megiddo prisons, which hold Palestinian political prisoners from occupied Palestinian territory inside Israel. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the transfer of prisoners from occupied territory into the territory of the occupier.
G4S also provides equipment for Ofer prison, located in the occupied West Bank, and for Kishon and Moskobiyyeh detention facilities, at which human rights organisations have documented systematic torture and ill treatment of Palestinian prisoners. As Palestinian political prisoners begun a mass hunger strike on 17th April 2012 an action was taken to hold G4S accountable for its involvement with Israel’s unlawful detention of Palestinians.
G4S is also complicit with other aspects of Israel’s system of apartheid over the Palestinian people. G4S provides equipment and services to Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank that form part of the route of Israel’s illegal Wall and to the terminals isolating the occupied and besieged territory of Gaza. G4S has also signed contracts for equipment and services for the West Bank Israeli Police headquarters and to private businesses based in illegal Israeli settlements. A panel of legal experts concluded that G4S may be criminally liable for its activities in support of Israel’s illegal Wall and other violations of international law.
G4S has attempted to deflect the criticism it has been facing by announcing that it intends to end some aspects of its involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements by 2015. However, this response is unsatisfactory. The public announcements make no mention of the participation of G4S in the illegal detention and torture of Palestinian political prisoners inside Israel. Additionally, the announcement mentions only some aspects of the company’s involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements and pledges only to exit them at some undetermined point in the future.
Source (www.bdsmovement.net)
Important Links:
G4S signed a contract with the Israeli Prison Authority:
http://whoprofits.org/sites/default/files/WhoProfits-PrivateSecurity-G4S.pdf
Torture in Israeli Jails – The Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes: http://ufreeonline.net/uploads/1372957681.pdf
Public Statement of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine:
http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Concluding-Statement-RToP-London-22-November-2010.pdf
In 2007, G4S signed a contract with the Israeli Prison Authority to provide security systems and other services for major Israeli prisons. G4S provides systems for the Ketziot and Megiddo prisons, which hold Palestinian political prisoners from occupied Palestinian territory inside Israel. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the transfer of prisoners from occupied territory into the territory of the occupier.
G4S also provides equipment for Ofer prison, located in the occupied West Bank, and for Kishon and Moskobiyyeh detention facilities, at which human rights organisations have documented systematic torture and ill treatment of Palestinian prisoners. As Palestinian political prisoners begun a mass hunger strike on 17th April 2012 an action was taken to hold G4S accountable for its involvement with Israel’s unlawful detention of Palestinians.
G4S is also complicit with other aspects of Israel’s system of apartheid over the Palestinian people. G4S provides equipment and services to Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank that form part of the route of Israel’s illegal Wall and to the terminals isolating the occupied and besieged territory of Gaza. G4S has also signed contracts for equipment and services for the West Bank Israeli Police headquarters and to private businesses based in illegal Israeli settlements. A panel of legal experts concluded that G4S may be criminally liable for its activities in support of Israel’s illegal Wall and other violations of international law.
G4S has attempted to deflect the criticism it has been facing by announcing that it intends to end some aspects of its involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements by 2015. However, this response is unsatisfactory. The public announcements make no mention of the participation of G4S in the illegal detention and torture of Palestinian political prisoners inside Israel. Additionally, the announcement mentions only some aspects of the company’s involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements and pledges only to exit them at some undetermined point in the future.
Source (www.bdsmovement.net)
Important Links:
G4S signed a contract with the Israeli Prison Authority:
http://whoprofits.org/sites/default/files/WhoProfits-PrivateSecurity-G4S.pdf
Torture in Israeli Jails – The Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes: http://ufreeonline.net/uploads/1372957681.pdf
Public Statement of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine:
http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Concluding-Statement-RToP-London-22-November-2010.pdf
25 jan 2014
OXFAM International criticised a US actress over an ad campaign for an Israeli company that operates in a colonial West Bank settlement, AP reported. Scarlett Johansson is scheduled to appear in a television ad on February 2.
"SodaStream came under fire from pro-Palestinian activists for maintaining a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians"
Johansson has served as a global ambassador for Oxfam since 2005, raising funds and promoting awareness about global poverty.
The humanitarian group said that while it respects the independence of its ambassadors, it opposes "all trade" from Israeli settlements, claiming they are illegal and deny Palestinian rights. "We have made our concerns known to Ms. Johansson and we are now engaged in a dialogue on these important issues," it said.
The Israeli-occupation profiteering firm’s factory is located in Mishor Adumim, the industrial zone of the illegal Israeli settlement Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank.
A public relation video issued by the firm suggested that the company’s settlement factory is a “fantastic sanctuary of co-existence” and, despite being built on stolen Palestinian land, is beneficial to the Palestinian economy and workers.
However, pro-Palestinian Electronic Intifada publication quoted M., a Palestinian employee of SodaStream who has worked for a long time and lives under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, as saying “I feel humiliated and I am also disgraced as a Palestinian, as the claims in this video are all lies. We Palestinian workers in this factory always feel like we are enslaved.”
"SodaStream came under fire from pro-Palestinian activists for maintaining a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians"
Johansson has served as a global ambassador for Oxfam since 2005, raising funds and promoting awareness about global poverty.
The humanitarian group said that while it respects the independence of its ambassadors, it opposes "all trade" from Israeli settlements, claiming they are illegal and deny Palestinian rights. "We have made our concerns known to Ms. Johansson and we are now engaged in a dialogue on these important issues," it said.
The Israeli-occupation profiteering firm’s factory is located in Mishor Adumim, the industrial zone of the illegal Israeli settlement Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank.
A public relation video issued by the firm suggested that the company’s settlement factory is a “fantastic sanctuary of co-existence” and, despite being built on stolen Palestinian land, is beneficial to the Palestinian economy and workers.
However, pro-Palestinian Electronic Intifada publication quoted M., a Palestinian employee of SodaStream who has worked for a long time and lives under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, as saying “I feel humiliated and I am also disgraced as a Palestinian, as the claims in this video are all lies. We Palestinian workers in this factory always feel like we are enslaved.”
