BDS Boycott, Divestment of Israel. Now.

[blackbear]

AlicetheKurious...

60 Years of Nakba, 41 Years of Occupation ... OMAR BARGHOUTI

"The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet but not to make them die of hunger,” said Dov Weisglass, Sharon’s closest advisor, a few years ago. Today, Israel is slowly choking occupied Gaza, indeed bringing its civilian population to the brink of starvation and a planned humanitarian catastrophe.

If the US government is an obvious accomplice in financing, justifying and covering up Israel’s occupation and other forms of oppression, the European Union, Israel's largest trade partner in the world, is not any less complicit in perpetuating Israel’s colonial oppression and special form of apartheid. At a time when Israel is cruelly besieging Gaza, collectively punishing 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, condemning them to devastation, and visiting imminent death upon hundreds of patients, prematurely born babies, and others, the EU is extending an invitation to Israel to open negotiations to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), instead of ending the EU-Israel association agreement due to Israel’s grave violation of its human rights clause. The US and European governments are not only providing Israel with massive economic aid and open markets, they are supplying it with weapons, diplomatic immunity and unlimited political support, and upgrading their relations with it specifically at a time when it is committing acts of genocide.

By frequently freezing fuel and electric power supplies to Gaza for long periods, Israel, the occupying power, is essentially guaranteeing that "clean" water is not being pumped out and properly distributed to homes and institutions; hospitals are no longer able to function adequately, leading to the death of many, particularly the most vulnerable – already more than 180 patients, mainly children and senior citizens have died in Gaza as a direct result of the latest siege; whatever factories that are still working despite the blockade will soon be forced to close, pushing the already extremely high unemployment rate even higher; sewage treatment is grinding to a halt, further polluting Gaza's precious little water supply; academic institutions and schools are largely unable to provide their usual services; and lives of all civilians is severely disrupted, if not irreversibly damaged.

In short, Israel is condemning a whole future generation of Palestinians in Gaza to chronic disease, abject poverty and long-lasting developmental limitations. UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, international law expert Prof. Richard Falk, considered Israel's siege a "prelude to genocide," even before this latest crime of altogether cutting off energy supplies. Now, Israel's crimes in Gaza can accurately be categorized as acts of genocide, albeit slow.

In parallel, Israel is slowly transforming the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, into unlivable reservations that make the term Bantustan sound desirable, in comparison. Israel is systematically causing the slow disintegration of Palestinian society under occupation through its colonial Wall, its policy of fragmentation and ghettoization, its denial of the most basic Palestinian rights, and its obstruction of human development. Israel is slowly, steadily and systematically turning the lives of average Palestinian farmers, workers, students, academics, artists and professionals into a living hell, designed to force them to leave. The fundamental objective of the mainstream of political Zionism, to ethnically cleanse Palestine of its indigenous population to make room for Jewish settlers and them alone, has undergone only one significant change in more than a hundred years since the beginning of the Zionist settler-colonial conquest: it has simply grown slower.

Ever since the Nakba, the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 through the ethnic cleansing of more than 750,000 indigenous Palestinians from their homeland and the ruin of Palestinian society, many “peace plans” have been put forth to resolve the “conflict.” ..........

http://www.counterpunch.org/barghouti06052008.html.......

In November 2007, hundreds of Palestinian boycott activists, trade unionists, representatives of all major political parties, women’s unions, farmers’ associations, student groups and almost every sector of Palestinian civil society convened at the first BDS conference in the occupied Palestinian territory. A direct result of this effort was the recent establishment of the BDS National Committee, or BNC, to raise awareness about the boycott and lead its local manifestations as well as act as a unified reference for international BDS campaigns.

For cynics who still consider the above too little progress for the given timeframe, I can only reiterate what a South African comrade once told us. “The ANC issued its academic boycott call in the 1950s; the international community started to heed it almost three decades later! So you guys are doing much better than us.”

Today, in the face of intensifying Israeli war crimes, impunity, and total disregard of international law, international civil society is called upon to initiate or support whatever BDS campaigns that are deemed appropriate in every particular context and specific political circumstances to support Palestinian civil resistance. This is the most effective, the most morally and politically sound, form of solidarity with the Palestinians. In these exceptional circumstances of slow genocide, exceptional, ethically coherent me

http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board/viewtopic.php?t=18397

[outsider]

DEPAUL DIVEST DECLARES VICTORY IN STUDENT CAMPAIGN:

'Student coalition DePaul Divest declares victory in campaign calling for student support to divest from corporations that profit off of human rights abuses against Palestinians.

