John Lewis profiting form destroyed childhoods

IMPORTANT Petition: Please sign and share.

Edinburgh Action for Palestine (EA4P) launched a petition against John Lewis selling toys produced in Israel and its illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian land.

Read the label and boycott Halilit, Taf, Tiny Love and Interstar (also sold by Argos and Amazon).

John Lewis also sells Keter garden furniture and playhouses from Barkan settlements.

To sign cut and paste into yur browser the petion link:
https://www.change.org/p/john-lewis-stores-uk-john-lewis-stop-helping-israeli-toymakers-profit-from-illegal-settlements


The copy of the full petition text is below:

Petitioning John Lewis Stores UK

John Lewis, Don't market Israeli toys from illegal settlements

Edinburgh Action 4 Palestine Edinburgh Edinburgh, AL

Edinburgh Action for Palestine (EA4P) supports the human rights of Palestinians, campaigning for the end of Israeli military occupation, exile of Palestinian refugees, and discrimination against Palestinians within Israel. As part of this we promote peaceful opposition through BDS - Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

For 48 years, Palestinians have been harassed and threatened routinely by heavily armed soldiers, bombed, imprisoned without trial, subjected to daily military checkpoints so that normal life is impossible. Many must also watch while police or soldiers demolish their family homes. You can imagine the effect on children. Home is the one place children should always feel safe.

John Lewis sells a range of toys from Israel: Halilit, Taf, Tiny Love and Interstar. The first three are made in Israel, but Interstar toys are made on a settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). A settlement is purpose-built housing for Jewish people on land taken by force from the Palestinians. The UN Security Council has repeatedly condemned the settlements as illegal - most recently two weeks ago - but settler businesses continue to thrive. Interstar is one such business. Halilit, as the UK supplier of Interstar, Taf and Tiny Love toy brands, also profits from Interstar's settlement business; And John Lewis then profits from the toy sales.

Palestinian homes are demolished for a number of reasons, including lack of allowance and collective punishment: 1025 structures in 2016, leaving 1613 people homeless. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions reports that Palestinian homes are demolished to create space to expand settlements. - Thus, Interstar, Halilit and John Lewis may profit from the homelessness of some Palestinian children and families.

Children are particularly vulnerable to this vicious oppression: Palestinian children going to school must face checkpoints, tear gas and even assault by Israeli soldiers and violent settlers. Meanwhile under the 10 year siege of Gaza, 30% of children have malnutrition, and water and basic medicine are scarce. The abuse of Palestinian child prisoners is an international scandal. Http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774158

EA4P members support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as a peaceful means of putting pressure on the Israeli government to end this cruel occupation, exile and apartheid. Most of us could not buy any products from Israel while the occupation continues and you may feel the same. However, our formal request to John Lewis is at least not to assist the Occupation by dealing in settlement products.

PLEASE NOTE: Interstar are also sold by Argos and Amazon. John Lewis also sells Keter garden furniture and playhouses from Barkan settlements.

Please sign the petition urging John Lewis to end this trade.

This petition will be delivered to:
• John Lewis Stores UK

Zionist threat to end Jewish support for Tories

Israel’s interference in UK politics is becoming increasingly public, thanks to the Al Jazeera undercover investigation of behind the scenes machinations by the Israeli agents from the Israeli Embassy and those domestic ones, planted within many UK democratic bodies. The agents were caught on camera planning to destroy reputations of elected representatives of the UK people such as Members of Parliament and student representatives. Now traditional supporters, the Tory Party is told to behave or suffer the consequences!

Read the recent article by Jews for Justice for Palestinians here http://jfjfp.com/?p=89867

US activist and IWPS volunteer Anna Baltzer talks about life under the occupation in Palestine

Stolen goods in our shops - don't buy fruits of occupation

Look at the box of Medjoul dates me and a friend photographed earlier in a Turkish supermarket at the bottom of Walthamstow Market.
The box had text in Arabic and in English and the brand is Jordan Valley.

You would think that those dates are produced by the Jordanian or Palestinian farmers, and the intention is that you think exactly that.

In fact they come from the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Palestine.

The barcode 72900….indicates that Israel is a producer. It is known that in order to cover up the country of origin and avoid being boycotted, Israel sometimes uses different barcodes.

What makes the country of origin totally certain is the ‘Hadiklaim’ logo.

Hadiklaim is an Israeli date growers’ co-operative which sells its dates abroad under the following brand names: King Solomon, Jordan River and Jordan River Bio-Top, as well as under the private labels of supermarket chains.

Always check the label and if it says ‘Hadiklaim’ don’t buy it and complain to the management.

International laws say that occupiers should neither move their population into the occupied countries, not exploit their resources.

In the case of Jordan Valley Medjoul dates Israel is guilty on both accounts.

The fact that we have goods acquired by theft and criminal activities in our shops is both incomprehensible and unacceptable and we should boycott them and make them unsaleable.

More info about Israeli dates sold in the UK can be found here https://www.palestinecampaign.org/checkthelabel/

Film showing '5 Broken Cameras'

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign is showing a wonderful and award winning Palestinian film

'5 Broken Cameras'
in the Wanstead Tap
at 7pm
on this Thursday, 19 Jan 2017

The film is a first-hand account of non-violent struggle in Palestine against the Israeli occupation and land grab.

‘5 Broken Cameras’ won a 2012 Sundance Film Festival award, the Golden Apricot at the 2012 Yerevan International Film Festival, Armenia, the 2013 International Emmy Award and was nominated for a 2013 Academy Award.

Looking forward to seeing you there!