27 oct 2015
A group of 343 professor and lecturers bought a full page advertisement in the UK's Guardian newspaper, Tuesday, to publicize the launch of the group's academic boycott of Israeli institutions, the group said in a statement.
In the statement,released by Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, on behalf of the other educators, the group said that it will "not accept invitations for academic visits to Israel" or "act as referees in activities related to Israel academic institutions, or cooperate in any other way with Israeli universities."
The boycott of Israeli academic institutions was launched on the grounds that Israeli universities are "deeply complicit" in "Israeli violations of international law," the statement said.
“Israeli universities are at the heart of Israel’s violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people," Rosenhead was quoted in the statement as having said. "These signatures were all collected despite the pressures that can be put on people not to criticize the state of Israel."
Rosenfeld added that he "anticipates many more to join us" following the group's actions. The academics come from 72 different academic institutions.
Israel has been struggling to tackle a growing Palestinian-led boycott campaign which has had a number of high-profile successes.
Known as the BDS movement -- boycott, divestment and sanctions -- it aims to exert political and economic pressure over Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories in a bid to repeat the success of the campaign which ended apartheid in South Africa.
Part of the BDS movement is the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which Rosenhead's group would fall under.
Earlier this year, Britain’s National Union of Students voted to affiliate itself with the BDS movement, in a move which drew a sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the statement,released by Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, on behalf of the other educators, the group said that it will "not accept invitations for academic visits to Israel" or "act as referees in activities related to Israel academic institutions, or cooperate in any other way with Israeli universities."
The boycott of Israeli academic institutions was launched on the grounds that Israeli universities are "deeply complicit" in "Israeli violations of international law," the statement said.
“Israeli universities are at the heart of Israel’s violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people," Rosenhead was quoted in the statement as having said. "These signatures were all collected despite the pressures that can be put on people not to criticize the state of Israel."
Rosenfeld added that he "anticipates many more to join us" following the group's actions. The academics come from 72 different academic institutions.
Israel has been struggling to tackle a growing Palestinian-led boycott campaign which has had a number of high-profile successes.
Known as the BDS movement -- boycott, divestment and sanctions -- it aims to exert political and economic pressure over Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories in a bid to repeat the success of the campaign which ended apartheid in South Africa.
Part of the BDS movement is the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which Rosenhead's group would fall under.
Earlier this year, Britain’s National Union of Students voted to affiliate itself with the BDS movement, in a move which drew a sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
19 oct 2015
A consortium of pro-Palestine Swiss rights groups on Sunday called for mobilizing protests over the crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces across the occupied Palestinian territories.
A joint statement by Swiss organizations called for immediately ceasing cooperation with the Israeli occupation government, particularly in the military field.
The organizations pushed for canceling an arms deal to buy six Hermes 900 drones struck with an Israeli company and estimated at some 262 million U.S. dollars.
The statement further called for condemning Israel’s repressive policies, illegal settlement, and racial discrimination against Palestinians.
The organizations also appealed for lifting the Gaza siege and impeaching the Israeli occupation for violating international laws and the Geneva human rights conventions.
The statement stressed the need to mobilize support for the anti-Israel boycott company.
Rights for All, the Swiss People’s Party, the Green party of Switzerland, and the Center for Human Rights and International Justice were among the organizations that signed the statement.
A joint statement by Swiss organizations called for immediately ceasing cooperation with the Israeli occupation government, particularly in the military field.
The organizations pushed for canceling an arms deal to buy six Hermes 900 drones struck with an Israeli company and estimated at some 262 million U.S. dollars.
The statement further called for condemning Israel’s repressive policies, illegal settlement, and racial discrimination against Palestinians.
The organizations also appealed for lifting the Gaza siege and impeaching the Israeli occupation for violating international laws and the Geneva human rights conventions.
The statement stressed the need to mobilize support for the anti-Israel boycott company.
Rights for All, the Swiss People’s Party, the Green party of Switzerland, and the Center for Human Rights and International Justice were among the organizations that signed the statement.
14 oct 2015
The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s ruling party, has reiterated its support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) measures against Israel at the conclusion of its National General Council held earlier this month.
