Palestine Solidarity Organisations Worldwide
This map illustrates the growing number of Palestinian Solidarity Organisations - organisations
established and exclusively dedicated to opposing the Israeli Occupation of Palestine.
Australia
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Australians for Palestine. 2010
Australians for Palestine held an Apartheid Forum in Melbourne in early 2010. This was followed by another forum on "Apartheid and Boycotts" which included Diana Buttu and another eminent Palestinian, Professor Saree Makdisi, with Jewish academic Dr. Ned Curthoys who initiated the academic and cultural boycott of Israel in Australia with his father, Professor John Docker. http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m67776&hd=&size=1&l=e
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Women in Black, Australia. 11/09
In Australia, Women in Black handed out flyers and conducted a vigil about the Wall and Jerusalem on November 7. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2130.shtml
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Women for Palestine, Australia. 5/08
A group called Women for Palestine in Australia helped organize the following events in May, 2008: A forum on'The Disposession of the Palestinians and their Fight for Justice', a Candlelight Vigil commemorating Al- Nakba (the Palestinian dispossession that began in 1947), a Film Screening of'The Sons of Eilaboun & Yoom Ilak Yoom Alaik', a Public Lecture featuring Ali Abunimah (co-founder of the Electronic Intifada), and an Exhibition of Remembrance at the Fitzroy Town Hall. http://womenforpalestine.org/
Canada
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), Canada. 2007-2008
This wide-ranging Canadian organization includes Labour for Palestine and Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA). CAIA's labor committee has issued a book --'Labour for Palestine: A Reader for Unionists and Activists' - revised and expanded in 2008. The handbook describes the successful approaches of anti- apartheid organizers in Canadian postal workers'and public employees'unions. CAIA members marched in a Toronto Labor Day parade beside a float bearing images of Palestinian workers, while distributing 3000 leaflets urging trade unionists to join the movement. The student wing of CAIA holds panels and exhibits at Canadian colleges to enlist students in the work. In Montreal, CAIA helped Tadamon stage a Palestinian film festival in 2007 and protest an Israeli film festival. It issued criticism about a bookstore chain called Chapters/Indigo, whose majority shareholders support a foundation that helps the Israeli Defense Force with financial aid to international IDF recruits. On March 30, 2010, the organization marked the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Day of Action with protests at Chapters Indigo and Mountain Equipment Coop in Toronto. Both companies have ties to the Israeli occupation. http://www.caiaweb.org/node/742, http://www.caiaweb.org/node/1463
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Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, Quebec. 12/05
CJPP, based in Quebec, launched a campaign of'boycott, divestment, and sanctions, calling on Israel to respect international law,' stating,'Israel is moving ahead with a much more significant expansion of its settlements in the West Bank and the illegal construction of its apartheid wall, gradually reducing the occupied Palestinian territories into a disconnected patchwork of mini-bantustans.' The campaign covers 1) the boycott of Israeli products and products of companies that are contributing to the occupation, 2) the retrieval of investments from these companies, and 3) sanctions against the Israeli State, starting with opposition to the Canada-Israel free trade agreement. The initial focus is on Caterpillar and Israeli wines. http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=8648,
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Tadamon! - Montreal. 4/08
This Montreal-based collective works for social justice and human rights. It encourages writers and filmmakers to refuse invitations to Israel. In 2008 it launched a Palestinian Film Festival, boycotted Israeli cultural events, and protested a speech by Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker. www.sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/04/tdamon-confronting-israeli-apartheid
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Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Canadian Section. 12/05 and 7/09
In December, 2005, WILPF-Canada wrote INTEL's Board Chairman and CEO:'Let INTEL not be wooed by Israel's $525 million grant incentive to expand INTEL's existing microprocessing factory in Israel. The site of the proposed expansion is Kiryat Gat, on land expropriated from the Palestinian village of Iraq Al-Manshiya. By further building there, you are denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their land.' (For further information, contact joandgord@shaw.ca)
Cyprus
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Free Gaza. 2008 - 2010
The Free Gaza Movement has organized nine voyages by sea to Palestine, successfully arriving in Gaza Port five times. These boats have brought dozens of human rights workers, journalists, parliamentarians, and others to Gaza, as well as tons of desperately needed medical and humanitarian supplies. Free Gaza boats are the first international ships to sail to the Gaza Strip since 1967. The group has issued a call to responsible governments and NGOs to help support the Fourth Geneva Convention and bring relief to the people of Gaza. A flotilla of boats organized by the Free Gaza movement in May 2010 was attacked by members of the Israeli military by sea and air. 9 volunteers aboard one of the boats were killed and others were wounded. This attack sparked international condemnation and called worldwide attention to the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. All passengers aboard the ships were taken to Israel and all cameras, cell phones and other personal possessions of the passengers were confiscated. Free Gaza has issued a call for the return of all the stolen items. http://www.freegaza.org/
