21 apr 2014
- Announcement follows similar decisions by authorities in Argentina and Netherlands
- Actions against Mekorot held across 12 countries
Lisbon’s water company EPAL has announced that it terminated a technology exchange deal with Israeli state water company Mekorot following protests over Mekorot’s role in Israel’s ‘water apartheid’ over Palestinians.
Portuguese MPs and campaign groups had argued that the deal amounted to support for Mekorot’s role in the theft of Palestinian water.
Mekorot, who lost out on a $170m contract with Argentinian authorities earlier this year following similar protests, illegally appropriates Palestinian water, diverting it to illegal Israeli settlements and towns inside Israel. The state owned company is the key body responsible for implementing discriminatory water polices that Amnesty International has accused Israel implementing “as a means of expulsion”.
“Many Palestinian communities suffer from a lack of access to adequate water due to the encroachment of Israeli settlers on water resources and to Israeli policies and practices that deny Palestinians the human right to water,” explained Dr. Ayman Rabi from Friends of the Earth Palestine / PENGON.
EPAL this week responded to fresh calls to terminate its relationship with Mekorot by announcing that it had terminated their relationship with Mekorot in 2010 when the public campaign against the collaboration was at its height. The campaign saw large demonstrations in Lisbon’s main square and pressure against local authorities.
A statement released by the coalition of Portuguese organisations that campaigned against Mekorot said that the decision will “strengthen and encourage the efforts of solidarity movements that work towards the international isolation of Israel because of its policies of ethic cleansing, occupation and colonization”.
The EPAL announcement follows a similar decision by municipal authorities in Buenos Aires and Dutch national water carrier Vitens and comes at the end of an international week against Mekorot that saw demonstrations and campaign actions take place across at least 12 countries.
In Paris, BDS France activists burst into a luxury hotel where delegates from Mekorot were taking part in a business breakfast as part of the Global Water Summit. Campaigners urged dozens of stunned delegates not to cooperate with the Israeli water company.
A French parliamentary report has accused Israel of imposing a system of “water apartheid” in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The French mobilisation followed a noise demonstration that disrupted a London water conference that was being addressed by Mekorot and other Israeli water companies.
In Rome, a ‘water checkpoint’ street theatre protest highlighted the campaign against collaboration between Mekorot and the city’s water company ACEA. The campaign is backed by the broad coalition of campaign groups resisting privatisation of water.
In Argentina, the Congress of the Trade Union Federation Capital (CTA Capital) was dedicated to the campaign against Mekorot and hosted a discussion of how Mekorot is attempting to export discriminatory water policies developed in Palestine to Argentina. The session celebrated the successful campaign that led to Mekorot losing out on a $170m contract and discussed how best to prevent Mekorot from being awarded other contracts it has won or is bidding for.
A seminar in Uruguay brought together Palestine solidarity, environmental and anti-privatisation groups to discuss struggles for water and land in Uruguay and Palestine.
On March 22 world water day, more than 250 people joined a Thunderclap Twitter storm that had a social reach of over 300,000 people.
Campaigns against Mekorot are also underway in Greece.
“The amazing reach of the first week against Mekorot and the fact that public authorities are increasingly refusing to collaborate with Mekorot are further signs that people and governments across the world are no longer prepared to fund Israeli apartheid,” said Jamal Juma’ from Stop the Wall, a member of PENGON/Friends of the Earth Palestine, one of the Palestinian organisations that called for the week of action against Mekorot.
“We call on people all over the world to continue to take action against Mekorot and its attempts to export Israel’s discriminatory water policies,” he added.
- Actions against Mekorot held across 12 countries
Lisbon’s water company EPAL has announced that it terminated a technology exchange deal with Israeli state water company Mekorot following protests over Mekorot’s role in Israel’s ‘water apartheid’ over Palestinians.
Portuguese MPs and campaign groups had argued that the deal amounted to support for Mekorot’s role in the theft of Palestinian water.
Mekorot, who lost out on a $170m contract with Argentinian authorities earlier this year following similar protests, illegally appropriates Palestinian water, diverting it to illegal Israeli settlements and towns inside Israel. The state owned company is the key body responsible for implementing discriminatory water polices that Amnesty International has accused Israel implementing “as a means of expulsion”.
