20 apr 2018
After decades of egregious human rights violations against Palestinians, Israel’s recent massacre of peaceful protesters in Gaza has made its brand so toxic that even well-known Israeli-American cultural figures, like Natalie Portman, now refuse to blatantly whitewash, or art-wash, Israeli crimes and apartheid policies.
The Palestinian-led, Nobel Peace Prize nominated Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights has been growing in the cultural mainstream in the last few years. Of the twenty six Oscar nominees in 2016, none has accepted an all-expense-paid Israeli propaganda junket.
Towards the end of 2017, the New Zealand star Lorde heeded appeals from BDS activists and announced the cancellation of a gig in Tel Aviv. In response to an ugly smear campaign against her run by Israel lobby figures in the US, over one hundred artists, including Hollywood stars, signed a letter in the Guardian supporting her.
As a Washington Post report on Lorde’s act of solidarity with Palestinians concluded:
Lorde will almost certainly be one of the last major artists to schedule an Israel concert date without appearing to have fully considered the global implications. From now on … merely scheduling a concert date in Israel will be considered a political act.
Portman’s rebuff to Israeli honors underlines this conclusion.
As was the case in the struggle against apartheid South Africa, the BDS movement calls on all artists and cultural figures to respect the nonviolent Palestinian picket line and stay away from apartheid Israel until the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people are fully respected.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
The Palestinian-led, Nobel Peace Prize nominated Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights has been growing in the cultural mainstream in the last few years. Of the twenty six Oscar nominees in 2016, none has accepted an all-expense-paid Israeli propaganda junket.
Towards the end of 2017, the New Zealand star Lorde heeded appeals from BDS activists and announced the cancellation of a gig in Tel Aviv. In response to an ugly smear campaign against her run by Israel lobby figures in the US, over one hundred artists, including Hollywood stars, signed a letter in the Guardian supporting her.
As a Washington Post report on Lorde’s act of solidarity with Palestinians concluded:
Lorde will almost certainly be one of the last major artists to schedule an Israel concert date without appearing to have fully considered the global implications. From now on … merely scheduling a concert date in Israel will be considered a political act.
Portman’s rebuff to Israeli honors underlines this conclusion.
As was the case in the struggle against apartheid South Africa, the BDS movement calls on all artists and cultural figures to respect the nonviolent Palestinian picket line and stay away from apartheid Israel until the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people are fully respected.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
19 apr 2018
Over 500 Latin American artists have publicly endorsed the Palestinian call for a cultural boycott of Israel. They pledged not to perform or exhibit in Israel and to decline Israeli funding, until Israel respects the comprehensive rights of the Palestinian people under international law.The signatories include poets, painters, rappers, theater directors, filmmakers, actors, writers, and musicians from 17 Latin American countries.
Among the most prominent artists are Chilean writer Lina Meruane, Colombian photographer Jesús Abad Colorado, Argentine rapper Daniel Devita, Colombian band Doctor Krápula, Chilean writer Carlos Labbé, Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff, Colombian actor Álvaro Rodríguez, and Colombian theater director Patricia Ariza.
The signatories condemned Israel’s apartheid regime, which they describe as “the system of segregation imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli government.” According to Peruvian poet Marlet Rios, “Israel has mocked the international community and UN resolutions with complete impunity.”
The statement was welcomed by the Palestinian Performing Arts Network (PPAN) as an effective act of solidarity with Palestinians. PPAN also noted the statement comes as “Israeli army snipers are brutally implementing a shoot-to-kill-or-maim policy against unarmed Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip,” who are peacefully protesting “to assert the UN-sanctioned right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes from which they were ethnically cleansed during the 1948 Nakba.”
In a video message, Palestinian filmmaker May Odeh and Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi thanked their Latin American colleagues for supporting the ethical, rights-based movement for a cultural boycott of Israel.
This pledge is part of the growing, Palestinian-led global movement for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) for Palestinian rights. According to Isabel Rikkers, spokesperson for the Israel boycott initiative in Colombia, “BDS promotes the boycott of Israel as a non-violent way to pressure the state to respect Palestinian human rights.”