Around the same time, the Scottish Green Party, one of the fastest growing parties in Scotland, endorsed BDS, calling for academic, cultural and economic boycotts against “the racist apartheid” Israel.The ANC’s assembly adopted various BDS-related positions, including discouraging travel to Israel and encouraging “disengagement on programmes and activities that may impact on our solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
According to PNN, the ANC also called for “the isolation of the UN List of businesses that [illegally] operate in the [Israeli] occupied territories in Palestine.” This list includes Dexia, Ahava, Volvo, Riwal, Elbit Systems, HP, Mehadrin, Motorola, Assa Abloy and Cemex. The ANC had previously listed G4S, Caterpillar and Cape Gate as companies that the South African Government ought to exclude from contracts and tenders due to their complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of international law.
Accusing “apartheid” Israel of “systematic infringements of international law” and perpetuating “the racist ideology of modern day Zionism,” the Scottish Green Party voted overwhelmingly for boycotting “Israeli goods and services and an academic and cultural boycott,” until Israel “fulfils its obligations under international law.”
Among other far-reaching measures, the Scottish Greens called for a military embargo on Israel, UN sanctions, and prosecuting Israeli suspected war criminals. The party also committed itself to pressing for “EU legislation to prohibit the import into the EU of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
Dr. Haidar Eid, a professor of literature at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza and a spokesperson for the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) that leads the global BDS movement, warmly welcomed the news. He said, “At a time when we are facing extreme brutality, racist criminality and colonial hubris by Israel and its Jewish fundamentalist settler militias, especially in occupied Jerusalem, Palestinians everywhere welcome the ANC’s and the Scottish Green Party’s endorsements of effective BDS measures as a reminder that people of conscience can hold Israel to account and challenge its impunity.”
“As in the struggle against apartheid South Africa, Palestinians are empowered and inspired by international grassroots and civil society measures to isolate Israel and the corporations that enable its regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid to continue.”
“A new generation of Palestinians is rebelling against Israel’s crusade of dispossession, ethnic cleansing, construction of colonies, and racist desecration of Christian and Muslim holy sites, especially in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem. Palestinian youth are announcing to the world that they will never accept slavery as fate, that they will lead popular resistance to live in justice and dignity.”
Around the same time, the Scottish Green Party, one of the fastest growing parties in Scotland, endorsed BDS, calling for academic, cultural and economic boycotts against “the racist apartheid” Israel.The ANC’s assembly adopted various BDS-related positions, including discouraging travel to Israel and encouraging “disengagement on programmes and activities that may impact on our solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
According to PNN, the ANC also called for “the isolation of the UN List of businesses that [illegally] operate in the [Israeli] occupied territories in Palestine.” This list includes Dexia, Ahava, Volvo, Riwal, Elbit Systems, HP, Mehadrin, Motorola, Assa Abloy and Cemex. The ANC had previously listed G4S, Caterpillar and Cape Gate as companies that the South African Government ought to exclude from contracts and tenders due to their complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of international law.
Accusing “apartheid” Israel of “systematic infringements of international law” and perpetuating “the racist ideology of modern day Zionism,” the Scottish Green Party voted overwhelmingly for boycotting “Israeli goods and services and an academic and cultural boycott,” until Israel “fulfils its obligations under international law.”
Among other far-reaching measures, the Scottish Greens called for a military embargo on Israel, UN sanctions, and prosecuting Israeli suspected war criminals. The party also committed itself to pressing for “EU legislation to prohibit the import into the EU of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
Dr. Haidar Eid, a professor of literature at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza and a spokesperson for the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) that leads the global BDS movement, warmly welcomed the news. He said, “At a time when we are facing extreme brutality, racist criminality and colonial hubris by Israel and its Jewish fundamentalist settler militias, especially in occupied Jerusalem, Palestinians everywhere welcome the ANC’s and the Scottish Green Party’s endorsements of effective BDS measures as a reminder that people of conscience can hold Israel to account and challenge its impunity.”
“As in the struggle against apartheid South Africa, Palestinians are empowered and inspired by international grassroots and civil society measures to isolate Israel and the corporations that enable its regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid to continue.”
“A new generation of Palestinians is rebelling against Israel’s crusade of dispossession, ethnic cleansing, construction of colonies, and racist desecration of Christian and Muslim holy sites, especially in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem. Palestinian youth are announcing to the world that they will never accept slavery as fate, that they will lead popular resistance to live in justice and dignity.”