24 jan 2014
Germany is insisting that research support and cooperation with Israel exclude Jewish settlements built on Palestinian land, Israeli media said Thursday, weeks ahead of a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to the report in Haaretz daily, Berlin's decision "represents a significant escalation in European measures against the settlements" in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Haaretz notes that a 1986 treaty of the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development states that the foundation will only sponsor projects "within the geographic areas under the jurisdiction of the State of Israel" prior to the 1967 Middle East war.
The Germans want to apply that clause to the "German-Israeli funding program (DIP)", an agreement signed in 1970 that is renewed annually on March 31, as well as to an agreement between the states providing "German funding for industrial and applied research and development," Haaretz said.
Merkel is due in Israel at the end of next month.
Germany's steadfast support of Israel has been a constant since World War II in atonement for its Nazi past, and Berlin is widely seen as Israel's closest ally in Europe.
Haaretz said the German demand was effectively extending the settlement ban to "private companies" in occupied territories.
But an Israeli diplomatic source told AFP there was "nothing new here" since "the territorial limitations have applied since 1986 and nothing has changed."
And a spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said Berlin had "a great interest in continuing and expanding scientific cooperation with Israel."
According to the report in Haaretz daily, Berlin's decision "represents a significant escalation in European measures against the settlements" in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Haaretz notes that a 1986 treaty of the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development states that the foundation will only sponsor projects "within the geographic areas under the jurisdiction of the State of Israel" prior to the 1967 Middle East war.
The Germans want to apply that clause to the "German-Israeli funding program (DIP)", an agreement signed in 1970 that is renewed annually on March 31, as well as to an agreement between the states providing "German funding for industrial and applied research and development," Haaretz said.
Merkel is due in Israel at the end of next month.
Germany's steadfast support of Israel has been a constant since World War II in atonement for its Nazi past, and Berlin is widely seen as Israel's closest ally in Europe.
Haaretz said the German demand was effectively extending the settlement ban to "private companies" in occupied territories.
But an Israeli diplomatic source told AFP there was "nothing new here" since "the territorial limitations have applied since 1986 and nothing has changed."
And a spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said Berlin had "a great interest in continuing and expanding scientific cooperation with Israel."
23 jan 2014
In a statement to his Habayit Hayehudi Knesset faction on Monday, Israeli Economy Minster Naftali Bennett claimed that the future of Israel's economy would be detrimentally impacted by the creation of a Palestinian state.
Bennet called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stand up to the pressure to reach an agreement that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. In light of the recent decisions of leading European and Dutch pension funds, concern of boycotts and divestments have increased. However, Bennet claims that the "boycott threat paled when compared to the security problems a Palestinian state in the West Bank would create for Israel," Haaretz reported. He went on to argue that Israel has faced economic boycotts in the past and has survived and prospered, and that Israel's economy has grown from reassertion of its power over Palestinian areas.
Other sources tell that Israel Justice Minister Tzipi Livni admonished Bennet for downplaying the threat of boycotts. She accused him of listening to extremist rabbis rather than business leaders. She stated that "the economy and trade minister must decide if he represents all Israeli citizens or just residents of isolated settlements". Bennet also got attacked for telling The Jerusalem Post that he intends to draft the support of enough MKs to block Netanyahu from making concessions to the Palestinians.
Baruch Marzel, who was part of the Otzma Le'Israel party that ran in last year's elections stated "The only thing Bennett has learned in politics is how to spin and take credit for work done by others."
He added, "After a year of Bennett, the Land of Israel is facing the greatest danger since the Oslo agreements."
Bennet called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stand up to the pressure to reach an agreement that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. In light of the recent decisions of leading European and Dutch pension funds, concern of boycotts and divestments have increased. However, Bennet claims that the "boycott threat paled when compared to the security problems a Palestinian state in the West Bank would create for Israel," Haaretz reported. He went on to argue that Israel has faced economic boycotts in the past and has survived and prospered, and that Israel's economy has grown from reassertion of its power over Palestinian areas.
Other sources tell that Israel Justice Minister Tzipi Livni admonished Bennet for downplaying the threat of boycotts. She accused him of listening to extremist rabbis rather than business leaders. She stated that "the economy and trade minister must decide if he represents all Israeli citizens or just residents of isolated settlements". Bennet also got attacked for telling The Jerusalem Post that he intends to draft the support of enough MKs to block Netanyahu from making concessions to the Palestinians.
Baruch Marzel, who was part of the Otzma Le'Israel party that ran in last year's elections stated "The only thing Bennett has learned in politics is how to spin and take credit for work done by others."
He added, "After a year of Bennett, the Land of Israel is facing the greatest danger since the Oslo agreements."
The German government provided the continued grants to Israeli high-tech companies, as well as the renewal of a scientific cooperation agreement, on the inclusion of a territorial clause stating that Israeli entities located in the West Bank settlements or east Jerusalem will not be eligible for funding, Haaretz reported. Israel fears the German move will lead other European Union member states to follow suit. “Germany will set an example for the rest of the world,” A senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official said.
"If Israel continues with the settlements and talks fail, there might be a situation where Israel finds itself more isolated," The EU official to Israel , Lars Faaborg-Andersen warned Israel , referring to a consumer boycott of Israeli goods manufactured in the West Bank.
"It will not be a result of decisions by governments but by the private sector and consumers," he said .
Andersen explained that whenever Israel announces new buildings in the settlement , it fuels the discourse in Europe. "The cause for labeling Israeli settlement products is gaining momentum," he said.
"If Israel continues with the settlements and talks fail, there might be a situation where Israel finds itself more isolated," The EU official to Israel , Lars Faaborg-Andersen warned Israel , referring to a consumer boycott of Israeli goods manufactured in the West Bank.
"It will not be a result of decisions by governments but by the private sector and consumers," he said .
