BDS success

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  Palestine solidarity group wins major BDS victory at UK Supreme Court 
Court reverses ban that prohibited local governments from supporting the BDS movement
https://mondoweiss.net/2020/05/palestine-solidarity-group-wins-major-bds-victory-at-uk-supreme-court/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

The UK Supreme Court delivered the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) a major victory last month, after it reversed a ban that prohibited local governments from supporting the BDS movement.

https://twitter.com/PSCupdates/status/1255421772163420161

In 2016, the Department for Communities and Local Government's issued guidance which blocked Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) from pushing objectives that contradict the United Kingdom's foreign policy. This prohibition included divestment from companies connected to the Israeli occupation.

PSC launched a legal challenge against the move, winning in the Hight Court but losing in the Court of Appeal. "This landmark case is critical to pushing back against attempts to stifle the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement, and to defending the right of pension holders to refuse to be complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people," said PSC chair Kamel Hawwash before the Supreme Court case began in November, "All of us should be able to choose not to be complicit in Israel's violations of international law and human rights – a win in this case would be a triumph for all those who believe in democracy, freedom of expression and justice."

In its statement celebrating the victory, PSC warned of further anti-BDS legislation developing in the UK: "...We know we will need to do more, and PSC is building a campaign alongside a broad range of allies who are concerned about attempts to bring in laws that seek to prohibit public bodies from making their own decisions about not investing in companies that are complicit in violations of international law – whether in relation to Palestine or elsewhere."

In response to the Supreme Court decision, UK lawmakers will reportedly now look to pass a law prohibiting local councils from supporting BDS. The Conservative Party's manifesto from last year's election included a promise to pursue such a law.

"Town hall boycotts undermine good community relations, weakening integration and fuelling antisemitism," said Communities Secretary Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP at the time, "Local public bodies should focus on their day jobs – such as running libraries and collecting bins, rather than running a divisive foreign policy from town halls."

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Pro-Israel group fails to have BDS supporting professor removed
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200518-pro-israel-group-fails-to-have-bds-supporting-professor-removed/

A pro-Israel American campus group has failed in its bid to have a professor removed from the position of interim dean of a department at the George Washington University because of her support for the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Professor Ilana Feldman was targeted by GW for Israel following her appointment as the interim dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs, a prestigious private Washington, DC university's training school for diplomats and other foreign policy specialists.

GW for Israel launched a petition demanding the removal of Feldman from the post citing her support for BDS. "Dr. Feldman is a fervent supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has a record of minimizing terrorism, delegitimizing the State of Israel, and advocating to suspend academic ties with Israeli institutions," said the petition.

Feldman is a member of the American Anthropological Association. In 2015 she led a campaign in which professors of anthropology voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling on the group to boycott Israeli academic institutions by a 1,040 to 136 margin at the association's annual business meeting.

Last year, she published a book on Palestinian refugees titled: "Life Lived in Relief — Humanitarian Predicaments and Palestinian Refugee Politics". It was shortlisted for the 2019 Palestine Book Awards.

Despite the protest from GW for Israel, George Washington University stood by its decision.

"Dr. Ilana Feldman has been an active faculty member at the Elliott School of International Affairs since 2007," the University's provost, Brian Blake, said last week in an email to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "As vice dean, Dr. Feldman has demonstrated her leadership ability and her respect for and commitment to all students, faculty and staff of the Elliott School community.

Dr. Feldman's appointment as interim dean was made based on strong support within the Elliott School, including from the current dean, the Dean's Council, as well as a number of faculty."

Feldman is the most recent academic to face the wrath of the pro-Israeli groups. In January JB Brager, a teacher at an elite New York City prep school, was fired for expressing remarks critical of Israel.

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Agent for Israel drops lawsuit against National Lawyers Guild

read the article here to connect to the many links:
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/agent-israel-drops-lawsuit-against-national-lawyers-guild

A lawsuit intended to harass the National Lawyers Guild over its support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights has been voluntarily dismissed by the anti-Palestinian litigant who filed it.

The lawsuit was "part of a global effort, led by Israel, seeking to paint support for Palestinian human rights as discrimination," according to NLG.

David Abrams, the director of the Zionist Advocacy Center, filed his lawsuit after the civil rights group refused, in 2016, to publish an advertisement in its annual journal for his shadowy company located inside an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Abrams' company, Bibliotechnical Athenaeum, wanted to publish the ad claiming that Gush Etzion is part of Israel.

It was an effort to deliberately "antagonize NLG for its positions in support of international human rights law," the civil rights group said.

NLG believes that the company was explicitly created just to be able to submit the advertisement.

Abrams sought legal representation from the Lawfare Project, a pro-Israel group that works to silence activists by filing lawsuits against them and smearing supporters of Palestinian rights as anti-Semites.

Lawfare's director, Brooke Goldstein, has claimed that there is "no such thing as a Palestinian person."

Abrams and Lawfare alleged that NLG discriminated against the company when it rejected the advertisement.

The National Lawyers Guild's commitment to BDS includes boycotting institutions complicit in Israel's crimes, not Israeli individuals or organizations.

As part of the settlement, NLG has agreed to publish an advertisement for Abrams' company in its next journal, but it will not include the name of any settlement "nor make any claims that such settlements are part of Israel."

NLG will also "clarify and reaffirm its policy opposing all forms of discrimination and circulate it to members."

The nation's oldest progressive legal network was represented pro bono by First Amendment attorney Jonathan Wallace.

"We're pleased to end this time-consuming lawsuit for a payment of zero dollars and get back to our urgent work ensuring that vulnerable populations across the globe have access to housing, healthcare, income and other basic human rights," said Pooja Gehi, executive director of NLG.

Gehi added that the organization maintains its commitment to Palestinian liberation, including the BDS movement.

Suing human rights groups
Abrams has a lengthy history of filing legal complaints against groups that support BDS, boasting that his lawsuits intend to "serve notice" to non-governmental organizations that their activities are being "watched carefully."

His Zionist Advocacy Center is a registered foreign agent for the International Legal Forum, which is funded by and works for the Israeli government to target the BDS campaign.

In 2015, Abrams worked with the head of the Mossad-linked Israeli lawfare group Shurat HaDin to file a complaint against a US trade union that voted to back BDS.

In the past, Abrams has sued Norwegian People's Aid and the Carter Center, and recently boasted of his work attempting to sue Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA over an event on Palestinian rights.

In 2018, he filed a lawsuit on behalf of his company against Airbnb when the home rental corporation announced it was suspending rentals inside Israeli settlements.

Like many other settlers, Israeli government officials and US politicians, Abrams claimed Airbnb was discriminating against Israeli landlords. Airbnb quickly capitulated to the pressure and reversed its decision in April 2019.

However, as much as Abrams and his colleagues in the Israel lobby try to harass civil rights and human rights organizations into silence, "the movement for Palestinian rights, including BDS campaigns, continues to thrive in unique community-driven ways," said Radhika Sainath, senior attorney at Palestine Legal.

"With this settlement, NLG affirms that BDS is predicated on non-discrimination, and that the organization remains undeterred in working for justice in Palestine," she told The Electronic Intifada.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QEEGnNsKRo

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European Court of Human Rights backs BDS activists convicted in France, orders Paris to pay €101,000 in compensation
https://www.rt.com/news/491569-echr-france-bds-activists-compensation/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that France violated the rights of 11 pro-Palestinian activists when it convicted them for campaigning against Israeli goods, and has ordered the government to pay damages.

The criminal conviction against the activists with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement "had no relevant and sufficient grounds," the ECHR said in its ruling on Thursday, arguing that their basic right to freedom of expression had been violated. The court ordered France to pay €101,000 ($115,000) in compensation to the activists.

The case dates back to 2009 when a group of protesters led by French activist Jean-Michel Baldassi staged a demonstration in a hypermarket in the eastern French town of Illzach. The group handed out leaflets calling for various forms of boycott against Israel in response to its treatment of Palestinians and occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Israel has long claimed that the movement is driven by anti-Semitism and a desire to deny Israel's right to exist.The French authorities charged the BDS activists with incitement to economic discrimination, and promoting racism and anti-Semitism.

France's highest court of appeals upheld the sentence in 2015. The defendants were each handed down a suspended fine of €1,000 ($1,133) and ordered to pay a total of €13,000 ($14,730) in legal fees and donations to organizations promoting French-Israeli friendship and combating anti-Semitism.

In its latest ruling, the ECHR concluded that the activists had every right to express their views as long as they did not promote violence, hatred or intolerance. France was ordered to pay €27,380 ($31,150) to each campaigner – a decision which it is bound to comply with as a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The BDS movement and Amnesty International hailed the ruling as a landmark decision that would help prevent the use of anti-discrimination laws to prosecute activists campaigning against human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=464aTprgk70

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Pro-BDS Cori Bush defeats pro-Israel Missouri congressman in DNC primary
https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/pro-bds-cori-bush-defeats-pro-israel-missouri-congressman-in-dnc-primary-637646

Manchester University divests from companies complicit in the Israeli occupation
read about it here:  https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200805-manchester-university-divests-from-companies-complicit-in-the-israeli-occupation/

Luton Town kicks out Israeli occupation sponsor Puma
read about it here:  https://bdsmovement.net/news/luton-town-kicks-out-israeli-occupation-sponsor-puma

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Israel frees BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa following international pressure
https://mondoweiss.net/2020/08/israel-frees-bds-coordinator-mahmoud-nawajaa-following-international-pressure/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

Thanks to sustained international pressure, Palestinian human rights defender and BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa was released after being held without charge by Israel for 19 days.

Today, Palestinian human rights defender and BDS coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa was released by an Israeli military court, after 19 days of illegal detention without charges. Since his arrest on July 30, the Israeli internal security Shin Bet has failed to present any formal charges against him.

In his first reaction after being released, Mahmoud Nawajaa said:

"Pressure works. Sustained global pressure works even better. I thank Addameer for defending me against this military 'justice' system that is part and parcel of the apartheid and colonial regime against our people.

"I am deeply grateful to all those who pressured apartheid Israel to release me. From Europe and the Arab world, to Southern Africa, Latin America, North America and Asia, your solidarity gave me strength and kept alive my hope to be reunified with my loving family and my inspiring wider BDS family.

"I also thank Palestinian and international human rights organizations and networks, particularly the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC), Front Line Defenders, Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), who have played a critical role in defending me as a human rights defender despite the fabricated 'suspicions' and lies propagated by apartheid Israel against me.

"BDS is an idea, and an effective, morally-consistent, anti-racist strategy of peaceful resistance and solidarity. They cannot break us because they cannot crush an idea or counter our strategy, despite all the financial, intelligence, political, diplomatic and propaganda resources they've invested in their war of repression against BDS.

"Let's intensify our BDS campaigns to bring to an end this system of apartheid and oppression and free all 4,700 Palestinian prisoners. With our global networks of mutual solidarity with movements for Indigenous, racial, social, gender and climate justice, we can and we shall achieve freedom, justice and equality for our people and for all oppressed communities." 

In its statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Nawajaa, Amnesty International exposed attempts in the West, coordinated with Israel, to suppress BDS activism. It said:

"Advocating for boycotts, divestment and sanctions is a form of non-violent advocacy and of free expression that must be protected. Advocates of boycotts should be allowed to express their views freely and take forward their campaigns without harassment, threats of prosecution or criminalization, or other measures that violate the right to freedom of expression."