23 sept 2015
The Palestinian national stadium in Gaza, which was destroyed during Israel's 2012 attack
More than 30 Brazilian social movements and progressive organisations had called on the Brazilian government to exclude International Security and Defense Systems from Olympics contracts, after the Israeli company announced in October 2014 that it had been awarded a $2.2 billion deal to coordinate security at the games.
On April 8, the Ministry of Justice’s Special Secretariat for Mega-events (Sesge/MJ) replied to their letter by explaining that ISDS has not been awarded any contracts.
According to the PNN, the reply from Sesge/MJ also stated that “any contract made by Rio 2016 won’t result in compromises by the Brazilian government”, a phrase campaigners are interpreting as a clear sign that government officials were sympathetic to their demands.
ISDS had originally announced it had been awarded a contract by the Organizing Committee for the 2016 Games. When overall responsibility for security at the games shifted to the Brazilian government, Brazilian social movements began calling on the Brazilian government to ensure that the apparent deal would not remain in place.
The letter to key Sesge/MJ official Andrei Rodrigues signed by Brazilian social movements, political parties, workers unions, and different associations set out how ISDS is accused of having ties to coups, death squares and dictatorships in Central America, as well as close links with the Israeli military.
Campaigners are now preparing to pressure the Olympics Committee to cancel a separate “official supplier” deal with ISDS.
Jaman Juma, coordinator of the Stop the Wall movement, said on behalf of the movement that “boycotting this company is paradigmatic: Israel develops its methodologies and technologies through the killing and repression of the Palestinian people, and then it sells them worldwide. The end of military and security relations with Israel is an act of defense. Not only for the Palestinian people, it is an act of defense for humanity.”
Julio Turra, executive director of the biggest Brazilian workers’ union, CUT, one of the signatories of the letter to Coesrio 2016, said that CUT was glad with the information the government distances itself from ISDS.
“It would be illegal and shameful to hire a company that develops its technologies in complicity with Israeli crimes and that accumulates complaints about its participation in Central American dictatorships,” Turra said.
Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinador of the BDS Palestinian National Committee (BNC) also welcomed the fact that the Brazilian government categorically states it has no commercial relation with ISDS.
“We expect that no similar company will be hired. It is important that Brazil walks towards a fully military embargo against Israel. Nawajaa said.
“Brazilians can be sure they will have the support from the Palestinian and international civil society on this campaign against ISDS in the Olympic Games,” he added.
As for future actions, Soraya Misleh, from the Front in Defense of the Palestinian People explained that there will be a wide campaign against the contract celebrated with the 2016 Organizing Committee which makes ISDS an ‘official supplier’ for the Games.
“We won’t allowed the Olympic Games in our country to have such company’s logo in its publicity. It is an insult against all those who believe in human rights and justice,” said Misleh.
Maristela Pinheiro, from the Rio de Janeiro Committee in Solidarity with the Palestinian People added that there will be for sure a strong campaign against the supplier deal between ISDS and the 2016 Organizing Committee and we’ll keep monitoring Coesrio. “The Olympics can’t beneficiate companies that profit through human rights violations. The Games can’t be intensifying repressive practices in our country, or endorse illegal and immoral actions”.
To his part, Felipe Butelli, from the Christian Group Kairos Brazil said that the call for military embargo has the support of important international names, the Nobel Peace Prize winners Desmond Tutu and Perez Esquivel among them. Brazil can’t follow on the opposite direction.
More than 30 Brazilian social movements and progressive organisations had called on the Brazilian government to exclude International Security and Defense Systems from Olympics contracts, after the Israeli company announced in October 2014 that it had been awarded a $2.2 billion deal to coordinate security at the games.
On April 8, the Ministry of Justice’s Special Secretariat for Mega-events (Sesge/MJ) replied to their letter by explaining that ISDS has not been awarded any contracts.
According to the PNN, the reply from Sesge/MJ also stated that “any contract made by Rio 2016 won’t result in compromises by the Brazilian government”, a phrase campaigners are interpreting as a clear sign that government officials were sympathetic to their demands.
ISDS had originally announced it had been awarded a contract by the Organizing Committee for the 2016 Games. When overall responsibility for security at the games shifted to the Brazilian government, Brazilian social movements began calling on the Brazilian government to ensure that the apparent deal would not remain in place.