“Many Palestinian communities suffer from a lack of access to adequate water due to the encroachment of Israeli settlers on water resources and to Israeli policies and practices that deny Palestinians the human right to water,” explained Dr. Ayman Rabi from Friends of the Earth Palestine / PENGON.
EPAL this week responded to fresh calls to terminate its relationship with Mekorot by announcing that it had terminated their relationship with Mekorot in 2010 when the public campaign against the collaboration was at its height. The campaign saw large demonstrations in Lisbon’s main square and pressure against local authorities.
A statement released by the coalition of Portuguese organisations that campaigned against Mekorot said that the decision will “strengthen and encourage the efforts of solidarity movements that work towards the international isolation of Israel because of its policies of ethic cleansing, occupation and colonization”.
The EPAL announcement follows a similar decision by municipal authorities in Buenos Aires and Dutch national water carrier Vitens and comes at the end of an international week against Mekorot that saw demonstrations and campaign actions take place across at least 12 countries.
In Paris, BDS France activists burst into a luxury hotel where delegates from Mekorot were taking part in a business breakfast as part of the Global Water Summit. Campaigners urged dozens of stunned delegates not to cooperate with the Israeli water company.
A French parliamentary report has accused Israel of imposing a system of “water apartheid” in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The French mobilisation followed a noise demonstration that disrupted a London water conference that was being addressed by Mekorot and other Israeli water companies.
In Rome, a ‘water checkpoint’ street theatre protest highlighted the campaign against collaboration between Mekorot and the city’s water company ACEA. The campaign is backed by the broad coalition of campaign groups resisting privatisation of water.
In Argentina, the Congress of the Trade Union Federation Capital (CTA Capital) was dedicated to the campaign against Mekorot and hosted a discussion of how Mekorot is attempting to export discriminatory water policies developed in Palestine to Argentina. The session celebrated the successful campaign that led to Mekorot losing out on a $170m contract and discussed how best to prevent Mekorot from being awarded other contracts it has won or is bidding for.
A seminar in Uruguay brought together Palestine solidarity, environmental and anti-privatisation groups to discuss struggles for water and land in Uruguay and Palestine.
On March 22 world water day, more than 250 people joined a Thunderclap Twitter storm that had a social reach of over 300,000 people.
Campaigns against Mekorot are also underway in Greece.
“The amazing reach of the first week against Mekorot and the fact that public authorities are increasingly refusing to collaborate with Mekorot are further signs that people and governments across the world are no longer prepared to fund Israeli apartheid,” said Jamal Juma’ from Stop the Wall, a member of PENGON/Friends of the Earth Palestine, one of the Palestinian organisations that called for the week of action against Mekorot.
“We call on people all over the world to continue to take action against Mekorot and its attempts to export Israel’s discriminatory water policies,” he added.
13 apr 2014
American Studies Association Increases Membership and Support, Overcoming Pressure in Wake of Academic Boycott of Israel Endorsement
In the wake of the American Studies Association’s December 2013 endorsement of the Palestinian civil society call for an academic boycott of Israel - and as two efforts to legislate against academic boycotts fail to move forward in the Illinois and Maryland state legislatures - the ASA has gained new members and support. Over the past several months, the ASA has welcomed more than 700 new members. The ASA has also collected more membership revenue in the past three months than in any other three-month period over the past quarter-century and its ongoing “Stand with the ASA” grassroots fundraising campaign has exceeded the association’s expectations thus far.
Last week, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, released a statement [PDF] in support of the ASA’s boycott efforts. In it, he states that: “In South Africa, we could not have achieved our democracy without the help of people around the world, who through the use of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the Apartheid regime. ...The [anti-boycott] legislation being proposed in the United States would have made participation in a movement like the one that ended Apartheid in South Africa extremely difficult.” The day before his statement was released, an Illinois State Senate Committee rejected a resolution condemning academic boycotts. A bill to defund universities that subsidize faculty associations with organizations supporting boycotts was also scuttled in Maryland, where non-binding condemnatory language was instead inserted into the budget bill.