Israel uses culture to present itself to the world as a liberal democracy when, in reality, Israel, on top of being a system of military occupation and apartheid, violates Palestinian cultural rights through the destruction of theaters, the closure of cultural centers, and the arrest of artists.
Thousands of cultural figures and artists across the world have heeded the Palestinians’ call to refuse business-as-usual with Israel, including Naomi Klein, Mira Nair, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, the late Stephen Hawking, Lauryn Hill, Ken Loach, Danny Glover, Brian Eno and Chuck D.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
Among the most prominent artists are Chilean writer Lina Meruane, Colombian photographer Jesús Abad Colorado, Argentine rapper Daniel Devita, Colombian band Doctor Krápula, Chilean writer Carlos Labbé, Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff, Colombian actor Álvaro Rodríguez, and Colombian theater director Patricia Ariza.
The signatories condemned Israel’s apartheid regime, which they describe as “the system of segregation imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli government.” According to Peruvian poet Marlet Rios, “Israel has mocked the international community and UN resolutions with complete impunity.”
The statement was welcomed by the Palestinian Performing Arts Network (PPAN) as an effective act of solidarity with Palestinians. PPAN also noted the statement comes as “Israeli army snipers are brutally implementing a shoot-to-kill-or-maim policy against unarmed Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip,” who are peacefully protesting “to assert the UN-sanctioned right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes from which they were ethnically cleansed during the 1948 Nakba.”
In a video message, Palestinian filmmaker May Odeh and Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi thanked their Latin American colleagues for supporting the ethical, rights-based movement for a cultural boycott of Israel.
This pledge is part of the growing, Palestinian-led global movement for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) for Palestinian rights. According to Isabel Rikkers, spokesperson for the Israel boycott initiative in Colombia, “BDS promotes the boycott of Israel as a non-violent way to pressure the state to respect Palestinian human rights.”
Israel uses culture to present itself to the world as a liberal democracy when, in reality, Israel, on top of being a system of military occupation and apartheid, violates Palestinian cultural rights through the destruction of theaters, the closure of cultural centers, and the arrest of artists.
Thousands of cultural figures and artists across the world have heeded the Palestinians’ call to refuse business-as-usual with Israel, including Naomi Klein, Mira Nair, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, the late Stephen Hawking, Lauryn Hill, Ken Loach, Danny Glover, Brian Eno and Chuck D.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
16 apr 2018
Dozens of academics at the University of Sydney have declared their support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, reported the Australian.
The move comes as a response to the lethal crackdown by Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip.
The Australian notes, according to Days of Palestine, that signatories to the BDS pledge say they “will not attend conferences sponsored by Israeli universities, participate in academic exchange schemes, or otherwise collaborate professionally with Israeli universities until the stated goals have been fulfilled.”
The BDS campaign, describes the paper, is an international movement “inspired by the success of boycotts in bringing an end to apartheid in South Africa.”
Nick Riemer, a senior lecturer in English and linguistics at the University of Sydney and a member of its BDS group, said the response from fellow academics was encouraging and expressed his hope that the pledge would spread to other Australian universities.
“People are already talking at Melbourne about the possibility of something like this,” he said.
According to the Sydney BDS website, some 40 academics have currently endorsed the pledge.
The move comes as a response to the lethal crackdown by Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip.
The Australian notes, according to Days of Palestine, that signatories to the BDS pledge say they “will not attend conferences sponsored by Israeli universities, participate in academic exchange schemes, or otherwise collaborate professionally with Israeli universities until the stated goals have been fulfilled.”
The BDS campaign, describes the paper, is an international movement “inspired by the success of boycotts in bringing an end to apartheid in South Africa.”
Nick Riemer, a senior lecturer in English and linguistics at the University of Sydney and a member of its BDS group, said the response from fellow academics was encouraging and expressed his hope that the pledge would spread to other Australian universities.
“People are already talking at Melbourne about the possibility of something like this,” he said.
According to the Sydney BDS website, some 40 academics have currently endorsed the pledge.
11 apr 2018
Eight American Jews from the “If Not Now Movement” were arrested in front of US Senator Chuck Schumer’s office in Manhattan, on Monday.
