Roger Waters to Robbie Williams: “Your decision to play in Tel Aviv gives succor to Netanyahu and his regime, and endorses their deadly racist policies”

Roger Waters to Robbie Williams: “Your decision to play in Tel Aviv gives succor to Netanyahu and his regime, and endorses their deadly racist policies”

For you information see the latest blog from the Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods

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https://jews4big.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/exposed-israel-lobbys-threat-to-artistic-and-academic-freedom/

Exposed – Israel lobby’s threat to artistic and academic freedom

Posted on  7 April 2015  by jews4big

Letters in today’s Guardian (April 6) highlight the growing threat to artistic and academic freedom by pro-Israel lobbyists seeking to criminalise criticism of the Zionist state.

Playwright Caryl Churchill, a leading signatory of the UK Artists’ Pledge for Palestine, noted the alarming conjunction of a threat to funding of arts institutions that decline Israeli state links and cancellation of an academic conference planned for April 17-19 at the University of Southampton after Zionist pressure.

The organisers have launched a legal challenge to the decision to cancel. See lower down this post for a message from Southampton Students for Palestine explaining the campaign to raise funds to support the challenge.

“All Charlie Hebdo?” wrote Churchill, alluding to the collective outpouring of official outrage at the murder of cartoonists in France in January. “Except when freedom of expression means freedom to criticise Israel.”

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid’s comments on Israeli sponsorship ‘breached the principle of an arms-length relationship between the government and the arts’, writes playwright Caryl Churchill. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Another letter, from Professors Hilary and Steven Rose, prominent proponents of the academic boycott, said the university had “shamefully capitulated to pressure from the pro-Israel lobby”, as evidenced by the statement issued by the university authorities.

The university had initially listened to the hundreds of academics who rallied in support of the conference despite a barrage of attacks from a roll-call of Tories and Israel lobbyists, among them Communities Minister Eric Pickles, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Zionist Federation.  Pickles & Co alleged that the conference was a one-sided antisemitic rant against Israel’s “right to exist” and threatened demonstrations and disruption if it went ahead. This seems to have been what forced vice-chancellor Prof Don Nutbeam to announce the cancellation on unconvincing “health and safety” grounds.

A letter the Guardian declined to publish,  submitted by Tony Greenstein on behalf of J-BIG (full text at the bottom of this post) contrasted this cowardice with the fate of Danish film director, Finn Noergaard, killed at a cafe in Copenhagen in February while defending the right to debate freedom of speech.

The organisers of the three-day Southampton conference, titled International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility and Exceptionalism, had assembled an array of expert participants from around Europe, North America and the Middle East, including many Jews.   If the conference programme lacked representation from Israel’s friends, it is because invitations issued by the organisers to defenders of Zionism were rejected by the recipients.

As explained by Prof Haim Bresheeth on the website of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP),  Israel and its apologists are resorting to all possible means to prevent the issues addressed by the conference being aired.

One of the conference organisers,  engineering professor Suleiman Sharkh, a Palestinian from Gaza, explained its importance.

“International law was responsible for our misery. It was used to legalize the theft of our homes and it continues to be used to legalize the ongoing oppression of my people by the State of Israel. The questions asked by the conference are therefore questions that I have been asking all my life. They are important questions that need to be answered.”

Information from Southampton Students for Palestine.

Subject:  Conference donations: update & important information

Q1: What is the final university decision in relation to the conference? 

The university’s initial decision to withdraw its consent was appealed by the organisers but the internal appeal was rejected by the Vice Chancellor and the withdrawal of consent was confirmed. University’s public statement:http://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/statements.page#.VRxbTkFmtTw.twitter

Q2: Are you collecting donations now or shall we wait further notice?

Donations are being collected now. Please see information on donations below.

Q3: Does this mean that you are proceeding with legal action?

Yes. Legal action has been initiated today. Please see official organisers’ statement attached hereby. Also see: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/17842-academics-pursue-judicial-review-over-cancelled-israel-conference

Q4: Why are we making donations to Student Palestine Solidarity/Students for Palestine? 

You are  not making donations to these organisations. They are only carriers of the funds to help facilitate payment since we are not using any personal accounts to collect donations.

* Information on donations*

Many thanks to those who have already sent their donations and sent me a confirmation email in that regard, I can confirm that they have been received.

If you are yet to donate, please find bank/paypal details below.  Kindly consider a bank transfer as a first option (if possible) since paypal are deducting a fee on each incoming transaction. If a bank transfer is not possible then please feel free to make your donation via paypal. 

UK bank transfer:

Account name: Students for Palestine Southampton
Account number: 26617360
Sort Code: 30-90-34

 

International bank transfer:

Bank: LLoyds Bank

IBAN (for International Transfers Only): GB84 LOYD 3090 3426 6173 60

BIC (for International Transfers Only): LOYDGB21148

Paypal: 

http://www.studentpalestinesolidarity.org.uk/donate/

J-BIG LETTER SUBMITTED TO THE GUARDIAN

The decision of Southampton University to cancel a Conference on Israel and the State of Israel [University event questioning Israel’s right to exist is cancelled, Guardian 31st March] is a disgraceful surrender to powerful bullies.  Zionist groups have a long track record of trying to ban anything they disagree with, given their inability to defend the indefensible.  The normal response is to stand up to them.