Mahmoud Nawajaa's arrest came at a time when Palestinian civil society is calling for effective international accountability measures, including lawful and targeted sanctions, to prevent Israel's planned de jure annexation and to stop its apartheid regime and ongoing, de facto annexation.

As part of the international campaign to #FreeMahmoud, last Tuesday the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society, organized two protest rallies in Ramallah and Gaza in front of diplomatic missions of Germany, the current president of the EU Council. More than 150 representatives of Palestinian mass movements, trade unions, political parties and BDS activists joined the rallies, demanding that EU apply concrete pressure on Israel to release Nawajaa and respect Palestinian rights under international law.

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Antisemitic Protests Outside Synagogue Are Allowed, District Judge Rules
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-45/antisemitic-protests-outside-synagogues-are-allowed-district-judge-rules

Antisemitic protests that have been staged outside a synagogue in Michigan, for nearly two decades will be allowed to continue, Judge Victoria Roberts ruled this week. The demonstrations, featuring signs that say "Jewish Power Corrupts" and "Resist Jewish Power," have been taking place during Shabbat services at Beth Israel Synagogue in Ann Arbor.

Some members said their right to worship had been violated by offensive signs that caused emotional distress. But Roberts said the protests were protected by the First Amendment, The Detroit News reported.

"There is no allegation that the protesters prevent plaintiffs from attending Sabbath services, that they block plaintiffs' path onto the property or to the synagogue, or that the protests and signs outside affect the services inside," Roberts said on Wednesday. Peaceful demonstrations were "entitled to the highest level of constitutional protection, even if it disturbs, is offensive and causes emotional distress," the judge posited.

Ziporah Reich, co-counsel for synagogue members, said a request for reconsideration was planned. "The court is effectively saying that the emotional distress experienced by Jews in reaction to the antisemitic slurs hurled at them every week for 16 years in front of their house of worship, is insufficient injury to grant them access to federal court," Reich stated. The protests outside the synagogue have been organized by "Witnesses for Peace," a vehemently anti-Zionist protest group started by Henry Herskowitz, who identifies as a "former Jew."

Antisemitic signs carried by the group outside the synagogue also call for boycotts of the State of Israel, denounce the "Holocaust" against the Palestinians and charge that the US government is controlled by Israel.

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Antisemitic BDS Resolution Passes at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-49/antisemitic-bds-resolution-passes-at-the-university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's student government on Wednesday night voted in favor of a pro-BDS resolution calling for divestment from a number of companies over their alleged involvement in human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Companies mentioned in the resolution — titled "Human Rights Violations in University Investments and Police Forces" — included Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Company, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar and Elbit Systems.

The issue was complicated by the inclusion of language in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which placed pro-Israel students in the position of appearing to vote against racial justice, something many saw as a deliberate tactic.

In response, several Jewish students wrote a declaration of principles, which they read into the record before the vote was taken via Zoom.

"We are steadfast in our commitment to stand up for Black life and against antisemitism," they said. "As Jews who have been targets of white supremacist hatred and feel the pain of antisemitism, we stand proudly in support of racial justice."

"The conflation of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement with the movement for racial justice distracts from the root cause of systemic racism in America," they added. "The introduction of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions tactics against Israel into the movement for racial justice is a brazen attempt to give Jewish students an impossible choice between renouncing Zionism or selecting a position inconsistent with our support for human rights and the quest for equity."

The resolution was passed by 22-11 margin, with seven abstentions.

In a statement published following the vote, the university's chancellor, Robert J. Jones, and other top officials, said, "Illinois Student Government (ISG) is an independent organization that can pass non-binding resolutions on any topic it chooses. It is unfortunate that a resolution before the group tonight was designed to force students who oppose efforts to divest from Israel to also vote against support for the Black Lives Matter movement."

The statement continued, "We are committed to dialogue and to supporting students as they navigate challenging conversations, and we will continue to plan programming designed to build understanding of different perspectives on complex and divisive issues."

"This resolution includes several points on which we can agree, but a foundational value of this institution is inclusion, and this resolution includes language that we cannot and will not support," it noted. "As one of the country's top public universities, we find ourselves in the difficult position of defending speech and expression, so we can talk together about difficult circumstances and have uncomfortable conversations. We must always balance that with our need to create a community where it is safe to live, learn and work."

The group Illini Students Supporting Israel issued its own statement, saying,  "After years of failed BDS referendums that showed our student body does not support BDS, and a presidential veto of a BDS referendum only months ago, this BDS resolution was passed in the guise of social justice, during a pandemic, over a Zoom call, all in the midst of the Jewish high holidays."

"The resolution was filled with slander, blood libel, and lies only lacking in fact and truth," the group noted. "The ISG has continued to tarnish the name of our great university and serves as nothing more than a kangaroo court and a laughing stock of our student body."

The group thanked the administration for its opposition to the resolution, but added, "We demand action that stands up to the consistent, hateful attacks on Jewish students often paid for with university dollars."

The president of the group, Daniel Raab, told The Algemeiner on Thursday, "I am far from surprised on the content and timing of this vote. The authors of this resolution are members of Students for Justice in Palestine, the largest grassroots hate group that exists on college campuses today. It is not their goal or intention to improve the lives of the Palestinian people but instead to harass and make the lives of Jewish students on college campuses miserable. This is the third ISG resolution that has been authored by SJP just this past year that has fallen over the high holidays, two BDS and one to define antisemitism to protect themselves from consequences of their actions by denying that anti-Zionism is antisemitism."

"They meticulously try to push these kinds of resolutions through around the high holidays to suppress our voices by making Jewish students decide between defending their beliefs and identity or focusing on their academics that we fall behind on because of the holidays," he pointed out.

The university's Hillel chapter said the resolution was "an attempt to paint Israel and Jews as the obstacle to racial equity, amidst the holiest time in the Jewish calendar."

"The Jewish students refused to submit to this antisemitic litmus test," it stated. "Instead they issued a joint statement of principles declaring their steadfast commitment to Zionism and racial justice. During the ISG meeting Senators made clear that they are driven by their Jewish values which call for social, racial and environmental justice."

"We are very proud of the statement of principles that the students read into the public record," they added. "We want to express our deep admiration of the brave Jewish student leaders who stood for their values."

The university's Chabad chapter also commented, saying it was "deeply disappointed" by the vote.

"The University of Illinois should be a place of inclusivity, safety, open-mindedness, and equality," Chabad said. "Rather, the Illinois Student Government has once again used its power to exclude, bully, and intimidate Jewish students."

"Jewish students should never have to choose between standing up for social and racial justice while also having to shed their Jewish identity and their connection to the Jewish homeland to do so," the group added. "Fighting for the rights of one marginalized community should not come at the expense of another marginalized group."

Rachel S. Harris, an associate professor of Israeli literature and culture at UIUC, told The Algemeiner, "It is disappointing to see misrepresentations of Israel in an academic environment. I would strongly encourage those interested in learning more about Israel to take courses and inform themselves on the complexity and diversity of Israeli society, rather than choosing to gather their information from propaganda."

"BDS resolutions have a negative impact on campus climate and have a tendency to inflame antisemitism against Jewish students on campus," she went on to say.

Emily Briskman —  the associate vice president for campus affairs and student engagement of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago — stated, "Antisemitism was emboldened yet again at U of I this evening. For the sixth time in five years, Jewish students had to defend their very existence in the face of tremendous hatred. We applaud the students who, informed by their Jewish values, were able to stand up and speak out against antisemitism while also affirming their commitment to social justice."

Source:  https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/09/24/jewish-students-at-university-of-illinois-decry-passage-of-anti-israel-divestment-resolution-during-high-holidays/

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Antisemitic BDS Resolution Passes at Columbia University
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-49/antisemitic-bds-resolution-passes-at-columbia-university

Undergraduate students at Columbia University in New York City have voted in favor of a referendum calling on their school to "divest its stocks, funds, and endowment from companies that profit from the State of Israel's apartheid system and military occupation" in the Palestinian territories.

According to Columbia College's student government, "the number of votes in favor of resolution (61.04%) exceeded both the number of votes against and in abstention."

The referendum was an initiative of the "Columbia University Apartheid Divest" (CUAD) student group — a "joint campaign launched by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and Columbia/Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace."

Voting began last Tuesday and ran through Friday — during the Jewish High Holy Days. Shortly before the start of the vote, Columbia's student newspaper issued a statement apologizing for a pro-Israel ad opposing the measure it had run that it called "deeply inappropriate."

Celebrating the referendum's passage, CUAD posted the election results and congratulated itself on "[p]assing divestment by an incredible margin."

It then published a photo of students covering a sculpture in the middle of Columbia's campus with keffiyehs and Palestinian flags.

The Students Supporting Israel (SSI) branch at Columbia said, "It is with a heavy heart that we have learned of Columbia College's decision to divest from companies who do business in Israel. The news is extremely saddening, as this is not the decision that we wanted nor that we worked so hard for."

SSI continued, "It is an extremely saddening realization that antisemitism on our campus is not only a forgivable offense but an acceptable, celebratory alternative view to hold. It is an extremely saddening realization that our fellow students — of ivy league level — do not understand why boycotting Israel, but not any other country is a blatant double standard. More so than ever, we are worried about the future — we know that antisemitic attacks increase by x percent after BDS resolutions pass."

"But, this is not the end. We, Students Supporting Israel will continue to do what we do best; support, celebrate, and advocate for our homeland. We will, more so than ever, continue to get the message out: Anti-Zionism is antisemitism; Jews have a right to a homeland of their own indigenous rights, and Israel does have a right to exist. Going into the New Year, we're looking forward to fighting back, speaking up louder, and advocating for Israel," SSI concluded.

Columbia's President Lee Bolinger commented that while he was an "unflinching proponent of robust debate over contested issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between Israelis and Palestinians," changing Columbia's endowment "in order to advance the interests of one side is not among the paths we will take."

Source:   https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/09/29/passage-of-one-sided-pro-bds-resolution-at-columbia-decried-as-deeply-irresponsible/

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Victory: Liverpool arms fair canceled, Mayor vows policy against future arms fairs
After weeks of campaigning by a local coalition, event organisers cancelled this year's Electronic Warfare Europe. Campaigners are mobilizing against the next edition, set for Seville (Spain) in May 2021
https://bdsmovement.net/news/victory-liverpool-arms-fair-canceled-mayor-vows-policy-against-future-arms-fairs

This November, the city of Liverpool (UK) was due to host the arms fair Electronic Warfare Europe at the city-run ACC Exhibition Centre. Elbit Systems, Israel's largest private weapons manufacturer whose arms are regularly used by the Israeli military to kill and mame Palestinian civilians, was one of the fair's global partners.

For weeks a strong local coalition, Liverpool Against the Electronic Arms Fair, in partnership with Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), urged the city council not to host such an unethical event promoting violations of human rights.

On Wednesday September 16th, the event organisers cancelled this year's Electronic Warfare Europe and announced that the next edition will take place in Seville (Spain) in May 2021.

Groups continued to pressure Liverpool City Council for a commitment to ensure that no arms fair would take place again in the city in the future.

