28 mar 2016
On March 18th, the Illinois Investment Policy Board blacklisted 11 companies from doing business with the state for allegedly boycotting Israel.
The Illinois legislation behind this move, SB 1761, was passed in 2015. It made Illinois the first state in the country to punish companies for boycotting Israeli trade. Now, Illinois is the first state to actually form a list of companies barred from working with the state’s government due to their alleged boycott of Israel.
As the list of the blacklisted companies illustrate, the law even applies to companies who have ceased to conduct business with Israeli companies in the West Bank, but continue to work with Israeli companies within Israel’s 1948 borders. Companies blacklisted by Illinois include G4S, a security giant that recently announced it would sell its Israeli subsidiaries for financial concerns; Karsten Farms, a South African company that stopped working with an Israeli settlement company in 2013, and British retail chain, the Cooperative Group, that stopped trading with companies in Israeli settlements.
Colorado and Florida joined in on passing anti-BDS legislation this month. The states both approved legislation similar to Illinois to block companies thought to be boycotting Israeli trade from doing business with their governments.
On Wednesday, the Virginia House of Delegates decisively passed a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The resolution passed with 85 in favor, 5 against, and nine abstentions.
The Virginia resolution states that the BDS movement “is inherently antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples in the Middle East.” It affirms the commitment of members of Virginia to support Israel and oppose “all attempts to economically and politically isolate Israel within the international arena, including promotion of economic, cultural, and academic boycotts, and all efforts to assault the legitimacy of the State of Israel as the sovereign homeland of the Jewish people.”
Palestine Legal has identified 21 states in the United States with legislation to punish or suppress the BDS movement.
In academia, on March 23rd, the University of California’s Board of Regents unanimously adopted a statement described in mainstream media as “condemning anti-Semitism.” The statement also explicitly condemns “anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism.” In January the working group that developed the statement proposed the declaration should read “Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at University of California.” However, following criticism of censorship, it was changed to anti-Semitic anti-Zionism.
Palestine Legal has pointed out that the UC’s chief lawyer confirmed that the document is merely a statement of opinion, and not enforceable policy, because the First Amendment and California law do not allow universities to restrict speech on the basis of viewpoint. Nevertheless, many activists decry it as an attempt to subdue Palestinian human rights defenders.
The Illinois legislation behind this move, SB 1761, was passed in 2015. It made Illinois the first state in the country to punish companies for boycotting Israeli trade. Now, Illinois is the first state to actually form a list of companies barred from working with the state’s government due to their alleged boycott of Israel.
As the list of the blacklisted companies illustrate, the law even applies to companies who have ceased to conduct business with Israeli companies in the West Bank, but continue to work with Israeli companies within Israel’s 1948 borders. Companies blacklisted by Illinois include G4S, a security giant that recently announced it would sell its Israeli subsidiaries for financial concerns; Karsten Farms, a South African company that stopped working with an Israeli settlement company in 2013, and British retail chain, the Cooperative Group, that stopped trading with companies in Israeli settlements.
Colorado and Florida joined in on passing anti-BDS legislation this month. The states both approved legislation similar to Illinois to block companies thought to be boycotting Israeli trade from doing business with their governments.
On Wednesday, the Virginia House of Delegates decisively passed a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The resolution passed with 85 in favor, 5 against, and nine abstentions.
The Virginia resolution states that the BDS movement “is inherently antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples in the Middle East.” It affirms the commitment of members of Virginia to support Israel and oppose “all attempts to economically and politically isolate Israel within the international arena, including promotion of economic, cultural, and academic boycotts, and all efforts to assault the legitimacy of the State of Israel as the sovereign homeland of the Jewish people.”
Palestine Legal has identified 21 states in the United States with legislation to punish or suppress the BDS movement.
In academia, on March 23rd, the University of California’s Board of Regents unanimously adopted a statement described in mainstream media as “condemning anti-Semitism.” The statement also explicitly condemns “anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism.” In January the working group that developed the statement proposed the declaration should read “Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at University of California.” However, following criticism of censorship, it was changed to anti-Semitic anti-Zionism.
Palestine Legal has pointed out that the UC’s chief lawyer confirmed that the document is merely a statement of opinion, and not enforceable policy, because the First Amendment and California law do not allow universities to restrict speech on the basis of viewpoint. Nevertheless, many activists decry it as an attempt to subdue Palestinian human rights defenders.