The letter to key Sesge/MJ official Andrei Rodrigues signed by Brazilian social movements, political parties, workers unions, and different associations set out how ISDS is accused of having ties to coups, death squares and dictatorships in Central America, as well as close links with the Israeli military.
Campaigners are now preparing to pressure the Olympics Committee to cancel a separate “official supplier” deal with ISDS.
Jaman Juma, coordinator of the Stop the Wall movement, said on behalf of the movement that “boycotting this company is paradigmatic: Israel develops its methodologies and technologies through the killing and repression of the Palestinian people, and then it sells them worldwide. The end of military and security relations with Israel is an act of defense. Not only for the Palestinian people, it is an act of defense for humanity.”
Julio Turra, executive director of the biggest Brazilian workers’ union, CUT, one of the signatories of the letter to Coesrio 2016, said that CUT was glad with the information the government distances itself from ISDS.
“It would be illegal and shameful to hire a company that develops its technologies in complicity with Israeli crimes and that accumulates complaints about its participation in Central American dictatorships,” Turra said.
Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinador of the BDS Palestinian National Committee (BNC) also welcomed the fact that the Brazilian government categorically states it has no commercial relation with ISDS.
“We expect that no similar company will be hired. It is important that Brazil walks towards a fully military embargo against Israel. Nawajaa said.
“Brazilians can be sure they will have the support from the Palestinian and international civil society on this campaign against ISDS in the Olympic Games,” he added.
As for future actions, Soraya Misleh, from the Front in Defense of the Palestinian People explained that there will be a wide campaign against the contract celebrated with the 2016 Organizing Committee which makes ISDS an ‘official supplier’ for the Games.
“We won’t allowed the Olympic Games in our country to have such company’s logo in its publicity. It is an insult against all those who believe in human rights and justice,” said Misleh.
Maristela Pinheiro, from the Rio de Janeiro Committee in Solidarity with the Palestinian People added that there will be for sure a strong campaign against the supplier deal between ISDS and the 2016 Organizing Committee and we’ll keep monitoring Coesrio. “The Olympics can’t beneficiate companies that profit through human rights violations. The Games can’t be intensifying repressive practices in our country, or endorse illegal and immoral actions”.
To his part, Felipe Butelli, from the Christian Group Kairos Brazil said that the call for military embargo has the support of important international names, the Nobel Peace Prize winners Desmond Tutu and Perez Esquivel among them. Brazil can’t follow on the opposite direction.
20 sept 2015
Israel will circumvent EU plans to label settlement products by directly lobbying EU member states against implementation of this guideline.
Israel's foreign ministry decided last week to ramp up its fight against labeling settlement products by circumventing the EU via direct contact with its members, reports the Israeli news portal nrg.
In parallel, the possibility is being examined to submit lawsuits against the EU itself or against its member states in the European Court.
Israel estimates that the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, will publish guidelines mandating the labeling of goods produced in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights settlements already in the coming days, or at the very latest during October.
The EU Foreign Minister, Federica Mogherini, said in a debate of the European Parliament some ten days ago that labeling products is a done deal; the working assumption of Israel's foreign ministry is therefore that the EU as an official body will not halt this process.
In light of this, Israel plans to exploit anti-EU sentiment throughout Europe and work directly with EU member states so that the guidelines, when issued, will not be implemented. “It was decided to to act directly with EU member states which may not want to cooperate with the directives from Brussels.”
In addition, Israel foreign ministry emissaries in the target countries will be directed to work with their counterparts, and assist in identifying political allies, particularly in major countries, so that they will help Israel thwart, delay, suspend or annul the guidelines.
From data presented at the Israeli foreign ministry meeting last week, it appears that Israeli exports to Europe from the industrial zones in East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, stand at some $150 million.
Sources in Jerusalem reject the EU claim that labeling products is a technical move with no political motive. “We don't accept these explanations. Our understanding is that this is a political move which harms Israel, harms the peace process, harms the chance that the EU will receive any type of status in this process as one who acts unilaterally against Israel, and harms Palestinian workers who will be fired from their places of employment if there will be a decrease in exports.”
Earlier this month, the European Parliament issued a motion that “Welcomes the EU’s commitment – in the spirit of differentiation between Israel and its activities in the occupied Palestinian Territory – to ensuring that all agreements between the EU and Israel must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, takes note of the letter sent to the VP/HR by 16 EU Foreign Ministers on 13 April 2015, encouraging her to take the lead within the Commission with a view to completing the work on EU-wide guidelines on the labeling of Israeli settlement produce.”