http://www.gazamussleben.at/en/1999, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm
France
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Coordination Appels pour une Paix Juste au Proche Orient (CAPJPO). 5/10
CAPJO (Coordinated Call for a Just Peace in the Middle East) has filed legal action in a French Court against Sephora, a division of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group (LVMH), which sells Ahava cosmetics in its stores. Ahava produces its products in the illegal West Bank settlement of Mitzpe Shalem and uses natural resources from the Palestinian banks of the Dead Sea without permission or compensation. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11341.shtml
Ireland
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) 11/06, 2/07, 11/09
Atlantic Homecare, a large Limerick store, removed all Israeli stock from its shelves in response to an informational picket by Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC 11/06). In February, 2007 before Valentines Day hundreds of people signed petitions and accepted informational leaflets urging Dublin jewelers to "Give consumers the right to choose Israel-free Diamonds." www.ipsc.ie; www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=A405_0_1_0_M
On Jan. 31, 2009, the group published "Irish Call for Justice for Palestine" in the Irish Times with around 300 signatures. It called for an end to Israel's occupation and called on the international community to intervene. On November 14, 2009 IPSC organized a national demonstration against Israel's apartheid practices. Speakers at the demonstration highlighted the brutality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, with particular reference to the siege of Gaza and the Wall. Following the speeches protestors marched through the streets chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian people, carrying colorful flags, placards and banners in a loud and spirited demonstration. Following these actions, panels were conducted throughout the city. IPSC also held numerous meetings, film screenings, and fundraisers throughout the country. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2130.shtml, http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90913
Italy
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Comitato Pistoiese Per La Palestina. 11/09
Comitato Pistoiese Per La Palestina held a march in solidarity with Palestinians through the historic center of Florence, Italy. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2130.shtml
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ISM Italy. 2006
The Italian branch of ISM (International Solidarity Movement) staged a colorful demonstration during the Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006. The group floated a large three-dimensional mascot on the River Po, bearing the motto'Free Palestine! Boycott Israel!." Protesters cited Israel's refusal to comply with the 2004 ruling of the International Court of Justice on the illegality of the Wall. For further information contact info@ism-italia.it
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Rete-ECO - Italy. 2006
Rete-ECO endorsed a 2006 letter of support for the Church of England General Synod's call for divestment from Caterpillar and other companies supporting the occupation. http://neconference.brickriver.com/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Divestment_Statements_from_Jewish_Groups_YVJ27FBI.pdf
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Rome Palestinian Solidarity Network. 5/10
On Saturday, May 8 a protest organized by the "Rome Palestinian Solidarity Network" (comprised of numerous associations and committees that stand with the Palestinian struggle for freedom) was held at the entrance to Rome's exhibition center during COSMOFARMA, a pharmaceuticals expo attended by thousands of health professionals. The Rome Palestinian Solidarity Network, which endorses the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) on the Israeli economy, aimed at raising awareness of the BDS campaign, calling on physicians, pharmacists and health workers'not to purchase or prescribe products from the Israeli pharmaceutical company TEVA,' the leading global manufacturer of generic drugs, or from L'OrČal, which through its substantial investments in Israel is helping to strengthen the Israeli war economy. http://mondoweiss.net/2010/05/bds-activists-target-israeli-pharma-at-italy-expo.html
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Stop Agrexco Italia. 5/10
The Italian Coalition Against Carmel-Agrexco, also known as Stop Agrexco Italia, won agreement from two major Italian supermarket chains, Nordiconad and COOP, to stop stocking products from Agrexco, the principal exporter of produce from Israel and from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Stop Agrexco Italia represents over 50 national and local associations, trade unions and political parties. www.stopagrexcoitalia.org/comunicati/111-pr-coop-conad.html, http://mondoweiss.net/2010/05/global-flotilla-hits-ny-chocolate-shop.html
Netherlands
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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United Civilians for Peace-Netherlands, a coalition of Pax Christi IKV, Oxfam Novib, Cordaid, and ICCO. 2008
The group won a promise of divestment of Unilever from Beigel & Beigel, a company based in the Barkan Industrial Zone, part of an illegal West Bank settlement. UCP had issued a pivotal report titled "Dutch Economic Links in Support of the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian and/or Syrian Territories" in 2006 and had initiated a "constructive dialogue" with Unilever, which bore fruit in 2008 when the company promised to sell its 51% stake in Beigel & Beigel. As of February, 2010, that promise had not been kept. www.unitedcivilians.nl/nl/doc.phtml?p=Profundo+Report+(English)