CHICAGO – Following two months of campaigning at DePaul University, student coalition DePaul Divest declares victory in a campaign to divest from corporations that profit off of human rights violations perpetrated against Palestinians via the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

While a majority of divestment campaigns have been carried out through student government resolutions, DePaul Divest opted to pose the question of divestment to the entire DePaul student body through a Student Government Association (SGA) referendum this week.

With a majority of 1575 votes in favor and 1333 against, it is clear that Palestinian human rights, the rights of minorities within Israel and ethical investment are issues that concern the DePaul student body.

This victory did not come without immense outside interference by pro-Israel lobbyist group StandWithUs, whose paid staff, frequently presenting themselves as individuals affiliated with DePaul University, canvassed the student body in a counter campaign to DePaul Divest.

“Scare tactics were used to deter the student body from voting to affirm the human rights of Palestinians, but our victory today is evidence that this was not enough to stop DePaul students from standing on the side of justice,” said campaign organizer Areej Hamdan.

In the days leading up to the student vote, members of the opposition circulated false rumors and misinformation about the DePaul Divest campaign, despite the clarity and transparency of the movement’s goals. This misinformation was addressed in a May 18 DePaulia article, “DePaul Divest speaks out: No more intimidation, no more misinformation”.

These tactics were not enough to halt the momentum of the divestment movement, whose actions this week grabbed the attention of the university community through a sit-in, flag drop and rally. The presence of the Israeli consul general on campus during the last full day of voting did not silence DePaul Divest supporters, who rallied on campus under his gaze. Harassment and intimidation tactics used by the anti-Divestment canvassers (many of whom are admittedly trained by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or work as StandWithUs employees), like taking photographs of student organizers proved incapable of impeding the success of the DePaul Divest campaign.

“We have proven that the DePaul student body is a socially conscious community, one that recognizes the humanity of the Palestinian people and how their basic human rights have been denied at the hands of the Israeli government and these corporations we target” said student organizer Hamdan.

While the passage of this referendum is not binding on the administration, the SGA is prohibited from passing resolutions in the upcoming school year that contradict the results of the referendum.

DePaul Divest organizers will now turn their attention to working with the DePaul administration in moving forward with implementing divestment from these corporations. Working with the Fair Business Practices Committee, DePaul Divest organizers will encourage the university administration to establish investment screens. This will require that the human rights record of each potential investment is investigated, making ethical investment a priority and requirement for the university’s money managers.

“It is clear that DePaul students do not wish to have their tuition dollars invested in weapons manufacturers,” said student organizer Roya Naderi. This has generated discussion on ethical investment on campus, with students in agreement that DePaul University should not be invested in war profiteers.

While campaigning at the university is now over, divestment does not end here. This is a moment in which the student body has taken a stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, long denied of their basic human rights. The passage of this divestment referendum is a step towards removing the university’s complicity in the occupation of Palestine, and is a step towards establishing a standard of ethical investment practices at DePaul University.

###
DePaul Divest is a coalition of students, student organizations, staff, faculty and alumni that call on the DePaul University administration to pull its investments from corporations that profit off of the illegal occupation of Palestine and the human rights abuses these companies help perpetuate. For more information, visit dpudivests.org.

American Muslims for Palestine
10101 S. Roberts Road
Palos Hills, IL 60465

[outsider]

Overcoming the Six-Day War with BDS:
http://www.ampalestine.org/

'Let's blast this boycott!


Spread the boycott to hundreds of thousands!

Please sign our Thunderclap campaign. If we reach 250 supporters by June 10, hundreds of thousands of people potentially will see our message asking them to boycott Israeli dates...'


Here is a copy of an email I sent AMP:

' Hi AMP,

God bless and good luck with your date boycott.
But regarding your 'Empowerment Through Education', a very worthy and worthwhile campaign, there is an EXTREMELY important event in the 1967 Six-Day War that is little known about (at least in depth) by most Muslims - the murderous attack on the USS Liberty by Israel.

