17 feb 2017
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Eleven NFL players were recently invited on an all-expenses paid trip to Israel. Although they all initially accepted the invitation, only five ultimately made the trip. The drop in attendance was sparked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills, both of whom decided to boycott the trip and publicly express their dissent. As an activist and longtime supporter of Palestinian rights, I applauded the move.
Sponsored by the Israeli government, the trip is part of a larger multi-million dollar “Brand Israel” strategy meant to distract from the country’s ongoing 50-year military occupation of Palestinian lands and consistent violation of international law. Such trips often attempt to lure celebrities, U.S. politicians, Black and Brown Americans and even students in an effort to present a sanitized image of Israel. |
In a powerful statement, Bennett announced he pulled out of the trip because he wouldn’t be “used in such a manner,” and reiterated his commitment to standing in solidarity with oppressed communities. Bennett’s and Stills’ decision to not only back out of the trip, but also to publicly denounce it, is an important and necessary act of solidarity.
After all, if the athletes had gone on the trip, they would have likely hung out on the beaches of Tel Aviv, visited the vibrant club scene, and dined at five star restaurants, all of which tell part of the story of Israel. But more important are the parts that they would have missed.
Bennett’s and Stills’ decision to not only back out of the trip, but also to publicly denounce it, is an important and necessary act of solidarity.They wouldn’t have spoken to a mother whose fourteen-year-old child was arrested in the middle of the night, or the daughter who watched her father get shot by Israeli police because he looked “suspicious.”
They wouldn’t have witnessed how Palestinians are prohibited from walking on the same side of the street as Israeli settlers in Hebron, or the wired nets that line the storefronts to prevent settlers from throwing trash on Palestinians as they walk past. They wouldn’t have spoken to the children in the refugee camp who were evicted from their homes which they watched bulldozers destroy to make way for new Jewish-only settlements.
They wouldn’t have spoken to the farmers who stand in the back of trucks for hours waiting to pass through checkpoints, or the women who have been forced to give birth at checkpoints while trying to receive medical assistance. They wouldn’t have spoken to the Eritrean and Sudanese refugees who have been held in Israeli detainment camps. And they wouldn’t have spoken to the Afro Palestinians who have long standing roots in the region and deep cultural and emotional ties Black Americans. In short, they wouldn’t have seen anything close to the whole truth.
Shortly before their announcements to pull out of the trip, an open letter was released asking the NFL players to consider withdrawing from the delegation. The letter included signatures from renowned musicians, artists and social justice advocates, including Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Angela Davis, Alice Walker, and John Carlos, known for the iconic moment when he raised his fist in the air in a Black power salute during the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony. Urging players to consider the political ramifications of attending the trip, the letter drew on the undeniable connections between the struggles faced by Black and Brown communities in the U.S., and Palestinian, Afro Palestinian, Eritrean and Sudanese communities in Israel and Palestine.
When Bennett and Stills heard and heeded this call, they joined a long tradition of athletes, artists, musicians and everyday citizens who have used the time-honored tool of boycott to protest injustice everywhere from the segregated US South, to Apartheid South Africa, to the Trump White House.
People across the US refusing to look the other way while the Trump administration tramples on the rights of people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and others.People across the US today are refusing to normalize the abnormal, refusing to look the other way while the Trump administration tramples on the rights of people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and others. Musicians refused to perform at Trump’s inauguration, grassroots campaigns forced companies like Nordstrom to drop Ivanka Trump’s brand and Uber’s CEO to leave Trump’s advisory team.
Along with Michael Bennett’s brother, New England Patriot Martellus Bennett, at least five other Patriots team members are taking the stand to boycott the traditional White House visit made by Super Bowl winners. This is what resistance, and solidarity, looks like.
More than a decade ago, Palestinians called on allies around the world to support their struggle for freedom, justice and equality by using boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) to pressure Israel to respect international law. Many faith groups and churches in the U.S. have done just that, including the United Methodists, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. So too have numerous academic, labor, and social justice groups, including Dream Defenders (which led a historic delegation to Palestine) and the Movement for Black Lives.