Five hundred and twenty-five EU parliamentarians voted for the motion, which dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, 70 voted against and 31 abstained.
Israel is supposedly encouraged by the apparent decision of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, to backpedal on its decision to boycott all Israeli products until an end of the occupation. Reykjavik's mayor, Dagur Eggertsson said on Icelandic public television that he would scrap plans for a boycott of Israeli goods, a proposal which had raised outrage in Israel and elsewhere.
“The changing of Reykjavik's decision and the criticism of the original decision, demonstrate that throughout Europe there exist positive forces which are not hostile to Israel and with whom work is possible,” a senior Israeli foreign ministry source told nrg.
Israel's foreign ministry decided last week to ramp up its fight against labeling settlement products by circumventing the EU via direct contact with its members, reports the Israeli news portal nrg.
In parallel, the possibility is being examined to submit lawsuits against the EU itself or against its member states in the European Court.
Israel estimates that the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, will publish guidelines mandating the labeling of goods produced in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights settlements already in the coming days, or at the very latest during October.
The EU Foreign Minister, Federica Mogherini, said in a debate of the European Parliament some ten days ago that labeling products is a done deal; the working assumption of Israel's foreign ministry is therefore that the EU as an official body will not halt this process.
In light of this, Israel plans to exploit anti-EU sentiment throughout Europe and work directly with EU member states so that the guidelines, when issued, will not be implemented. “It was decided to to act directly with EU member states which may not want to cooperate with the directives from Brussels.”
In addition, Israel foreign ministry emissaries in the target countries will be directed to work with their counterparts, and assist in identifying political allies, particularly in major countries, so that they will help Israel thwart, delay, suspend or annul the guidelines.
From data presented at the Israeli foreign ministry meeting last week, it appears that Israeli exports to Europe from the industrial zones in East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, stand at some $150 million.
Sources in Jerusalem reject the EU claim that labeling products is a technical move with no political motive. “We don't accept these explanations. Our understanding is that this is a political move which harms Israel, harms the peace process, harms the chance that the EU will receive any type of status in this process as one who acts unilaterally against Israel, and harms Palestinian workers who will be fired from their places of employment if there will be a decrease in exports.”
Earlier this month, the European Parliament issued a motion that “Welcomes the EU’s commitment – in the spirit of differentiation between Israel and its activities in the occupied Palestinian Territory – to ensuring that all agreements between the EU and Israel must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, takes note of the letter sent to the VP/HR by 16 EU Foreign Ministers on 13 April 2015, encouraging her to take the lead within the Commission with a view to completing the work on EU-wide guidelines on the labeling of Israeli settlement produce.”
Five hundred and twenty-five EU parliamentarians voted for the motion, which dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, 70 voted against and 31 abstained.
Israel is supposedly encouraged by the apparent decision of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, to backpedal on its decision to boycott all Israeli products until an end of the occupation. Reykjavik's mayor, Dagur Eggertsson said on Icelandic public television that he would scrap plans for a boycott of Israeli goods, a proposal which had raised outrage in Israel and elsewhere.
“The changing of Reykjavik's decision and the criticism of the original decision, demonstrate that throughout Europe there exist positive forces which are not hostile to Israel and with whom work is possible,” a senior Israeli foreign ministry source told nrg.
The Mayor of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, Dagur B. Eggertsson, announced that Reykjavik’s ban of Israeli goods does not affect all Israeli goods but goods produced in illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
The resolution passed by Reykyavik’s City Council earlier this week was ambiguous in its wording, leading many to understand that the ban affects all Israeli goods.
Dagur B. Eggertsson_reykjavik_IcelandReykjavik Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson issued a statement on Iceland’s State broadcasting service RUV, saying that the City Council would cancel its previously announced boycott and that the city would limit its ban to Israeli goods produced in illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
The ban adopted by the City Council earlier this week was tabled by Social Democrat Björk Vilhelmsdóttir.
The resolution adopted by the Council did not specify whether the ban affected all Israeli goods or goods produced in occupied Palestinian territories only.
Regardless of the decision to rephrase the ban to be more specific, Reykjavik’s decision to ban goods from occupied territories is still widely perceived as a significant victory for the international Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Faced with sharp criticism last week, Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, of the Social Democratic Alliance.