Norway
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Palestine Committee of Norway. 11/09
The Palestine Committee of Norway, the Norwegian Association of NGOS for Palestine, and others marched on the Israeli embassy in Oslo on November 14, 2009 to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the siege of Gaza. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2130.shtml
Pakistan
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Pakistanis for Palestine. 1/10
A Pakistani campaign of solidarity with the Palestinian people was launched in Lahore, Pakistan with members of the labor movement, students, professors and other professionals. As its first action of solidarity, the campaign called on Pakistani academics and cultural workers - artists, poets, writers, singers and filmmakers - to join the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel that is spreading around the world. http://lahorenama.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/pakistanis-for-palestine/
Palestine
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza. 2009 - 2010
The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza is planning to mark the New Year and the first anniversary of the Israeli "Operation Cast Lead" with a massive march in Gaza Dec. 29, 2009 - Jan. 1 or 2, 2010, as well as intensive lobbying, media outreach and public education activities in the U.S. Internationals and Palestinians will join together to call for an immediate end to the collective punishment Israel is imposing through its illegal, lethal blockade, and for freedom, justice and equal rights for all. www.end-gaza-siege.ps/Events/New%20Events/Delegation%20from%20Spain.htm, http://www.gazamussleben.at/en/2018
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Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI), East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine
The JAI, a joint program of East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine, works for peace with justice in Palestine, based on humanitarian and Christian values, by mobilizing the world movements of YMCA and YWCA, Churches, Church-Related Organizations, UN agencies, and other relevant organizations to influence decision-makers and prompt actions that contribute to end Israeli occupation and all its violations of International Law. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107284735958534 It operates many initiatives, including the Journey for Justice Program, which brings together youth from YMCAs and YWCAs all over the world to experience and share the occupation with Palestinian youth. For ten days they join Palestinian youth and travel around Israel and Palestine to witness the effects of the Israeli occupation. It has called for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until that country complies with international law. http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?section=2, http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?section=1
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Mewando. 2003, 2008
Mewando, or Middle East Without Wars and Occupation, is an international network created in Bilin, West Bank, in August 2003. It held an international meeting of Palestinian, Israeli and European social movements in Bilbao, Spain in October 2003, and developed a framework for extending the process to Spain's Basque region. The group calls for an immediate end to Israeli occupation, the proclamation of a viable Palestinian state, the return of all refugees, and the liberation of all prisoners. In October 2008, it worked with other Spanish Palestinian solidarity groups to organize a conference called the Bilbao Initiative, which resulted in a declaration calling for building awareness of and taking action against the Israeli occupation. www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/213, www.mewando.org/
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Stop the Wall. 10/09
This organization held a BDS Marathon on October 16 and 17, 2009. It asked organizations around the world to commit to two days of non-stop activities focusing on boycott, divestment and sanctions to bring an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land. The group maintains a web site devoted to news about the occupation and its effect on Palestinian villages. http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2085.shtml
Portugal
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Movement for the Rights of the Palestine People, Portugal. 6/10
The Movement for the Rights of the Palestine People was one of five groups whose members protested outside the Israeli Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal over the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla of aid ships that killed 9 people. http://www.indymedia-letzebuerg.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53143&Itemid=27
South Africa
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Coalition for a Free Palestine (South Africa). 6/10
The Coalition for a Free Palestine condemned the Israeli raid on the Gaza aid flotilla and called on the South African government to immediately recall the South African ambassador to Tel Aviv; expel the Israeli ambassador back to Israel; sever all diplomatic relations with Israel; and support the international campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions against the apartheid Israel state. The statement was signed by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), Palestine Solidarity Committee, Palestine Solidarity Group, Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Muslim Judicial Council, and the Muslim Youth Movement. http://links.org.au/node/1718
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Palestine Solidarity Committee, South Africa. 11/09