According to a recent poll, 60 percent of Democrats, and 46 percent of all Americans, would support sanctions or stronger action against Israel because of illegal settlement construction. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the extreme right in Israel emboldened by Trump’s administration, BDS as a political tactic is more necessary than ever to hold Israel accountable for their ongoing human rights abuses and disregard for international law.
Since Trump was sworn in, 6,000 new Jewish settlement units have been approved by Israel. In addition, Netanyahu announced he will establish the first entirely new settlement in more than 20 years. Beyond that, Israel’s parliament recently passed a bill legalizing under Israeli law dozens of so-called “outposts” on privately-owned Palestinian land.
Meanwhile, President Trump is explicitly drawing on Israeli policies -from militarized policing and racial profiling to walls designed to prevent refugees from entering the country- as part of his crackdown on the rights of the vulnerable.
Increasingly, police departments across the U.S. are going on trainings to Israel, or receiving trainings from the Israeli military. In some cases they’re also receiving weapons from Israel. The results we see unravel in the streets, as Black and Brown bodies are routinely shot down and harassed with little to no accountability. While it would unreasonable to blame Israel for state violence in the United States, the economic and military connections between the two nations demonstrate the need for deeper analysis and organized action.
In this increasingly volatile political climate, where freedom to dissent is being cracked down on in new and scary ways, it is more important than ever that we stand in solidarity with communities fighting oppression. When people are lucky enough to be in positions of power and influence, such as Bennett and Stills, it’s imperative they use their platforms to speak out against social injustice. Now is the time. Justice cannot wait.
Marc Lamont Hill is Distinguished Professor of Africana Studies at Morehouse College. He is the author of Nobody: America’s War on the Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond.
After all, if the athletes had gone on the trip, they would have likely hung out on the beaches of Tel Aviv, visited the vibrant club scene, and dined at five star restaurants, all of which tell part of the story of Israel. But more important are the parts that they would have missed.
Bennett’s and Stills’ decision to not only back out of the trip, but also to publicly denounce it, is an important and necessary act of solidarity.They wouldn’t have spoken to a mother whose fourteen-year-old child was arrested in the middle of the night, or the daughter who watched her father get shot by Israeli police because he looked “suspicious.”
They wouldn’t have witnessed how Palestinians are prohibited from walking on the same side of the street as Israeli settlers in Hebron, or the wired nets that line the storefronts to prevent settlers from throwing trash on Palestinians as they walk past. They wouldn’t have spoken to the children in the refugee camp who were evicted from their homes which they watched bulldozers destroy to make way for new Jewish-only settlements.
They wouldn’t have spoken to the farmers who stand in the back of trucks for hours waiting to pass through checkpoints, or the women who have been forced to give birth at checkpoints while trying to receive medical assistance. They wouldn’t have spoken to the Eritrean and Sudanese refugees who have been held in Israeli detainment camps. And they wouldn’t have spoken to the Afro Palestinians who have long standing roots in the region and deep cultural and emotional ties Black Americans. In short, they wouldn’t have seen anything close to the whole truth.
Shortly before their announcements to pull out of the trip, an open letter was released asking the NFL players to consider withdrawing from the delegation. The letter included signatures from renowned musicians, artists and social justice advocates, including Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Angela Davis, Alice Walker, and John Carlos, known for the iconic moment when he raised his fist in the air in a Black power salute during the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony. Urging players to consider the political ramifications of attending the trip, the letter drew on the undeniable connections between the struggles faced by Black and Brown communities in the U.S., and Palestinian, Afro Palestinian, Eritrean and Sudanese communities in Israel and Palestine.
When Bennett and Stills heard and heeded this call, they joined a long tradition of athletes, artists, musicians and everyday citizens who have used the time-honored tool of boycott to protest injustice everywhere from the segregated US South, to Apartheid South Africa, to the Trump White House.
People across the US refusing to look the other way while the Trump administration tramples on the rights of people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and others.People across the US today are refusing to normalize the abnormal, refusing to look the other way while the Trump administration tramples on the rights of people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and others. Musicians refused to perform at Trump’s inauguration, grassroots campaigns forced companies like Nordstrom to drop Ivanka Trump’s brand and Uber’s CEO to leave Trump’s advisory team.