PLEASE get someone to read the best record of the FULL story (there are a number of good books on the event itself, from survivors), 'Operation Cyanide' by Peter Hounam (the ex-Chief Investigative Reporter for the Sunday Times, who broke the Mordechai Vanunu story.

'Lively up yourselves', as Bob Marley would have said, and get in touch with the USS Liberty survivors group and Liberty Memorial activities; they probably have something on for 8th June 2014 (anniversary of day of actual attack on the USS Liberty); get in touch with them pronto, and try to arrange a small delegation to attend. A few websites for you to try: https://www.usslibertyveterans.org/contact.html and

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/about_us/events.html

The second website is where you guys and gals can help, and it would be of immense aid to your own struggles against US aid and bias towards Israel.

I have only just thought of this initiative when I got your AMP newsletter, and obviously you haven't got much time to arrange anything, but anything you can arrange in the small time-span will be a start, and I believe you will soon see the possible mutual benefit from education (both ways) and information propagation. 'Liberty' Matters!!

God bless,

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Over 100 U.K. artists announce cultural boycott of Israel
According to letter signed by luminaries such as Brian Eno and Ken Loach, ban includes accepting professional invitations to Israel or funds from government-linked institutions.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.642471

Over 100 British artists announced on Friday that they are launching a cultural boycott of Israel, along with hundreds of others who have also signed up to the initiative.

“Along with more than 600 other fellow artists, we are announcing today that we will not engage in business-as-usual cultural relations with Israel,” the group wrote in a letter published by Britain’s Guardian newspaper.

According to the letter, this includes accepting professional invitations to Israel or funding from any institutions linked to the Israeli government.

“Since the summer war on Gaza, Palestinians have enjoyed no respite from Israel’s unrelenting attack on their land, their livelihood, their right to political existence,” read the letter, noting that the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem has called 2014 “one of the cruellest and deadliest in the history of the occupation.”

Notable signatories of the letter include film directors Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, legendary musician Brian Eno and art theorist John Berger. Roger Waters, well known for his criticism of Israel, also signed on. The full list of over 700 supporters appears on the Artists for Palestine U.K. website.

The artists wrote that “Israel’s wars are fought on the cultural front too. Its army targets Palestinian cultural institutions for attack, and prevents the free movement of cultural workers. Its own theatre companies perform to settler audiences on the West Bank – and those same companies tour the globe as cultural diplomats, in support of ‘Brand Israel.’

During South African apartheid, musicians announced they weren’t going to ‘play Sun City.’ Now we are saying, in Tel Aviv, Netanya, Ashkelon or Ariel, we won’t play music, accept awards, attend exhibitions, festivals or conferences, run masterclasses or workshops, until Israel respects international law and ends its colonial oppression of the Palestinians.”

[outsider]

'Victory at UT! Will You Stand Up for Northeastern Too?':
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=4334

'.....While divestment finally got a fair hearing at UT, repression of SJPs and the extraordinary divestment campaigns they are leading nationwide is only increasing. Last month, the Student Government Association (SGA) cabinet of Northeastern University sent a memo to the campus SJP refusing to allow a student referendum on divestment. The SGA cabinet members later deferred the decision and will allow the whole SGA senate to make the final decision -- on whether to allow a divestment vote or not -- on March 16.

Stand up for students' right to vote on divestment! Click here to sign a petition to Northeastern SGA!

In an Orwellian twist, the SGA memo claimed that a divestment campaign would create a "hostile, threatening, intimidating, humiliating, or otherwise abusive environment" for Northeastern students, constituting discrimination and harassment and thus violating the university's policy on Equal Opportunity! The memo cited examples of emotional distress experienced by Israel-aligned students when the issue of Palestinian rights comes up. Member group Jewish Voice for Peace Boston sent this powerful letter of support for SJP to the SGA president, stating: "The examples that you cite blur the distinction between Judaism and political support for Israel. Furthermore, you confuse 'bullying' with the discomfort experienced by people with privilege who are confronted with the reality of oppression."

Click here to write to Northeastern SGA President Noah Carville and others, protesting student repression and standing up for divestment!

Demonization and repression of SJPs has reached new levels since release of a grotesque campaign by the infamously Islamophobic David Horowitz Freedom Center [sic] urging "mock hangings" and "mock stonings," and plastering campuses nationwide with libelous posters calling SJPs "#JewHaters."