On September 21st,  following 40,000 emails from citizens and a video from Liverpool renowned comedian Alexei Sayle, the Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson promised to develop an ethical policy that will prevent future arms fairs in the city.



Sabreen Al-Najjar, mother of Gaza paramedic Razan Al-Najjar, murdered by Israel's army, welcomed the cancelation of the arms fair in Liverpool. She thanked everyone involved in the campaign and called on Liverpool Mayor Anderson to meet with Liverpool Against the Electronic Arms Fair Coalition to jointly agree on a ban on arms fairs in the city.

https://twitter.com/BDSmovement/status/1310918065211744258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1310918065211744258%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbdsmovement.net%2Fnews%2Fvictory-liverpool-arms-fair-canceled-mayor-vows-policy-against-future-arms-fairs

Elbit sells its weaponry as "battle-tested" after testing it on the Palestinian population living under Israel's occupation. 85% of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) used by the Israeli occupation forces are manufactured by Elbit. This includes the Hermes 900 drone, which was among the drones the Israeli military used in its 2014 aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza that killed 164 Palestinian children.

The Italian transnational arms manufacturer Leonardo was another partner of the cancelled fair. Leonardo arms have been sold to the Saudi coalition responsible for war crimes in Yemen.

The Liverpool arms fair would have brought together many of the world's biggest arms companies with military buyers from around the world in order to promote weapons and military equipment. Previous fairs have been attended by delegations representing repressive regimes from across the world.

The next edition of Electronic Warfare Europe is scheduled to take place in Seville (Spain) in May 2021 where local organisers have started mobilising, inspired by the victory in Liverpool. No city should be profiting from blood money and grave human rights violations. We expect Seville to cancel this event as Liverpool has done. Cities must prioritise justice and human rights at home and abroad.

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Butler students win BDS victory amid attacks from pro-Israel critics
Two resolutions designed to crack down on pro-Palestine activism at Butler University failed to pass the Student Government Association.
https://mondoweiss.net/2020/10/butler-students-win-bds-victory-amid-attacks-from-pro-israel-critics/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet


A big victory at Butler University. The Student Government Association was recently pushed to vote on two Student Senate Resolutions designed to crack down on pro-Palestine activism. The resolutions condemned the BDS movement and embrace the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a definition that includes some criticisms of Israel. Last night they both failed to pass, with sponsors pulling their support for the measures after hearing Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace members speak before the vote.

After the resolutions were shot down, SJP Butler emailed me this statement:

Measures which vilify the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, as well as those which equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, must be resisted however and whenever they manifest. Such resistance combats the continued disenfranchisement and silencing of Palestinians. The vicious attempt to stifle Palestinian speech at Butler University is not an isolated event; rather, it is a well-coordinated and heavily-funded disinformation strategy. It is a strategy which denies Palestinian students agency, and prevents the diffusion of critical knowledge on Palestine in order to misrepresent Students for Justice in Palestine's purpose and goals. Students for Justice in Palestine chapters challenge the racist, popular narrative surrounding Palestinians in academia, and are therefore invaluable resources both for the student bodies of the campuses they inhabit, and also for Palestinian students as vehicles of empowerment. Despite these deliberate attempts to censor the work of Students for Justice in Palestine at Butler University, we remain steadfast in our commitment to educating our campus on the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice, and equality.

In short, resolutions that oppose BDS and equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism not only harm Palestinians, but also uphold systems which have historically been used as weapons to silence marginalized voices across the Global South. We must reject and actively oppose such measures, while also reaffirming our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for all peoples through mass action and popular education, in our communities and throughout our campuses. 

The resolution push coincided with a campaign (launched by pro-Israel students and right-wing personalities) to attack an early October event that was sponsored by the Student Government Association and organized by SJP Butler. Boycott and Safe Protesting 101 was set up to inform students about their right to protest and how to safely do it during the COVID crisis. One of the speakers on the webinar was Dalit Baum, director of economic activism at the American Friends Service Committee. Baum briefly discussed the BDS movement and pointed out that it wasn't antisemitic.

These assertions were picked up by right-wing podcaster Eric Metheny, who posted a video on Twitter condemning the event and claiming that "your tax dollars are going to effectively indoctrinate students and guide them towards antisemitism." This narrative was then embraced by Ryan Fournier, who is the founder and "co-chairman" of something called Students for Trump. He told his many followers that their "hard-earned taxpayer dollars are going to a university that wants to indoctrinate students to hate Israel."

Brooke Beloso, an associate professor and faculty advisor of SJP, told The Butler Collegian that she was "deeply concerned" about the backlash as it "places the lives and well-being of our students in jeopardy." She also dismissed the ridiculous idea that BDS is somehow antisemitic. "This is a nonsensical notion," she said. "Somehow, we are all mostly capable of differentiating between a nation-state and a religion in every other circumstance."

[yankeedoodle]

San Francisco State University Student Government Passes BDS Resolution While School Faces Federal Antisemitic Accusations
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-56/sfsu-student-government-passes-pro-bds-resolution-while-school-faces-federal-scrutiny-for-hosting-palestinian-terrorist

The student government at San Francisco State University (SFSU) passed on Wednesday a pro-BDS resolution demanding the school divest from companies that do business with Israeli settlements, even as SFSU is facing a federal investigation for hosting an event with a Palestinian terrorist.

The resolution — promoted by the General Union of Palestine Students, with backing from the Black Student Union, League of Filipino Students and International Business Society — was approved by a 17-1 margin, with two abstentions.

The  Jewish News of Northern California quoted student representative Ja'Corey Bowens as saying, "I think this document is very reflective of the culture that we should be striving for at San Francisco State, in terms of supporting our students."

The director of the university's Hillel, Rachel Nilson Ralston, stated, "We regret the introduction of BDS to our campus, the ugly discourse it elevated, and the outcome of this vote."

"This resolution has, sadly, had a real and negative impact on our students' wellness and experience of their campus," she added. "But BDS's real danger is that it seeks to influence the open hearts and minds of tomorrow's leaders from a one-sided, deeply biased narrative against Israel."

Moreover, far from Bowens' claims of supporting students, Ralston noted that representatives themselves had been subjected to "extreme pressure and bullying tactics from activists from across the country."

Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco spokesperson Jeremy Russell expressed disappointment at the passage of the resolution, saying it would "further exacerbate tensions at SF State."

"We call upon the university leaders to ensure Jewish students are welcomed and protected," he implored.

SFSU is currently under scrutiny from the federal government after its Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program hosted an online seminar in September featuring Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled, prompting an uproar that led to all major social media companies denying a platform to the event.

Source:   https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/11/19/sfsu-student-government-passes-pro-bds-resolution-while-school-faces-federal-scrutiny-for-hosting-palestinian-terrorist/

[yankeedoodle]

From The Electronic Intifada.  Read the article here, if you want to connect to the many links:   https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/what-were-top-bds-victories-2020

What were the top BDS victories of 2020?

  This year saw successful achievements by activists, students, civil rights defenders and lawmakers to uphold the right to boycott Israel.   

2020 was surely a year like no other.

Yet despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a successful year for the global Palestinian rights movement. There were plenty of direct actions, court victories and significant calls to sanction Israel over its violations of international law.

This year saw achievements by activists, students, civil rights defenders and lawmakers to uphold the right to boycott Israel – even as lawmakers, Israel lobby groups and the Israeli government itself attempted to derail, smear, attack and imprison organizers.

"Despite its massive investment of financial, political, diplomatic, propaganda and intelligence resources in its war against the BDS movement, Israel has failed, as some of its own lobby groups today admit," says the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), the steering group for the Palestinian-led BDS campaign.

What a fitting way to mark 15 years of the BDS campaign.

At the beginning of the year, the United Nations published its long-awaited list of corporations that profit from Israel's war crimes.

The report released by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights lists 112 companies involved in certain activities in the settlements, including the supply of equipment and materials for construction or home demolitions, surveillance and security, transport and maintenance, pollution and dumping of waste, and use of natural resources including water and land.

The BNC welcomed the release of the database, which came "despite bullying by [President Donald] Trump and Israel's far-right government."

https://twitter.com/BDSmovement/status/1227609742475964417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1227609742475964417%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Felectronicintifada.net%2Fblogs%2Fnora-barrows-friedman%2Fwhat-were-top-bds-victories-2020

In April, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Jordan announced that it would not be renewing its contract with G4S, a private security corporation with a lengthy history of involvement in Israel's crimes.

That means that all six UN agencies in Jordan have now canceled their contracts with the British firm.

An unnamed corporation in Jordan also announced it was not renewing its contract with G4S, stated activists with Jordan BDS.

In the UK, activists took to the roof of a factory owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. The factory is accused of making engines for the Hermes drone.

The drone has been used by the Israeli military to fire missiles on Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.

Here are some more of the top victories for Palestinian rights as covered by The Electronic Intifada in 2020.

Calls for sanctions grow louder
Public figures, politicians, trade unions and other organizations around the world called for sanctions on Israel over its plans to formalize illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Over the summer, the Palestinian BDS National Committee urged all states to adopt "effective countermeasures, including sanctions, to end Israel's unlawful acquisition of Palestinian territory through use of force, its regime of apartheid and its denial of our inalienable right to self-determination."

These measures should include an arms embargo, an end to free-trade agreements with Israel, prohibition of all trade with Israeli settlements and accountability for Israeli war criminals, the BNC said.

With almost 60 Canadian lawmakers pledging to support diplomatic and economic sanctions over the annexation plan, a June poll found that nearly half of all Canadians would back such measures.

BDS boosted in courts
Israel lobby organizations took major hits in 2020 as US and European courts thwarted efforts to suppress the boycott movement.

In February, a Washington state appeals court upheld a 2018 ruling that dismissed a lawsuit against former board members of the Olympia Food Co-op.

In 2010, the grocery store became the first of its kind in the US to remove Israeli goods from its shelves as part of the BDS campaign.

For nearly ten years, plaintiffs working closely with Israel lobby group StandWithUs sought to block the store's boycott and secure monetary damages against board members who voted in favor of the measure; and when they lost each legal battle, they would appeal to a higher court.

StandWithUs helped secretly plan the lawsuit in coordination with Israeli government officials.

In June, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. unanimously affirmed an earlier dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the American Studies Association over its support of an academic boycott of Israel.

The lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2016 after the ASA endorsed the boycott of Israeli institutions three years prior, claimed that the association's endorsement of the boycott was contrary to its charter.

But a judge threw out that key claim in 2017.

Notably, the lawsuit was backed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, an Israel advocacy organization that has for years worked to smear Palestine solidarity activism as anti-Semitism and attempts to suppress it with frivolous lawsuits and bogus civil rights complaints.

The organization's former president, attorney Kenneth Marcus, represented the plaintiffs until February 2018 – when he was appointed as the Trump administration's top civil rights enforcer at the US Department of Education.

Marcus resigned in July amid calls by civil rights groups to investigate possible violations of federal law in his prioritizing of complaints filed by anti-Palestinian organizations. He is now back at the Brandeis Center.

Upholding the right to boycott
The European Court of Human Rights upheld the right to boycott Israel when it overturned the criminal convictions against 11 Palestinian rights activists in France, striking a significant blow to Israel's anti-BDS efforts.

The court ruled unanimously that the convictions against the activists for calling on shoppers to boycott Israeli goods violated the European Convention on Human Rights' guarantee of freedom of expression.