Speaking at Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth's anti-BDS conference, the president argues there's a difference between criticism and de-legitimization, stressing that 'we must show BDS claims originate in hatred towards the State of Israel.'
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) is based on the rejection of the existence of the State of Israel, President Reuven Rivlin said Monday morning at Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth's anti-BDS conference in Jerusalem.
"We must differentiate between criticism and de-legitimization," the president argued, adding that "Criticism is completely legitimate, and we are all focused on one goal; the wellbeing of our country despite the difference of opinion."
"The BDS movement is a movement founded on the non-acceptance of Israel's existence. We must differentiate between criticism and de-legitimization. We must show the world the claims of the BDS movement are based on hatred and enmity of the State of Israel," the president stressed.
The president further stated that "in terms of the ability for a nation to return to its homeland after 2000 years, most of the world sees Israel as a friend who is requesting the creation of a different civil agenda today, meaning a Jewish and Democratic country where there is no contradiction between Judaism and Democracy."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office is in charge of fighting the boycott on behalf of the government, said in his address to the conference that despite the vast data he received about the hundreds of companies that are being targeted by the boycott movement, he learned that the situation wasn't as dire.
"Out of all the initiatives on campuses, only nine BDS decisions were passed," he said. "Despite the fact some 500 companies have been targeted, only few stopped their activity. As for direct investments in Israel, they increased in over 70 percent."
Erdan argued Israel should recognize the problem, but not exaggerate on the severity of the situation or panic. "We need to start managing this fight in a coordinated, professional and precise manner," he said.
"This fight is wide ranging – it is a fight for Israel's security against those who want to stop military aid to us, and is an economic battle with those that want to hurt Israeli companies," Erdan continued.
"Supporters of BDS justify their actions because of the 'occupation,' but if we really look at them, they also wave Hamas flags and call for the destruction of the State of Israel. This fight is not over any particular thing in our lives – but over our right to live here. We will do everything in order to expose the true objectives of the BDS movement, in order to expose who is behind them and who helps them," the minister added.
He was confident Israel will prevail. "Every time the issue of our existence is tested, we have known how to overcome it and succeed. Every time this happened, we have united and with joint forces found the answer, making us stronger than before... There is no doubt that we have to make sure that even at the individual level, those involved in BDS will not be able to rest. "
Teaching Jewish students to be proud of their heritage
In his address, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder said he wished the conference wasn't necessary. "I wish there wasn't a worldwide effort to isolate Israel, to undermine Israel, to destroy Israel,” he added.
"Our enemies have failed to destroy Israel militarily and economically," Lauder said. "Having failed, they are trying to destroy Israel politically."
BDS, he said, "tries to present itself as some sort of a democratic movement concerned with human rights - that's a lie. It's an international campaign to incite hostility against Israel and the Jewish people."
The movement has no interest in peace or in improving the daily lives of the Palestinians, Lauder noted. "The world needs to see through these lies."
The BDS movement is mounting a two-pronged effort against the State of Israel - an economic boycott and an academic one, Lauder said.
"The World Jewish Congress is advancing legislation to make economic boycotts illegal. Many countries have already made boycotts illegal, and there's legislation in the US Congress as well. So on the legal front we are winning," the WJC president declared.
He expressed concerned with the BDS movement's presence on college campuses worldwide, targeting the young and impressionable minds of youths.
"From the moment they arrive at schools, colleges, and universities, our children face a barrage of anti-Semitic lies," he lamented. "College is their first exposure to the history and politics of the Middle East. They're especially vulnerable to BDS's harsh propaganda."
He also bemoaned the fact that it is difficult for pro-Israel groups on campuses to compete with the well-financed anti-Israel groups. "Most Jewish students are ill-equipped to defend themselves," he said.
To that end, the World Jewish Congress is in the process of establishing a network of organizations at key colleges and universities around the world "to help Jewish students stand up to anti-Israel groups and their lies. Skilled young professionals will train Jewish students to be proud of their heritage and of Israel."
He also called on alumni and donors who care about Israel need to make their voices heard.
Additionally, Lauder argued that in order counter the calls for boycott, a coordinated campaign was needed to encourage people to buy Israeli goods. This can be done, among other things, by using the hashtag #buyIsraeli on social media.