Campus Divest 2015

There has never been a more critical moment to stand up for student rights. Last year, many of you stood up for Northeastern SJP when it was suspended and sanctioned by the administration. Eventually, the university responded to mounting pressure and lifted the suspension, but bureaucratic obstacles for the SJP have remained in place and now SJP needs your help again.

Your voice counted for the University of Toledo. Click here to make your voice count for Northeastern today!'

[outsider]

'I swear I won’t boycott the Israeli settlements
How is it possible to harm Jewish communities that bring us, year after year, the World Cup in international protest and condemnation?':
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.653166


'I promise I will not propose to anyone to boycott goods produced on occupied land, refuse to recognize Israeli institutions of higher education that operate over the Green Line, or to keep away from cultural institutions established on non-Israeli territory.

From now on I will only say the following things: It is forbidden to harm Jews who work night and day to transform Israel into a binational state, or an apartheid regime. It is forbidden to encourage a boycott against the settlements and unauthorized outposts which were established through land theft, forgery of documents and paying bribes to collaborators, as well as through the gross trampling of the planning and building laws.

We must file away the reports of the state comptroller that describe the injustices of Israeli rule in the West Bank and the report on the unauthorized outposts. It is completely and totally forbidden to say that the settlements are a violation of international law – someone could very well understand that as a call for law-abiding nations to boycott their products. And in addition, how is it possible to harm Jewish communities that bring us, year after year, the World Cup in international protest and condemnation?

It is forbidden to harm the source of the sustenance for Israeli pioneers, who in their spare time harass Palestinian shepherds and vandalize the vineyards of their helpless neighbors. Far be it from a respectable citizen to deviate from those Jews who interpret the saying “You have chosen us from among all the nations” as a license to deprive another people of their freedom, honor and rights.

We must not harm the young men and women who declare that the only command they honor is the divine one. We must shut up and open our wallets, in order to finance guarding them and to send the finest of our sons to the Israel Defense Forces, in order to be spat on by them.

It is forbidden to boycott a project without which the Settlement Department of the World Zionist Organization – the national carrier for public funds to the settlement enterprise, and, it is also suspected, to the pockets of public officials – has no right to exist.

It is forbidden to propose to academic institutions to avoid any connections with a college that an organization belonging to the mechanism of the occupation (The Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria) has granted the status of a university and the Israeli Education Ministry supplies its budgets.

It is forbidden to criticize artists who appear in the hall surrounded by Arab villages whose residents need a special permit from the occupation authorities to participate in the wedding of a relative in an Arab village in Israel.

From now on, whenever a European diplomat asks me if I support his government declaring a boycott against the settlements, I will say: “God forbid! How can anti-Semitic Europe even think about boycotting Jews, who the State of Israel has been sending for 48 years to settle the land of their ancestors.”

And what will I answer to that very same goy if he wants to know why then the time has not come for Europe to impose a boycott against the State of Israel? I will tell him that in the only democracy in the Middle East, it is forbidden to answer such questions.'

Akiva Eldar is a columnist on al-monitor.com and the author of the book “Lords of the Land: The War for Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007” (with Idith Zertal) on the settlers and the State of Israel.

[outsider]

MAJOR BDS WIN! Veolia sells all remaining ties to the occupation!:
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=4536

by Anna Baltzer, National Organizer
August 28th, 2015

Image by Suhad Khatib (see link)

'We are thrilled to share with you some exciting news we just received from Palestine: Veolia -- the flagship global boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement campaign -- has withdrawn completely from the Israeli market!

Click on each link to help us share the good news on Facebook and Twitter!
(see link)

The French multinational was targeted by BDS because of its complicity with the Israeli occupation in four ways: (1) operating Israeli settler bus lines on segregated roads in the occupied West Bank, (2) operating a landfill dumping Israeli and settler trash on Palestinian land, (3) providing wastewater services to illegal Israeli settlements, and (4) investment in the Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR), which connects the settlements with 1948 Israel, further entrenching Israel's colonization of the West Bank.

Veolia lost more than $20 billion in contracts following BDS campaigns worldwide, and began by selling off its Israeli bus services in September 2013. Then, this past April, Veolia sold off its settlement landfill and wastewater contracts. And as of this week, Veolia had sold off its final JLR shares in the occupation, making this one of the most extraordinary global BDS victories to date, showing the unprecedented power of this movement!

