Proposals for Action Towards A Global Campaign Against Israel's Brand of Aparthe
BADIL | 15.04.2002 20:20
In light of the unprecedented Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people and based on the impressive and worldwide expression of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for justice and peace, BADIL would like to present to the global solidarity movement a number of initiatives which we consider cornerstones for the future global campaign against Israel's brand of apartheid.
Proposals for Action Towards A Global Campaign Against Israel's Brand of Apartheid (E/26/2002) BADIL Resource Center 10 April 2002 For Immediate Release -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In light of the unprecedented Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people and based on the impressive and worldwide expression of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for justice and peace, BADIL would like to present to the global solidarity movement a number of initiatives which we consider cornerstones for the future global campaign against Israel's brand of apartheid. BADIL encourages peace and justice activists worldwide to join these and similar initiatives in order to build a broad and sustainable movement, similar to the boycott movement that finally removed the repressive apartheid regime in South Africa. CONSUMER BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN: Boycott Israeli goods and services, including tourism to Israel; advocate and lobby for divestment of foreign funds in Israeli state and private companies and the suspension of military, economic, and cultural cooperation agreements and aid, until Israel will end its occupation of all areas occupied in 1967 and implement international law, all relevant UN resolutions, and respect human rights, including the right of return of Palestinian refugees. Contact: "Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign" Info@BoycottIsraeliGoods.org http://www.boycottisraeligoods.org/ This excellent website includes relevant information in several languages, as well as links to other boycott initiatives worldwide. ISRAEL BOYCOTT IN ACADEMIA AND RESEARCH: Academics and researchers in the United States have launched a campaign aimed at obtaining maximum endorsement among academics in the United States of a letter calling for a boycott of research and cultural links with Israel, until Israel abides by all relevant UN resolutions (UNGA 194, UNSC 242, 338, 1402 etc.); complies with human rights as stated in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Conventions to which Israel is a signatory; and, opens serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, along the lines proposed in many peace plans, most recently that sponsored by the Arab League. A similar letter endorsed by more than 120 academics and researchers in Europe was published in the British Guardian on Friday, 6 April 2002. For further information contact: zdamuni@comcast.net boycotts@teacher.com Endorsements (including name and academic affiliation) CAMPAIGN "INDICT SHARON NOW": On 15 May the Belgian court hearing the case of the war crimes suit against Israel's prime minister Ariel Sharon is expected to give a ruling which will be crucial for the further progress of the case. The suit was filed by Palestinian and Lebanese survivors of the 1982 massacre of Sabra and Shatila, Beirut. An earlier official Israeli commission of inquiry found that then Minister of Defense, Ariel Sharon, held "personal responsibility" for the massacre but no legal charges followed. Educate and disseminate information about Ariel Sharon's role in Israel's massacres committed against the Palestinian people in the past and at present; Organize, facilitate and participate in fact finding missions aimed at examining possible war crimes committed by the Israeli army in the context of the current military campaign against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, especially in Nablus and the Jenin refugee camp; Advocate and lobby for an end to the impunity of persons accused of war crimes, including Ariel Sharon. For more information and resources, see: International Committee for Justice for the Victims of Sabra and Shatila: Contact: coordinator@indictsharon.net; http://www.indictsharon.net/; Sabra and Shatila Committee, Belgium: http://www.sabra-shatila.be/ Mallat Law Firm (a member of the plaintiff's legal team): http://www.mallat.com/ Petition for International Investigation Committee on Ariel Sharon's crimes against humanity addressed to UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mary Robinson. The petition requires 1 million signatures to become effective: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/warcrime/petition.html JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT (ISM) and GRASS-ROOTS INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION (GIPP) IN PALESTINE: Many peace activists have expressed their willingness to join ISM and GISS in Palestine in the coming weeks, and everybody in needed in order to: Provide protection to Palestinian civilians by staying with families in refugee camps, villages, and towns; Accompany ambulances; Send food and aid to families in need; Join non-violent protests; Help document the facts on the ground with cameras, video or by writing reports; and disseminate information widely. Orientation and low-cost accommodation in Jerusalem will be organized Contact: Pcr@p-ol.com and send copy to: georgesq@yahoo.com Hanna Rishmawi (GIPP): 00972-52-437513; Bahiyya (GIPP): 00972-55-378262; George S. Rishmawi: 00972-52-502079; Ghassan Andoni: 00972-52-595319; Sabeel Centre (Cathy): 00972-2-5327136 press release index
BADIL
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
Accusations of racism & apartheit: laughable
15.04.2002 21:02
By contrast, the Arab states and the Palestinian Authority consistently take the position that one Jew is too many. Arabs drove Jews out of every area of British Palestine they could, and then when the mandate ended, they by and large fled voluntarily to Arab countries and "judenrein" parts of Palestine to leave the victorious Arab armies a clear path to exterminate the Jews and abort Israel at birth.