The activists were chanting, “How many more Chuck?” referring to the number of Palestinian protesters killed at the Gaza Border.
The New York senator has not bothered to shake his head at the Israeli government’s reaction to protesters, let alone speak out against the violence. Though not surprising to Palestinian-Americans, American Jews are appalled at the senator’s silence.
After If Not Now, activists requested the senator’s office to release a statement condemning Israel’s use of live fire during the Gaza border protests, which have left more than 30 Palestinians dead and thousands wounded. Senator Schumer’s staff rebuked the protester’s request, sparking a blockade to his office on Monday.
The members of If Not Now gathered in front of Schumer’s office protesting his silence, standing in solidarity with Palestinian protesters and reciting the Qaddish, a Jewish prayer for the souls of the dead, the families that mourn, and the call for universal peace.
Last week, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was quick to criticize the Israeli government, stating that he believed they “overreacted”. Sanders’ counterpart in Vermont, Senator Patrick Leahy, has also voiced his skepticism of the Israeli government’s motives.
An aid from his office stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza should be considered as a violation of the “Leahy Law,” a US law that prohibits aid to foreign military units that engage in human rights violations.
After statements made by Senator Sanders and Senator Leahy’s office, representatives Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Barbara Lee of California also tweeted their concern and called on the international community to do more to end the violence and resolve the conflict.
Even so, Senator Schumer has remained silent to what the US would consider a blatant violation of the first amendment which gives ensures the, “right of the people peaceably to assemble.”
In related news, the Israeli government recently barred Dublin Lord Mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha from entering Israel because of his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
According to Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli Strategic Affairs Ministry, the organization in charge of fighting delegitimization of Israel, said that the reason for the decision was was Donncha’s ties with the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which promotes boycotts of Israeli companies and international companies who work in Israel.
According to the ministry, the mayor promoted the IPSC’s ideas through the city council and publicly expressed support for them.
Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said , “The policy I set is clear: He who works consistently to boycott Israel will not enter here.”
In January, Israel summoned the Irish ambassador in Israel for clarification and to express dissatisfaction in light of a proposed bill in Ireland’s national parliament calling for a boycott of Israeli settlements.
The activists were chanting, “How many more Chuck?” referring to the number of Palestinian protesters killed at the Gaza Border.
The New York senator has not bothered to shake his head at the Israeli government’s reaction to protesters, let alone speak out against the violence. Though not surprising to Palestinian-Americans, American Jews are appalled at the senator’s silence.
After If Not Now, activists requested the senator’s office to release a statement condemning Israel’s use of live fire during the Gaza border protests, which have left more than 30 Palestinians dead and thousands wounded. Senator Schumer’s staff rebuked the protester’s request, sparking a blockade to his office on Monday.
The members of If Not Now gathered in front of Schumer’s office protesting his silence, standing in solidarity with Palestinian protesters and reciting the Qaddish, a Jewish prayer for the souls of the dead, the families that mourn, and the call for universal peace.
Last week, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was quick to criticize the Israeli government, stating that he believed they “overreacted”. Sanders’ counterpart in Vermont, Senator Patrick Leahy, has also voiced his skepticism of the Israeli government’s motives.
An aid from his office stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza should be considered as a violation of the “Leahy Law,” a US law that prohibits aid to foreign military units that engage in human rights violations.
After statements made by Senator Sanders and Senator Leahy’s office, representatives Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Barbara Lee of California also tweeted their concern and called on the international community to do more to end the violence and resolve the conflict.
Even so, Senator Schumer has remained silent to what the US would consider a blatant violation of the first amendment which gives ensures the, “right of the people peaceably to assemble.”
In related news, the Israeli government recently barred Dublin Lord Mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha from entering Israel because of his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
According to Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli Strategic Affairs Ministry, the organization in charge of fighting delegitimization of Israel, said that the reason for the decision was was Donncha’s ties with the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which promotes boycotts of Israeli companies and international companies who work in Israel.
According to the ministry, the mayor promoted the IPSC’s ideas through the city council and publicly expressed support for them.
Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said , “The policy I set is clear: He who works consistently to boycott Israel will not enter here.”