ASA President Curtis Marez stated, “Despite the backlash of the last few months, the ASA is thriving. The boycott vote is consistent with our longstanding support for human rights and opposition to war and militarism. Many Americans are now for the first time hearing about their government’s support for the occupation and discriminatory laws against Palestinians. I’m proud that the ASA helped open up discussion about BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) and the difference it can make.” Commentary by ASA leaders, members and supporters was published in the Los Angeles Times, Chronicle of Higher Education,Washington Post, New York Times, CNN.com, and the Chicago Tribune, among other news outlets.
In response to the legislative threats from politicians, threatened legal action, and physical threats from others, veteran attorneys have stepped forward to assist the ASA in responding to such legal bullying for taking a principled stand in support of Palestinian human rights. The ASA is not the only organization to face such bullying; in 2013 alone, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, an initiative built in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Rights, documented more than 100 cases of legal and other intimidation against Palestinian rights activists on U.S. campuses.
Incoming ASA president Lisa Duggan noted, “We are looking forward to our upcoming annual meeting in November, which will feature a wealth of panels and events presenting first-rate American Studies scholarship on topics ranging from the politics of settler colonialism and transnational Black studies to popular culture and contemporary performance art. We will be welcoming Palestinian and Israeli scholars along with large contingents of other international ASA members poised to continue addressing matters of global concern affecting all of us.”
In the wake of the American Studies Association’s December 2013 endorsement of the Palestinian civil society call for an academic boycott of Israel - and as two efforts to legislate against academic boycotts fail to move forward in the Illinois and Maryland state legislatures - the ASA has gained new members and support. Over the past several months, the ASA has welcomed more than 700 new members. The ASA has also collected more membership revenue in the past three months than in any other three-month period over the past quarter-century and its ongoing “Stand with the ASA” grassroots fundraising campaign has exceeded the association’s expectations thus far.
Last week, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, released a statement [PDF] in support of the ASA’s boycott efforts. In it, he states that: “In South Africa, we could not have achieved our democracy without the help of people around the world, who through the use of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the Apartheid regime. ...The [anti-boycott] legislation being proposed in the United States would have made participation in a movement like the one that ended Apartheid in South Africa extremely difficult.” The day before his statement was released, an Illinois State Senate Committee rejected a resolution condemning academic boycotts. A bill to defund universities that subsidize faculty associations with organizations supporting boycotts was also scuttled in Maryland, where non-binding condemnatory language was instead inserted into the budget bill.
ASA President Curtis Marez stated, “Despite the backlash of the last few months, the ASA is thriving. The boycott vote is consistent with our longstanding support for human rights and opposition to war and militarism. Many Americans are now for the first time hearing about their government’s support for the occupation and discriminatory laws against Palestinians. I’m proud that the ASA helped open up discussion about BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) and the difference it can make.” Commentary by ASA leaders, members and supporters was published in the Los Angeles Times, Chronicle of Higher Education,Washington Post, New York Times, CNN.com, and the Chicago Tribune, among other news outlets.
In response to the legislative threats from politicians, threatened legal action, and physical threats from others, veteran attorneys have stepped forward to assist the ASA in responding to such legal bullying for taking a principled stand in support of Palestinian human rights. The ASA is not the only organization to face such bullying; in 2013 alone, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, an initiative built in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Rights, documented more than 100 cases of legal and other intimidation against Palestinian rights activists on U.S. campuses.
Incoming ASA president Lisa Duggan noted, “We are looking forward to our upcoming annual meeting in November, which will feature a wealth of panels and events presenting first-rate American Studies scholarship on topics ranging from the politics of settler colonialism and transnational Black studies to popular culture and contemporary performance art. We will be welcoming Palestinian and Israeli scholars along with large contingents of other international ASA members poised to continue addressing matters of global concern affecting all of us.”
11 apr 2014
Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has made a call to the international community to boycott products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
During a meeting of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Tuesday, Mansour said “You have to get ready to start adopting laws in order not to accept or allow anything that comes from settlements, because what comes from an illegal thing is illegal."
According to the Alternative Informaiton Center (AIC), Mansour called on countries to follow Europe and South Africa, also referring to the Netherlands, where he said five banks are not doing business with Israeli banks because they deal with settlements.
“We expect all banks in your region... to take such steps,” he said.
On March 28, in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, 29 members of the European Parliament called for an action to discourage European companies from trading with firms based in Israeli settlements.