Issued a letter in November 2009 calling for a campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to end the Israeli occupation. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2121.shtml
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Sanctions Against Israel Coalition, South Africa branch. 8/06, 1/07
"We are making a call to mobilise South African workers," said Shaheed Mohamed, of SAIC - SA. We want all diamonds from Israel to be treated as conflict diamonds. We urge people not to buy diamonds from Israel." Mohamed said Israel imports South African diamonds, polishes, cuts them, and sells them back "at almost ten times the original value." Israel imports diamonds worth $430 million a year from South Africa, he said, adding that fully 30 percent of Israel's annual GDP (gross domestic product) comes from diamonds. (Inter Press Service (IPS), Johannesburg, 1/27/07) In August, 2006, this group had issued a statement demanding that the ANC (African National Congress)'institute immediate, comprehensive sanctions against the apartheid state of Israel.' http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?page=374
Spain
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Mewando. 2003, 2008
Mewando, or Middle East Without Wars and Occupation, is an international network created in Bilin, West Bank, in August 2003. It held an international meeting of Palestinian, Israeli and European social movements in Bilbao, Spain in October 2003, and developed a framework for extending the process to Spain's Basque region. The group calls for an immediate end to Israeli occupation, the proclamation of a viable Palestinian state, the return of all refugees, and the liberation of all prisoners. In October 2008, it worked with other Spanish Palestinian solidarity groups to organize a conference called the Bilbao Initiative, which resulted in a declaration calling for building awareness of and taking action against the Israeli occupation. www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/213, www.mewando.org/
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Palestina al Cor. Spain. 6/10
Palestina al Cor, or Palestine with the Heart, is a campaign of solidarity with the Palestinian people established in 2007 through the combined efforts of dozens of organizations in the Catalan district of Spain to mark the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Naqba. Palestina al Cor took part in four days of demonstrations, June 11- 14, at the offices of the European Union in Barcelona to call for the lifting of the siege of Gaza and condemnation of the Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla. http://www.nexescat.org/CA/Inter/Redes/Redes.aspx?ID=278&LG=2
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Platform of Solidarity with Palestine-Valladolid, Spain. 7/10
The Platform of Solidarity with Palestine in Valladolid, Spain successfully lobbied the City Council of Villanueva de Duero to remove Eden-brand water products from government buildings. The City Council made its announcement in mid-July. Eden Springs was founded in the 1980s after Israel illegally annexed Syria's Golan Heights. The Platform of Solidarity said the company profits from illegally occupied and annexed lands. The group was also instrumental in another boycott action, as teachers and workers of the Nursing School of the University of Valladolid, in the same municipality as Villanueva de Duero, successfully petitioned in June to have Eden removed from vending machines at the school. The Platform of Solidarity with Palestine-Valladolid thanked both institutions for their "commitment and support to the Palestinian people's cause" and called the two actions a major boost to the BDS movement. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=299415
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Xarxa d'Enlac amb Palestina (Network Liaison Palestine), Spain. 6/10
The organization, headquartered in Barcelona, focuses its efforts on developing tools and programs that aim to build ties of friendship and cooperation between civil society and the Palestinians in the Catalan region of Spain. It also promotes awareness campaigns and protests against Israel's policies of apartheid and occupation. Xarxa Palestina was one of the many Spanish organizations that protested Israel's attack on the Gaza aid flotilla in front of the European Union offices in Barcelona, June 11-14. The group joined others in calling for an immediate lifting of the Gaza siege. http://www.nexescat.org/CA/Inter/Redes/Redes.aspx?ID=278&LG=2
Switzerland
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Collectif Urgence Palestine (CUP), Switzerland. 2005, 2006
CUP boycotted Connex, a French company hired to run a light railway system connecting Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank to Jerusalem. It protested a contract for Connex to operate public transport services in Geneva, stating:'Switzerland, as depository of the Geneva Conventions, should not deal with companies that violate international law and support Israeli Apartheid in Palestine.' In 2005, CUP petitioned the Swiss parliament to nullify the purchase of Israeli military equipment worth 150 million Swiss francs. In May 2006, CUP hosted an international conference with ECCP:'For a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel: Enforce International Law!' which called for divestment and boycott. http://www.urgencepalestine.ch/Agenda/news.html, http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/1120.shtml
Thailand
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Palestine Solidarity Committee, Thailand. 11/09
PSC Thailand ran a Gaza Photo Exhibition in Bangkok in November, 2009 to raise awareness about Palestinian suffering. http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2130.shtml
United Kingdom
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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Antoine Friendship Link.