Andersen explained that whenever Israel announces new buildings in the settlement , it fuels the discourse in Europe. "The cause for labeling Israeli settlement products is gaining momentum," he said.
15 jan 2014
Members of an academic delegation were held for 10 hours by Israeli security forces when crossing into Palestine from Jordan, a statement said Tuesday.
A delegation of six academics and a labor activist came to the West Bank to conduct meetings with Palestinian scholars "in order to better understand conditions on the ground and to facilitate future collaborations," one of the members said in a statement.
University of Illinois professor Junaid Rana said that on Sunday, four members of the delegation were held and interrogated by Israeli security forces, Interior Ministry employees, and the military for over 10 hours at the border.
"They were pressed about their scholarly research, academic networks, family backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnic origins," Rana said.
"The Israeli security officer demanded contact and cell phone information and two delegates were coerced into accessing their email accounts using Israeli security computers."
Additionally, the members were asked about previous travel to Arab countries.
"Rana was also asked why he attended a conference on 'Transnational American Studies' at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and whether he had any political writings related to Israel," the statement said.
It continued by condemning the interrogation: "Such actions are a clear violation of academic freedom, including the freedom to travel for scholarly research, and demonstrate tactics of intimidation and harassment of scholarly inquiry."
Some of the delegates who were held belong to US academic associations -- such as American Studies Association, Association of Asian American Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies Association -- that have endorsed an academic and cultural boycott of "Israeli institutions that are complicit in the continued colonization of Palestine."
Three of the delegates were also personal supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, the statement said.
"The delegation recognizes that their experiences on January 12, 2014, pales in comparison with the everyday surveillance and criminalization of Palestinian academics who are consistently denied the freedoms to research, publish, and travel," Rana added.
Palestinians, in addition to other Arabs, Muslims, and pro-Palestinian activists, are often held for hours -- and sometimes denied entry -- at border crossings controlled by Israel.
In December, the American Studies Association announced its decision to boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
A statement from the organization read at the time: "The ASA's endorsement of the academic boycott emerges from the context of US military and other support for Israel; Israel's violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights; and finally, the support of such a resolution by a majority of ASA members."
A delegation of six academics and a labor activist came to the West Bank to conduct meetings with Palestinian scholars "in order to better understand conditions on the ground and to facilitate future collaborations," one of the members said in a statement.
University of Illinois professor Junaid Rana said that on Sunday, four members of the delegation were held and interrogated by Israeli security forces, Interior Ministry employees, and the military for over 10 hours at the border.
"They were pressed about their scholarly research, academic networks, family backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnic origins," Rana said.
"The Israeli security officer demanded contact and cell phone information and two delegates were coerced into accessing their email accounts using Israeli security computers."
Additionally, the members were asked about previous travel to Arab countries.
"Rana was also asked why he attended a conference on 'Transnational American Studies' at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and whether he had any political writings related to Israel," the statement said.
It continued by condemning the interrogation: "Such actions are a clear violation of academic freedom, including the freedom to travel for scholarly research, and demonstrate tactics of intimidation and harassment of scholarly inquiry."
Some of the delegates who were held belong to US academic associations -- such as American Studies Association, Association of Asian American Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies Association -- that have endorsed an academic and cultural boycott of "Israeli institutions that are complicit in the continued colonization of Palestine."
Three of the delegates were also personal supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, the statement said.
"The delegation recognizes that their experiences on January 12, 2014, pales in comparison with the everyday surveillance and criminalization of Palestinian academics who are consistently denied the freedoms to research, publish, and travel," Rana added.
Palestinians, in addition to other Arabs, Muslims, and pro-Palestinian activists, are often held for hours -- and sometimes denied entry -- at border crossings controlled by Israel.
In December, the American Studies Association announced its decision to boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
A statement from the organization read at the time: "The ASA's endorsement of the academic boycott emerges from the context of US military and other support for Israel; Israel's violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights; and finally, the support of such a resolution by a majority of ASA members."
11 jan 2014
Israeli finance minister Yair Lapid has become the latest senior official to warn about the serious impact of growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel.
“The world seems to be losing patience with us,” Lapid told the Hebrew edition of Ynet on 10 January.
“In the case of Horizon 2020 (a scientific collaboration with Europe), we managed to avert the damage, and then all of a sudden, a boycott in American academia. We haven’t managed to create an effect around the Iranian agreement, because our voice was not sufficiently heard, because our standing is not as it should be. If we don’t make progress with the Palestinians, we will lose the support of the world and our legitimacy.”
Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid faction, is the senior coalition partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Things do not look good”
Lapid added: “We have formulated complete scenarios as to what will happen if the boycott continues and exports are hurt. In all scenarios, things do not look good. The status quo will hit each of us in the pocket, will hurt every Israeli. We are export-oriented, and this [export trade] depends on our global standing.”
Lapid was particularly concerned about further announcements by Israel of new tenders for houses in illegal Jewish-only colonies in the occupied West Bank.
Lapid’s frank comments come just days after Dutch pensions giant PGGM took the unprecedented decision to divest from all Israeli banks because of their role in the colonization program.
Interestingly, a 10 January report about Lapid’s comments on the English edition of Ynet by the same journalist mentions only Lapid’s criticism of the settlement tenders and omits his warning about the boycott.
String of warnings
Lapid, an alleged “centrist” who has habitually made anti-Arab comments, joins other senior politicians who have warned about the looming threat of boycott.
Recently, the chair of the governing coalition’s Habayit Hayehudi party said that boycott was the “greatest threat” Israel faced.
Justice minister and war crimes suspect Tzipi Livni also warned that “The boycott is moving and advancing uniformly and exponentially … Those who don’t want to see it, will end up feeling it.”
With thanks to Ofer Neiman.
“The world seems to be losing patience with us,” Lapid told the Hebrew edition of Ynet on 10 January.
“In the case of Horizon 2020 (a scientific collaboration with Europe), we managed to avert the damage, and then all of a sudden, a boycott in American academia. We haven’t managed to create an effect around the Iranian agreement, because our voice was not sufficiently heard, because our standing is not as it should be. If we don’t make progress with the Palestinians, we will lose the support of the world and our legitimacy.”
Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid faction, is the senior coalition partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Things do not look good”
Lapid added: “We have formulated complete scenarios as to what will happen if the boycott continues and exports are hurt. In all scenarios, things do not look good. The status quo will hit each of us in the pocket, will hurt every Israeli. We are export-oriented, and this [export trade] depends on our global standing.”
Lapid was particularly concerned about further announcements by Israel of new tenders for houses in illegal Jewish-only colonies in the occupied West Bank.
Lapid’s frank comments come just days after Dutch pensions giant PGGM took the unprecedented decision to divest from all Israeli banks because of their role in the colonization program.
Interestingly, a 10 January report about Lapid’s comments on the English edition of Ynet by the same journalist mentions only Lapid’s criticism of the settlement tenders and omits his warning about the boycott.
String of warnings
Lapid, an alleged “centrist” who has habitually made anti-Arab comments, joins other senior politicians who have warned about the looming threat of boycott.
Recently, the chair of the governing coalition’s Habayit Hayehudi party said that boycott was the “greatest threat” Israel faced.
Justice minister and war crimes suspect Tzipi Livni also warned that “The boycott is moving and advancing uniformly and exponentially … Those who don’t want to see it, will end up feeling it.”
With thanks to Ofer Neiman.
Farmers in the Jordan Valley are feeling the hurt
Farmers in contested fertile valley suffering steep losses from Western European boycott and divestment movement
An international campaign to boycott Israeli settlement products has rapidly turned from a distant nuisance into a harsh economic reality for Israeli farmers in the West Bank's Jordan Valley.
The export-driven income of growers in the valley's 21 settlements dropped by more than 14 percent, or $29 million, last year, largely because Western European supermarket chains, particularly those in Britain and Scandinavia, are increasingly shunning the area's peppers, dates, grapes and fresh herbs, settlers say.
"The damage is enormous," said David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, which represents about 7,000 settlers. "In effect, today, we are almost not selling to the (Western) European market anymore.
Israel has played down the impact of the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions launched by Palestinian activists in 2005 to pressure the Jewish State to withdraw from occupied lands.
"By and large, it's unpleasant background noise," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, arguing that its overall effects have been negligible.
However, the lament of the Jordan Valley famers comes against the backdrop of a growing debate in Israel about the aftermath of a possible failure of US Secretary of State John Kerry's latest mediating mission. Kerry wants to forge agreement on the outlines of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal despite major disagreements between the sides.
'Boycott hurts our pocketbook'
Farmers in contested fertile valley suffering steep losses from Western European boycott and divestment movement
An international campaign to boycott Israeli settlement products has rapidly turned from a distant nuisance into a harsh economic reality for Israeli farmers in the West Bank's Jordan Valley.
The export-driven income of growers in the valley's 21 settlements dropped by more than 14 percent, or $29 million, last year, largely because Western European supermarket chains, particularly those in Britain and Scandinavia, are increasingly shunning the area's peppers, dates, grapes and fresh herbs, settlers say.
"The damage is enormous," said David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, which represents about 7,000 settlers. "In effect, today, we are almost not selling to the (Western) European market anymore.
Israel has played down the impact of the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions launched by Palestinian activists in 2005 to pressure the Jewish State to withdraw from occupied lands.
"By and large, it's unpleasant background noise," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, arguing that its overall effects have been negligible.
However, the lament of the Jordan Valley famers comes against the backdrop of a growing debate in Israel about the aftermath of a possible failure of US Secretary of State John Kerry's latest mediating mission. Kerry wants to forge agreement on the outlines of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal despite major disagreements between the sides.
'Boycott hurts our pocketbook'
Palestinians want the Jordan Valley as part of a future state for its fertile farmland
Israeli supporters of a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians have warned that Israel could face a snowballing boycott — of the magnitude that brought down apartheid in South Africa — if it rebuffs proposals Kerry is to present in coming weeks. Finance Minister Yair Lapid, in an interview with Ynet, warned Israelis on Friday that "a continuation of the existing situation will hurt the pocketbook of each of us," particularly by hitting exports.
The Palestinians, too, could face repercussions if the talks collapse, such as less foreign aid from Europe. The fate of the Jordan Valley has featured prominently in Kerry's meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem – the valley would form Palestine's eastern border with Jordan.
Kerry reportedly proposed that Israel maintain military control of that border for at least 10 years after a peace deal to address Israeli concerns about a surprise Arab attack or the possible influx of weapons and militants. Israeli security hawks say the valley must remain under Israeli control forever. The Palestinians argue that this would prevent them from establishing a viable state because they need the farm lands and open spaces.
Uzi Dayan, a former Israeli national security adviser, said Israel needs the valley, which makes up close to one-fourth of the West Bank, for strategic depth. "Being here in the Jordan Valley, it is something existential," he said this week, standing on a mountaintop overlooking sprawling date palm plantations. "The national security of Israel is based on defensible borders, not on boycotts." But economic worries are growing for some of the valley's farmers.
Niva Benzion, who lives in the Netiv Hagdud settlement, used to sell 80 percent of her sweet peppers and grapes to supermarket chains in Western Europe, particularly in Britain. Sales to Western Europe plummeted in the past two years, she said, adding that she now sells mostly to Eastern Europe and Russia, for up to 40 percent less. She reduced her growing area by one-third this season and doubts she can make ends meet in the future. Zvi Avner, head of the agriculture committee in the Jordan Valley, confirmed that sales of peppers and grapes to Western Europe — mainly Britain and Scandinavia — have dropped by about 50 percent and fresh herbs by about 30 to 40 percent.
Avner and Elhayani said they are confident they can overcome the difficulties by selling in new markets and by farming more effectively. The European Union says Israel's settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, now home to more than 550,000 Israelis, are illegal under international law, but has not called for a consumer boycott of settlement products. As part of the US-led peace talks, the EU has promised Israel and the Palestinians an unprecedented partnership, just short of full membership, if they strike a deal.