In January, Israel summoned the Irish ambassador in Israel for clarification and to express dissatisfaction in light of a proposed bill in Ireland’s national parliament calling for a boycott of Israeli settlements.
10 apr 2018
Israeli delegation to world taekwondo junior championships denied visas by Tunisian authorities, Israeli media sources reported.
Israel’s representatives were initially told they would be able to compete as long as they did so without any symbol of their country, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.
The CEO of the Israeli Taekwondo Federation Michel Madar, who is a council members of the World Taekwondo Federation, arrived in Tunisia on his French passport to attend the organization’s general assembly.
But when Tunisian airport officials noticed that Madar’s passport was issued in Jerusalem, he wasn’t allowed to enter the country and was sent back to Paris.
A court in Tunis ruled last week that the Israelis would be banned from competing after a group of activists opposed to normalization with Israel filed an urgent lawsuit.
According to the Associated Press, “the plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the athletes’ presence would clash with constitutional provisions and agreements signed by the Tunisian government. They argue that Tunisia has committed ‘to denouncing and refusing Zionist occupation and colonization, as well as boycotting and not dealing with the Zionist entity… in any way.’”
Israel’s representatives were initially told they would be able to compete as long as they did so without any symbol of their country, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.
The CEO of the Israeli Taekwondo Federation Michel Madar, who is a council members of the World Taekwondo Federation, arrived in Tunisia on his French passport to attend the organization’s general assembly.
But when Tunisian airport officials noticed that Madar’s passport was issued in Jerusalem, he wasn’t allowed to enter the country and was sent back to Paris.
A court in Tunis ruled last week that the Israelis would be banned from competing after a group of activists opposed to normalization with Israel filed an urgent lawsuit.
According to the Associated Press, “the plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the athletes’ presence would clash with constitutional provisions and agreements signed by the Tunisian government. They argue that Tunisia has committed ‘to denouncing and refusing Zionist occupation and colonization, as well as boycotting and not dealing with the Zionist entity… in any way.’”
1 apr 2018
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, has met with leaders from a number of right-wing Jewish organizations during his tour of the United States.
The groups, which have donated millions to illegal settlement building and the fight against BDS (the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, include officials from AIPAC, Stand Up for Israel (ADL) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).
Haaretz reported that, according to a leaked copy of his itinerary, Bin Salman also met with leaders from the Conference of Presidents, B’nai B’rith and the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
AIPAC, ADL and the JFNA have long targeted BDS, a non-violent movement that seeks to economically pressure Israel into providing equal rights and a right of return to Palestinians.
Some of the pro-Israel US groups have spent millions in lobbying for the Combating BDS Act, a bill that seeks to stifle BDS.
Meanwhile, JFNA gave almost $6m to illegal Israeli settlements between 2012 and 2015.
JFNA supports a number of settlements over the Green Line (the border separating pre-1967 Israel from the Occupied Palestinian Territories), and helps families of Jews suspected or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
‘Pro-Israelis guard Washington’
While Saudi Arabia does not officially recognize Israel, analysts have repeatedly said that the overtures by Bin Salman signal a warming of ties between the two countries.
Mahjoob Zweiri, the director of the Gulf Studies Programme at Qatar University, said the royal visit was “a PR campaign aimed to represent a new face of the kingdom to the US, one that was flexible and willing to change.”
“There was an old understanding from Arab leaders that the gates for Washington, DC are guarded by pro-Israeli leaders. This includes business leaders, groups such as AIPAC and others linked to Israel,” Zweiri told Al Jazeera.
“[Bin Salman] is following that trend, he’s trying to court the US and show them that he supports their plan for Israel-Palestine and their decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
“Another dimension is that when Republicans are in power, it’s widely believed they have closer ties to Israel and the Israeli agenda.
“US President Donald Trump’s ‘deal of the century,’ which recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, could also see a normalizing of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and force the Palestinians to agree to Israeli demands.”
As part of his two-week tour, the crown prince has already met Bill and Hillary Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
He is expected to meet Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul and major opinion-maker in the US in the coming days.