Even though France has defied the court's ruling by telling prosecutors to continue investigating those who call for boycotts of Israel, French activists continue to organize.

https://twitter.com/palestine69/status/1334910450010566660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1334910450010566660%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Felectronicintifada.net%2Fblogs%2Fnora-barrows-friedman%2Fwhat-were-top-bds-victories-2020

United Nations representatives warned the German government in October that its tightening crackdown on supporters of Palestinian rights violates freedom of expression.

Five special rapporteurs on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, human rights defenders, human rights in Palestine and freedom of religion sent Germany a letter complaining about its repressive behavior.

In April, the UK Supreme Court struck down an anti-divestment rule imposed by the government in 2016.

The law stated that councils could not use their pension policies "to pursue boycotts, divestment and sanctions against foreign nations and UK defense industries."

But the Palestine Solidarity Campaign challenged the government, and in 2017 the high court ruled in its favor.

That decision was overturned in 2018 by the Court of Appeal, but with the Supreme Court's final ruling, it cannot be appealed.

In the US, journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin sued the state of Georgia over its draconian anti-BDS law.

Martin was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at a media literacy conference held at Georgia Southern University. When officials demanded that she sign a contract stating she would not engage in a boycott of Israel, Martin refused to do so and her keynote was canceled, as was the entire conference.

Martin's lawsuit against Georgia is one of several filed by activists, attorneys, educators and reporters in states across the US.

In 2020, the governors of Missouri and Oklahoma signed anti-BDS measures into law, but civil rights defenders are fighting them in courts.

Rebukes of whitewashing, pinkwashing
In September, Palestinians called for a boycott of The Next Nas Daily, a venture run by Nuseir Yassin, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, whose critics accuse him of whitewashing Israel's crimes by falsely equating a colonial occupier with its victims.

And in December, BDS groups in Arab countries launched one of their largest recent social media campaigns to amplify that call.

After sustained outcry from Palestinians and supporters of Palestinian rights, US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled out of an October event to honor Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist 25 years ago.

Her cancelation dealt a significant blow to Israel lobbyists seeking to whitewash Rabin's legacy of colonial violence in Palestine.

Earlier in the year, more than 130 queer filmmakers and film artists from around the globe pledged to boycott TLVFest, the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, in a rebuke of Israel's pinkwashing campaign.

Students rise up
College students continue to stand up for Palestinian rights, even as university administrators capitulate to Israel lobby demands.

The University of Manchester in England divested more than $5 million from Caterpillar and the parent company of travel site Booking.com.

Activists said it was "a colossal win for the Palestine solidarity movement in Britain" and a "watershed moment."

The university had been a focus for campaigners since 2016 due to its investments in firms complicit in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Even though the university denied that their divestment had anything to do with the mounting pressure by human rights defenders, activist Huda Ammori told The Electronic Intifada that the University of Manchester "divesting from complicit companies shows the power of the grassroots student movement to hold our institutions to account."

In the US, students at Tufts University in Boston voted in favor of ending all foreign military training of the college's police department, while others at California State University campuses in San Francisco and Fresno passed resolutions calling for divestment from companies that play an active role in Israel's occupation.

A referendum at Columbia University's liberal arts college in New York City calling on the university to divest from "stocks, funds, and endowment from companies that profit from or engage in the State of Israel's acts towards Palestinians" was supported by more than 60 percent of students.

And at Butler University in Indiana, two resolutions that would have condemned the BDS campaign and conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish bigotry were defeated by student representatives.

Here's to the activism and victories in 2020, with more to come in 2021.

[yankeedoodle]

Arkansas' anti-BDS law violates the First Amendment, says court
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found a law that prohibits Arkansas from doing business with companies that boycott Israel unconstitutional in a 2-1 decision.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/arkansas-anti-bds-law-violates-the-first-amendment-says-court/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

The Arkansas Times has successfully challenged a law that prohibits the state from doing business with companies that boycott Israel.

The Little Rock-based weekly filed the lawsuit in 2018 and was represented by the ACLU. The paper takes no official position on BDS, but it launched the legal challenge after the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College refused to sign an advertising contract with The Arkansas Times, unless it signed the pledge. A U.S. district court judge dismissed the case in 2019, but last week the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found the law unconstitutional in a 2-1 decision.

https://twitter.com/pal_legal/status/1360309499630923776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1360309499630923776%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmondoweiss.net%2F2021%2F02%2Farkansas-anti-bds-law-violates-the-first-amendment-says-court%2F

"We're thrilled by the court's ruling, which upholds the fundamental right to participate in political boycotts," said ACLU attorney Brian Hauss in a statement. "The government cannot force people to choose between their livelihoods and their First Amendment rights, which is what this law did. Political boycotts are a legitimate form of nonviolent protest, and they are protected by the First Amendment."

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad echoed these sentiments in a statement. "Today's federal ruling represents a critically important moment in the struggle to protect free speech here at home and advance human rights overseas," he said. "From Arizona, to Texas, to Arkansas, numerous courts now recognize the obvious: states cannot require individuals or corporations to sign an oath pledging support for the Israeli government as a condition for working with a state government."

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge expressed frustration with the ruling. The Attorney General is disappointed in the Eighth Circuit's decision, which interferes with Arkansas's law banning discrimination against Israel, an important American ally," a spokesperson from her office told The Associated Press.

On the same day of the Arkansas decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the UN Human Rights Council for publishing a list of companies that do business in the occupied territories. In his statement, Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel promotes anti-BDS laws within the United States: "In recent years, we have promoted laws in most US states, which determine that strong action is to be taken against whoever tries to boycott Israel."

[yankeedoodle]

Virginia gubernatorial candidate says he supports BDS movement
In a recent online event, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Lee Carter said he's a supporter of the BDS movement. Other candidates declined to support the movement, but all defended the right to boycott.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/03/virginia-gubernatorial-candidate-says-he-supports-bds-movement/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Lee Carter says he's a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS).

Carter's comments came during at the Virginia People's Debate, an online event hosted by a number of progressive organizations. The candidates who attended were asked if they would "discourage or criminalize" BDS if elected Governor. Carter, who is currently a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, was the only candidate who said he supported the movement, but everyone on the call defended the right to boycott.

"No, I will never do that," said Carter. "I'm a supporter of the BDS movement. I believe that the human rights abuses that are being inflicted upon the Palestinian people are among the worst currently ongoing in the world."

Carter also criticized the Virginia Israel Advisory Board, which was created to help Israeli businesses in the state.

"There is only one state in America that has agency dedicated to increasing its trade deficit with a foreign country and that agency is the Virginia Israel Advisory Board," Carter explained. "I don't think we should have an agency like that on our books for any country, but specifically for a country that has a military occupation over a captive population like the Israeli government does over the Palestinian people."

Discussion of BDS begins at 1:54:

The only candidate to not appear at the event was Terry McAuliffe, who was Governor of the state from 2014-2018. McAuliffe has touted his pro-Israel record and championed the state's connections to the country. Polls show that nearly 50% of the state's voters are undecided.

A pro-Israel Twitter account accused Carter of being an antisemite after the event and he reiterated his support for the movement in response.

"Say whatever you want about me, I will never stop defending the human rights of the Palestinian people, which are being systemically violated each and every day," he tweet. "I'm not afraid of your smears."

https://twitter.com/carterforva/status/1372389824074747905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1372389824074747905%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmondoweiss.net%2F2021%2F03%2Fvirginia-gubernatorial-candidate-says-he-supports-bds-movement%2F

[yankeedoodle]

Canada's New Democratic Party passes motion to sanction Israel
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/04/canadas-new-democratic-party-passes-motion-to-sanction-israel/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

At the New Democratic Party's (NDP) convention last week, party members overwhelmingly passed a motion to sanction Israel. The policy book forthe center-left political party, which has existed in Canada since 1961, will now include a boycott of goods from illegal settlements and an arms embargo on the country.

"The adoption of this policy today firmly positions the NDP as one of the few parties demanding the end of Canada's support for illegal settlements and suspending the flow of weapons to and from Israel until Palestinians are free," Geneviève Nevin, one of the resolution's organizers, said in a statement. "In a time of unparalleled and intersecting social, environmental, and economic crises, it is of paramount importance that the NDP stand with and take direction from marginalized communities and those fighting for peace and justice everywhere."

"For the first time, the NDP has endorsed concrete and proactive measures that the Canadian government can take to force Israel's compliance with international law," said Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME). "This is a major step forward for the NDP, and an encouraging development for all Canadians who want to see our political leaders respond to the call for action coming from Palestinian civil society."

Organizers were also hoping to vote on a resolution rebuking the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which infamously includes some criticisms of Israel. That resolution never came up for a vote, but NDP leadership faced immense pressure from pro-Israel groups to quash the effort. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) put out a statement attacking the NDP and sponsored a letter calling for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to reject the resolution.

"Even though there was no vote on this resolution, the NDP leadership needs to realize that there is widespread and growing opposition to the harmful IHRA definition within the party, who expect their leadership to take a clear stance against it," said Bueckert.

[yankeedoodle]

Pomona College Student Gov't Passes BDS Resolution
Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr denounced the ASPC for holding the vote "without representation from any student opposition" and urged the ASPC to revisit the matter to ensure that all viewpoints are heard. 
https://jewishjournal.com/news/335886/pomona-college-student-govt-passes-bds-resolution/

The Pomona College student government unanimously passed a pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution on April 22. The Claremont Independent reported that the resolution, which was authored by Claremont Colleges Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Claremont Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), called on the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) to cease funding student clubs that "invest in or purchase goods or services from companies that contribute to the settlement and occupation of Palestinian occupied territories by the UN-designated companies or the Israeli state" and to stop stores headed by the ASPC from selling such goods.

Claremont SJP celebrated the resolution's passage as "an important first step in reducing our complicity with a country that maintains an illegal military occupation and regularly commits crimes against humanity against the indigenous Palestinian population." JVP's Los Angeles chapter said in a statement that student activism in favor of the resolution "supports Palestinians in their own struggle for freedom and equality, and it brings the world closer to a future defined by a just and secure peace for all in Palestine and Israel."

However, Janie Marcus, who heads the Claremont Progressive Israel Alliance, told the Journal that Jewish students and the local Hillel were not notified about the resolution and didn't get a chance to weigh in on it before it was passed. "It really seems more than anything else that they wanted to do this in secret."

She added that the resolution "marginalizes Jewish students who view Israel as the Jewish homeland and directly targets these Jewish students" and pointed out that the Claremont Progressive Israel Alliance could lose funding if the resolution is enforced, as the club provides support to various Jewish organizations and Jewish companies. "I worry that our club could come under fire and lose funding just because we support Israel."

Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr denounced the ASPC for holding the vote "without representation from any student opposition" and urged the ASPC to revisit the matter to ensure that all viewpoints are heard. "The resolution's stated goal of eventually enacting requirements that all student clubs supported by ASPC — not just ASPC itself — comply with its divestment stance or lose funding is also of deep concern, as it would require all students, regardless of their views, to participate in a boycott," Starr said. "We urge ASPC to reverse course and allow for full discussion, and we welcome an open dialogue on this matter."