This Scottish group was formed to establish a sister community relationship with the village of Jayyous in the northern West Bank. It has taken many actions aimed at ending the occupation, including rallies, marches, and communications with Parliament and government officials. It regularly provides contacts around the world with updates on the situation in Jayyous, where new settlements are stealing the village's agricultural land, greenhouses and water supplies. The group organized a gathering in Falkirk, Scotland to hear a keynote speaker from Scottish Jews for a Just Peace on January 29, 2010. http://www.antoninefriendshiplink.co.uk/
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Friends of Al-Aqsa
Friends of Al-Aqsa is a British charity which aims to protect the human rights of Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. It has published a'Boycott Apartheid Israel' leaflet containing information on 14 companies, most of which have invested heavily in Israel. http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/Boycotts/BoycottsagainstIsrael.aspx
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ICAHD UK. United Kingdom. 2006
This organization, dedicated to ending the destruction of Palestinian homes, signed a letter of support for the Church of England General Synod's recommendation to divest from companies supporting Israel's occupation. It is part of the Interfaith Group for Morally Responsible Investment. http://www.cc-vw.org/articles/eiag.pdf
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Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), UK. 3/09
MAP partnered with the British medical journal The Lancet to publish a series on "Health in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" in 2009 after the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. MAP provides and promotes healthcare for Palestinians, especially those under occupation or exile, based on principles of self-determination and social justice. The Lancet published MAP's findings about severe medical problems caused by the Occupation. http://www.map-uk.org/regions/uk/projects/view/-/id/58/
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Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Scotland. 7/06
Requests from S-PSC ended the use of Prestwick Airport for transhipment of US weapons to Israel for attacks on Lebanon in 2006. S-PSC has also achieved changes in venues for cricket games with Israeli teams. It boycotted Disney outlets in Scotland, citing plans by Roy Disney's Shamrock Fund to add to its sizeable investments in Orad, an Israeli firm that provides electronic monitoring equipment for the Wall. (Roy Disney's Shamrock Fund also holds large investments in Tadiran, an Israeli military equipment firm.)'[T]his money will be used to help Israel continue its policies of colonization, land theft and slow ethnic cleansing." http://www.indymediascotland.org/node/2104.
In 2006, the group joined the Israel boycott. http://www.songsforchange.com/forum.cfm?forum_action=showposts&topicid=31713 -
Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK (BIG Campaign). 11/09
The Palestinian Solidarity Committee asks consumers to Boycott Israeli Goods via the'BIG' Campaign.'BIG' buys shares in companies like Tesco to pressure corporate boards to eliminate Israeli imports. In 6/06, Tesco agreed to phase out Israeli peppers due to consumer pressure. A key boycott target is Agrexco, Israel's largest exporter of fresh agricultural produce, selling in England under the Carmel, Coral and Jaffa brands. The company is 50% owned by the Israeli state. Much of its produce comes from illegal settlements that hire Palestinian workers at exploitative wages and working conditions. The BIG campaign also boycotts Israeli tourism and Israeli cultural, sporting, and academic institutions and individuals who do not condemn the occupation. It seeks to end trade agreements between the EU, UK, and Israel, and it promotes an end to the arms trade, citing'Israel's appalling human rights record, grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and its ongoing occupation and settler-colonisation of Palestinian lands' and noting'widespread concerns that British-made equipment is being used against Palestinian civilians, in defiance of UK export criteria.' Finally, BIG seeks to increase trade in Palestinian goods. In November, 2009, PSCUK organized a National Week of Supermarket Boycott Actions. Throughout the country from November 7-15, activists picketed outside of supermarkets and offices to bring attention to Israel's persecution of Palestinians and to protest the apartheid wall. www.bigcampaign.org
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Viva Palestina. 12/09, 1/10
Viva Palestina is an international group dedicated to ending the Israeli siege of Gaza. In December, 2009, the group launched its third convoy to the Gaza Strip, this one leaving from Great Britain and traveling through many countries with relief supplies. On Jan. 6, 518 volunteers from many countries drove more than 156 vehicles loaded with tons of medicine and other humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. They were backed by a global outpouring of solidarity. When the convoy entered Gaza after its month-long, 5,000-mile journey, hundreds of thousands of Gaza's 1.5 million people lined the streets in welcome. http://www.vivapalestina.org/home.htm
United States of America
Palestine Solidarity Organisations
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ADALAH-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East. 2008, 12/09