Even in the movement challenging South African apartheid, many corporate targets like Shell never entirely withdrew from South Africa. Far beyond symbolic victories, the Palestinian-led BDS movement is forcing major multinational corporations to change their behavior. Just a few weeks after BDS turned 10, this victory illustrates the extraordinary heights of economic influence that BDS has achieved in its first decade. These corporate changes send a clear message to Israel, the U.S. government, and corporations that participation of Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people is costly and unsustainable. And they send the message to activists worldwide that together we can affect real change, and now is a critical moment to redouble our effort.

Nowhere is the growing power of BDS clearer than in the latest top-down attempts by legislators to stifle it, including through a recent Congressional hearing on BDS that featured no Palestinians or BDS supporters! If you haven't yet, make sure to sign this important petition calling on Congress to hold a pro-BDS hearing!

Veolia action in Los Angeles (see link)

The US Campaign has been proud to support member groups in Yolo County, Sonoma County, and Los Angeles, California; Baltimore; Boston; and beyond on municipal BDS campaigns to dump city contracts with Veolia. In St. Louis, a broad-based coalition of Palestine advocates, environmental justice activists, water workers, Organization for Black Struggle, and others waged a historic campaign to stop a proposed city water contract, forcing Veolia to withdraw its bid -- a watershed, precedent-setting win. The United Church of Christ, Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation, and retirement fund TIAA-CREF Social Choice Fund also divested from Veolia. These many successful U.S. campaigns have shown the multinational that no matter where it sought business, it would be held accountable.

Environmentalists joined with Palestine activists and others to Dump Veolia
(see link)

Of course, Veolia, the largest water privatizer in the world, must still be held accountable for its egregious environmental and labor rights violations, mismanagement, corruption, and other disastrous practicesfor which it is infamous. And Veolia owes a great debt to the Palestinian communities it has harmed in its violations of human rights and international law, and must pay reparations.

Nonetheless, let's take a moment to celebrate this incredible achievement, and get back to the important work of supporting our allies and BDS campaigns for freedom, justice, and equality. I hope you'll join us at our conference in Atlanta next month to high five about Veolia dumping the occupation, and more importantly, talk about who will be next...


P.S. We are working to ensure that other companies, like prison and occupation profiteer G4S, join Veolia in divesting from the occupation once and for all. Will you give $25, $50, or more today to be a part of augmenting efforts to achieve more BDS victories?'

[outsider]

As BDS turns 11, we must redouble our efforts

This month marks 11 years since the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) as tools to end worldwide complicity with Israel’s regime of colonization and apartheid, and to support freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people.

One year ago, for BDS’s 10th birthday, the US Campaign released a stunning list of U.S. BDS victories to date, totaling just over 100 at the time, a tremendous milestone: www.endtheoccupation.org/usbdsvictories


But Paul, that was 2015. Today, the list, which we have kept up to date, includes more than 150 BDS victories in the United States alone. Not only is the movement for Palestinian rights and the success of BDS growing, but it is growing exponentially.

This, in spite of the growing repression against BDS activists and the draconian, unconstitutional anti-BDS legislation being pursued at the local, state, and federal levels precisely because this grassroots movement for justice has become so strong and effective. The Palestinian BDS National Committee even released list of eleven signs that BDS continues to grow despite Israel’s war of repression.

Among them are the tremendous achievements of the international campaign targeting G4S, which profits from grotesque state oppression in prisons from the U.S. to Palestine and beyond, as illustrated in the newly-released www.G4Sfacts.org website.

Just this week, member group Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA) celebrated two more cities dropping G4S!




In Berkeley, California, Enlace -- an alliance of low-wage worker centers, unions, and community organizations -- and the Afrikan Black Coalition (ABC) at the University of California and California State University systems, brought a resolution to divest from private prisons to Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission. Following FOSNA’s encouragement, the coalition and commissioners included G4S in the resolution, which was passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council Tuesday night. Said Peace and Justice Commission member Cathy Orozco, “With this resolution, the City of Berkeley is standing up for our community members. Black and brown peoples, immigrants, Palestinians, and other oppressed peoples deserve city governments that stand up for their rights and fight against corporations that profit from their suffering.”