"WE URGE ASPC TO REVERSE COURSE AND ALLOW FOR FULL DISCUSSION, AND WE WELCOME AN OPEN DIALOGUE ON THIS MATTER." — POMONA COLLEGE PRESIDENT G. GABRIELLE STARR

Marcus said that she was "thrilled" about Starr's statement for putting pressure on the ASPC to rescind the resolution, but she won't be satisfied until such action is taken. "I think the first step is to create some sort of dialogue and to bring Jewish students and minority voices into the discussion... I'm curious what will happen when some of these other voices are included."

Jewish groups condemned the resolution. "The passage of this new Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution by the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) is a disturbing trend we have seen in recent years on a number of the campuses in The Claremont Consortium," Anti-Defamation League Senior Associate Regional Director Natan Pakman said in a statement to the Journal. "BDS campaigns promote a biased and simplistic approach to the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict and present this dispute over territorial and nationalist claims as the fault of only one party — Israel. The BDS campaign does not support Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and rejects a two-state solution to the conflict."

StandWithUs co-founder and CEO Roz Rothstein similarly said in a statement to the Journal, "It is shameful that a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolution was passed by Pomona College's student government without the knowledge or input from the Jewish and Israeli community on campus. What is especially disturbing is that this resolution stated intent to deny funding to any student groups who do not support divestment. Passing this resolution without consulting important constituencies and attempting to deny funding to those who oppose efforts to demonize Israel is a blatant disregard for Pomona College ASPC's stated values of ethics. It is appalling to see such flagrant efforts to exclude students for their Zionist identities."

AMCHA Initiative Director Tami Rossman-Benjamin called the resolution "particularly sinister" in a statement to the Journal, noting that it would require pro-Israel student clubs "to disavow their support for Israel or lose their student government funding, effectively discriminating against and suppressing the free speech of Jewish and pro-Israel students. That is a direct violation of the First Amendment and cannot be left unaddressed. The university must not only condemn this resolution, they must immediately nullify it."

The ASPC did not respond to the Journal's request for comment.

[yankeedoodle]

Members of Pillsbury family join BDS fight against company
Five members of the Pillsbury family say the company should be boycotted as long as it operates in an illegal Israeli settlement.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/04/members-of-pillsbury-family-join-bds-fight-against-company/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

Five members of the Pillsbury family have joined a boycott campaign targeting the company that bears their surname. They're calling on people to refrain from buying Pillsbury products until its parent company stops doing business on land that was illegally confiscated from Palestinians.

The boycott call was made in a Star Tribune op-ed authored by Charlie Pillsbury. It was also submitted on behalf of George, Leah, Lydia, and Sarah Pillsbury. "We take pride in seeing our family name associated with products sold around the world," it reads. "But in these times we no longer can in good conscience buy products bearing our name."

The article continues:

We also are disappointed by the indifference General Mills has shown to this issue in its media statements. Instead of taking responsibility for building a factory on confiscated land, General Mills has boasted that the factory employs Palestinians.

Of course, hiring Palestinians is a good thing to do; but providing jobs to a few Palestinians does little to offset the enormous costs of a brutal occupation, nor does it excuse General Mills from profiting from Israel's war crimes.

The Boycott Pillsbury campaign was initiated by a number of human rights organizations, including American Muslims for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee.

The Pillsbury Company was founded by Charles Alfred Pillsbury and John S. Pillsbury in 1869, but purchased by General Mills in 2001. In 2020 the United Nations named General Mills as one of the 112 businesses that's violating international law by operating in the occupied territories.

Since 2002, General Mills has manufactured Pillsbury products at a factory in the Atarot Industrial Zone, an illegal settlement that Israel annexed during the 1967. According to a 2019 report on the settlement put out by Al-Haq, the factory also creates problems for Palestinians who still live in the area. "When they pour the flour [into the mixers which are outdoors], the flour comes into our house. Sometimes the bags of flour overflow into the house," explained in a resident.

"We call on General Mills to stop doing business on occupied land," reads the op-ed. "And we call on all people of good conscience and all socially responsible organizations across the globe to join in boycotting Pillsbury products until General Mills stops this illegal and immoral practice."

[yankeedoodle]

  FREEDOM TO BOYCOTT ACTIVISTS IN MASSACHUSETTS   

Massachusetts House rejects distorted IHRA definition of antisemitism
Activists rallied to defeat a bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives that would have adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism for the state.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/05/massachusetts-house-rejects-distorted-ihra-definition-of-antisemitism/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected an amendment to the state budget which would have Massachusetts adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, a definition that equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, within its law on religious discrimination.

The problem amendment, called "Condemnation of Antisemitism and Adoption of IHRA Definition", was submitted by Rep. Howitt (R. Seekonk) as amendment #300 to the state budget bill, H.4000.

With only two days to respond before the amendment was considered, Jewish Voice for Peace-Boston, Massachusetts Peace Action, the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, and the Unitarian-Universalists for Justice in the Middle East mobilized quickly and contacted representatives and Palestinian rights supporters.   Over 400 people wrote to Aaron Michlewitz, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, to other Ways and Means leaders, and to their own representative and senator, warning of the serious damage that would be done by the amendment.  Legislators expressed their views as well.  One progressive representative, Liz Malia, who had signed on to the amendment thinking it was a legitimate anti-discrimination measure, dropped off the list of supporters once she realized what it really meant.   The amendment was then removed by the Ways and Means committee, effectively killing it.

We condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism.  But this amendment is the wrong way to fight anti-Jewish hate.

The IHRA definition is hugely controversial.  More than two hundred global experts on antisemitism, holocaust and Jewish studies who signed the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism have repudiated the IHRA definition as inadequate and misleading. They have asked governmental organizations not to sign it.  The American Civil Liberties Union, the Centre for Constitutional Rights, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the National Lawyers Guild, and and other civil rights organizations have condemned it on constitutional grounds. Over two dozen US based Jewish organizations oppose codifying it into law.

The IHRA definition is deceptive. Rather than focusing on right-wing white supremacist attacks on Jews, this definition says promotes the view that it's anti-Semitic to criticize Israeli violations of human rights, international law, and discrimination against Palestinians.  That actually makes it harder to identify actual forms of anti-Jewish hatred.

The definition threatens to silence our free speech in order to protect Israel.  Speaking out against violations of human rights and international law is protected political speech that has nothing to do with discrimination based on religion.  The first amendment protects our right to condemn the policies of any government.

This was just one more effort by Rep. Howitt (after his multiple failed prior bills and amendments) to get the Massachusetts legislature to penalize those who oppose Israeli policies.   Congratulations to those who mobilized quickly and successfully stopped this anti-democratic amendment!

This experience once again highlights the extreme secrecy and undemocratic procedure that the Massachusetts House of Representatives follows.  Critical amendments are decided on three days after being posted.  The meeting at which the amendment was discussed was not open to the public or even to legislative staff, but only to legislators, and no record was published of the discussion.   The amendment was rejected by the Ways and Means Committee leadership who then posted an amendment package.   That amendment package was then passed a few hours later by a vote of 159-0 with 1 not voting.  The Act on Mass coalition has been campaigning for the House to do its work with full transparency.  It abysmally failed at transparency this week, as it does every week, although the outcome was a good one in this case.

[yankeedoodle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZ5o8J4YZc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMFNbypw1qs

BDS activists are targeting Puma in Boston
Puma is moving its corporate headquarters to Boston and BDS activists there are planning on targeting the shoe maker over its sponsorship of Israel's football league.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/05/bds-activists-are-targeting-puma-in-boston/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

In recent months supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) have been showing up outside a Puma store in the Boston suburb of Somerville to picket and hand out literature.

Puma became a target of the BDS movement in 2018 after the company signed a four-year deal to sponsor the Israel Football Association (IFA), which has multiple teams based in illegal West Bank settlements.

The IFA is an affiliate of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and, beyond the obvious violations of international law, the teams that play on occupied land shouldn't technically exist under FIFA's rules. Leagues under the FIFA umbrella aren't allowed to play games on the territory of another member association and the Palestinian Football Association is part of the federation. As Human Rights Watch has pointed out, FIFA acted swiftly in 2014 when the Russian Football Union tried to play games Crimea, but there's been no action when it comes to the IFA.

The IFA isn't the only way in which Israeli apartheid impacts local football. The country's many restrictions on Palestinian movement make it extremely difficult for athletes to compete. A recent report put out by BDS Boston quotes a 2020 piece by Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak:

Eight years ago, my life changed forever. I was 22 and living my footballing dream. I was on the national team, had represented my country at the Olympics, and had just signed to a professional club in the West Bank. But on my way to meet my new team [from Gaza], I was seized by Israeli security forces. No charges were ever brought against me, nor was I brought to trial, and yet I was imprisoned for three years and brutally tortured. It was only after a 96-day hunger strike that international pressure forced the Israeli regime to release me.   

Local connection
Puma is set to have a much bigger presence in the Boston area as it's about to move its corporate headquarters there.

"When the BDS movement here in Boston found out that Puma was building its headquarters in Somerville we thought it was a unique opportunity to raise awareness about Puma sponsoring the IFA," Sanjay D'Souza, a scientist and Scientist and BDS Boston activist since 2019. told Mondoweiss. "We felt this could be really strategic for us because it's happening in our own backyard and it could be a lot more visible. We wanted to start to put pressure on Puma locally."

"The first action we are trying to focus on is talking to people who are trying to enter the store," D'Souza explained. "We tell them what Puma is doing, we hand out flyers that give them more information about the IFA. Eventually we want to draw more attention to the headquarters so that senior management might pay attention. We've sent them a few emails in recent months. Sometimes they reply, sometimes they don't. But the main goal at the moment is to educate people on why we are targeting Puma and to discourage people from shopping there."

Ragini Shah, a law professor and BDS Boston member since 2019, told Mondoweiss that the popularity of sports in the city provides an intriguing angle worth targeting. In addition to hosting the Boston Marathon every year, the local professional teams have enjoyed immense success over the last two decades. Marcus Smart, the dynamic Boston Celtics guard, is sponsored by Puma.

"Boston is such a big sports town," Shah told Mondoweiss. "We haven't really reached this phase of the campaign yet, but we thought we might be able to get some local athletes interested in this issue and interested in helping to call Puma out for what we see as hypocrisy."

Black Lives Matter hypocrisy
In recent months Puma has publicly embraced social justice causes. Puma certainly isn't the only company to embrace brand activism in response to the George Floyd protests but, as Shah points out, many find their pivot particularly egregious given the Israel connection.

"Puma is really branding itself as a company that supports Black Lives Matter, black athletes have been chosen as spokespeople for them, and yet they're sponsoring the IFA and engaging the oppression of Palestinians," she said. "So we thought that could be a compelling angle and hopefully that will come to fruition."

These sentiments were echoed by Mahmoud Sarsak. "Today, I see the sports world being forced to confront racism and hate by Black Lives Matter – and yet the prejudice which destroyed my career is largely ignored," he explained. Sportswear giant Puma has taken a public stance against hate, putting out ads and hosting 'honest conversations' on racism. And yet it continues to be complicit in the subjugation of my people."