"We'll let the world know we're proud to support the Israeli economy," he said.
BDS, he said, is "a dangerous new strain of an age-old disease - anti-Semitism," vowing Jews will never be silent again in the face of anti-Semitism and "stand up for for what is right and expose BDS for the fraud that it is."
With that in mind, Lauder also stressed that "in this fight, we must never forget that the ultimate goal is peace."
Lauder's address was followed by a speech from Ben-Dror Yemini, a Yedioth Ahronoth editorialist and one of the most prominent voices in Israel and in the Jewish world in the struggle against the boycott.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) is based on the rejection of the existence of the State of Israel, President Reuven Rivlin said Monday morning at Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth's anti-BDS conference in Jerusalem.
"We must differentiate between criticism and de-legitimization," the president argued, adding that "Criticism is completely legitimate, and we are all focused on one goal; the wellbeing of our country despite the difference of opinion."
"The BDS movement is a movement founded on the non-acceptance of Israel's existence. We must differentiate between criticism and de-legitimization. We must show the world the claims of the BDS movement are based on hatred and enmity of the State of Israel," the president stressed.
The president further stated that "in terms of the ability for a nation to return to its homeland after 2000 years, most of the world sees Israel as a friend who is requesting the creation of a different civil agenda today, meaning a Jewish and Democratic country where there is no contradiction between Judaism and Democracy."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office is in charge of fighting the boycott on behalf of the government, said in his address to the conference that despite the vast data he received about the hundreds of companies that are being targeted by the boycott movement, he learned that the situation wasn't as dire.
"Out of all the initiatives on campuses, only nine BDS decisions were passed," he said. "Despite the fact some 500 companies have been targeted, only few stopped their activity. As for direct investments in Israel, they increased in over 70 percent."
Erdan argued Israel should recognize the problem, but not exaggerate on the severity of the situation or panic. "We need to start managing this fight in a coordinated, professional and precise manner," he said.
"This fight is wide ranging – it is a fight for Israel's security against those who want to stop military aid to us, and is an economic battle with those that want to hurt Israeli companies," Erdan continued.
"Supporters of BDS justify their actions because of the 'occupation,' but if we really look at them, they also wave Hamas flags and call for the destruction of the State of Israel. This fight is not over any particular thing in our lives – but over our right to live here. We will do everything in order to expose the true objectives of the BDS movement, in order to expose who is behind them and who helps them," the minister added.
He was confident Israel will prevail. "Every time the issue of our existence is tested, we have known how to overcome it and succeed. Every time this happened, we have united and with joint forces found the answer, making us stronger than before... There is no doubt that we have to make sure that even at the individual level, those involved in BDS will not be able to rest. "
Teaching Jewish students to be proud of their heritage
In his address, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder said he wished the conference wasn't necessary. "I wish there wasn't a worldwide effort to isolate Israel, to undermine Israel, to destroy Israel,” he added.
"Our enemies have failed to destroy Israel militarily and economically," Lauder said. "Having failed, they are trying to destroy Israel politically."
BDS, he said, "tries to present itself as some sort of a democratic movement concerned with human rights - that's a lie. It's an international campaign to incite hostility against Israel and the Jewish people."
The movement has no interest in peace or in improving the daily lives of the Palestinians, Lauder noted. "The world needs to see through these lies."
The BDS movement is mounting a two-pronged effort against the State of Israel - an economic boycott and an academic one, Lauder said.
"The World Jewish Congress is advancing legislation to make economic boycotts illegal. Many countries have already made boycotts illegal, and there's legislation in the US Congress as well. So on the legal front we are winning," the WJC president declared.
He expressed concerned with the BDS movement's presence on college campuses worldwide, targeting the young and impressionable minds of youths.
"From the moment they arrive at schools, colleges, and universities, our children face a barrage of anti-Semitic lies," he lamented. "College is their first exposure to the history and politics of the Middle East. They're especially vulnerable to BDS's harsh propaganda."
He also bemoaned the fact that it is difficult for pro-Israel groups on campuses to compete with the well-financed anti-Israel groups. "Most Jewish students are ill-equipped to defend themselves," he said.
To that end, the World Jewish Congress is in the process of establishing a network of organizations at key colleges and universities around the world "to help Jewish students stand up to anti-Israel groups and their lies. Skilled young professionals will train Jewish students to be proud of their heritage and of Israel."