Other notable media meetings include dinner with Rupert Murdoch, CIA director and soon to be Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary James Mattis and Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
~Al Jazeera/Days of Palestine
12/24/18 Prince Salman Warns Abbas to Support US ‘Peace Plan’ or Be Ousted
02/27/18 Saudi Arabia Reportedly Leading Secret US-Palestinian Talks
The groups, which have donated millions to illegal settlement building and the fight against BDS (the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, include officials from AIPAC, Stand Up for Israel (ADL) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).
Haaretz reported that, according to a leaked copy of his itinerary, Bin Salman also met with leaders from the Conference of Presidents, B’nai B’rith and the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
AIPAC, ADL and the JFNA have long targeted BDS, a non-violent movement that seeks to economically pressure Israel into providing equal rights and a right of return to Palestinians.
Some of the pro-Israel US groups have spent millions in lobbying for the Combating BDS Act, a bill that seeks to stifle BDS.
Meanwhile, JFNA gave almost $6m to illegal Israeli settlements between 2012 and 2015.
JFNA supports a number of settlements over the Green Line (the border separating pre-1967 Israel from the Occupied Palestinian Territories), and helps families of Jews suspected or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
‘Pro-Israelis guard Washington’
While Saudi Arabia does not officially recognize Israel, analysts have repeatedly said that the overtures by Bin Salman signal a warming of ties between the two countries.
Mahjoob Zweiri, the director of the Gulf Studies Programme at Qatar University, said the royal visit was “a PR campaign aimed to represent a new face of the kingdom to the US, one that was flexible and willing to change.”
“There was an old understanding from Arab leaders that the gates for Washington, DC are guarded by pro-Israeli leaders. This includes business leaders, groups such as AIPAC and others linked to Israel,” Zweiri told Al Jazeera.
“[Bin Salman] is following that trend, he’s trying to court the US and show them that he supports their plan for Israel-Palestine and their decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
“Another dimension is that when Republicans are in power, it’s widely believed they have closer ties to Israel and the Israeli agenda.
“US President Donald Trump’s ‘deal of the century,’ which recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, could also see a normalizing of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and force the Palestinians to agree to Israeli demands.”
As part of his two-week tour, the crown prince has already met Bill and Hillary Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
He is expected to meet Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul and major opinion-maker in the US in the coming days.
Other notable media meetings include dinner with Rupert Murdoch, CIA director and soon to be Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary James Mattis and Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
~Al Jazeera/Days of Palestine
12/24/18 Prince Salman Warns Abbas to Support US ‘Peace Plan’ or Be Ousted
02/27/18 Saudi Arabia Reportedly Leading Secret US-Palestinian Talks
22 mar 2018
Today, over 130 Palestinian football clubs and sports associations called on German sportswear giant Adidas to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) over its inclusion of football clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land.
In a letter addressed to Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted, the Palestinian clubs cautioned that as “the main international sponsor of the IFA, Adidas is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses” and give “international cover to Israel’s illegal settlements.”
The letter notes, according to the PNN, that “UN Security Council Resolution 2334 denounces Israeli settlements as flagrant violations of international law” and cautions the world’s second largest sportswear manufacturer that its sponsorship of the IFA makes it eligible for inclusion in the UN’s database of complicit companies doing business in or with Israel’s illegal settlements. The Palestinian clubs further warn that the company’s continued complicity with Israel’s settlement enterprise “may expose it to consumer-led boycott campaigns in the Arab world and globally.”
Former Palestinian national team player Mahmoud Sarsak said:”Palestinian footballers are routinely forced to endure Israeli military raids and tear gas on our fields, denied by Israel our right to travel to matches, and have seen our teammates killed and our stadiums bombed.
I was jailed by the Israeli occupation for three years without charge or trial and released only after a 96-day hunger strike and worldwide outcry.
Palestinian players run this risk everyday, as they are forced to go through Israeli military checkpoints. All the while, the IFA holds matches in illegal Israeli settlements, which rob us of our land, water, resources and livelihoods. Adidas’ sponsorship of the IFA prominently places its iconic logo on Israel’s abuses of our rights. The company must immediately cut ties with the IFA.