The EU lawmakers say that any economic relations with Israeli firms involved in settlement construction will contribute to Israel’s violation of international law and human rights abuses.
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has made a call to the international community to boycott products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
During a meeting of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Tuesday, Mansour said “You have to get ready to start adopting laws in order not to accept or allow anything that comes from settlements, because what comes from an illegal thing is illegal."
According to the Alternative Informaiton Center (AIC), Mansour called on countries to follow Europe and South Africa, also referring to the Netherlands, where he said five banks are not doing business with Israeli banks because they deal with settlements.
“We expect all banks in your region... to take such steps,” he said.
On March 28, in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, 29 members of the European Parliament called for an action to discourage European companies from trading with firms based in Israeli settlements.
The EU lawmakers say that any economic relations with Israeli firms involved in settlement construction will contribute to Israel’s violation of international law and human rights abuses.
10 apr 2014
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In this video, members of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Rabbinical Council call for divestment from occupation profiteer Hewlett-Packard.
It is part of JVP’s “Hewlett-Packard: Harming Peace” campaign. The video plays on the phrase “Next year in Jerusalem” traditionally uttered at Passover seder dinners, which Jews around the world will gather for next week. Hewlett-Packard makes electronic systems Israel uses to control the movement of Palestinians and has been specifically targeted in a number of divestment campaigns. |
“This year in Jerusalem, Israeli policies limit the number of Palestinians who can live in the city” of Jerusalem, says Rabbi Brant Rosen.
“This year in Jerusalem, Palestinian Jerusalemites are considered permanent residents. Israel considers them immigrants,” adds Rabbi Margaret Holub. Effectively, Israel treats Palestinians whose roots in Jerusalem go back generations as if they were immigrants who must earn and qualify for the right to remain.
“This year in Jerusalem, a Hewlett-Packard powered system divides Palestinians into four categories, each with different rights: blue Israeli IDs, blue-green Palestinian Jerusalem IDs, green West Bank IDs and orange Gaza IDs,” Rabbi David Mivasair explains.
The video notes that according to Human Rights Watch, over 640,000 Palestinians risk separation from a direct family member who holds a different color identity cards. Israel’s “center of life” policy requires that Palestinian Jerusalemites prove continuous residency in the city to retain their Jerusalem ID. There’s no such requirement for Jewish Israelis.
The decision to grant or deny residency to Jerusalem’s indigenous Palestinian population is at the sole discretion of Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, Rosen says, “Jews throughout the world are entitled to receive automatic and immediate citizenship through Israel’s Law of Return for Jews and to reside in Jerusalem at will.”
The Electronic Intifada has previously reported on Israel’s revocation of Palestinian Jerusalemites’ residency rights.
Cantor Michael Davis calls on churches and pension funds: “let’s divest from Hewlett-Packard, so that next year … we’ll be one step closer to the day when Palestinian families can gather and pray freely in Jerusalem.”
Source
“This year in Jerusalem, Palestinian Jerusalemites are considered permanent residents. Israel considers them immigrants,” adds Rabbi Margaret Holub. Effectively, Israel treats Palestinians whose roots in Jerusalem go back generations as if they were immigrants who must earn and qualify for the right to remain.
“This year in Jerusalem, a Hewlett-Packard powered system divides Palestinians into four categories, each with different rights: blue Israeli IDs, blue-green Palestinian Jerusalem IDs, green West Bank IDs and orange Gaza IDs,” Rabbi David Mivasair explains.
The video notes that according to Human Rights Watch, over 640,000 Palestinians risk separation from a direct family member who holds a different color identity cards. Israel’s “center of life” policy requires that Palestinian Jerusalemites prove continuous residency in the city to retain their Jerusalem ID. There’s no such requirement for Jewish Israelis.
The decision to grant or deny residency to Jerusalem’s indigenous Palestinian population is at the sole discretion of Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, Rosen says, “Jews throughout the world are entitled to receive automatic and immediate citizenship through Israel’s Law of Return for Jews and to reside in Jerusalem at will.”
The Electronic Intifada has previously reported on Israel’s revocation of Palestinian Jerusalemites’ residency rights.