He also called on alumni and donors who care about Israel need to make their voices heard.
Additionally, Lauder argued that in order counter the calls for boycott, a coordinated campaign was needed to encourage people to buy Israeli goods. This can be done, among other things, by using the hashtag #buyIsraeli on social media.
"We'll let the world know we're proud to support the Israeli economy," he said.
BDS, he said, is "a dangerous new strain of an age-old disease - anti-Semitism," vowing Jews will never be silent again in the face of anti-Semitism and "stand up for for what is right and expose BDS for the fraud that it is."
With that in mind, Lauder also stressed that "in this fight, we must never forget that the ultimate goal is peace."
Lauder's address was followed by a speech from Ben-Dror Yemini, a Yedioth Ahronoth editorialist and one of the most prominent voices in Israel and in the Jewish world in the struggle against the boycott.
A series of panels and discussions dealing with Israel's struggle against the growing boycott movement opens Monday with the participation of President Reuven Rivlin, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder and comedian Roseanne Barr.
Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet’s conference on combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) against Israel will open Monday morning at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
The conference, will feature a series of panels and discussions. Among the attendees are President Reuven Rivlin, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder; and comedien Roseanne Barr, who made a special trip to Israel to take part in the fight against BDS, among many others.
After an opening address by the conference's chair, Yedioth Ahronoth editor-in-chief Ron Yaron, President Rivlin and military historian and journalist Dr. Yoaz Hendel will discuss the boycott movement.
Next up will be a panel featuring Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office is in charge of fighting the boycott on behalf of the government; Ron Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress; and Ben-Dror Yemini, a Yedioth Ahronoth editorialist and one of the most prominent voices in Israel and in the Jewish world in the struggle against the boycott. They will be joined by US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold.
A panel on the political campaign and the challenges of Israeli diplomacy will feature former chairman of the Yesha council Dani Dayan; Col. (res.) Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, an expert on international law; the European Union's ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen; and Professor Uzi Arad.
BDS led a viral campaign to persuade the European Union to ban the participation of Ambassador Andersen in the conference due to the fact that Yedioth Ahronoth is a “right-wing newspaper fighting the Palestinian people,” and because the panel includes settler leader Dani Dayan. Anderson withstood the pressure and announced that he would participate in the conference.
Israel's political party leaders and members of the Knesset will also speak at the conference, including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Opposition and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and MK Tzipi Livni.
President Rivlin said on the eve of the conference that "Criticism is pointed, delegitimization is general. There is criticism that is only camouflage for delegitimization, and this type of criticism has to be fought with all our might. I see the BDS movement as one which spreads modern-day blood libels. It does not promote peace, but hate, and we must act to dismantle the BDS altogether."
Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon stated that his responsibility is to make sure that the Israeli economy is not harmed as a result of boycotts and sanctions. He said that, to date, the Israeli economy has been standing strong against BDS and that the government will allocate as many resources as necessary to carry on the struggle.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked described the BDS movement as the 21st century-version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. She pointed out that BDS relied on Israeli organizations on numerous occasions to do irreversible harm to Israel."
Education Minister Naftali Bennett portrayed the BDS as a new kind of enemy. He stressed that Israel was able to destroy its former enemies and that it would be capable of doing the same against BDS, which tries to tie the IDF’s hands so that it won’t be able to defend Israel.
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog noted that "BDS is an ugly phenomenon. It is the combination of hatred of Israel, ignorance and even anti-Semitism. I, and my partners in the Zionist Union, have been fighting these phenomena for years, on every stage around the world, and will continue to do so out of great love for the country. The problem is that Israel has no foreign policy.
There is no strategy. Without initiative, without a clear plan, even our best friends will find it increasingly difficult to fight those who hate us.”
Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet’s conference on combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) against Israel will open Monday morning at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
The conference, will feature a series of panels and discussions. Among the attendees are President Reuven Rivlin, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder; and comedien Roseanne Barr, who made a special trip to Israel to take part in the fight against BDS, among many others.
After an opening address by the conference's chair, Yedioth Ahronoth editor-in-chief Ron Yaron, President Rivlin and military historian and journalist Dr. Yoaz Hendel will discuss the boycott movement.