However, if talks fail, the Palestinians might expect a cutback in EU aid, while Israel might have to brace for a tougher anti-settlement stance by Europe. This might include reviving plans for EU-wide guidelines for labeling settlement products. Currently, about half the 28 member states support such labeling, a step that would enable consumers to observe a boycott.
British boycott
Britain issued guidelines to retailers for the voluntary labeling of settlement products in 2009. In December, Britain's overseas trade body strongly discouraged firms from doing business with settlements. In recent years, several British supermarket chains have either begun labeling or stopped selling goods from Israeli settlements. "Supermarkets are now starting to realize that there's a really big reputational risk involved here," said Michael Deas, a UK-based coordinator for the international boycott movement. Marks & Spencer said it hadn't sold any products from the West Bank since 2007. Upscale supermarket chain Waitrose said it stopped selling herbs from the West Bank several years ago. Morrisons, Britain's fourth-largest grocer, said it stopped selling dates from the West Bank in 2011.
In 2012, the Co-operative Group, the country's fifth-largest grocer, banned Israeli settlement produce from its shelves. Some retailers, like Co-op, said they were taking a moral stand, decrying the settlements as illegal. Others, like Waitrose, said their decision was commercial. In Germany, the Kaiser's supermarket chain said it stopped carrying products from the West Bank and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in 2012.
Israeli officials say the boycott has strong anti-Semitic overtones and aims to delegitimize the Jewish state. Supporters of the campaign say they are gaining momentum and have pointed to a string of recent successes. This week, Dutch pension asset manager PGGM said it divested from five Israeli banks because they are involved in financing the construction of Jewish settlements.
Other moves, such as a recent decision by an American scholarly group to boycott Israeli universities, invited a broad backlash, in part because it targeted Israel and not just settlements. Jordan Valley settlers say a boycott also hurts about 6,000 Palestinians employed on their farms. Palestinian officials counter that Israel has suppressed virtually all Palestinian economic development in the valley and that Palestinians could create tens of thousands of jobs if freed from Israeli shackles.
While some settlers hope to see the valley annexed to Israel, Benzion, 57, said she wouldn't stand in the way of peace, even if it means dismantling her life's work. "Nothing breaks my heart so easy, especially not bricks," she said. "I will not even have a second thought of leaving here, if it's for a peace treaty with our neighbors. I will cherish that."
Israeli supporters of a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians have warned that Israel could face a snowballing boycott — of the magnitude that brought down apartheid in South Africa — if it rebuffs proposals Kerry is to present in coming weeks. Finance Minister Yair Lapid, in an interview with Ynet, warned Israelis on Friday that "a continuation of the existing situation will hurt the pocketbook of each of us," particularly by hitting exports.
The Palestinians, too, could face repercussions if the talks collapse, such as less foreign aid from Europe. The fate of the Jordan Valley has featured prominently in Kerry's meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem – the valley would form Palestine's eastern border with Jordan.
Kerry reportedly proposed that Israel maintain military control of that border for at least 10 years after a peace deal to address Israeli concerns about a surprise Arab attack or the possible influx of weapons and militants. Israeli security hawks say the valley must remain under Israeli control forever. The Palestinians argue that this would prevent them from establishing a viable state because they need the farm lands and open spaces.
Uzi Dayan, a former Israeli national security adviser, said Israel needs the valley, which makes up close to one-fourth of the West Bank, for strategic depth. "Being here in the Jordan Valley, it is something existential," he said this week, standing on a mountaintop overlooking sprawling date palm plantations. "The national security of Israel is based on defensible borders, not on boycotts." But economic worries are growing for some of the valley's farmers.
Niva Benzion, who lives in the Netiv Hagdud settlement, used to sell 80 percent of her sweet peppers and grapes to supermarket chains in Western Europe, particularly in Britain. Sales to Western Europe plummeted in the past two years, she said, adding that she now sells mostly to Eastern Europe and Russia, for up to 40 percent less. She reduced her growing area by one-third this season and doubts she can make ends meet in the future. Zvi Avner, head of the agriculture committee in the Jordan Valley, confirmed that sales of peppers and grapes to Western Europe — mainly Britain and Scandinavia — have dropped by about 50 percent and fresh herbs by about 30 to 40 percent.
Avner and Elhayani said they are confident they can overcome the difficulties by selling in new markets and by farming more effectively. The European Union says Israel's settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, now home to more than 550,000 Israelis, are illegal under international law, but has not called for a consumer boycott of settlement products. As part of the US-led peace talks, the EU has promised Israel and the Palestinians an unprecedented partnership, just short of full membership, if they strike a deal.
However, if talks fail, the Palestinians might expect a cutback in EU aid, while Israel might have to brace for a tougher anti-settlement stance by Europe. This might include reviving plans for EU-wide guidelines for labeling settlement products. Currently, about half the 28 member states support such labeling, a step that would enable consumers to observe a boycott.
British boycott
Britain issued guidelines to retailers for the voluntary labeling of settlement products in 2009. In December, Britain's overseas trade body strongly discouraged firms from doing business with settlements. In recent years, several British supermarket chains have either begun labeling or stopped selling goods from Israeli settlements. "Supermarkets are now starting to realize that there's a really big reputational risk involved here," said Michael Deas, a UK-based coordinator for the international boycott movement. Marks & Spencer said it hadn't sold any products from the West Bank since 2007. Upscale supermarket chain Waitrose said it stopped selling herbs from the West Bank several years ago. Morrisons, Britain's fourth-largest grocer, said it stopped selling dates from the West Bank in 2011.
In 2012, the Co-operative Group, the country's fifth-largest grocer, banned Israeli settlement produce from its shelves. Some retailers, like Co-op, said they were taking a moral stand, decrying the settlements as illegal. Others, like Waitrose, said their decision was commercial. In Germany, the Kaiser's supermarket chain said it stopped carrying products from the West Bank and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in 2012.