Congratulations to our friends at Enlace, ABC, and FOSNA, and to the City of Berkeley for this tremendous achievement!

FOSNA also announced that earlier this month, the city of Denver, Colorado chose not renew a $2.5 million municipal contract with G4S, following testimony by Palestinian rights activists about the company’s notorious oppressive practices.

While G4S announced plans in March to sell its Israeli subsidiary and shut down youth detention operations in the U.S. and the UK, we know G4S will only follow through if we keep the pressure on and ensure that the company ends all aspects of its oppressive practices.

That’s why there’s never been a more important time to wage effective campaigns to hold G4S accountable. You can find resources, action alerts, and more on our G4S campaigns page here.

Also, don’t miss our National Organizers Conference October 14-17 in Arlington, Virginia where activists will be sharing lessons learned from waging campaigns against companies like G4S.

From the list of victories to the lengths to which our opposition will go to stop us, we know our work is having a significant effect. But we can only build the power to match this moment with people like you by our side. With a contribution today, help play a critical role in this important work.

Onward,

Anna Baltzer
Director of Organizing & Advocacy

[outsider]

Can you BELIEVE this?
'....More than a dozen lawmakers in both houses of Congress have begun to reconsider their support of a anti-BDS bill that could imprison someone for up to 20 years simply for verbally supporting the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

Last week, the ACLU wrote to US senators requesting they do not sign onto S. 720, also known as the Israel Anti-Boycott Act becuase it criminalizes actions related to BDS. People would be punished for their political beliefs. Even asking for information about BDS could result in fines from $250,000 to $1 million and/or prison. A similar bill is moving through the House.

We must defeat this bill, which infringes on the First Amendment protection of speech -- including political speech. Call your senators and ask them to reject this bill. Find their numbers at www.govtrack.us. ...'

'DIGEST: AMP board member, other interfaith leaders, denied entry to Israel for supporting human rights

Airline employee tells group it received orders from "Israeli immigration authorities" to refuse boarding to the five interfaith travelers.


Four of the five leaders who were denied boarding at Dulles Airport pose. AMP board member Shakeel Syed is second from the right.

WASHINGTON DC (July 24, 2017) – Five members of an interfaith delegation were prevented from boarding their flight to Israel because of their public criticism of the Israeli government’s policies towards Palestinians. The group of Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders were apparently singled out for their public support of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against the state of Israel. Upon arrival at the Lufthansa check-in counter at Dulles International Airport, an airline employee informed the group that the Israeli government had told the airline not to let them board.

The five people prohibited from flying are Rabbi Alissa Wise, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) deputy director, Philadelphia, PA; Alana Krivo-Kaufman, Brooklyn, NY and Noah Habeeb, Virginia, both also of JVP; Rick Ufford Chase, of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, Rockland County, NY; and Shakeel Syed, a national board member with American Muslims for Palestine, Los Angeles, CA.

“As a person of faith, Israel's denial of my right to visit the Holy Land doesn't dampen, but rather, emboldens my pursuit of justice and peace for Palestinians and long overdue freedom for Palestine,” Syed said. “Despite that I had my boarding pass to Tel Aviv in hand, the Lufthansa representative informed me that they had a direct order from ‘Israeli immigration authorities’ to not allow us to board the plane. Furthermore, they refused to even show us the Israeli order.”

Read the full press release.

We must stop the anti-BDS bill in Congress
More than a dozen lawmakers in both houses of Congress have begun to reconsider their support of a anti-BDS bill that could imprison someone for up to 20 years simply for verbally supporting the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

Last week, the ACLU wrote to US senators requesting they do not sign onto S. 720, also known as the Israel Anti-Boycott Act becuase it criminalizes actions related to BDS. People would be punished for their political beliefs. Even asking for information about BDS could result in fines from $250,000 to $1 million and/or prison. A similar bill is moving through the House.

We must defeat this bill, which infringes on the First Amendment protection of speech -- including political speech. Call your senators and ask them to reject this bill. Find their numbers at www.govtrack.us. '

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Again: if Palestinians use violence to fight Israeli occupation, then they're terrorists. If they use non-violence (boycotts), then they're anti-Semites. The real point: only full submission to Israel is permitted https://t.co/jJ5gY5j6A1 https://t.co/lHoHCbdczn

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 6, 2018