Jews were driven out of North Africa, where they had lived for over 2,000 years. Ultimately, as many Jewish refugees from Arab countries were resettled in Israel as Arabs left to become eternal refugees and political weapons against Israel. (For documentation, see "The Big Lie: Palestinian Expulsion" on this website.)
Jews not only want a multi-ethnic, multi-religion State of Israel; that's exectly what they have. Yasir Arafat and his ilk want nothing less than a judenrein Palestine from the Jordan to the Sea.
If that's not racism, nothing is.
Sid Bursten
e-mail:
sid@sid-bursten.com
sid
15.04.2002 21:53
txiki
what utter crap Sid
15.04.2002 22:39
Ken
Response to comments
16.04.2002 21:14
-- Txiki asks: "Why then, Sid, can Arabs born in the State of israel not be considered Israelis?" Contrary to your implication, however, Israel has 700,000 Arab citizens, and all children born to them become Israeli citizens.
-- Ken, in a comment entitled "What utter crap, Sid," asserts that Israel's current actions pursuing terrorists and their weapons in West Bank towns (very successful in destroying tons of weapons and arresting thousands or terrorist suspects) "IS TOTALLY AND UTTERLY RACIST" as evidenced by denial of civil rights, deliberate starvation and "killing innocent Pallestinians and even journalists." Of course, fighting has been intense for over two weeks and free movement of local residents is somewhat constrained, but there has been no starvation and the number of deaths were wildly exagerated by Palestinian propagandists and apologists. In Jenin, probably more impacted than any area, where Palestinian sources set the number of dead in the area of 1,000, are now acknowledged by international observers to be under 100 (most probably about 70) and virtually all armed fighters, not "innocent Palestinans."
-- The Palestinian terror organizations, united in their opposition to any possible peace except that which would follow the extermination of the Jews, deliberately and cynically place their armaments and weapons factories inside the most crowded civilian areas, hoping to use "innocent Palestinans" as human shields, just as Saddam Hussain did during the Gulf War.
-- In summary, Txili and Ken speak in total conviction based on total ignorance. They know nothing of history, nothing of international affairs and international law, and nothing of the perversity and futility of the Palestinian leadership.
Sid Bursten
e-mail:
sid@sid-bursten.com
Sid 2
17.04.2002 01:07
You mention Palestinian Terror Organisations. Because of this should the vast majority of wholly innocent Palestinians deserve this brutal occupation by Israeli forces and many innocent Palestinians have died in this occupation. Is that right ? No. What has it achieved ? It hasn't halted the suicide bombings. Indeed since this Israeli offensive started there have been a higher frequency than before of suicide bombings.
Ken
Dear Sid...
18.04.2002 17:18
Firstly, Arab Israelis speak Arabic. Hardly a revelation, I grant you, but when you realise that in order to study at an Israeli university each student must have level 5 English 'Bagrut' (something akin to 'A' Levels) then you see the discrimination. Jewish Israelis learn Hebrew first and English second. Arab Israelis learn Arabic first, Classical written Arabic second (an entirely different language I can assure you), then Hebrew which is compulsory to retain I sraeli citizen ship as some public places ban the speaking of Arabic (ie. Swimming pools, cinemas etc) and then the children learn English. English is therefore their fourth language. Do you speak four languages Sid? If not, you ewouldn't be allowed to attend an Israeli university no matter how good you were at Maths. Jewish schools are well endowed with willing English speaking volunteers (usually American Jews) and any foreign volunteer teaching programme to Arab areas is quietly discouraged.
Added to this, there is also the fact that Arab Israelis will be paid an average of 5 - 3 times less than a Jewish Israeli worker for the equivalent work. For verification of this, the University of Tel aviv is presently conducting a study of building contracts (as you may know, Israel is effectively one big building site, and hence this area of work was deemed to be a suitably large case study to be deemed an acceptable prelim.) based on prices quoted for work done set against ethnic origin and geographical position.
Most importantly though is the unresolved refugee status of over half of the 700 000 Arab Israeli 'citizens' to which you refer. Soon after the Mandate of '48, the Isreali Army went about systematically "confiscating" certain villages, such as Icritt in the northern Galilee region, that were deemed strategically useful in securing the state. These villagers were initially told to leave for a period of a few weeks. The Knesset then quickly passed a Law deeming confiscation for an indefinite period legal if in the intersts of national security. As a consequence, something like 400 000 Arab Israelis remain refugees from their original homes, a battle they are still fighting n the Israeli courts.
Their representation in the Knesset is laughable considering they make up 20% of Israel's population. I don't put the blame for this situation in the hands of ordinary Israelis, unfortunately Israeli politics are dominated by Right wing extremely religious Zionists that love to confuse the issues of God and Land and use their conclusions as justification for war. This doesn't mean we should help them though, does it Sid...
Dazed&Amazed