Hind Awwad from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said: Adidas relies heavily on football league and club sponsorships to raise its brand awareness. However, being associated with the IFA as it tramples Palestinian rights will implicate Adidas in Israel’s egregious human rights violations, including illegal settlements, home demolitions, and land grabs throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
In 2016, Adidas ended its sponsorship of the International Association of Athletics Federations, regarding the doping and corruption scandals plaguing the organization as a breach of the contract. Surely involvement in Israeli settlements built in violation of international law should be grounds for ending sponsorship of the IFA. Adidas has a responsibility to do the right thing and heed the call from Palestinian footballs clubs to end its sponsorship of the IFA.
In their letter, the Palestinian clubs recall the “widespread protests, calls for boycott and government condemnations” of Adidas over sponsorship of Israel’s so-called Jerusalem Marathon, which illegally passes through occupied East Jerusalem. “Adidas rightly ended its sponsorship” of the marathon, they say, and must now withdraw sponsorship of the IFA “until it ends its involvement in Israel’s grave violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.”
Among the clubs signing the letter are the Jenin Athletic Club, the oldest Palestinian club in the West Bank, founded in 1940, as well as former Premier League champs Shabab Al-Khalil and top clubs Tulkarem and Shabab Alsamu.
PACBI has also launched a petition calling on Adidas to end its IFA sponsorship as “Palestinian children and their families are being pushed from their homes” to give way to the settlements hosting IFA league matches.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality.
PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law.
In a letter addressed to Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted, the Palestinian clubs cautioned that as “the main international sponsor of the IFA, Adidas is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses” and give “international cover to Israel’s illegal settlements.”
The letter notes, according to the PNN, that “UN Security Council Resolution 2334 denounces Israeli settlements as flagrant violations of international law” and cautions the world’s second largest sportswear manufacturer that its sponsorship of the IFA makes it eligible for inclusion in the UN’s database of complicit companies doing business in or with Israel’s illegal settlements. The Palestinian clubs further warn that the company’s continued complicity with Israel’s settlement enterprise “may expose it to consumer-led boycott campaigns in the Arab world and globally.”
Former Palestinian national team player Mahmoud Sarsak said:”Palestinian footballers are routinely forced to endure Israeli military raids and tear gas on our fields, denied by Israel our right to travel to matches, and have seen our teammates killed and our stadiums bombed.
I was jailed by the Israeli occupation for three years without charge or trial and released only after a 96-day hunger strike and worldwide outcry.
Palestinian players run this risk everyday, as they are forced to go through Israeli military checkpoints. All the while, the IFA holds matches in illegal Israeli settlements, which rob us of our land, water, resources and livelihoods. Adidas’ sponsorship of the IFA prominently places its iconic logo on Israel’s abuses of our rights. The company must immediately cut ties with the IFA.
Hind Awwad from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said: Adidas relies heavily on football league and club sponsorships to raise its brand awareness. However, being associated with the IFA as it tramples Palestinian rights will implicate Adidas in Israel’s egregious human rights violations, including illegal settlements, home demolitions, and land grabs throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
In 2016, Adidas ended its sponsorship of the International Association of Athletics Federations, regarding the doping and corruption scandals plaguing the organization as a breach of the contract. Surely involvement in Israeli settlements built in violation of international law should be grounds for ending sponsorship of the IFA. Adidas has a responsibility to do the right thing and heed the call from Palestinian footballs clubs to end its sponsorship of the IFA.
In their letter, the Palestinian clubs recall the “widespread protests, calls for boycott and government condemnations” of Adidas over sponsorship of Israel’s so-called Jerusalem Marathon, which illegally passes through occupied East Jerusalem. “Adidas rightly ended its sponsorship” of the marathon, they say, and must now withdraw sponsorship of the IFA “until it ends its involvement in Israel’s grave violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.”
Among the clubs signing the letter are the Jenin Athletic Club, the oldest Palestinian club in the West Bank, founded in 1940, as well as former Premier League champs Shabab Al-Khalil and top clubs Tulkarem and Shabab Alsamu.
PACBI has also launched a petition calling on Adidas to end its IFA sponsorship as “Palestinian children and their families are being pushed from their homes” to give way to the settlements hosting IFA league matches.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality.
PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law.
