Youth Against Normalization: 04/17/12

Apr 17, 2012

#BDS Victory: #G4S loses its contract with the European Parliament

"The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) is pleased to be able to mark Palestinian Prisoners Day by announcing that the European Union has declined to renew a contract with private security company G4S amidst concerns raised by MEPs and campaign groups about the role the company plays in equipping Israeli prisons in which Palestinian political prisoners are held in violation of international law.

G4S has provided security services to the buildings of the European Parliament since 2008 but the contract award notice (service contract 118611-2012) published on the EU official tenders’ website on April 13th shows that G4S hast lost its contract with the European Parliament.

In March 2011, a group of 28 Members of the European Parliament, including 8 MEPs from Denmark and 6 from the UK wrote a letter to former EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, demanding that the Parliament dropped G4S as the principal security contractor if G4S continued to provide security services to illegal Israeli settlements, checkpoints and Israeli prisons at which Palestinians are detained."

#BDS: Minnesota Battle Over Israeli Bonds

"A legal fight is underway in Minnesota over the state’s investment in Israeli bonds that are used to support settlements and other Israeli actions in the West Bank deemed illegal under international law. Sylvia Schwarz, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, explains why she’s demanding the state’s divestiture.

“I do not think this is a radical call,” says Ronnie Barkan, of Boycott From Within (BFW), an Israeli human rights group that advocates boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of Israel until it complies with international law and human rights consensus.

“Simply by investing in the State of Israel, Minnesota inadvertently supports the criminal policies of the State [of Israel], which are detrimental to both the Palestinians and the Israelis.”

#BDS: UCB Prof Judith Butler: Boycott Politics and Global Responsibility

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#BDS: #Apple to launch latest iPad in #Israel

"Apple Inc. will launch the new iPad in Israel on Friday, April 27 - one of the last countries where the device will be launched. The new iPad will be available at Apple's official distributor, iDigital Ltd."

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#BDS: Major Bay Area arts org worked closely with Israeli consul general to counter protests #US

"Here is a fascinating look inside the front lines of the Israel lobby.

According to leaked emails, a major Bay Area arts organization worked behind the scenes with the Israeli consulate and the Jewish Federation to counter protests of Israeli films over the last two years.

The emails involve Frameline, a 35-year-old LGBT film festival that has become an institution in the Bay Area. Frameline has often shown Israeli films, and accepted sponsorship from the Israeli Consulate--and as a result it has faced boycott callsand protests in recent years.

The emails show that at a time when Frameline's executive director K.C. Price was telling the press he was "nonpartisan," he was urging Israeli consul general Akiva Tor as well as officials at the Jewish Federation to take action against the protests. "

#BDS: Action Alert: Petition to Delegates Voting on Church Divestment

Click here for to sign a letter that will be delivered to United Methodist delegates voting at the 2012 General Conference on church divestment from Caterpillar Inc., Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett-Packard due to their involvement in Israel's violations of Palestinian rights. Please sign today and pass it on!

#BDS: Support Historic Methodist & Presbyterian Church Divestment Resolutions!

"Did you know that 2012 is poised to be a landmark year for corporate accountability in the movement to end Israel's violations of Palestinian rights and international law?

After many years of hard work by activists in both denominations, the global United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Presbyterian Church (USA) are voting over the next six months on resolutions to divest from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett Packard due to their complicity in the Israeli occupation [documentedhere]. US Campaign member groups United Methodist Kairos Response and Israel-Palestine Mission Network are leading the way in building support for the UMC resolution and Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment (MRTI)'s divestment recommendation, respectively."

#BDS: Dead Sea Kiosks #Ahava

"If you visit a shopping centre, chances are that you’ll eventually come across a kiosk selling Dead Sea beauty products. These kiosks have attracted a lot of attention, not just for the origin of their natural resources, but also for their shady practices and coercive sales techniques that would make a snake oil salesman blush.

Stop for just a few seconds to check the label and you’ll be approached by a young Israeli of the opposite sex, dressed in black and pawing at your hands to entice you to purchase an overpriced container of lotion. If you think they’re just being friendly, think again. Most of them work from scripts like this and this."

#BDS: Boycott of #Adidas company for sponsoring an Israeli marathon in occupied Jerusalem

"Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Al-Resheq has hailed the Arab ministers of youth and a Jordanian sports club for deciding to boycott Adidas company.

Resheq in a press release published on his Facebook page on Sunday described as honorable the ministers’ decision and that of the Jordanian Yarmouk club.

The Arab ministers decided in their Riyadh meeting on 5 April to boycott Adidas for sponsoring an Israeli marathon organized in occupied Jerusalem."

Youth Against Normalization

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