Adalah-NY is an alliance of groups and concerned individuals in the Metro New York area working for an "end to US and US-sponsored Israeli aggression in the Middle East." The Adalah-NY coalition includes Jews Against the Occupation-NYC; the NY Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel; International Solidarity Movement-NYC; National Council of Arab-Americans-NYC; WESPAC Foundation; and several other groups. The group's name, "Adalah," means "justice" in Arabic. Their public campaigns achieve notable successes. UNICEF, Oxfam International, and the Emirate of Dubai have responded to concerns about the work of Lev Leviev, an Israeli entrepreneur who is charged by the coalition with building illegal Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and with human rights abuses in his diamond operations. The Emirate of Dubai withdrew permission for Leviev's jewelry chain to open stores in Dubai. UNICEF returned a donation from Leviev. The British government, too, was contacted by Adalah-NY, protesting plans to rent space for an embassy in a Leviev building in Tel Aviv. The British government withdrew its plans. On November 18th, fifty New Yorkers gathered outside of Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's Office, protesting Major League Baseball's connection with the Hebron Fund, a Brooklyn-based non-profit supporting Israeli settlers living in the West Bank City of Hebron. That event followed a letter-writing campaign that generated over 2600 letters to the New York Mets, asking them to cancel a fundraising dinner with the settler organization at Citi Field on November 21st. In December 2009 Adalah reported that 45 human rights carolers had sung familiar holiday tunes with words directed against settlement builder Lev Leviev on the street outside his New York jewelry store. http://adalahny.org, http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2120.shtml, www.apjp.org; www.adalahny.org/index.php/photo-galleries/340-holiday-caroling-at-leviev-09, www.news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article344510.ece
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Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid. 12/09
This group published a list of 10 popular companies for consumers to boycott during the 2009 holiday season. The companies were chosen for their role in promoting Israel's occupation and discrimination against Palestinians. http://bdsmovement.net/?q=node/601
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Boston Palestine Solidarity Movement. 6/10
About 200 activists rallied and marched on the Boston Common in Boston, MA to protest Israel's attack on humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza. Members of American Jews for a Just Peace were among many groups participating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853VXf-RbFk&feature=related
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Cambridge Residents for Human Rights (CRHR), Massachusetts. 2010
Cambridge Residents for Human Rights (CRHR) hosts monthly public screenings of films dealing with Palestinian human rights, followed by Q & A and discussion. http://divestmentproject.org/about_SDP.shtml
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Coalition to Stop $30 Billion to Israel. US. 2009
12 organizations in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe region of New Mexico joined together in the Coalition to Stop $30 billion to Israel. The group placed signs on ten billboards calling for a halt to the Bush Administration's 2007 commitment to send a total of $30 billion to Israel over ten years. The signs pictured a child and the caption "Tell Congress: Stop Killing Children. No More Military Aid to Israel." Under pressure, the billboard company removed the signs. However, it agreed to a modified message geared toward tax monies and the Israeli military. The Coalition set up an information table on the campus of the University of New Mexico on Welcome Back Day, when students returned to campus in August 2009. http://stop30billion.com/documents/Stop_30_Press_Release_09April09.pdf, http://stop30billion.com/contentsindex.php?page=billboardremovalpressrelease
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Code Pink. 2009-2010
The American anti-war movement Code Pink has launched a series of creative protest actions at stores carrying Ahava cosmetics, which are produced in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem and use Palestinian natural resources without permission or compensation. http://palestinevideo.blogspot.com/2010/04/codepink-la-bds-action.html, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3754920,00.html
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Corrie Family Lawsuit vs. Caterpillar, Inc. 3/05-9/07
The family of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip, brought a civil action seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Caterpillar for violations of international and state law committed against their daughter, including war crimes'and wrongful death. The suit, filed in US District Court in Seattle, stated:'On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, a peace activist and United States citizen, was killed by a Caterpillar bulldozer while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home. According to the suit,'Caterpillar, Inc., has aided and abetted or otherwise been complicit in the Israel Defense Forces (hereinafter'IDF') in the above-mentioned human rights violations and war crimes by providing the bulldozers used to demolish homes of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in violation of international law when it knew, or should have