It was less than three months ago that four million people and world leaders marched in France in support of freedom of speech, in the wake of the murder of the journalists of Charlie Hebdo.  Amongst them was David Cameron.  If Cameron was sincere he would sack Eric Pickles MP from his government for having lent his support to the call to ban an academic conference.

The use of health and safety as the pretext to cancel the conference is absurd and illogical.  Is it really being suggested that Southampton University was incapable of protecting those attending the conference?  The Police were quite confident they could deal with any threats.

Southampton’s charter includes a commitment to secure academic freedom. With this decision it has been shown to be worthless.

It was barely a month ago that Danish film director, Finn Noergaard, was killed [while defending the right to] debate [on] freedom of speech.  The actions of Southampton University’s Vice Chancellor Don Nutbeam and the university administration in failing to uphold the basic norms of a democratic society are an act of abject cowardice.  If they have any integrity left they should collectively resign.

Yours faithfully

Professor Haim Bresheeth

Mike Cushman

Deborah Fink

Tony Greenstein

Professor (Emeritus) Moshe Machover

Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi

(Dr) Les Levidow

Protest against Sainsbury's profiting from occupation of Palestine, Saturday 4 April 2015

Earlier today we protested in front of the Walthamstow market Sainsbury's and spoke to many people about fruits and veg from the illegal settlements on the stolen Palestinian land being on the Sainsbury's shelves across the UK. 

Some of them went into the shop to complain, others emailed Sainsbury's HQ. We expect to have several new members we met today at the market who said they would like to keep in touch. 

 

 Our next Sainsbury's action will be on the first Saturday in May (the 2nd) and the location will be confirmed nearer to the date.

Join WFPSC protest this Saturday, 7 March ’15, 11am – 2pm, outside Sainsbury’s, Walthamstow Market (112 High Street, London E17 7JY)

Sainsbury’s continues to profit from the Israeli occupation and exploitation of Palestine

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Since 1967, Israel has built 37 illegal settlements in the Jordan Valley (Occupied Palestine), evicting nearly 80% of the Palestinian people who owned and farmed that land. These settlements depend for survival on Israeli export companies, such as Mehadrin and EDOM.

Sainsbury’s continues to trade with these companies, despite a 2 year-long campaign telling them about this crime. 

International Law and goods from Stolen Land:

It is illegal for Israel to exploit for its own profit land which it is occupying by force, like the Jordan Valley. Sainsbury's knows this, but still does business with companies that make Israel’s crimes possible.

How ethical is Sainsbury’s?

A recent survey by “Ethical Consumer” put Sainsbury’s next to the bottom in the UK supermarkets on the basis of its ethical conduct. It came below Tesco, Aldi and Lidl and was just above Asda.

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 What can we do? 

  Join our protest taking place on the first Saturday of each month between 11am and 2pm in front one of the local Sainsbury'

 

Always read the label: Stop buying goods produced in Israel and in the illegal settlements in the occupied Jordan Valley and West Bank

Talk to the manager of your local Sainsbury’s or write to Sainsbury's Head Office to raise your concerns and ask Sainsbury's to stop trading with companies which help Israel break the law.

Contact you MP, Councillor, Trade Union etc.

Demand justice for the Hares Boys

The second anniversary of the Hares Boys’ incarceration on trumped up charges for causing a traffic accident near their village in the occupied West Bank, is approaching.

Ali Shamlawi

 The accident involved a collision between an Israeli stationary truck and a car driven by a woman from the illegal West Bank Yakir settlement with her three children, one of whom was seriously injured and sadly died couple of weeks ago, almost two years after the crash.

.It is important to note that the Boys, who were age 16-17 at the time, were violently arrested by the Israeli soldiers and secret service agents, 

They were abused and tortured during interrogation and then charged with 25 counts of attempted murder, one for each stone allegedly thrown.

Ammar Souf

 It is also important to know that not a shred of credible evidence has been produced against them and that initial evidence gathering at, what was later declared a crime scene, was done by the car insurers!

Five Hares Boys are victims of a major miscarriage of justice which can result in up to 20 years of their young lives being spent incarcerated for attempted murder.

Mohammed Kleib 

The fact is the Boys have been, from the day one, declared guilty and labelled terrorists by the Israeli media and political leaders,including Netanyahu. .  

They have no chance of getting a fair trial from their occupiers and what all justice loving people need to do, is ensure that there is enough pressure by countries, such as the UK, put on the Israeli Government to free Hares Boys. as well as hundreds more Palestinian political prisoners, including children,  held in Israeli jails without a charge.

Tamer Souf

Israel’ place in the club of Western democracies and unprecedented access to the western markets, need to be linked to Israel’s respect for international laws, including human and prisoners’ rights.  .