Along with Michael Bennett’s brother, New England Patriot Martellus Bennett, at least five other Patriots team members are taking the stand to boycott the traditional White House visit made by Super Bowl winners. This is what resistance, and solidarity, looks like.
More than a decade ago, Palestinians called on allies around the world to support their struggle for freedom, justice and equality by using boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) to pressure Israel to respect international law. Many faith groups and churches in the U.S. have done just that, including the United Methodists, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. So too have numerous academic, labor, and social justice groups, including Dream Defenders (which led a historic delegation to Palestine) and the Movement for Black Lives.
According to a recent poll, 60 percent of Democrats, and 46 percent of all Americans, would support sanctions or stronger action against Israel because of illegal settlement construction. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the extreme right in Israel emboldened by Trump’s administration, BDS as a political tactic is more necessary than ever to hold Israel accountable for their ongoing human rights abuses and disregard for international law.
Since Trump was sworn in, 6,000 new Jewish settlement units have been approved by Israel. In addition, Netanyahu announced he will establish the first entirely new settlement in more than 20 years. Beyond that, Israel’s parliament recently passed a bill legalizing under Israeli law dozens of so-called “outposts” on privately-owned Palestinian land.
Meanwhile, President Trump is explicitly drawing on Israeli policies -from militarized policing and racial profiling to walls designed to prevent refugees from entering the country- as part of his crackdown on the rights of the vulnerable.
Increasingly, police departments across the U.S. are going on trainings to Israel, or receiving trainings from the Israeli military. In some cases they’re also receiving weapons from Israel. The results we see unravel in the streets, as Black and Brown bodies are routinely shot down and harassed with little to no accountability. While it would unreasonable to blame Israel for state violence in the United States, the economic and military connections between the two nations demonstrate the need for deeper analysis and organized action.
In this increasingly volatile political climate, where freedom to dissent is being cracked down on in new and scary ways, it is more important than ever that we stand in solidarity with communities fighting oppression. When people are lucky enough to be in positions of power and influence, such as Bennett and Stills, it’s imperative they use their platforms to speak out against social injustice. Now is the time. Justice cannot wait.
Marc Lamont Hill is Distinguished Professor of Africana Studies at Morehouse College. He is the author of Nobody: America’s War on the Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond.
The National Bureau for the Defense of Land and Resisting Settlement has called on the Palestinian people at home and abroad to be committed to boycotting all Israeli goods and products and support their national counterparts as a viable means of resistance against the occupation.
The bureau stressed the importance of boycotting Israel commercially in view of its land theft policy, which culminated recently with its land annexation law (regulation law).
The bureau also strongly denounced the UN Human Rights Council’s decision to postpone the release of a database report on companies with business interests in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank until later this year at the pretext that “it is a very complex issue.”
It said this report would be important to place more pressure on Israel regarding its illegal settlement activities in the West Bank.
The bureau stressed the importance of boycotting Israel commercially in view of its land theft policy, which culminated recently with its land annexation law (regulation law).
The bureau also strongly denounced the UN Human Rights Council’s decision to postpone the release of a database report on companies with business interests in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank until later this year at the pretext that “it is a very complex issue.”
It said this report would be important to place more pressure on Israel regarding its illegal settlement activities in the West Bank.
8 feb 2017
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Committee of Palestinian Citizens of Israel (BDS48) called Wednesday for boycotting Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) “until it ends its involvement in Israel’s violations of human rights, particularly in Jerusalem and the Negev.”
BDS48 is launching this boycott campaign at this particular moment in light of the extensive use of Hyundai equipment by the Israeli authorities in the recent demolitions of many homes of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev, on 18 January 2017, and in Qalansawa, further north, on 10 January 2017, the BDS48 said in a statement issued earlier today.
Despite being faced with documented evidence of its persistent complicity in Israeli ethnic cleansing policies against Palestinians and Syrians in the territories occupied since 1967, Hyundai has failed to stop its business-as-usual involvement, the statement reads.