Next up will be a panel featuring Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office is in charge of fighting the boycott on behalf of the government; Ron Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress; and Ben-Dror Yemini, a Yedioth Ahronoth editorialist and one of the most prominent voices in Israel and in the Jewish world in the struggle against the boycott. They will be joined by US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold.
A panel on the political campaign and the challenges of Israeli diplomacy will feature former chairman of the Yesha council Dani Dayan; Col. (res.) Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, an expert on international law; the European Union's ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen; and Professor Uzi Arad.
BDS led a viral campaign to persuade the European Union to ban the participation of Ambassador Andersen in the conference due to the fact that Yedioth Ahronoth is a “right-wing newspaper fighting the Palestinian people,” and because the panel includes settler leader Dani Dayan. Anderson withstood the pressure and announced that he would participate in the conference.
Israel's political party leaders and members of the Knesset will also speak at the conference, including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Opposition and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and MK Tzipi Livni.
President Rivlin said on the eve of the conference that "Criticism is pointed, delegitimization is general. There is criticism that is only camouflage for delegitimization, and this type of criticism has to be fought with all our might. I see the BDS movement as one which spreads modern-day blood libels. It does not promote peace, but hate, and we must act to dismantle the BDS altogether."
Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon stated that his responsibility is to make sure that the Israeli economy is not harmed as a result of boycotts and sanctions. He said that, to date, the Israeli economy has been standing strong against BDS and that the government will allocate as many resources as necessary to carry on the struggle.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked described the BDS movement as the 21st century-version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. She pointed out that BDS relied on Israeli organizations on numerous occasions to do irreversible harm to Israel."
Education Minister Naftali Bennett portrayed the BDS as a new kind of enemy. He stressed that Israel was able to destroy its former enemies and that it would be capable of doing the same against BDS, which tries to tie the IDF’s hands so that it won’t be able to defend Israel.
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog noted that "BDS is an ugly phenomenon. It is the combination of hatred of Israel, ignorance and even anti-Semitism. I, and my partners in the Zionist Union, have been fighting these phenomena for years, on every stage around the world, and will continue to do so out of great love for the country. The problem is that Israel has no foreign policy.
There is no strategy. Without initiative, without a clear plan, even our best friends will find it increasingly difficult to fight those who hate us.”
26 mar 2016
The BDS Committee, on Thursday evening, welcomed the news from the UN Human Rights Council after four resolutions were passed regarding Palestine, with emphasis to a resolution that will produce a database of all business enterprises that operate in illegal Israeli settlements.
Riya Hassan, Europe Campaigns Officer for the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the broadest coalition of Palestinian organisations that leads and supports the BDS movement, welcomed the news by saying:
“By voting to establish this database, this resolution supports the view of the the BDS movement that companies must be held to account for their participation in Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights and international law.”
“Just as at the height of the boycott of South Africa, the BDS movement is successfully persuading international companies to end their support for Israel’s crimes and we are starting to notice a domino effect,” Hassan added.
French multinationals Veolia and Orange and CRH, Ireland’s biggest company, have all exited the Israeli market in recent months, mainly as a result of BDS campaigning.
In a official statement, the BDS Committee stated, according to the PNN:
“This is a welcome step but the UN Human Rights Council must go further to hold Israel to account for its violations of international law including by supporting a full ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements and a two-way military embargo.
What use are the EU’s regular condemnations of the ongoing expansion Israel’s illegal settlements if they will not support measures aimed at stopping international businesses from supporting their expansion?
We urge the UN to lead by example and terminate its contracts with G4S, a private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli occupation prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners, including children, are held without trial and tortured.”
In recent months, UNICEF, in Jordan, and a major restaurant chain in Colombia, became the latest high-profile bodies to end their contracts with G4S following BDS campaigns.
In January, the United Methodist Church put five Israeli banks from Israel on a“blacklist” due to their complicity in human rights violations, including the financing of illegal Israeli settlements.
A leading France-based Israeli businessman recently told the Israeli media that the growing strength of the BDS movement means that most major European companies now avoid investing in Israel.
According to the UN’s trade and development agency UNCTAD, foreign direct investment in Israel dropped by 46% in 2014 as compared to 2013, partially due to the impressive growth of the BDS impact, as stated by one of the report’s authors.