Vilhelmsdóttir said:
“I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine”.
Reykjavik Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson, for his part, admitted that the text of the resolution had not been prepared well enough, that the wording was ambiguous, led to misunderstandings, and that the text of the resolution would now be changed to be more clear and unambiguous. Dragur added:
“I have stated that it should have been made much clearer in the text, although that’s what we had in mind. I will suggest to the City Council that the motion the way it reads now be withdrawn while we discuss the next steps and how to present it. … I must admit that I’m angry at myself for not having done this the way I wanted.”
The City Council’s decision was faced with harsh criticism from Israel, comparing the City Council with a volcano that was spewing out hatred. The resolution was also harshly criticized by Independence Party Council member Kjartan Magnússon, while Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson described the resolution as “ridiculous”.
Reykjavik City Council adopted the resolution against the backdrop of a sharp rise in Israeli aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories and systematic crackdown against Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Earlier this week the Israeli government authorized the use of life ammunition and sniper fire against “stone throwers”.
The rephrasing of the resolution to be more specific with regards to the ban of goods produced in occupied Palestinian territories does not change the fact that the majority of members of Reyjkyavik’s City Council has sent an unambiguous signal to Tel Aviv, calling on the Israeli government to end the illegal occupation of Palestine.
The original sponsor of the resolution, Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir noted earlier this week that she intended to spend the remainder of 2015 doing humanitarian work in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The resolution passed by Reykyavik’s City Council earlier this week was ambiguous in its wording, leading many to understand that the ban affects all Israeli goods.
Dagur B. Eggertsson_reykjavik_IcelandReykjavik Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson issued a statement on Iceland’s State broadcasting service RUV, saying that the City Council would cancel its previously announced boycott and that the city would limit its ban to Israeli goods produced in illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
The ban adopted by the City Council earlier this week was tabled by Social Democrat Björk Vilhelmsdóttir.
The resolution adopted by the Council did not specify whether the ban affected all Israeli goods or goods produced in occupied Palestinian territories only.
Regardless of the decision to rephrase the ban to be more specific, Reykjavik’s decision to ban goods from occupied territories is still widely perceived as a significant victory for the international Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Faced with sharp criticism last week, Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, of the Social Democratic Alliance.
Vilhelmsdóttir said:
“I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine”.
Reykjavik Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson, for his part, admitted that the text of the resolution had not been prepared well enough, that the wording was ambiguous, led to misunderstandings, and that the text of the resolution would now be changed to be more clear and unambiguous. Dragur added:
“I have stated that it should have been made much clearer in the text, although that’s what we had in mind. I will suggest to the City Council that the motion the way it reads now be withdrawn while we discuss the next steps and how to present it. … I must admit that I’m angry at myself for not having done this the way I wanted.”
The City Council’s decision was faced with harsh criticism from Israel, comparing the City Council with a volcano that was spewing out hatred. The resolution was also harshly criticized by Independence Party Council member Kjartan Magnússon, while Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson described the resolution as “ridiculous”.
Reykjavik City Council adopted the resolution against the backdrop of a sharp rise in Israeli aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories and systematic crackdown against Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Earlier this week the Israeli government authorized the use of life ammunition and sniper fire against “stone throwers”.
The rephrasing of the resolution to be more specific with regards to the ban of goods produced in occupied Palestinian territories does not change the fact that the majority of members of Reyjkyavik’s City Council has sent an unambiguous signal to Tel Aviv, calling on the Israeli government to end the illegal occupation of Palestine.
The original sponsor of the resolution, Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir noted earlier this week that she intended to spend the remainder of 2015 doing humanitarian work in the occupied Palestinian territories.
16 sept 2015
The city of Reykjavik
Reykjavik has passed a resolution boycotting Israeli-made goods, in protest of Israel's 'racist apartheid policy' towards the Palestinians.
The city council of Icelandic capital Reykjavik has passed a resolution banning all Israeli-made products in protest of policy in the Palestinian territories.
The resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, who mentioned that she intends to spend the rest of the year doing humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories.
The resolution appears to be purely symbolic, since it didn't mention specific companies or products, and it's not clear if the Reykjavik municipal authorities have even had any business ties to Israeli companies – or if they've been purchasing Israeli products – so far. The party that proposed the resolution, the Social Democratic Alliance, has a majority in the city council, but not in the Icelandic parliament.