Lea Kayali is a Palestinian community organizer and member of BDS Boston. She says it's telling that Puma management sent four cop cars full of police to question protestors during a recent action. "Any profit seeking corporation that is touting issues of racial justice deserves a level of scrutiny," she told Mondoweiss. "What's really clear in this case is that it's a hollow attempt to rebrand and seem like an ethical company. It's a trend we've seen since last summer. Every company wants to cash in on the BLM brand. As a Palestinian highlighting their complicity is a way to talk about how that branding is very surface level. If they're planning on sending the cops on peaceful protestors, that puts people of color in our group at risk. We've certainly seen terrible things happen over far less. It's important to highlight the irony in all this."

Global campaign
The BDS campaign against Puma has already notched some major victories in other parts of the world. Malaysia's largest university dropped its sponsorship deal with the company over its support for illegal settlements. UK clubs have also been pressured to act. Luton Town FC dropped their sponsorship with Puma and Forest Green Rovers FC pledged to not sign a contract with them. Additionally, over 200 Palestinian teams and athletes have called for a boycott.
- https://bdsmovement.net/news/largest-malaysian-university-ends-contract-with-puma-over-support-for-illegal-israeli
- https://bdsmovement.net/news/luton-town-kicks-out-israeli-occupation-sponsor-puma
- https://bdsmovement.net/news/forest-green-rovers-fc-pledges-boycott-puma-chair-says-palestine-greatest-injustice-his

Puma will hold its annual shareholders on May 5th and worldwide protests are planned to draw attention to the BDS efforts.

"The goal of any BDS campaign is to force people to confront their relationship with Zionism," Kayali told Mondoweiss. "Its the same goal locally, the campaign is a vehicle to do that. It's not just about sneakers and jerseys, it's about confronting the ties we have as taxpayers in this country."

[yankeedoodle]

Federal court rules Georgia's anti-BDS law 'unconstitutional' after case by journalist Abby Martin
https://www.rt.com/usa/524702-abby-martin-bds-lawsuit-georgia/

A Georgia law created to discourage the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement has been ruled as "unconstitutional," in a move that activists are celebrating as a "major victory."

The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed on behalf of journalist Abby Martin – formerly the host of Breaking the Set on RT. Martin refused to sign a contract pledging that she would refrain from boycotts against Israel ahead of a planned speaking engagement at Georgia Southern University in February 2020.

When Martin refused to comply, her appearance was canceled and she later filed a lawsuit with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF).

Judge Mark Cohen wrote in his ruling that Georgia's law "prohibits inherently expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment."

On Twitter, Martin said she was "thrilled" at the court's ruling and blasted Georgia's law that "so clearly violates the free speech rights of myself and so many others."

Martin went on to say that the current conflict between Israel and Palestine shows it has "never been more urgent to advance the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions movement against the Israeli regime."

https://twitter.com/AbbyMartin/status/1396869240913678338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1396869240913678338%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F524702-abby-martin-bds-lawsuit-georgia%2F

In 2016, Gov. Nathan Deal signed SB 327 into law, which required any person or business entering into a contract with the state worth more than $1,000 to sign a pledge not to support boycotts of Israel.

Activists marked the latest ruling on the Georgia law as a "huge victory."

https://twitter.com/ashahshahani/status/1396882872196386819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1396882872196386819%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F524702-abby-martin-bds-lawsuit-georgia%2F

https://twitter.com/pal_legal/status/1396883579259523078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1396883579259523078%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F524702-abby-martin-bds-lawsuit-georgia%2F

Similar anti-BDS laws exist in numerous other US states, and CAIR has filed lawsuits against those laws in Arkansas, Arizona, Maryland, and Texas, where they saw a victory after a federal court also ruled the law was unconstitutional in 2019.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals also declared this year that Arkansas' anti-BDS law was a violation of free speech protections.

[yankeedoodle]

Patti Smith and Julian Casablancas among over 600 musicians to call for boycott of Israel
https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/patti-smith-and-julian-casablancas-among-over-600-musicians-to-call-for-boycott-of-israel

(JTA) — Patti Smith and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes are among the more than 600 musicians who have signed a letter calling for artists to avoid playing concerts in Israel.

"We call on you to join us with your name in refusing to perform at Israel's complicit cultural institutions," says the letter, which began circulating Thursday in media reports.

It claims Israel committed war crimes in its recent fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and that the "Israeli government operates a settler-colonial project committed to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population."

Roger Waters, the former frontman of Pink Floyd and a longtime leading activist in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, is among the signers, but it is unclear if he spearheaded the letter. Waters has convinced a number of musicians to sign similar letters in the past, but this appears to be the largest such group of mainstream artists calling for a boycott.

Other big-name musicians who signed include the band Rage Against the Machine, rap group Run the Jewels, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, and the DJ and drummer Questlove. Some Jewish artists signed as well, including Peter Silberman of The Antlers, an indie band.




San Francisco Teachers Union Endorses Antisemitic BDS Movement, Calls on U.S. Aid to be Fully Halted 
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-79/cww1bup7m0efoknvgb4vysxyyat10r

In a historic endorsement, the teachers' union for the San Francisco Unified School District passed a resolution on May 19th in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement  against Israel.

The United Educators of San Francisco, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the country, is the first American K-12 union of public school teachers to officially support BDS, although other education and trade unions have done so. The resolution was passed right before Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire on May 20 after 11 days of fighting.

The measure, which was submitted to the UESF's assembly by 10 union members from several K-12 schools in San Francisco, including June Jordan and Washington high schools, Francisco Middle School and Clarendon Elementary, is titled "Resolution in Solidarity with the Palestinian People."

A call to support BDS comes at the very end of the resolution in a single sentence. The resolution also calls on the Biden administration to end aid to Israel. The 388-word document also denounces Israel's "forced displacement and home demolitions" of Palestinians in Jerusalem and "a regime of legalized racial discrimination."

"Whereas, as public school educators in the United States of America, we have a special responsibility to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people because of the 3.8 billion dollars annually that the US government gives to Israel, thus directly using our tax dollars to fund apartheid and war crimes," the resolution reads.

It also calls for Israel to end its "bombardment of Gaza and stop displacement at Sheikh Jarrah," referring to the neighborhood in East Jerusalem that has become a flashpoint of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

According to the online magazine Tempest, which describes itself on its Facebook page as a "revolutionary socialist organizing project," four San Francisco union members spoke against the resolution while "about a dozen" spoke in support. The final vote, according to the magazine, was 23 in favor, six opposed and seven abstentions.

UESF president Susan Solomon, whose organization represents some 6,200 teachers and school employees, told J. that resolutions are "presented, discussed and debated" by the union's assembly members.

In a statement to J., Jewish Community Relations Council executive director Tyler Gregory called the resolution "factually inaccurate" and "inflammatory."

"Rather than supporting all students whose families may be impacted by the conflict, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, and Arabs, this vote will contribute to Jewish students feeling unsafe and unwelcomed in San Francisco public schools," he said. "We are committed to fighting for fair and inclusive policies to support Jews and other marginalized communities in public education."

A substitute resolution was also submitted by substitute teacher and former executive vice president of UESF Linda Plack, which omitted the endorsement of BDS, included a mention of Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and called on President Joe Biden to end the conflict through a cease-fire.

"Therefore, be it resolved, that United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) expresses its solidarity with families in San Francisco who are worried for the safety and security of their friends and relatives in the region," the substitute resolution read.

According to Jeff Schuhrke, a labor historian and visiting lecturer of history at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has written in support of teachers' unions endorsing BDS, it is the first time since 2016 that any union in America has officially backed the BDS movement.

Other unions to support BDS in the United States include the Industrial Workers of the World; the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers; graduate workers at the University of California (UAW Local 2865); UMass Amherst (UAW Local 2322); and New York University (UAW 2110), Schuhrke said.

Source:  https://www.jweekly.com/2021/05/25/sfusd-teachers-union-endorses-israel-boycott-movement/




Students across the UK demand an end to university complicity in Israeli apartheid
University students across the UK are demanding immediate divestment from companies complicit in Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism as a part of Apartheid Off Campus's national day of action.
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/05/students-across-the-uk-demand-an-end-to-university-complicity-in-in-israeli-apartheid/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet



On the 28th of May, university students across the country are gathering in unity with the Palestinian people to demand immediate divestment from companies complicit in Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism as a part of Apartheid Off Campus's national day of action.

The recent forced expulsions in Sheik Jarrah, the brutal attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque and the ruthless bombing of Gaza have brought students together in grief, anger and deep solidarity with Palestine. As a result, protests will be taking place on campuses of UK universities that are complicit in these human rights violations. In total, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign database calculates UK universities to be investing £455,815,954 in companies that directly or indirectly assist the violent Israeli regime of dispossession and incremental genocide of the Palestinian people.

See Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CPImYbiHSZc/

The events of the last few weeks has captured international attention, but the brutalisation of Palestinians in nothing new. Each time Israel has decided to "mow the lawn" and wage war on the captive people of Gaza, meting out death and destruction on a population who are mostly refugees, mostly children, the international community arises from its slumber only for as long as it takes for a cease-fire to be announced. Gazans are left alone to reconstruct some semblance of life and to continue to suffocate beneath an inhumane siege, until Israel's next criminal assault.

It would be natural for the victims of this endless cycle of brutality, momentary global interest, and then neglect and amnesia, to grow cynical towards any claim that something might really be changing, that some decisive shift in public consciousness might truly be underway. But United Nations spokesperson Chris Gunness was correct when he described Gazans as possessing an "indomitable dignity" and Palestinians in the West Bank and within the Green Line have also shown time and again that they will never be docile in the face of apartheid and settler-colonialism.

The growing Unity Intifada represents the complete rejection of a defeatism which Israel, with each barbaric wave of massacre and ethnic cleansing, has endeavoured to instill in Palestinians. "The Dignity and Hope Manifesto" circulated widely across Palestine, and published in Mondoweiss, reflects their irrepressible will for life and liberation:

"This Intifada will be a long one in the streets of Palestine and in streets around the world; an intifada that fights the hand of injustice wherever it tries to reach, that fights the batons of cruel regimes wherever they try to strike." 

The question then falls to those of us living in the West, will we stand shoulder to shoulder with those courageous enough to resist their violent dispossession? Will our solidarity this time be unflagging, or will it evaporate in the next few weeks when Palestine no longer dominates news headlines?

Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch and Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem both published exhaustive reports accusing Israel of subjecting Palestinians to an apartheid system. The 1973 Apartheid Convention defines apartheid as "inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them" and it is recognised as a crime against humanity under international law. For decades, Palestinians have been ringing the alarm against Israeli apartheid, and with Israel's most recent act of criminal aggression in Gaza and East Jerusalem, a heightened awareness of Israel's settler-colonialism appears to be blossoming in the UK –  most especially among students.



As university students, we cannot allow the endorsement and material support of settler colonialism to continue. We have a moral obligation and duty to the Palestinian people to resist against the forces that profit from their oppression. Our dedication to justice and our anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, transnational solidarity means that we will use our collective voice to support the fight against Israeli apartheid and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

In 1971, the National Union of Students and the Anti-Apartheid Movement set up a network to co-ordinate student campaigns. Over the next decade, students at nearly every university and college in Britain organised anti-apartheid action, which included calling on these institutions to divest from South Africa. Students have, evidently, fought against apartheid through collective action & divestment campaigns in the past, and we, at Apartheid off Campus, wholeheartedly believe it can happen again. If universities say that they are committed to 'decolonising' themselves, then this is non-negotiable; this is the only the most basic, elementary action that can be taken, and any decolonisation which neglects it is performative. We hope you join us in linking arms with our Palestinian siblings and, once again, resisting apartheid in our institutions until Palestine is liberated.