In January 2016, Human Rights Watch issued a report, Occupation, Inc. urging international businesses to comply with their human rights responsibility and stop operating and servicing illegal Israeli settler colonies.
Riya Hassan, Europe Campaigns Officer for the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the broadest coalition of Palestinian organisations that leads and supports the BDS movement, welcomed the news by saying:
“By voting to establish this database, this resolution supports the view of the the BDS movement that companies must be held to account for their participation in Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights and international law.”
“Just as at the height of the boycott of South Africa, the BDS movement is successfully persuading international companies to end their support for Israel’s crimes and we are starting to notice a domino effect,” Hassan added.
French multinationals Veolia and Orange and CRH, Ireland’s biggest company, have all exited the Israeli market in recent months, mainly as a result of BDS campaigning.
In a official statement, the BDS Committee stated, according to the PNN:
“This is a welcome step but the UN Human Rights Council must go further to hold Israel to account for its violations of international law including by supporting a full ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements and a two-way military embargo.
What use are the EU’s regular condemnations of the ongoing expansion Israel’s illegal settlements if they will not support measures aimed at stopping international businesses from supporting their expansion?
We urge the UN to lead by example and terminate its contracts with G4S, a private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli occupation prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners, including children, are held without trial and tortured.”
In recent months, UNICEF, in Jordan, and a major restaurant chain in Colombia, became the latest high-profile bodies to end their contracts with G4S following BDS campaigns.
In January, the United Methodist Church put five Israeli banks from Israel on a“blacklist” due to their complicity in human rights violations, including the financing of illegal Israeli settlements.
A leading France-based Israeli businessman recently told the Israeli media that the growing strength of the BDS movement means that most major European companies now avoid investing in Israel.
According to the UN’s trade and development agency UNCTAD, foreign direct investment in Israel dropped by 46% in 2014 as compared to 2013, partially due to the impressive growth of the BDS impact, as stated by one of the report’s authors.
In January 2016, Human Rights Watch issued a report, Occupation, Inc. urging international businesses to comply with their human rights responsibility and stop operating and servicing illegal Israeli settler colonies.
25 mar 2016
The Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, issued a statement on Thursday criticizing the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling it an “anti-Israel circus”. The statement followed the passage of a measure calling for a listing of companies invested in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
These settlements are considered illegal under international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits occupying powers from transferring civilians into territory occupied by the military.
The Israeli Prime Minister criticized the Council's measure for “singling out Israel”, and claimed that the UN body failed to issue similar condemnations against human rights abuses in Iran, Syria and North Korea.
But the UN Human Rights Council has in fact issued multiple condemnations against all three of those countries, as well as dozens of others, in the ten years since its creation, for a litany of human rights violations.
The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused the Council of acting “obsessively” and compared it to Europe in the lead-up to the Holocaust.
Danon said the measure was similar to “a dark period in Europe when Jewish businesses were singled out. Whoever supported today's decision should be ashamed.”
Netanyahu called on nations around the world to disregard the measure by the UN Council.
The measure passed by the Council on Thursday called for the creation of a list of businesses based in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
During its session on Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council also appointed a replacement for special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono, who resigned in January saying that Israeli officials refused to cooperate with him.
These settlements are considered illegal under international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits occupying powers from transferring civilians into territory occupied by the military.
The Israeli Prime Minister criticized the Council's measure for “singling out Israel”, and claimed that the UN body failed to issue similar condemnations against human rights abuses in Iran, Syria and North Korea.
But the UN Human Rights Council has in fact issued multiple condemnations against all three of those countries, as well as dozens of others, in the ten years since its creation, for a litany of human rights violations.
The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused the Council of acting “obsessively” and compared it to Europe in the lead-up to the Holocaust.
Danon said the measure was similar to “a dark period in Europe when Jewish businesses were singled out. Whoever supported today's decision should be ashamed.”
Netanyahu called on nations around the world to disregard the measure by the UN Council.
The measure passed by the Council on Thursday called for the creation of a list of businesses based in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
During its session on Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council also appointed a replacement for special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono, who resigned in January saying that Israeli officials refused to cooperate with him.
Special Rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory Makarim Wibisono.
In a landmark victory for Palestinian leadership, the UN Human Rights Council, Thursday, passed four resolutions pertaining to the occupied Palestinian territories, one of which will draw up a “blacklist” of companies who do business in illegal Israeli settlements.