Cantor Michael Davis calls on churches and pension funds: “let’s divest from Hewlett-Packard, so that next year … we’ll be one step closer to the day when Palestinian families can gather and pray freely in Jerusalem.”
Source
5 apr 2014
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland, will vote next week on a proposal for a boycott of Israel described as racist state.
The proposal described Israel by Apartied system in south Africa and urged the executive committee n the NUJ to boycott the goods of Israel, according to Jewish Chronicle newspaper.
The proposal also calls on the executive committee to support the British lecturers who refused to cooperate with the Israeli education establishments, and describes Israel as a racist state for its refusal to grant the Palestinians the rights of return to their home.
Source: breakingnews.sy
The proposal described Israel by Apartied system in south Africa and urged the executive committee n the NUJ to boycott the goods of Israel, according to Jewish Chronicle newspaper.
The proposal also calls on the executive committee to support the British lecturers who refused to cooperate with the Israeli education establishments, and describes Israel as a racist state for its refusal to grant the Palestinians the rights of return to their home.
Source: breakingnews.sy
4 apr 2014
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa released a statement Wednesday expressing concern about legislation pending in the state of Maryland to punish and blacklist supporters of the academic boycott against Israel.
The legislation was defeated earlier this year, but was later added to the state budget bill – a bill which must be passed in order for the state government to continue its work.
“This issue has nothing to do with our state budget and our legislators have no business slipping in such pejorative statements into a budget bill at the last minute,” said Karen Ackerman, a local organizer wh also serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace. Tarek Abuata, coordinator for the Christian Peacemaker Teams based in Hebron agrees. “Supporters of the boycott come from all faiths and ethnic
backgrounds. They care deeply about using this time-honored non-violent tactic to effect positive change after decades of military occupation.”
Desmond Tutu is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, and has long been a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which uses nonviolent means to challenge the Israeli occupation of Palestine and is the initiative being attacked by these bills.
Tutu notes that these legislative initiatives are aimed “at punishing and intimidating those who speak their conscience and challenge the human rights violations endured by the Palestinian people.”
In Maryland, the General Assembly recently considered legislation (HB998/SB647) intended to cut funding to any Maryland university with ties to any academic association, most specifically the American Studies Association (ASA), which has expressed support for the BDS movement. Marylanders representing a diverse group of civil rights and community organizations testified against the proposed legislation in Annapolis.
Although the bills both stalled in committee, their chief proponent, Delegate Ben Kramer of Montgomery County, introduced the bills’ language as an amendment to the state budget bill.
In his testimony on the amendment, Kramer made inciting comparisons, describing the boycott movement as “having taken a page from the history books” of Nazi Germany. Activists opposed to the legislation continue to press the General Assembly conference committee to strike the inflammatory language related to the boycott before it reaches the Maryland Governor’s desk.
In addition to the Maryland Assembly, similar bills have been introduced in Illinois, Florida, and New York. Archbishop Tutu notes that, while boycotts confront oppression, they also serve to inspire.
“Whether used in South Africa, the US South, or India,” he states that “these boycotts resulted in a transformative change that not only brought freedom and justice to the victims but also peace and reconciliation to the oppressors. And I remain forever hopeful that, like the nonviolent efforts that have
preceded it, the BDS movement will ultimately become a catalyst for honest peace and reconciliation for all our brothers and sisters, both Palestinian and Israeli, in the Holy Land.”
The Maryland General Assembly’s Conference Committee meets this week to discuss the budget bill in anticipation of the close of session on April 7, 2014 and could decide as early as Wednesday on the fate of the proposed amendment.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate, Weighs in on Maryland Lawmakers’ Efforts To Thwart The Boycott Campaign Against Israel
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, today released a statement expressing “grave concern” over a disturbing trend by U.S. state legislators to blacklist and punish supporters of the growing boycott campaign targeting the state of Israel. Tutu notes that these legislative initiatives are aimed “at punishing and intimidating those who speak their conscience and challenge the human rights violations endured by the Palestinian people.“ The Archbishop has been a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which uses nonviolent means to challenge the Israeli occupation of Palestine and is the initiative being attacked by these bills.
To read the rest of this press release, read here. To read the Bishop's entire statement, click here.[PDF]
There has been a new development in Annapolis, and we urge you to take action today!