Apartheid off Campus is a non-hierarchical student network of activists that organises for UK universities to adopt BDS. This involves pressuring universities to break their links with and divest from companies complicit in Israeli Apartheid and sign an Apartheid Free Pledge to commit to disengaging with apartheid regimes. 

You can find us on the following social media pages to find your closest protest, follow our work and join the student network:

Facebook page – Apartheid Off Campus  https://www.facebook.com/apartheidoffcampus
Twitter – @AOC_movement  https://twitter.com/AOC_movement
Instagram – @apartheidoffcampus  https://www.instagram.com/apartheidoffcampus/

[yankeedoodle]

From Phil Giraldi:
Abby Martin Beats the Israel Lobby
Attack on Free Speech and Association Fails Court Test
https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/abby-martin-beats-the-israel-lobby/

Abby Martin's efforts must be applauded for she has won a major victory in the struggle to maintain freedom of speech in the United States.

Many Americans who follow developments overseas would concede that Israel and its supporters in the United States exercise a fairly high level of control over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Some are also aware of Congressional attempts to introduce legislation that would define criticism of the Jewish state as a federal hate crime. That would narrow the options for discussion, infringing on First Amendment free speech rights, and further tighten the grip on policy. It would also make violators of the new law subject to fines and even imprisonment at the hands of the Department of Justice, which has traditionally responded favorably on issues of concern to Israel and its supporters.

Still fewer Americans, however, are aware of the ability of the Lobby to promote legislation favorable to Israel and its perceived interests at state and local levels. Possibly the most insidious program being advanced by the friends of Israel is the attempt to make boycotts and public criticism of Israel a punishable offense. Legislation is now in place in many states that requires prospective recipients of government jobs, services or compensation to agree not to participate in boycotting or otherwise seeking to damage the Israeli economy. The details on how the legislation works and what exactly it covers varies from state to state, but the intention is to create disincentives for anyone who seeks to harm Israel as defined by Israel itself. It particularly targets the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is popular on many university campuses. And the prohibition goes beyond just sanctioning those who are taking action personally, as in a number of states one also cannot publicly or even privately encourage others to take action that might be damaging to the Jewish state. In some U.S. states, the recipient must even sign a legal document under oath indicating that he or she will not engage in anti-Israeli activity.

One might well ask by what authority state governments can demand that citizens not be free to discuss or even peacefully oppose the activity engaged in by a foreign government, particularly as the government in question is an apartheid regime that is a serial violator of international law and guilty of numerous war crimes. Indeed, many who have observed the corruption of constitutional government in the United States by Israel and its friends have asked just that and have predictably not received any credible response. Recently, some believers in the Bill of Rights have, however, gone one step further, going to court after refusing to swear fealty to Israel. Highly respected international journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin is one of the latest to do so.

Abby's tale will strike many as bizarre, but it has been verified by multiple independent sources and is absolutely true. It demonstrates how in 21st century America government at all levels can strip citizens of their fundamental rights with the stroke or a pen and how the lawmakers will feel absolutely no remorse after they have done so.

In 2016 in Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed off on a law designated SB 327, which is similar to legislation currently active in at least thirty states. The bill is entitled "State Purchasing; prohibit the state from entering into certain contracts unless such contracts contain a certification; does not presently conduct a boycott of Israel" and reads "A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general authority, duties, and procedure relative to state purchasing, so as to prohibit the state, including all of its subdivisions and instrumentalities, from entering into certain contracts with an individual or company unless such contracts contain a certification that such individual or company does not presently conduct a boycott of Israel and will not conduct such a boycott for the duration of such contract; to exclude certain contracts from these requirements; to provide for definitions; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes."

In simple language, the law requires any person or company that enters into a contract with the State of Georgia worth $1,000 or more to sign a loyalty oath pledging not engage in political boycotts of the Israeli government based on its treatment of Palestinians.

Abby Martin had agreed to give the keynote address at the International Critical Media Conference that was to be held at Georgia Southern University in 2020, but her participation was canceled by the authorities controlling the University System of Georgia when she refused to sign the document. Her advocacy for BDS was already well known to college authorities when she agreed to speak. She responded with a lawsuit filed on her behalf by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund seeking to overturn both the decision and the law, arguing that her speech was protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Last Monday, Judge Mark Cohen of the Federal District Court in Atlanta ruled in her favor, declaring that the University System of Georgia had violated Martin's constitutional rights when it cancelled her speaking engagement over her refused to sign the state-mandated oath pledging not to engage in boycotts of Israel, which the court determined to be protected by the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution.

The Georgian government defense argued absurdly that it had canceled Martin's speech because it had "an interest in furthering foreign policy goals regarding relations with Israel." Dismissing that contention, the judge countered with "Defendants fail to explain how Martin's advocacy of a boycott of Israel has any bearing on Georgia's ability to advance foreign policy goals with Israel." One might also add that the U.S. Constitution grants to the federal government alone the conduct of foreign affairs for the entire United States, so, in a sense, Georgia has no foreign policy.

The judge specifically cited how the law's clear intention to stifle discussion of BDS "prohibits inherently expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment," and therefore "burdens Martin's right to free speech." He also observed that requiring Martin to sign under oath to refrain from certain otherwise legal activity is "no different than requiring a person to espouse certain political beliefs or to engage in certain political associations."

Abby Martin was, of course, pleased over the outcome of her case, even though the judge has not yet gone so far as to overturn the law itself. She enthused "I am thrilled at the judge's decision finding this law unconstitutional as it so clearly violates the free speech rights of myself and so many others in Georgia. My First Amendment rights were restricted on behalf of a foreign government, which flies in the face of the principles of freedom and democracy. The government of Israel has pushed state legislatures to enact these laws only because they know that sympathy and support for the population they brutalize, occupy, ethnically cleanse and subject to apartheid, is finally growing in popular consciousness ––they want to hold back the tide of justice by preemptively restricting the right of American citizens to peacefully take a stand against their crimes."

Abby Martin's efforts must be applauded for she has won a major victory in the struggle to maintain freedom of speech in the United States. May it be one of the first in the many battles that will have to be fought to have the courts finally determine decisively that laws drafted by states (and the federal government) specifically to serve Israel's perceived interests are all unconstitutional and will have to be overturned.

[yankeedoodle]

Seattle teachers union endorses BDS, demands end to police partnership with Israel
Seattle educator and union member Emma Klein tells Mondoweiss, "Educators and institutions from around the world have come forward, as part of a vibrant and growing international movement in opposition to Israeli colonization and apartheid. We call on others to join us."
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/06/seattle-teachers-union-endorses-bds-demands-end-to-police-partnership-with-israel/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-email-mailpoet

The Seattle Education Association (SEA) has passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Palestine and endorsing the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement (BDS). The resolution also demands an end to collaboration between the Seattle Police Department and Israeli military.

"The SEA leadership will use all the existing means of communication (email, Facebook, texts, and any other social media the union uses) to encourage all SEA members and community allies to learn about these issues and to encourage people in their communities to stand in solidarity with unions and oppressed people in Palestine," declares the resolution.

"As a Jewish Educator, I am proud to be a member of SEA," Seattle educator and union member Emma Klein told Mondoweiss in a statement. "Our Representative Assembly took a bold, vocal stand against injustice from Seattle to Palestine and called attention to the inexcusable relationship between Seattle Police and Israeli military and police. The SEA Recommendation is not an isolated action.  Educators and institutions from around the world have come forward, as part of a vibrant and growing international movement in opposition to Israeli colonization and apartheid.  We call on others to join us."

These sentiments were echoed by Cameron Payne, a Palestinian-American educator and union member. "It's wonderful to see that our union stands by that sentiment when it comes to our Palestinian brothers and sisters who are being denied accessible and equitable education in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem," Payne told Mondoweiss. "I hope this mobilization will continue because for us, this is just the beginning."

https://twitter.com/GuyOron/status/1404696337967312896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404696337967312896%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmondoweiss.net%2F2021%2F06%2Fseattle-teachers-union-endorses-bds-demands-end-to-police-partnership-with-israel%2F

The United Educators of San Francisco and chapter chairs of the United Teachers of Los Angeles passed similar resolutions recently. These moves have led to swift backlash from pro-Israel groups. A coalition of organizations (including the Coalition for Jewish Values and Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies) recently sent American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten a letter demanding that she take action against the unions.

"This is a terrible message to send at a moment when clarity and leadership are needed,
reads the letter. "We saw once again in recent weeks how inflammatory and dishonest anti-Israel rhetoric, when left unchallenged, can escalate to physical attacks on Jews. It is unacceptable that the teachers' union you head has affiliates that are using the AFT's name and infrastructure to promote this kind of hateful rhetoric."

[yankeedoodle]

Nike to end sales in Israeli shops 
Israel has been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211006-nike-to-end-sales-in-israeli-shops/#

Israel has been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike. The mega-brand has announced that it will end the sale of its products in stores within the occupation state in a move welcomed by social media users as another victory for the international Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

"Following a comprehensive review performed by the company and considering the changing marketplace, it has been decided that the continuation of the business relationship between you and the company does no longer match the company's policy and goals," Nike is reported as saying in a letter sent to shops in Israel.

Nike's decision is expected to hit retailers hard. As one of the most popular sporting brands in the world, its products account for a large proportion of sales.

Although the company has apparently made the decision in line with its global plan to reduce the number of stores it works with and channel business through its website, the move has triggered an online debate over its motives.

The decision follows the decision by ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's to end sales in the occupied Palestinian territories. Founders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, explained earlier this year why they believe that the company "is on the right side of history" by taking the decision to boycott business in the occupied West Bank. Amnesty International praised the decision, describing it as "a legitimate and necessary response, in line with its responsibility to respect international law and human rights."

Prior to Ben & Jerry's announcement, several high-profile reports concluded that Israel is practising apartheid. In April, the pre-eminent human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) joined a host of other prominent groups to declare that Israel is committing the crimes of apartheid and persecution.

Prior to HRW's report, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem branded Israel as an "apartheid" state that "promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River." Echoing the UN's 2017 report which concluded that Israel was practising apartheid, B'Tselem dismissed the popular misconception that it is a democracy within the Green (1949 Armistice) Line.

In an article in June, two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa also denounced Israel as an apartheid state by drawing parallels with the system of formal racial segregation in South Africa which ended in 1994. The message has also been embraced by American Jews, a quarter of whom believe that Israel is an apartheid state, according to a recent report, as do nearly two-thirds of American scholars and academics.

[yankeedoodle]

Irish literary prodigy Sally Rooney, who supports the 'BDS' boycott of Israel, is blasted for 'refusing to publish book in Hebrew'
https://www.rt.com/news/537223-irish-writer-book-israel/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney has stirred anger by turning down a book deal with a publisher whose clients include the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Accusers say her support for the boycott of Israel was ill-advised.

Rooney is considered one of the premiere millennial authors. She is also a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is meant to put economic and moral pressure on Israel to change its policies toward Palestinians. A model for the BDS is the movement targeting apartheid South Africa, which arguably was essential for dismantling the exclusively white government of the country.