The PLO Negotiations Affairs Department said in addition to the resolution regarding settlements -- which passed 32 to 0 -- a resolution was adopted for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self determination.
A resolution based on Palestinian human rights passed by the council addressed closures by the Israeli military in areas under occupation, as well as home demolitions, violations of religious sites, and extrajudicial killings carried out by Israeli forces.
Another resolution drafted to enact proper investigative systems to ensure accountability for violations carried out by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory was also passed by the council.
The resolution proposed by Palestinian leadership obliging the UN Human Rights Council to form a database of all actors conducting business, in areas under Israeli military occupation, received major push back from US and the EU, prior to Thursday’s vote, according to reports by The Guardian.
The Western leaders reportedly warned that pushing the resolution could come at the detriment to aid given to the Palestinian Authority.
The resolution echoes a recent EU decision to label products made in illegal Israeli settlements, a victory for the BDS movement which attempts to use boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel to end the decades-long military occupation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on social media following Thursday's vote referred to the UN Human Rights Council an “anti-Israel circus.”
The PM called on “responsible governments not to honor the decisions of the Council that discriminate against Israel.”
Palestinian Envoy to the UN Human Rights Council Ibrahim Khreisheh called Thursday’s vote a “message of hope” for the Palestinian people.
Khreisheh called on all countries to respect the resolutions, pointing to past failures of the international community to act on UN measures regarding Israel.
“As the belligerent occupying power, Israel continues to systematically violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinians while enjoying impunity from the international community, despite numerous UN resolutions demanding an equitable and just end to the occupation,” Khreisheh said.
He continued: “We ask countries opposed to the implementation of international law in the occupied State of Palestine to consider the impact their disregard for international law has within the international legal sphere and the Israeli violations they are perpetuating against the Palestinian people.”
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday Special Rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory Makarim Wibisono gave a particularly scathing report of Israeli violations during his term.
Wibisono said that since he took up his post, in June of 2014, Israel had not allowed him direct access to victims in parts of the occupied Palestinian territory, despite repeated requests.
The human rights expert emphasized the "desperate need" for effective protection of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation, and castigated Israel for its many failures as an occupying power and the international community for offering no protection.
"I have been struck by the abundance of information documenting violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and the seeming inability of the international community to match what is known of the situation with more effective protection of Palestinians.” Wibisono said.
Palestinian leadership has, in recent years, made moves on the international level in effort to end harmful policies that result from the Israeli military occupation, after decades of failed peace negotiations to bring about an independent Palestinian state.
In a landmark victory for Palestinian leadership, the UN Human Rights Council, Thursday, passed four resolutions pertaining to the occupied Palestinian territories, one of which will draw up a “blacklist” of companies who do business in illegal Israeli settlements.
The PLO Negotiations Affairs Department said in addition to the resolution regarding settlements -- which passed 32 to 0 -- a resolution was adopted for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self determination.
A resolution based on Palestinian human rights passed by the council addressed closures by the Israeli military in areas under occupation, as well as home demolitions, violations of religious sites, and extrajudicial killings carried out by Israeli forces.
Another resolution drafted to enact proper investigative systems to ensure accountability for violations carried out by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory was also passed by the council.
The resolution proposed by Palestinian leadership obliging the UN Human Rights Council to form a database of all actors conducting business, in areas under Israeli military occupation, received major push back from US and the EU, prior to Thursday’s vote, according to reports by The Guardian.
The Western leaders reportedly warned that pushing the resolution could come at the detriment to aid given to the Palestinian Authority.
The resolution echoes a recent EU decision to label products made in illegal Israeli settlements, a victory for the BDS movement which attempts to use boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel to end the decades-long military occupation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on social media following Thursday's vote referred to the UN Human Rights Council an “anti-Israel circus.”
The PM called on “responsible governments not to honor the decisions of the Council that discriminate against Israel.”
Palestinian Envoy to the UN Human Rights Council Ibrahim Khreisheh called Thursday’s vote a “message of hope” for the Palestinian people.
Khreisheh called on all countries to respect the resolutions, pointing to past failures of the international community to act on UN measures regarding Israel.
“As the belligerent occupying power, Israel continues to systematically violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinians while enjoying impunity from the international community, despite numerous UN resolutions demanding an equitable and just end to the occupation,” Khreisheh said.