The city council has in the past adopted a resolution acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians to independence and a sovereign country of their own. It has criticized what it calls the Israeli government's "racist apartheid policy"
Councilwoman Vilhelmsdóttir said on the matter, "I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine."
Leader of the Independence Party in the city council, Halldór Halldórsson, was skeptical as to the effectiveness of the resolution and explained why his party chose to oppose it, saying, "free trade is the best way to ensure peace.
We should build bridges between people, and business is one of the best connections that exist." City Council President and Bright Future Party Chairman Björn Blöndal said that the resolution was merely symbolic. According to him, it's a "peaceful way to protest injustice."
Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said in response, "A volcano of hatred is erupting out of the city council building in Reykjavik. Without any reason or justification, other than pure hatred, we hear calls to boycott Israel. We hope someone in Iceland comes to their senses and stops the blindness and the one-sidedness that is directed at Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East."
In general, Iceland is considered very critical of Israel. During 2011's Operation Pillar of Cloud, the country's interior minister, Ögmundur Jónasson, headed a 1,000-person protest in front of the US embassy in Reykjavik, as Israel doesn't have an embassy in Iceland. The protesters waved "blood-soaked" Israeli flags and the minister accused Israel of performing a holocaust on the Palestinian people.
Iceland's former foreign minister, Össur Skarphéðinsson, has also condemned Israel in the past, saying his country would consider cutting diplomatic ties with Jerusalem. In the end it was decided to keep the ties intact, and Skarphéðinsson explained that Iceland also still had diplomatic relationships with Iran, Syria, Sudan, and North Korea.
Iceland was a supporter of the UN resolution to upgrade Palestine to the status of a non-member observer state.
Iceland to boycott Israeli-made goods
The city council of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik has passed a resolution boycotting Israeli-made goods, in protest at Israel's racist apartheid policy towards the Palestinians.
The boycott will be in place “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues,” the motion said.
According to Yediot Aharanot Hebrew newspaper, the resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, who mentioned that she intends to spend the rest of the year doing humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories.
The party that proposed the resolution, the Social Democratic Alliance, has a majority in the city council, but not in the Icelandic parliament, the newspaper reads.
The city council has in the past adopted a resolution acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians to independence and a sovereign country of their own. It has also criticized the Israeli government's racist apartheid policy.
"I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine," councilwoman Vilhelmsdóttir said.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon expressed concern over the decision and said on the matter “A volcano of hate is currently exploding in Reykjavik’s city council building.”
Reykjavik has passed a resolution boycotting Israeli-made goods, in protest of Israel's 'racist apartheid policy' towards the Palestinians.
The city council of Icelandic capital Reykjavik has passed a resolution banning all Israeli-made products in protest of policy in the Palestinian territories.
The resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, who mentioned that she intends to spend the rest of the year doing humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories.
The resolution appears to be purely symbolic, since it didn't mention specific companies or products, and it's not clear if the Reykjavik municipal authorities have even had any business ties to Israeli companies – or if they've been purchasing Israeli products – so far. The party that proposed the resolution, the Social Democratic Alliance, has a majority in the city council, but not in the Icelandic parliament.
The city council has in the past adopted a resolution acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians to independence and a sovereign country of their own. It has criticized what it calls the Israeli government's "racist apartheid policy"
Councilwoman Vilhelmsdóttir said on the matter, "I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine."
Leader of the Independence Party in the city council, Halldór Halldórsson, was skeptical as to the effectiveness of the resolution and explained why his party chose to oppose it, saying, "free trade is the best way to ensure peace.
We should build bridges between people, and business is one of the best connections that exist." City Council President and Bright Future Party Chairman Björn Blöndal said that the resolution was merely symbolic. According to him, it's a "peaceful way to protest injustice."
Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said in response, "A volcano of hatred is erupting out of the city council building in Reykjavik. Without any reason or justification, other than pure hatred, we hear calls to boycott Israel. We hope someone in Iceland comes to their senses and stops the blindness and the one-sidedness that is directed at Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East."