It has thus forfeited its responsibilities as stated in the UN Global Compact and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, according to the statement.
The statement affirmed that Hyundai, one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers that specializes in excavation and construction equipment, sells its products to Israel with full knowledge that they are used in the demolition of Palestinian homes, particularly in the occupied-Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan, Beit Hanina, Surbaher, al-Issawiyya and at-Tur.
The BDS48 pointed out that numerous human rights defenders have documented Israel’s use of Hyundai equipment in the construction of Israel’s illegal settlements, such as Halamish, near Ramallah, and the Barkan industrial zone, in the northern West Bank.
This involvement by Hyundai is a flagrant form of complicity in Israel’s settlement policy, which was recently condemned by the UNSC resolution 2334 and which constitutes a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the statement concluded.
BDS48 is launching this boycott campaign at this particular moment in light of the extensive use of Hyundai equipment by the Israeli authorities in the recent demolitions of many homes of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev, on 18 January 2017, and in Qalansawa, further north, on 10 January 2017, the BDS48 said in a statement issued earlier today.
Despite being faced with documented evidence of its persistent complicity in Israeli ethnic cleansing policies against Palestinians and Syrians in the territories occupied since 1967, Hyundai has failed to stop its business-as-usual involvement, the statement reads.
It has thus forfeited its responsibilities as stated in the UN Global Compact and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, according to the statement.
The statement affirmed that Hyundai, one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers that specializes in excavation and construction equipment, sells its products to Israel with full knowledge that they are used in the demolition of Palestinian homes, particularly in the occupied-Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan, Beit Hanina, Surbaher, al-Issawiyya and at-Tur.
The BDS48 pointed out that numerous human rights defenders have documented Israel’s use of Hyundai equipment in the construction of Israel’s illegal settlements, such as Halamish, near Ramallah, and the Barkan industrial zone, in the northern West Bank.
This involvement by Hyundai is a flagrant form of complicity in Israel’s settlement policy, which was recently condemned by the UNSC resolution 2334 and which constitutes a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the statement concluded.
29 jan 2017
Malaysia’s Giant Hypermarket removed Israeli products that were being sold in its outlets following pressure for the boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).
BDS-Malaysia chairman, Mohd Nazari Ismail, said Giant Hypermarket removed Israeli clothes of the Shai Shaul brand from its outlets, dubbing the move part of a moral obligation as regards the Palestinian people.
BDS-Malaysia Activists had recently threatened Giant with a nationwide boycott if it didn’t remove the product from its outlets.
A spokesperson from Giant Hypermarket Retail, when contacted, said the products were actually imported from China and that the brand was no longer for sale and would be returned to the supplier.
He apologized for any sensitivity regarding the issue.
This was not the first time that BDS has called for a boycott of Israel-linked products sold in national and international markets.
BDS-Malaysia chairman, Mohd Nazari Ismail, said Giant Hypermarket removed Israeli clothes of the Shai Shaul brand from its outlets, dubbing the move part of a moral obligation as regards the Palestinian people.
BDS-Malaysia Activists had recently threatened Giant with a nationwide boycott if it didn’t remove the product from its outlets.
A spokesperson from Giant Hypermarket Retail, when contacted, said the products were actually imported from China and that the brand was no longer for sale and would be returned to the supplier.
He apologized for any sensitivity regarding the issue.
This was not the first time that BDS has called for a boycott of Israel-linked products sold in national and international markets.
10 jan 2017
Israel Hayom Hebrew newspaper revealed that the International Human Rights Council is about to blacklist of companies operating in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The newspaper, which is affiliated with Israeli government, expected on Tuesday that the blacklist, which BDS activists along with other bodies are working on, will probably be published in March or June. The blacklist includes security companies assigned to protect Jewish settlers, it highlighted.
The newspaper pointed out that the blacklist was suggested and prepared by the BDS activist Richard Falk about six months ago within his work in the UN. Arab countries as well are working on backing up the blacklist via Human Rights Council, it added.