Her first two books, 'Conversations with Friends' and 'Normal People', became bestsellers and won critical acclaim. The latter had a successful adaptation for the silver screen by the BBC, with a TV series based on the former currently in the works by the British public broadcaster.

Her third novel, 'Beautiful World, Where Are You', which was released in September, got embroiled in a scandal this week, after it was revealed on Tuesday that the 30-year-old rejected a request by a leading Israeli publisher to translate and publish it.

Modan Publishing House said it was snubbed by the author because she supported the cultural boycott of Israel, according to Haaretz. The same house translated and published Rooney's two other books.

The news has been making waves in traditional and social media, with many critical reports focusing on the fact that Modan was hoping to publish 'Beautiful World' in Hebrew.

"Rooney has chosen a path that is anathema to the artistic essence of literature, which can serve as a portal for understanding different cultures, visiting new worlds and connecting to our own humanity," Forward columnist Gitit Levy-Paz wrote in a scolding rebuke.

"The very essence of literature, its power to bring a sense of coherence and order to the world, is negated by Rooney's choice to exclude a group of readers because of their national identity," she added.

Levy-Paz stopped short of calling Rooney antisemitic over the decision, but said it was "dangerous" because of "the rise of antisemitism in recent years, especially in Europe."

Similar and harsher criticisms of Rooney were flung on social media.

Some took a particular issue with the fact that she writes in English, "the most imperialist, blood-stained language the world has seen," according to one sarcastic remark.

It remains unclear whether Rooney actually was against publishing her new book in Hebrew or simply didn't want Modan to do it. The publisher is one of the largest in Israel and counts among its clients the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which a supporter of the Palestinian cause like Rooney might find objectionable.

The Irish author's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a secret. For example, she was among thousands of people who signed an open letter by Palestinian artists calling on fellow creators "to exercise their agency within their institutions and localities to support the Palestinian struggle for decolonization to the best of their ability." The letter was published in May in the wake of the latest surge of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants.

In 2019, she was among hundreds of artists who publicly supported Pakistani-British writer Kamila Shamsie, after her Nelly Sachs Prize was taken away from her over her support of the BDS cause.

The Israeli government considers the movement a threat to national security and has leveraged its influence in many other countries to undermine it. Some states in the US, for example, have put in place legislation penalizing individuals and businesses participating in BDS activities.

[yankeedoodle]

Irish literary prodigy Sally Rooney, who supports the 'BDS' boycott of Israel, is blasted for 'refusing to publish book in Hebrew'
https://www.rt.com/news/537223-irish-writer-book-israel/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney has stirred anger by turning down a book deal with a publisher whose clients include the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Accusers say her support for the boycott of Israel was ill-advised.

Rooney is considered one of the premiere millennial authors. She is also a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is meant to put economic and moral pressure on Israel to change its policies toward Palestinians. A model for the BDS is the movement targeting apartheid South Africa, which arguably was essential for dismantling the exclusively white government of the country.

Her first two books, 'Conversations with Friends' and 'Normal People', became bestsellers and won critical acclaim. The latter had a successful adaptation for the silver screen by the BBC, with a TV series based on the former currently in the works by the British public broadcaster.

Her third novel, 'Beautiful World, Where Are You', which was released in September, got embroiled in a scandal this week, after it was revealed on Tuesday that the 30-year-old rejected a request by a leading Israeli publisher to translate and publish it.

Modan Publishing House said it was snubbed by the author because she supported the cultural boycott of Israel, according to Haaretz. The same house translated and published Rooney's two other books.

The news has been making waves in traditional and social media, with many critical reports focusing on the fact that Modan was hoping to publish 'Beautiful World' in Hebrew.

"Rooney has chosen a path that is anathema to the artistic essence of literature, which can serve as a portal for understanding different cultures, visiting new worlds and connecting to our own humanity," Forward columnist Gitit Levy-Paz wrote in a scolding rebuke.

"The very essence of literature, its power to bring a sense of coherence and order to the world, is negated by Rooney's choice to exclude a group of readers because of their national identity," she added.

Levy-Paz stopped short of calling Rooney antisemitic over the decision, but said it was "dangerous" because of "the rise of antisemitism in recent years, especially in Europe."

Similar and harsher criticisms of Rooney were flung on social media.

Some took a particular issue with the fact that she writes in English, "the most imperialist, blood-stained language the world has seen," according to one sarcastic remark.

It remains unclear whether Rooney actually was against publishing her new book in Hebrew or simply didn't want Modan to do it. The publisher is one of the largest in Israel and counts among its clients the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which a supporter of the Palestinian cause like Rooney might find objectionable.

The Irish author's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a secret. For example, she was among thousands of people who signed an open letter by Palestinian artists calling on fellow creators "to exercise their agency within their institutions and localities to support the Palestinian struggle for decolonization to the best of their ability." The letter was published in May in the wake of the latest surge of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants.

In 2019, she was among hundreds of artists who publicly supported Pakistani-British writer Kamila Shamsie, after her Nelly Sachs Prize was taken away from her over her support of the BDS cause.

The Israeli government considers the movement a threat to national security and has leveraged its influence in many other countries to undermine it. Some states in the US, for example, have put in place legislation penalizing individuals and businesses participating in BDS activities.

Irish author targeted by Israel supporters 'would be honored' to print new book in Hebrew... if it's boycott-compliant
https://www.rt.com/news/537362-irish-writer-hebrew-bds/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Bestselling BDS-supporting writer Sally Rooney, who was widely accused of ostracizing Hebrew-speakers with her refusal to let an Israeli publisher print her latest book, said she would love to see a Hebrew translation.

"If I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movement's institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so," she said in a statement, referring to the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

https://twitter.com/maricohen95/status/1447907515795128325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1447907515795128325%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fnews%2F537362-irish-writer-hebrew-bds%2F

Rooney was responding to the wave of outrage that targeted her earlier due to her decision to reject a request by Israeli publisher Modan to translate into Hebrew and release her third novel. The book, 'Beautiful World, Where Are You', was released last month and is expected to be an international hit, just like the previous works by the Irish writer.

Many critics claimed that Rooney was against the translation of her book into Hebrew rather than against doing business with an Israeli company. Forward columnist Gitit Levy-Paz said her "choice to exclude a group of readers because of their national identity" was against "the very essence of literature," and called the decision "dangerous" because of "the rise of antisemitism in recent years, especially in Europe."

BDS, Rooney said, is "a nonviolent grassroots campaign calling for an economic and cultural boycott of complicit Israeli companies and institutions modelled on the economic and cultural boycott that helped to end apartheid in South Africa."

The Israeli government considers BDS a national threat and claims that people supporting it are denying Israel's right to exist.

In April, Human Rights Watch declared that Israel had crossed a line and now meets the definition of an apartheid state due to its policies towards Palestinians. Prominent Israeli rights group B'Tselem announced the same conclusion in January.

Rooney is a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause. In May, she was one of thousands backing an open letter by Palestinian artists calling for an international boycott of Israel.

"I understand that not everyone will agree with my decision, but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people," she said, explaining why she snubbed Modan.

https://twitter.com/ronanburtenshaw/status/1447893646271975426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1447893646271975426%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fnews%2F537362-irish-writer-hebrew-bds%2F

The Israeli publishing house translated and printed Rooney's two previous novels. It also has a long-standing contract with the Israeli Defense Ministry to publish books and pamphlets for them.

Pro-Palestinian sentiment has many supporters in Ireland, where people see a parallel between their struggle against Israel and the historical resistance of Irish people against Britain. The very term 'boycott' stems from the Irish fight for independence, derived from the surname of 19th century English land agent Charles Boycott. He was targeted by a campaign of ostracism and threats after trying to evict Irish tenants.

[yankeedoodle]

The Lone Star State is one of over 30 states that demand allegiance to Israel (but not to the United States). One Texan – Rasmy Hassouna – is challenging this Texas law.

Texas: home of the latest fight for the right to boycott Israel
https://israelpalestinenews.org/texas-home-of-the-latest-fight-for-the-right-to-boycott-israel/

This Palestinian American is fighting a Texas law that requires him to renounce his right to boycott Israel – the country that turned his family into refugees 73 years ago and continues to oppress them to this day.
by Kathryn Shihadah

Rasmy Hassouna, an immigrant from the Gaza Strip, has lived in the US for over 30 years and is an American citizen. He usually minds his own business – a Texas construction company – and avoids political confrontation.

He has been averaging $100,000 a year in business with the city of Houston for two decades.

Last month, when his contract came up for renewal, it included a new paragraph – requiring that he pledge not to participate in the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement against Israel.

The clause is there thanks to a 2017 law – the so-called anti-BDS law. Texas is far from alone: over 30 other states have similar laws, put in place with great effort by Israel supporters across the country.

When I spoke with Hassouna by phone, he expressed outrage that his government is demanding such a thing of its citizens.

"I believe in liberty and freedom," he said. "I just want to live my life, but when they shoved this in my face, I said I'm not going to sign it."

Hassouna, together with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is suing the city of Houston and the Attorney General of Texas over the constitutionality of the law.

Hassouna hopes the lawsuit will draw Americans' attention to the folly of anti-BDS legislation – He would love to see the case reach the Supreme Court, the law overturned, and Americans' First Amendment right to boycott nationwide restored.

The right to boycott has long been considered protected by the First Amendment, and has been used by Americans on a variety issues – by both liberals and conservatives.

In 2019, constitutional scholars called Israel anti-BDS laws "an easy First Amendment case...clearly directed at the suppression of speech with which the state disagrees."

Flashbacks
Hassouna described to me how he felt the moment he saw that clause in his contract. "It was like a movie playing in front of my eyes," he said. He recalled the interactions he was forced to endure as he made plans to leave Gaza and attend graduate school in the States. 

"In 1988, I applied for a visa to the US [for graduate school], and Israel had to get involved. I had to come to the Israeli intelligence compound at 7 am every day for two months. They would take my I.D. and make me wait outside till 5 pm. On the last day, they finally called me in for an interview, and their questions were pointless. They didn't want to know anything about me, just to torture me for two months.

"The night that I was supposed to leave for the States, Israel imposed a curfew on my neighborhood. I had to sneak away in the dark and walk six miles with my luggage, hoping I would not meet an Israeli soldier. Luckily, I made it to the airport."

Most of Hassouna's family still lives in Gaza, in the Jabaliyya Refugee Camp. One of their homes was damaged during Israel's attack in May, in which 260 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed; 66 of the Palestinians and 2 of the Israelis were children.

"After all that has happened, how can my government say 'do not boycott Israel'?" Hassouna asked. "Give me a break."

Constitutional rights
CAIR attorneys point out that "The principle of boycott is enshrined in our first amendment, our freedom of expression, our freedom to redress our grievances against the government. This is just an abhorrent attack on our first amendment rights."

"We don't ask state contractors in Texas to pledge allegiance to the United States of America," they added. "We're asking state contractors to pledge allegiance to Israel. And that is illegal."

They added that an unconstitutional law will be unenforceable by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Until the matter is settled, Hassouna's company has asked the court to issue an order to prevent Houston from offering the contract to another company. Attorneys also indicate that they are seeking a new contract without the anti-BDS clause.

The anti-BDS mandate is statewide in Texas, and applies to contracts worth over $100,000 with companies that have more than ten full-time employees. Previously, the law had no minimum contract value or employee number.