Proponents of the anti-boycott legislation failed to secure passage of the unconstitutional attack on academic freedom, so they have used the tried and true method of getting positions to be approved by the legislature by including their language in the state budget bill. The anti-boycott language was inserted into the House version of the budget bill as an amendment (which no one voted on since it was accepted as "friendly"), along with other amendments not in the version of the budget passed by the Senate. The two versions of the budget bills, including the various amendments, now must go to a conference committee. That committee is charged with deciding on the final language of the budget bill, which will then be voted on by both the Senate and the House with no further changes allowed.
All of this must happen before the Maryland General Assembly ends at midnight on Monday, April 7th, one week from today. We do not know when the conference committee will meet and that is why our immediate action is needed.
Call the members of the budget bill conference committee today. Our message is clear: they should remove the offensive anti-boycott language in the House version of the budget bill. Attacks on academic freedom and charges of anti-Semitism should not be in any bill our legislature passes. You might also want to point out that there was never a public hearing on this language. If the MD General Assembly is going to take such action there must at least be ann opportunity for opposing opinions to be heard.
Washington Post Editorial board tells Governor O'Malley: Veto the bill! Baltimore Sun Editorial board also comes out against the bill. UPDATE: Majority Leader, Delegate Kumar Barve announces he will vote against bill if it reaches house floor (he was an original Cosponsor). The Coalition to "Keep Free Speech in the Free State" arose in response to a bill in the Maryland Assembly which would defund public universities for reimbursing faculty's participation in professional organizations that Maryland legislators politically disagree with.
In plain English, some Maryland legislators disagree with academic associations which have declared support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli Occupation. Only academic associations with this specific political opinion are being targeted. To date, targeted associations include the following:
The American Studies Association
The Association for Asian American Studies
The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
However, it is important to note that the Modern Language Association which has a membership of 30,000 has been exploring BDS resolutions which could inevitably add them to the "banned" list.
The New York Assembly pulled a similar proposed legislation in response to a backlash from academic, civil liberties representatives citing that such legislation has a chilling effect on free speech and punishes organizations for their political opinions.
Maryland has a long history of tolerance, respect for civil liberties and support for diverse academic discourse. Given the keen national attention this issue has garnered, our State has much to lose from the passing of this legislation.
Take Action to keep Maryland from becoming the national "poster child" for academic suppression.
The legislation was defeated earlier this year, but was later added to the state budget bill – a bill which must be passed in order for the state government to continue its work.
“This issue has nothing to do with our state budget and our legislators have no business slipping in such pejorative statements into a budget bill at the last minute,” said Karen Ackerman, a local organizer wh also serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace. Tarek Abuata, coordinator for the Christian Peacemaker Teams based in Hebron agrees. “Supporters of the boycott come from all faiths and ethnic
backgrounds. They care deeply about using this time-honored non-violent tactic to effect positive change after decades of military occupation.”
Desmond Tutu is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, and has long been a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which uses nonviolent means to challenge the Israeli occupation of Palestine and is the initiative being attacked by these bills.
Tutu notes that these legislative initiatives are aimed “at punishing and intimidating those who speak their conscience and challenge the human rights violations endured by the Palestinian people.”
In Maryland, the General Assembly recently considered legislation (HB998/SB647) intended to cut funding to any Maryland university with ties to any academic association, most specifically the American Studies Association (ASA), which has expressed support for the BDS movement. Marylanders representing a diverse group of civil rights and community organizations testified against the proposed legislation in Annapolis.
Although the bills both stalled in committee, their chief proponent, Delegate Ben Kramer of Montgomery County, introduced the bills’ language as an amendment to the state budget bill.
In his testimony on the amendment, Kramer made inciting comparisons, describing the boycott movement as “having taken a page from the history books” of Nazi Germany. Activists opposed to the legislation continue to press the General Assembly conference committee to strike the inflammatory language related to the boycott before it reaches the Maryland Governor’s desk.
In addition to the Maryland Assembly, similar bills have been introduced in Illinois, Florida, and New York. Archbishop Tutu notes that, while boycotts confront oppression, they also serve to inspire.