The newspaper, which is affiliated with Israeli government, expected on Tuesday that the blacklist, which BDS activists along with other bodies are working on, will probably be published in March or June. The blacklist includes security companies assigned to protect Jewish settlers, it highlighted.
The newspaper pointed out that the blacklist was suggested and prepared by the BDS activist Richard Falk about six months ago within his work in the UN. Arab countries as well are working on backing up the blacklist via Human Rights Council, it added.
6 jan 2016
Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper revealed Friday that a French supermarket has labeled Israeli settlement products for the first time as “Made in Israeli Settlements.”
The signs were first seen at the Auchan supermarket chain in the Kremlin Bicetre suburb of Paris, the paper added.
The incident is known to the Israeli Embassy in France, who then turned to French Jewish organizations to ask the chain to take down the "offending" signs, according to the sources.
The manager of the supermarket said that it was a localized initiative to put up the sign, and that he had nothing to do with it. Nevertheless, he replaced the sign the next day to a sign which simply read “Israel.”
Israel claims that this is the French government’s “revenge” for Israel refusing to attend the upcoming Paris Peace Conference on January 15.
However, the Israeli Embassy officials said that this seems to be the initiative of a pro-Palestinian employee of the supermarket.
Last November, French authorities instituted a policy of labeling Israeli products grown or manufactured in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights as settlement products.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a harsh response to the event, saying they “condemn the French government’s decision to implement the EU Commission guidelines regarding marking Israeli products originating from beyond the 1967 lines.”
The signs were first seen at the Auchan supermarket chain in the Kremlin Bicetre suburb of Paris, the paper added.
The incident is known to the Israeli Embassy in France, who then turned to French Jewish organizations to ask the chain to take down the "offending" signs, according to the sources.
The manager of the supermarket said that it was a localized initiative to put up the sign, and that he had nothing to do with it. Nevertheless, he replaced the sign the next day to a sign which simply read “Israel.”
Israel claims that this is the French government’s “revenge” for Israel refusing to attend the upcoming Paris Peace Conference on January 15.
However, the Israeli Embassy officials said that this seems to be the initiative of a pro-Palestinian employee of the supermarket.
Last November, French authorities instituted a policy of labeling Israeli products grown or manufactured in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights as settlement products.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a harsh response to the event, saying they “condemn the French government’s decision to implement the EU Commission guidelines regarding marking Israeli products originating from beyond the 1967 lines.”
3 jan 2017
BDS Gulf on Monday slammed countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for normalizing with the Israeli occupation, calling for such ties to immediately be severed.
A statement by BDS Gulf said the movement has been keeping tabs with deep concern over underway attempts by a number of GCC countries to normalize with the Israeli occupation.
BDS Gulf condemned normalization and military cooperation with the Israeli occupation, urging Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to cancel all deals struck with Israel.
The statement referred to recent reports that the U.S. approved an arms deal with Qatar which included helmets manufactured by the Israeli Elbit Company based in Haifa, in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Reports have also emerged on underway preparations by the Abu Dhabi MAR and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Company to manufacture warships for the Israeli occupation navy.
BDS Gulf expressed its deep disappointment over deals struck with Israeli military companies directly involved in the murder of the Palestinian people and in the deadly onslaughts on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
BDS urged the Gulf governments to respect the will of the peoples and sever all ties with the Israeli occupation, including official and unofficial meetings. It further pushed for impeaching all those who violate BDS provisos and policy, boosting the boycott-of-Israel movement, and rescinding all investments involving benefits for/from Israel.
A statement by BDS Gulf said the movement has been keeping tabs with deep concern over underway attempts by a number of GCC countries to normalize with the Israeli occupation.
BDS Gulf condemned normalization and military cooperation with the Israeli occupation, urging Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to cancel all deals struck with Israel.
The statement referred to recent reports that the U.S. approved an arms deal with Qatar which included helmets manufactured by the Israeli Elbit Company based in Haifa, in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Reports have also emerged on underway preparations by the Abu Dhabi MAR and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Company to manufacture warships for the Israeli occupation navy.
