Documents

Campaigns Launched

  • The organization "War on Want" has joined the work of supporting and encouraging campaigns to sanction Israel and to boycott CAT corporation. Flemish Palestine Solidarity Campaign [Belgium] continues its campaign to boycott Israeli goods, including food brands Jaffa, Carmel, Sabra, Tivall, and Yarden. The Association of Belgo-Palestinienne is actively pursuing a sanctions campaign against Israel. An association of over 20 Quebec organizations also continues their boycott campaign by pursuing a boycott campaign against Israeli wines.

 

  • UK activists enacted an Agrexo officeblockadecausingtheUKexportcompanywhichdealswith exports from Israel and OPT to incur a loss of 100 000 pounds. The Norway Soer-Troendelag boycott resolution was overturned during an 08 February district council re-vote.
  • Israeli Apartheid Weeks were launched at various university and college campuses in Europe and North America since January 2005, including University of Toronto and Oxford. Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine [APJP], launched a boycott on construction companies involved in building Israel's Wall and settlements in the OPTs and Jerusalem.
  • Activists worldwide are signing onto a campaign to demand the Federation Internationale Football Association [FIFA] suspend Israel's membership, in response to the 30 March 2006 IDF bombing of the Palestine National Football Stadium. Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism [QUIT, US] initiated a boycott of Estee Lauder Inc., whose subsidiary companies use ingredients from the Dead Sea and whose CEO owns 51% of Delta Three, an Israel R&D corporation. QUIT is also organizing a campaign to boycott World Pride Day 2006, to be hosted in Jerusalem this August.

Events receiving attention from BDS supporting organizations

  • Palestinian artists and their Belgian counterparts asked the Euromed Audiovisual II funding process remove the Ramallah Film Institute from its prospects as the organization was not known to any of the Palestinian artists and is partnered with the New Foundation in Israel, a government-funded organization. They ask that Euromed not alienate a community it targets for funding through formation of a funding partnership with an organization which is couples itself to an Israel government funded organizations.
  • The Fifth International Poetry Festival in Jerusalem, was boycotted by Aharon Shabati, Prof of Hebrew Literature, Tel Aviv University. The officialmagazineoftheDavos World Economic Forum, published 'Boycott Israel' by Mazin Qumsiyeh. After strong objection from Zionist organizations, they re-printed the magazine censoring the article and a massive letter campaign of objecting to this censorship resulted.
  • Roger Waters of Pink Floyd was asked by PACBI to cancel his scheduled concert in Tel Aviv. Subsequently, Waters, who has a history of supporting humanitarian causes, boycotted Israel by canceling his Tel Aviv concert.
  • Arsenal, a UK football club, signed a deal with Israel Ministry of Tourism, which allows Israel tourism to be advertised in their new stadium, whose naming rights were purchased by UAE's Emirates Air. After communication was established between activist organizations, from Palestine and abroad, and Emirates Air, a spokesperson for Emirates Air stated that their permission for this relationship was not sought and that they would attempt to 'persuade Arsenal not to renew its deal with Israel.'
  • Badia Research and Development Center, located in Amman, Jordan, is associated with the US based International Arid Lands Consortium of which the JNF is a founding and leading member with its representative serving as VP of IALC. The association of an Arab institution with the IALC is highly problematic and activists have initiated pressure for Badia to end this relationship.

Conferences

  • The Palestine Solidarity Movement held its 5th Annual Divestment Conference in February 2006 in Washington D.C. on the campus of Georgetown University. The American Association of University Professors [AAUP] was set to hold a conference on the academic boycott of Israel under heavy Zionist pressure.

Resolutions

  • The Anglican Church General Synod resolved to divest from companies whose products are used by Israel in the OPTs.
  • The Church of England's General Synod, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, resolved to recommend that the church disinvest funds from companies profitingfromIsrael'soccupation.
  • Green-Rainbow Party, the Massachusetts state party of the national Green Party United States, resolved, and is moving forward to GPUS, a resolution which calls for implementation of Palestinians' right of return, calls for an end of US aid to Israel, promotes the withdrawal of institutional investments in Israel state bonds and corporations that do business with Israel and calls for academic boycotts against Israel.

Upcoming

  • National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education [NATFHE], will be voting on an academic boycott of Israeli universities at their annual national conference on 27-29 May.
  • The Church of Scotland is set to consider divestment from Israel at its General Assembly meeting in May.
  • The Presbyterian Church USA is hearing a round of petitions regarding their 2004 resolution to divestment from corporations profitingfromhumanrightsandinternationallawviolationsat their upcoming meeting on 15-22 June.