He continued: “We ask countries opposed to the implementation of international law in the occupied State of Palestine to consider the impact their disregard for international law has within the international legal sphere and the Israeli violations they are perpetuating against the Palestinian people.”
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday Special Rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory Makarim Wibisono gave a particularly scathing report of Israeli violations during his term.
Wibisono said that since he took up his post, in June of 2014, Israel had not allowed him direct access to victims in parts of the occupied Palestinian territory, despite repeated requests.
The human rights expert emphasized the "desperate need" for effective protection of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation, and castigated Israel for its many failures as an occupying power and the international community for offering no protection.
"I have been struck by the abundance of information documenting violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and the seeming inability of the international community to match what is known of the situation with more effective protection of Palestinians.” Wibisono said.
Palestinian leadership has, in recent years, made moves on the international level in effort to end harmful policies that result from the Israeli military occupation, after decades of failed peace negotiations to bring about an independent Palestinian state.
22 mar 2016
The Palestinian Authority decided Tuesday to halt imports from five major Israeli food production companies into the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a statement released after the weekly cabinet meeting, the Palestinian government said the decision came in response to an Israeli ban on products from five Palestinian companies earlier this month.
According to the statement, products from the Tnuva, Strauss, Tara, Soglowek and Tapuzina companies will be banned from entering the Palestinian territory.
It added that the relevant authorities have been instructed "to put the decision into effect after giving Palestinian merchants enough time to sell the products stocked in their stores."
On Sunday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah slammed the recent Israeli decision to ban Palestinian food products from entering Jerusalem as "racist," chalking it as one of many "attempts to isolate Jerusalem from its surroundings and erase its identity."
Hamdallah described the Israeli decision as an "oppressive, political" decision breaching all commercial agreements and protocols regulating Palestinian and Israeli economic relations, and an effort to "wipe out our national economy and suppress its development."
Fadi Abu Hilweh, the director of marketing for Hamoda company -- one of the companies affected by the Israeli decision -- told Ma'an at a protest against the ban on March 13 that about 50 percent of the five Palestinian companies' production goes to Palestinian consumers in occupied East Jerusalem and Palestinian communities in Israel.
If the ban continues, he said, the companies could lose some 1.2 billion shekels ($310 million) a year.
According to the Paris Protocols -- an agreement signed in 1995 between the PLO and Israel -- bilateral trade agreements between Israel and other parties are considered valid in the occupied West Bank, although Israel prevents the import of many Palestinian products to the Israeli market.
A poll by the the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research conducted in June 2015 reported that the overwhelming majority of those interviewed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- 86 percent -- said they supported the campaign to boycott Israeli products.
In a statement released after the weekly cabinet meeting, the Palestinian government said the decision came in response to an Israeli ban on products from five Palestinian companies earlier this month.
According to the statement, products from the Tnuva, Strauss, Tara, Soglowek and Tapuzina companies will be banned from entering the Palestinian territory.
It added that the relevant authorities have been instructed "to put the decision into effect after giving Palestinian merchants enough time to sell the products stocked in their stores."
On Sunday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah slammed the recent Israeli decision to ban Palestinian food products from entering Jerusalem as "racist," chalking it as one of many "attempts to isolate Jerusalem from its surroundings and erase its identity."
Hamdallah described the Israeli decision as an "oppressive, political" decision breaching all commercial agreements and protocols regulating Palestinian and Israeli economic relations, and an effort to "wipe out our national economy and suppress its development."
Fadi Abu Hilweh, the director of marketing for Hamoda company -- one of the companies affected by the Israeli decision -- told Ma'an at a protest against the ban on March 13 that about 50 percent of the five Palestinian companies' production goes to Palestinian consumers in occupied East Jerusalem and Palestinian communities in Israel.
If the ban continues, he said, the companies could lose some 1.2 billion shekels ($310 million) a year.
According to the Paris Protocols -- an agreement signed in 1995 between the PLO and Israel -- bilateral trade agreements between Israel and other parties are considered valid in the occupied West Bank, although Israel prevents the import of many Palestinian products to the Israeli market.
A poll by the the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research conducted in June 2015 reported that the overwhelming majority of those interviewed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- 86 percent -- said they supported the campaign to boycott Israeli products.