BDS Gulf expressed its deep disappointment over deals struck with Israeli military companies directly involved in the murder of the Palestinian people and in the deadly onslaughts on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
BDS urged the Gulf governments to respect the will of the peoples and sever all ties with the Israeli occupation, including official and unofficial meetings. It further pushed for impeaching all those who violate BDS provisos and policy, boosting the boycott-of-Israel movement, and rescinding all investments involving benefits for/from Israel.
1 jan 2017
The Provincial Council of Valencia (Diputación de Valéncia) recently became the 60th city in the Spanish state declaring itself “Free of Israeli Apartheid.”
Via the BDS National Committee.
On the 29th of December, the Provincial Council of Valencia (Diputación de Valéncia) passed a motion supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and declared itself free of Israeli apartheid. The resolution – passed unanimously and proposed by the political parties València en Comú, Esquerra Unida del País Valencià, Compromís and Partit Socialista del País Valencià – recalls the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and condemns the ongoing violations of human rights perpetrated by the state of Israel.
The Provincial Council declared the Province of Valencia a war Crimes free zone, including the crime of Apartheid, earning the “Israeli Apartheid Free Zone” label; and declared its support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a Palestinian-led campaign that seeks the achievemend of rights for the Palestinian people as recognized by international law through non-violent action. BDS is inspired by the boycott campaign that contributed to the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
In pratical terms, this motion allows the inclusion of ethical standards related to the enforcement of human rights and international law in the open tenders and contracts as well as in the award of grants by the Provincial Council. The motion passed adopts an effective mechanism that goes beyond the mere declaration of intentions.
BDS País Valencià welcomes the vote
The commitment for the protection of human rights cannot be limited to symbolism, it requires a sincere commitment of society and its intitutions, according to the activists involved. After months of work, BDS País Valencià welcomes the decision by Valencia Provincial Council to move from words to actions. BDS País Valencià also recognizes the courage of the political groups that took this step. With this motion, it comes to 60 the number of municipalities in the Spanish state that have declared themselves “Israeli Apartheid Free Zones” and/or adhere to the BDS movement.
Among them Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Sevilla Provincial Council, as well as the municipalities of Badalona, Cádiz, Gijón-Xixón and Santiago de Compostela. Campaigners have called for more public institutions and civil society organizations to join the solidarity initiative for the fullfiment of International law and human rights.
Click here for map of Spanish towns declaring themselves free of Israeli apartheid
Via the BDS National Committee.
On the 29th of December, the Provincial Council of Valencia (Diputación de Valéncia) passed a motion supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and declared itself free of Israeli apartheid. The resolution – passed unanimously and proposed by the political parties València en Comú, Esquerra Unida del País Valencià, Compromís and Partit Socialista del País Valencià – recalls the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and condemns the ongoing violations of human rights perpetrated by the state of Israel.
The Provincial Council declared the Province of Valencia a war Crimes free zone, including the crime of Apartheid, earning the “Israeli Apartheid Free Zone” label; and declared its support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a Palestinian-led campaign that seeks the achievemend of rights for the Palestinian people as recognized by international law through non-violent action. BDS is inspired by the boycott campaign that contributed to the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
In pratical terms, this motion allows the inclusion of ethical standards related to the enforcement of human rights and international law in the open tenders and contracts as well as in the award of grants by the Provincial Council. The motion passed adopts an effective mechanism that goes beyond the mere declaration of intentions.
BDS País Valencià welcomes the vote
The commitment for the protection of human rights cannot be limited to symbolism, it requires a sincere commitment of society and its intitutions, according to the activists involved. After months of work, BDS País Valencià welcomes the decision by Valencia Provincial Council to move from words to actions. BDS País Valencià also recognizes the courage of the political groups that took this step. With this motion, it comes to 60 the number of municipalities in the Spanish state that have declared themselves “Israeli Apartheid Free Zones” and/or adhere to the BDS movement.
Among them Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Sevilla Provincial Council, as well as the municipalities of Badalona, Cádiz, Gijón-Xixón and Santiago de Compostela. Campaigners have called for more public institutions and civil society organizations to join the solidarity initiative for the fullfiment of International law and human rights.
Click here for map of Spanish towns declaring themselves free of Israeli apartheid
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