“Whether used in South Africa, the US South, or India,” he states that “these boycotts resulted in a transformative change that not only brought freedom and justice to the victims but also peace and reconciliation to the oppressors. And I remain forever hopeful that, like the nonviolent efforts that have
preceded it, the BDS movement will ultimately become a catalyst for honest peace and reconciliation for all our brothers and sisters, both Palestinian and Israeli, in the Holy Land.”
The Maryland General Assembly’s Conference Committee meets this week to discuss the budget bill in anticipation of the close of session on April 7, 2014 and could decide as early as Wednesday on the fate of the proposed amendment.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate, Weighs in on Maryland Lawmakers’ Efforts To Thwart The Boycott Campaign Against Israel
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, today released a statement expressing “grave concern” over a disturbing trend by U.S. state legislators to blacklist and punish supporters of the growing boycott campaign targeting the state of Israel. Tutu notes that these legislative initiatives are aimed “at punishing and intimidating those who speak their conscience and challenge the human rights violations endured by the Palestinian people.“ The Archbishop has been a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which uses nonviolent means to challenge the Israeli occupation of Palestine and is the initiative being attacked by these bills.
To read the rest of this press release, read here. To read the Bishop's entire statement, click here.[PDF]
There has been a new development in Annapolis, and we urge you to take action today!
Proponents of the anti-boycott legislation failed to secure passage of the unconstitutional attack on academic freedom, so they have used the tried and true method of getting positions to be approved by the legislature by including their language in the state budget bill. The anti-boycott language was inserted into the House version of the budget bill as an amendment (which no one voted on since it was accepted as "friendly"), along with other amendments not in the version of the budget passed by the Senate. The two versions of the budget bills, including the various amendments, now must go to a conference committee. That committee is charged with deciding on the final language of the budget bill, which will then be voted on by both the Senate and the House with no further changes allowed.
All of this must happen before the Maryland General Assembly ends at midnight on Monday, April 7th, one week from today. We do not know when the conference committee will meet and that is why our immediate action is needed.
Call the members of the budget bill conference committee today. Our message is clear: they should remove the offensive anti-boycott language in the House version of the budget bill. Attacks on academic freedom and charges of anti-Semitism should not be in any bill our legislature passes. You might also want to point out that there was never a public hearing on this language. If the MD General Assembly is going to take such action there must at least be ann opportunity for opposing opinions to be heard.
Washington Post Editorial board tells Governor O'Malley: Veto the bill! Baltimore Sun Editorial board also comes out against the bill. UPDATE: Majority Leader, Delegate Kumar Barve announces he will vote against bill if it reaches house floor (he was an original Cosponsor). The Coalition to "Keep Free Speech in the Free State" arose in response to a bill in the Maryland Assembly which would defund public universities for reimbursing faculty's participation in professional organizations that Maryland legislators politically disagree with.
In plain English, some Maryland legislators disagree with academic associations which have declared support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli Occupation. Only academic associations with this specific political opinion are being targeted. To date, targeted associations include the following:
The American Studies Association
The Association for Asian American Studies
The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
However, it is important to note that the Modern Language Association which has a membership of 30,000 has been exploring BDS resolutions which could inevitably add them to the "banned" list.
The New York Assembly pulled a similar proposed legislation in response to a backlash from academic, civil liberties representatives citing that such legislation has a chilling effect on free speech and punishes organizations for their political opinions.
Maryland has a long history of tolerance, respect for civil liberties and support for diverse academic discourse. Given the keen national attention this issue has garnered, our State has much to lose from the passing of this legislation.
Take Action to keep Maryland from becoming the national "poster child" for academic suppression.
2 apr 2014
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G4S is a British-Danish private security company that profits from the imprisonment of Palestinian political prisoners and systems of Israeli occupation and apartheid.
G4S: Securing War Crimes They maintain security equipment at checkpoints and in illegal Israeli settlements, and they employ private security personnel posted at checkpoints and to protect construction sites for the settlements and the Annexation Wall. G4S provides security equipment and services in five Israeli occupation prisons that detain Palestinian political prisoners. As is shown in the video. G4S is complicit in Israeli war crimes: including the death of Arafat Jaradat by torture, the unjust imprisonment of Palestinian children like Ali Shamlawi, and the torture of Oday Jumhour. |