In general, Iceland is considered very critical of Israel. During 2011's Operation Pillar of Cloud, the country's interior minister, Ögmundur Jónasson, headed a 1,000-person protest in front of the US embassy in Reykjavik, as Israel doesn't have an embassy in Iceland. The protesters waved "blood-soaked" Israeli flags and the minister accused Israel of performing a holocaust on the Palestinian people.
Iceland's former foreign minister, Össur Skarphéðinsson, has also condemned Israel in the past, saying his country would consider cutting diplomatic ties with Jerusalem. In the end it was decided to keep the ties intact, and Skarphéðinsson explained that Iceland also still had diplomatic relationships with Iran, Syria, Sudan, and North Korea.
Iceland was a supporter of the UN resolution to upgrade Palestine to the status of a non-member observer state.
Iceland to boycott Israeli-made goods
The city council of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik has passed a resolution boycotting Israeli-made goods, in protest at Israel's racist apartheid policy towards the Palestinians.
The boycott will be in place “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues,” the motion said.
According to Yediot Aharanot Hebrew newspaper, the resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, who mentioned that she intends to spend the rest of the year doing humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories.
The party that proposed the resolution, the Social Democratic Alliance, has a majority in the city council, but not in the Icelandic parliament, the newspaper reads.
The city council has in the past adopted a resolution acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians to independence and a sovereign country of their own. It has also criticized the Israeli government's racist apartheid policy.
"I believe that the city is sending a clear message that it will not purchase products from Israel while Israel oppresses another people on the basis of ethnicity and race, and continues having the wall inside Palestine," councilwoman Vilhelmsdóttir said.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon expressed concern over the decision and said on the matter “A volcano of hate is currently exploding in Reykjavik’s city council building.”
11 sept 2015
A Palestinian man harvests Dates
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday attacked an EU resolution on labelling goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu referred to the plan as “unjust”. “It is simply a distortion of justice and of logic and I think that it also hurts peace; it does not advance peace. The root of the conflict is not the territories, and the root of the conflict is not the settlements.”
In an apparent reference to the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, he added: “We have historical memory of what happened when Europe labelled Jewish products.”
The European parliament earlier voted in favour of a non-binding resolution to label all exports originating in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - territory taken by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.
“The parliament welcomes the EU’s commitment - in the spirit of differentiation between Israel and its activities in the occupied Palestinian territory - to ensuring that all agreements between the EU and Israel must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967,” the EU resolution stated.
The resolution also called for the EU’s Foreign Affairs Representative Federica Mogherini to “take the lead within the commission with a view to completing the work on EU-wide guidelines on the labelling of Israeli settlement produce.”
The parliament said the EU’s priority should be preserving the viability of the two-state solution and ensuring the rights of civilians.
In a separate statement, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said: “Under the guise of a technical procedure, it’s an attempt to force a diplomatic solution, instead of encouraging the Palestinians to return to negotiations.”
“Europe treats Israel with sanctimonious hypocrisy, while it doesn’t raise the issue of similar solutions in Northern Cyprus and Western Sahara.”
The largest industry in the occupied territories is agriculture, so labels would be applied to fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday attacked an EU resolution on labelling goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu referred to the plan as “unjust”. “It is simply a distortion of justice and of logic and I think that it also hurts peace; it does not advance peace. The root of the conflict is not the territories, and the root of the conflict is not the settlements.”
In an apparent reference to the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, he added: “We have historical memory of what happened when Europe labelled Jewish products.”
The European parliament earlier voted in favour of a non-binding resolution to label all exports originating in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - territory taken by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.
“The parliament welcomes the EU’s commitment - in the spirit of differentiation between Israel and its activities in the occupied Palestinian territory - to ensuring that all agreements between the EU and Israel must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967,” the EU resolution stated.
The resolution also called for the EU’s Foreign Affairs Representative Federica Mogherini to “take the lead within the commission with a view to completing the work on EU-wide guidelines on the labelling of Israeli settlement produce.”
The parliament said the EU’s priority should be preserving the viability of the two-state solution and ensuring the rights of civilians.
In a separate statement, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said: “Under the guise of a technical procedure, it’s an attempt to force a diplomatic solution, instead of encouraging the Palestinians to return to negotiations.”
“Europe treats Israel with sanctimonious hypocrisy, while it doesn’t raise the issue of similar solutions in Northern Cyprus and Western Sahara.”
The largest industry in the occupied territories is agriculture, so labels would be applied to fruits, vegetables and herbs.