Israeli officials say the boycott has strong anti-Semitic overtones and aims to delegitimize the Jewish state. Supporters of the campaign say they are gaining momentum and have pointed to a string of recent successes. This week, Dutch pension asset manager PGGM said it divested from five Israeli banks because they are involved in financing the construction of Jewish settlements.
Other moves, such as a recent decision by an American scholarly group to boycott Israeli universities, invited a broad backlash, in part because it targeted Israel and not just settlements. Jordan Valley settlers say a boycott also hurts about 6,000 Palestinians employed on their farms. Palestinian officials counter that Israel has suppressed virtually all Palestinian economic development in the valley and that Palestinians could create tens of thousands of jobs if freed from Israeli shackles.
While some settlers hope to see the valley annexed to Israel, Benzion, 57, said she wouldn't stand in the way of peace, even if it means dismantling her life's work. "Nothing breaks my heart so easy, especially not bricks," she said. "I will not even have a second thought of leaving here, if it's for a peace treaty with our neighbors. I will cherish that."
by Huda Julie Webb-Pullman
On Tuesday 7 January the Deputy Director General for Latin America of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Itzhak Shoham, met with the charge d'affaires of the Embassy of Chile in Israel, Oscar Alcamán, to express his "surprise and concern" over the Palestino football club's jersey.
The Palestino Club is a first-division club in Chile which recently introduced a new jersey, replacing the number '1' with a map of Palestine.
The Palestino Club, whose colours are the same as those of the Palestinian flag, was founded in Santiago in 1920 by members of the Arabic community in Chile.
Shoham considers the jersey an anti-Israel provocation because it denies the existence of Israel by not including the State of Israel as part of the Palestinian territories on the map.
Echoing the sentiments that tried to prevent sports boycotts of South Africa during the apartheid era in that country, the Israeli diplomat said,"It seems inappropriate to use sport for political purposes."
Nelson Mandela would disagree. He recalled that when he was in his prison cell on Robben Island in 1981 and heard about the cancellation of a rugby game between the New Zealand and South African national teams in Hamilton, New Zealand because of protestors invading the field, it was as if ‘the sun had come out.’ When Mandela visited New Zealand in 1995, he made a point of visiting key New Zealand protesters, including many prominent Māori, to thank them for their efforts.
"We know that politics and sport have an important relationship. We indicated that the sports boycott played a crucial part in our liberation," said the Most Reverend Dr. Desmond Tutu at Lord's Cricket Ground in June 2008.
It seems that as in most things, including the map on the Palestino teams' jerseys, Israel is both out of touch, and out of the picture.
Viva Palestino! Abajo el apartheid!
On Tuesday 7 January the Deputy Director General for Latin America of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Itzhak Shoham, met with the charge d'affaires of the Embassy of Chile in Israel, Oscar Alcamán, to express his "surprise and concern" over the Palestino football club's jersey.
The Palestino Club is a first-division club in Chile which recently introduced a new jersey, replacing the number '1' with a map of Palestine.
The Palestino Club, whose colours are the same as those of the Palestinian flag, was founded in Santiago in 1920 by members of the Arabic community in Chile.
Shoham considers the jersey an anti-Israel provocation because it denies the existence of Israel by not including the State of Israel as part of the Palestinian territories on the map.
Echoing the sentiments that tried to prevent sports boycotts of South Africa during the apartheid era in that country, the Israeli diplomat said,"It seems inappropriate to use sport for political purposes."
Nelson Mandela would disagree. He recalled that when he was in his prison cell on Robben Island in 1981 and heard about the cancellation of a rugby game between the New Zealand and South African national teams in Hamilton, New Zealand because of protestors invading the field, it was as if ‘the sun had come out.’ When Mandela visited New Zealand in 1995, he made a point of visiting key New Zealand protesters, including many prominent Māori, to thank them for their efforts.
"We know that politics and sport have an important relationship. We indicated that the sports boycott played a crucial part in our liberation," said the Most Reverend Dr. Desmond Tutu at Lord's Cricket Ground in June 2008.
It seems that as in most things, including the map on the Palestino teams' jerseys, Israel is both out of touch, and out of the picture.
Viva Palestino! Abajo el apartheid!
The company logo sits on the gate of the head office of PGGM, in Zeist, Netherlands, Jan. 8, 2014
(Israel) summoned the Dutch ambassador after PGGM of the Netherlands, one of the world's largest pension asset managers, divested from Israeli banks over their financing of settlements, AP reported. Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement Friday that it had asked Ambassador Caspar Veldkamp for a "clarification."
A ministry official said to Veldkamp that the decisions being made to boycott Israel are not acceptable and are based on "false claims." He said he expected the Dutch government to express an unequivocal stance against any boycotts.
"As of today, Israel is in an unstable and delicate political place than what it was in 1948," a high-ranking Israeli official told Ynet. "Netanyahu's actions are bringing upon us sanctions and boycotts."
“Netanyahu himself is also quite troubled with these issues and continues to address them. Just recently he worked fiercely to prevent the removal of Israel from the prestigious Horizon 2020 project,” according to Ynet.
On Wednesday, PGGM said it divested from five Israeli banks because they are involved in financing construction in colonial Jewish settlements.
Some 550,000 Israelis now live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas occupied by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, and which the Palestinian negotiators demand for a future state.
Israeli finance minister Yair Lapid lately warned about the serious impact of growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel.
“The world seems to be losing patience with us,” Lapid told Ynet on 10 January.
In mid-December, the full membership of the American Studies Association (ASA) with its 5,000 members has voted by a two-to-one margin to endorse an academic boycott of Israel, The Electronic Intifada reported.
The vote was seen as an historic milestone in the Palestinian campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), particularly in the United States, where university administrations have forcefully opposed student and faculty initiatives of this kind.
(Israel) summoned the Dutch ambassador after PGGM of the Netherlands, one of the world's largest pension asset managers, divested from Israeli banks over their financing of settlements, AP reported. Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement Friday that it had asked Ambassador Caspar Veldkamp for a "clarification."