Please, visit Hares Boys websites for updates and a host of information including examples of solidarity actions around the world and what you can do to ensure justice for the boys:  https://haresboys.wordpress.com/

 Also, join the London Palestine Action protest to mark the second anniversary of the Hares Boys incarceration, which will take place near the Houses of Parliament (exact location will be circulated nearer to the date) on Friday 13 March, between 8.00 -9.30 in the morning, 

Asking for justice for their children: mothers of Ali Shamlawi and Mohammed Sulaimanat the Press Conference  in Ramallah, 1 March 2015

Parents of the Hares Boys with, Issa Qaraqeh, Palestinian Minister of Detainees at the Press Conference in Ramallah.

By Mondoweiss: Second UK-based Israeli drone factory shut down by protesters

(Photo: London Palestine Action)

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Instro Precision, an arms company near Broadstairs (Kent), was occupied at 5am this morning to protest its sales to both Israel and Afghanistan. Four people are on the roof with banners to shut the factory down, with ten more on the ground, one of whom is locked to the fence.

A wide range of groups came together to make this happen, including: Brighton BDS, Brighton Palestine Action, Smash EDO, Stop NATO Cymru, Anarchist Action Network, East Kent CAAT, Swansea Action for Palestine (with a bit of support from us too).

(Photo: London Palestine Action)

Instro is owned by Israeli arms company Elbit Systems, who make drones that are used to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Optical and camera systems like those made at the Instro factory are also supplied by Elbit for use in drones flown over Afghanistan, as well as in Israel’s apartheid wall.

Elbit Hermes drones have been flown over Afghanistan and the new Watchkeeper drone, based on the Hermes, was deployed by the MOD last year. Although the Watchkeeper is ostensibly a surveillance drone, it has been displayed with missiles under its wings at the DSEi arms fair in London.

During last Summer’s ‘Operation Protective Edge’ attack last Summer, armed drones killed 830 Palestinians in Gaza. 85% of the drones used by the Israeli military are supplied by Elbit. Elbit’s share price rose in July off the back of the extensive use of its technology during Israel’s massacre,and the company recently reported a backlog in orders worth $6.2 billion. Elbit advertises its products as “combat proven”€, by which they mean their products are tested on the bodies of Palestinian civilians.

This is the second UK-based Elbit factory to be targeted by activists, after the successful occupation last summer of a drone engine factory near Birmingham.

One of the activists, Tom Anderson, a researcher from the UK research group Corporate Watch said:

We are here because we want to stop Elbit from supplying weapons which are used to massacre people in Gaza and Afghanistan. In 2013 I visited Gaza and spoke to the survivors of Israeli drone strikes. They told me that they wanted people to take action to prevent the companies that manufactured the drones that killed their loved ones from making equipment that will cause others to suffer the way they have.

Rida Abu Zneid, a young woman from Gaza who saw her sister ripped apart in front of her by a missile from an Israeli drone told Corporate Watch:

Why should they manufacture these weapons to kill innocent people? They should stop and close those factories. They only do it for the money. They get money and they cost our lives. If they only thought for a second about what these weapons can do they would stop. What do they feel when they see killed people on the TV? If they came over here and lived just one day in this area, and heard the bombing and the drones, what would they feel? I think they should live our experience€.

Elbit’s electronics are used in Israel’s apartheid wall, which stretches for hundreds of miles across the West Bank separating people from their loved ones, farmers from their fields and is intended to colonise more land for Israel and its settlements.

Lucy Marshall, another of the protesters said: “optical and camera systems like those manufactured at Instro Precision are supplied by Elbit for use on drones and also for camera systems on the apartheid wall. We are here to take action to prevent Israel from continuing its oppression and apartheid against the Palestinians.”

Palestinians have called on governments to impose an arms embargo on Israel, and not to buy arms from Israeli companies like Elbit. Abdulrahman Abunahel from the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement said: “We call on governments around the world to do the very least they can to stop Israel from carrying out more massacres of our people by imposing a military embargo on Israel. Such steps would be in line with growing public support for our struggle and for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign”.

(Photo: London Palestine Action) 

Notes:

1. On Instro: Instro Precision advertises camera systems, optical systems and systems for ‘target acquisition’ [http://www.instro.co.uk].
2. On Elbit: Owners Elbit Systems make 85% of Israel’s drones, and are the “world’s leading exporter of [drones]”. Israeli drones have been implicated in the killing of Palestinian civilians both in the recent assault and in previous assaults; the Israeli army described Elbit as a “real asset”€ during the recent bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has to date killed over 2,000 Palestinians. Elbit advertises its products as “combat proven”, by which they mean their products are tested on the bodies of Palestinian civilians. More info on Elbit€“.
3. On the use of Israeli drones: Human Rights Watch have published detailed information about the use of Elbit drones to deliberately attack Palestinian civilians during the 2008/­09 massacre of Gaza. Israel refuses to confirm officially that it uses armed drones, despite multiple journalists and defence sources evidencing that they do e.g. the International Business Times, Wikileaked US Embassy cables, military websites, and Israel’s own Jerusalem Post and Haaretz.
4. On UK arms links with Israel: the UK exported £7m of weapons to Israel in the six months leading up to the Gaza war, including components for drones.
5. For more information about the Palestinian grassroots call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against israel see www.bdsmovement.net

- See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2015/02/israeli-factory-protesters#sthash.kqJK7emb.dpuf