A ministry official said to Veldkamp that the decisions being made to boycott Israel are not acceptable and are based on "false claims." He said he expected the Dutch government to express an unequivocal stance against any boycotts.
"As of today, Israel is in an unstable and delicate political place than what it was in 1948," a high-ranking Israeli official told Ynet. "Netanyahu's actions are bringing upon us sanctions and boycotts."
“Netanyahu himself is also quite troubled with these issues and continues to address them. Just recently he worked fiercely to prevent the removal of Israel from the prestigious Horizon 2020 project,” according to Ynet.
On Wednesday, PGGM said it divested from five Israeli banks because they are involved in financing construction in colonial Jewish settlements.
Some 550,000 Israelis now live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas occupied by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, and which the Palestinian negotiators demand for a future state.
Israeli finance minister Yair Lapid lately warned about the serious impact of growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel.
“The world seems to be losing patience with us,” Lapid told Ynet on 10 January.
In mid-December, the full membership of the American Studies Association (ASA) with its 5,000 members has voted by a two-to-one margin to endorse an academic boycott of Israel, The Electronic Intifada reported.
The vote was seen as an historic milestone in the Palestinian campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), particularly in the United States, where university administrations have forcefully opposed student and faculty initiatives of this kind.
10 jan 2014
PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi has welcomed the decision by Dutch pension fund PGGM to divest from five Israeli banks that are complicit in perpetuating Israel's illegal occupation and colonization of Palestine, PLO's Department of Culture and Information said in a press release Thursday.
"For decades, Israeli banks have been the financial backbone of Israel's catastrophic settlement enterprise, which threatens to destroy the two-state solution," Ashrawi continued, "These banks have been providing and still provide the money required for the development, expansion and mass settlement of so many colonies on our land. The banks are based in settlements and sustain their existence, at the expense of our freedom and fundamental rights."
In a statement, PGGM explained the divestment with reference to international humanitarian law, which is gravely violated by the ongoing construction of settlements.
Ashrawi said, "I commend PGGM for translating its corporate social responsibility policy into practice. PGGM's year-long dialogue with the five banks produced no results. Considering the high standards set by its Responsible Investment policy, PGGM had no choice but to divest. I call on other international corporations with ties to sectors of the Israeli economy that aid the settlements, to act accordingly."
"The sense of deprivation that Israeli officials now display following PGGM's decision to divest is embarrassing and testifies to the ignorance of Israel's political leadership about the illegality and disastrous consequences of its own policies. Steps by corporations such as PGGM, as well as practical measures that European governments have been taking, finally make Israel realize that it is not above the law."
"It is evident that the current diplomatic talks are blocked by Israel's refusal to abide by international law. As these talks are being conducted, the Palestinian people experience day in day out that their fundamental rights continue to be violated. PGGM's principled decision to divest helps us keep hope alive that this injustice will come to an end." concluded Ashrawi.
"For decades, Israeli banks have been the financial backbone of Israel's catastrophic settlement enterprise, which threatens to destroy the two-state solution," Ashrawi continued, "These banks have been providing and still provide the money required for the development, expansion and mass settlement of so many colonies on our land. The banks are based in settlements and sustain their existence, at the expense of our freedom and fundamental rights."
In a statement, PGGM explained the divestment with reference to international humanitarian law, which is gravely violated by the ongoing construction of settlements.
Ashrawi said, "I commend PGGM for translating its corporate social responsibility policy into practice. PGGM's year-long dialogue with the five banks produced no results. Considering the high standards set by its Responsible Investment policy, PGGM had no choice but to divest. I call on other international corporations with ties to sectors of the Israeli economy that aid the settlements, to act accordingly."
"The sense of deprivation that Israeli officials now display following PGGM's decision to divest is embarrassing and testifies to the ignorance of Israel's political leadership about the illegality and disastrous consequences of its own policies. Steps by corporations such as PGGM, as well as practical measures that European governments have been taking, finally make Israel realize that it is not above the law."
"It is evident that the current diplomatic talks are blocked by Israel's refusal to abide by international law. As these talks are being conducted, the Palestinian people experience day in day out that their fundamental rights continue to be violated. PGGM's principled decision to divest helps us keep hope alive that this injustice will come to an end." concluded Ashrawi.
8 jan 2014
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The Largest Dutch pension fund, PGGM, has decided to divest millions of Euros from five Israeli banks which offer financing for settlement construction.
PGGM’s decision to withdraw all its investments from the Israeli banks was based on the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2004, which said that settlements in occupied Palestinian territory are illegal and violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. PGGM is the largest pension fund manager in the Netherlands, managing around 150 billion euros. |
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is gaining momentum around the world and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it a ”strategic threat” to Israel and its settlementpolicy.
Ashrawi: Dutch boycott reminds Israel 'it isn't above the law'
A decision by the largest pension fund management company in the Netherlands to withdraw all investments from Israel's five largest banks "made Israel realize that it isn't above the law," a PLO official said Wednesday.
Executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told Ma'an that the Dutch decision was influenced by the European Union's boycott of Israeli settlements, which the EU views as illegal.
Ashrawi said she was glad that civil society organizations and government institutions in Europe had begun to take practical measures, instead of merely releasing condemnation statements as in the past.
The Dutch pension fund management company PGGM withdrew its funds from Israel's five largest banks on Jan. 1, according to Israeli media.
Haaretz reported that the company's investments in Israeli banks only amount to "a few tens of millions of euros," but that its decision threatens to damage the banks' image, influencing other European companies to take similar action.
Ashrawi: Dutch boycott reminds Israel 'it isn't above the law'
A decision by the largest pension fund management company in the Netherlands to withdraw all investments from Israel's five largest banks "made Israel realize that it isn't above the law," a PLO official said Wednesday.
Executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told Ma'an that the Dutch decision was influenced by the European Union's boycott of Israeli settlements, which the EU views as illegal.
Ashrawi said she was glad that civil society organizations and government institutions in Europe had begun to take practical measures, instead of merely releasing condemnation statements as in the past.
The Dutch pension fund management company PGGM withdrew its funds from Israel's five largest banks on Jan. 1, according to Israeli media.
Haaretz reported that the company's investments in Israeli banks only amount to "a few tens of millions of euros," but that its decision threatens to damage the banks' image, influencing other European companies to take similar action.
7 jan 2014
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Britain’s security giant, G4S, is facing investigation over providing the Israeli regime with surveillance equipment used at military checkpoints in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) UK staff will be investigating the security company’s supply of equipment to Israeli security services. G4S provides equipment for Israeli-run prisons and detention facilities in the occupied West Bank, where human rights organisations have documented systematic torture and ill treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including child inmates. The UK security company also provides equipment and services to Israeli |
checkpoints in the occupied West Bank that form part of the route of Israel’s apartheid wall and to the terminals isolating the besieged territory of Gaza.
Now, the OECD, which operates under the umbrella of the Department of Business in the UK, will launch a probe into whether the supply of surveillance kits to Israel violates the guidelines for multinational enterprises – a set of government-backed recommendations for “responsible business conduct” overseas.
G4S as a company from an OECD-member country is not allowed to supply such services that help the occupation since Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.
Last month, UK citizens were warned of the risks of doing business with illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Israel systematically denies Palestinian prisoners their basic rights, including the right to a fair trial and to protection from arbitrary detention which are enshrined in international law.
Now, the OECD, which operates under the umbrella of the Department of Business in the UK, will launch a probe into whether the supply of surveillance kits to Israel violates the guidelines for multinational enterprises – a set of government-backed recommendations for “responsible business conduct” overseas.
G4S as a company from an OECD-member country is not allowed to supply such services that help the occupation since Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.
Last month, UK citizens were warned of the risks of doing business with illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Israel systematically denies Palestinian prisoners their basic rights, including the right to a fair trial and to protection from arbitrary detention which are enshrined in international law.
The Boycott-movement is gaining momentum around the world. This week the Israeli soccer player Dan Mori could not join his Dutch team, Vitesse, on a training camp in Abu Dhabi due to the boycott.
”Yesterday, hours before leaving, the team received a message that I would not be able to enter Dubai. The club still planned for me to fly there, hoping to use connections once we were there to make sure I was allowed to enter, but this morning they told us that I would be arrested upon entry”, says Mori, who now will have to stay in the Netherlands, training with the reserve squad.
The Dutch parlamentarian Geert Wilders, who also is an outspoken critic of Islam, criticesed the club for going to Abu Dabi without the Israeli defender.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions -movement (BDS) calls for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including dismantling the wall and colonies; an end to Israel’s system of racial discrimination against its Palestinian citizens; and the UN-sanctioned and inherent right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes of origin.
”Yesterday, hours before leaving, the team received a message that I would not be able to enter Dubai. The club still planned for me to fly there, hoping to use connections once we were there to make sure I was allowed to enter, but this morning they told us that I would be arrested upon entry”, says Mori, who now will have to stay in the Netherlands, training with the reserve squad.
The Dutch parlamentarian Geert Wilders, who also is an outspoken critic of Islam, criticesed the club for going to Abu Dabi without the Israeli defender.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions -movement (BDS) calls for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including dismantling the wall and colonies; an end to Israel’s system of racial discrimination against its Palestinian citizens; and the UN-sanctioned and inherent right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes of origin.
3 jan 2014
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List of schools against organization's decision to isolate Jewish country's academic institutions continues to rise. Other colleges expected to tag along when offices reopen after winter holiday
Over a hundred US universities have openly rejected the American Studies Association decision to academically boycott Israel. The list of schools includes Ivy League universities, such as Columbia, Princeton, and Harvard, as well as other top institutions such as Stanford. More universities are expected to tag along as administration returns after the holiday break. |
The prestigious Modern Language Association is also expected to vote on the boycott in its convention next week.
The American Studies Association's resolution urges US schools not to collaborate with Israeli institutions. But it carries broad exemptions for individual Israeli scholars working with American counterparts – as long as said scholars declare they are not representing Israeli universities of the Israeli government.
"We hope the clear messages issued by the presidents of the most prestigious universities in America against the boycott of Israeli institutions or academics will resonate with any who are contemplating a similar effort at the MLA,” said Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations leaders, Robert G. Sugarman, chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman.
Four universities have already revoked their membership from the ASA due to the boycott. Another 11 flatly denied being institutional members of the ASA, though the organization lists them as such.
Last week, Two-thirds of the 1,252 members of the American Studies Association who voted approved a boycott resolution, which stems from a broader campaign to isolate Israel that has made little headway in the United States but has gained some traction in Europe.
"The resolution is in solidarity with scholars and students deprived of their academic freedom and it aspires to enlarge that freedom for all, including Palestinians," the association said in a statement.
It cited "Israel's violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; (and) the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights."
The American Studies Association's resolution urges US schools not to collaborate with Israeli institutions. But it carries broad exemptions for individual Israeli scholars working with American counterparts – as long as said scholars declare they are not representing Israeli universities of the Israeli government.
"We hope the clear messages issued by the presidents of the most prestigious universities in America against the boycott of Israeli institutions or academics will resonate with any who are contemplating a similar effort at the MLA,” said Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations leaders, Robert G. Sugarman, chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman.
Four universities have already revoked their membership from the ASA due to the boycott. Another 11 flatly denied being institutional members of the ASA, though the organization lists them as such.
Last week, Two-thirds of the 1,252 members of the American Studies Association who voted approved a boycott resolution, which stems from a broader campaign to isolate Israel that has made little headway in the United States but has gained some traction in Europe.
"The resolution is in solidarity with scholars and students deprived of their academic freedom and it aspires to enlarge that freedom for all, including Palestinians," the association said in a statement.
It cited "Israel's violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; (and) the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights."
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