known, that such bulldozers were being used to commit human rights abuses.' The suit also alleges that'The IDF has destroyed approximately 10,000 Palestinian homes since 1967 leaving approximately 50,000 men, women, and children homeless'' In 2005, a US District Judge dismissed the case on grounds that political constitutional questions were involved. His argument was reaffirmed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which refused to reinstate the case in 9/07 on grounds that the US Department of Defense reimburses the Israeli army for its purchases of bulldozers. The Corrie family brought a civil suit against the Israeli government, which was heard in a Haifa court in March, 2010. http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/downloads/final.corriecomplaint.3.15.pdf http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/09/9th_circuit_refuses_to_reinstate_
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Council for the National Interest Foundation (CNIF)
The Council for the National Interest Foundation is an educational and outreach organization that advocates for Middle East policies that are in the US national interest. The CNI Foundation explains, through its educational and media activities, how current American policies harm American interests and recommends balanced alternatives. The CNI Foundation's main programs are: The Political Pilgrimage program, which organizes two or more trips by U.S. citizen-diplomats each year to Israel, the occupied territories, and all the neighboring countries; The CNI: Jerusalem Calling internet-radio show, which airs weekly; A lively blog titled'Fair policy, Fair discussion'; and The Partners for Peace program, which organizes the'Jerusalem Women Speak' tours, which bring Jewish, Muslim, and Christian women from Jerusalem to speak together to audiences in the U.S. http://www.cnionline.org/cni-foundation/
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The Davis Committee for Palestinian Rights (DCPR) Davis, CA. 2009
The Davis Committee for Palestinian Rights (DCPR) was formed in 2009 to initiate and support local peaceful endeavors in Davis, California to end the human rights violations being committed against the Palestinian people. DCPR is engaged in boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) efforts whose goal is to pressure Israel to comply with international law and stop its violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people by: 1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the "Separation" Wall; 2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and 3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194. DCPR supports efforts to end U.S. aid to and political support for Israel until Israel complies with international law and stops violating the rights of the Palestinian people as specified above. http://davisbds.org/about-us/
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Divest From War and Occupation Campaign-Seattle, Washington. 2008
The campaign sought the signatures of thousands of Seattle voters in support of Initiative 97, calling on the Seattle City Council to adopt an ordinance barring the investment of city employees' retirement funds in corporations that do business in or with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. Also prohibited would be investments in corporations like Caterpillar that assist Israel's West Bank repression. I-97 called for automatic withdrawal of investments in Israeli government bonds "if Israel attacks Iran without UN authorization." It linked the occupations in Iraq and Israel by barring investment in corporations "that profit directly from the US presence in Iraq." 18,000 signatures were required to place the initiative before the city council, which must then enact the measure into law or place it before voters as a ballot initiative. The campaign mounted a major drive, informing citizens about the dual occupations, relevant international law, UN resolutions, and the suffering of the Palestinian and Iraqi people. Numerous co-sponsoring organizations were recruited. The signature drive neared success. However, just two weeks before the September deadline, a judge ruled that the subject of I-97 was out of bounds for voters and City Council, as well. The successful plaintiffs argued that the Seattle Employees' Retirement System is a separate entity and that Council and voters have no say in how its funds are invested. (Plaintiffs were the Washington Israel Business Council, Stand with Us, and a Seattle resident.) The campaign was considering an appeal. www.divestfromwar.org
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ICAHD USA. 2010
ICAHD USA has produced an important booklet: "Is Israel an Apartheid State?" This summary of an international legal study was funded and coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the government of South Africa. It asks "Do Israel's practices in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza amount to crimes of Apartheid under International Law?" The booklet reviews legal definitions of Apartheid and describes Israeli practices that fully qualify for this designation. Booklets are available at: http://icahdusa.org/store/ and may be downloaded at: http://icahdusa.org/multimedia/downloads/2010/06/icahdusa-apartheid-booklet-61410.pdf (The full study is posted at: www.fosna.org/files/fosna/events/OccupationColonialismApartheidStudyMay2009.pdf.)
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If Americans Knew.
If Americans Knew was founded in 2001 to provide Americans with information that has been missing in the American media about the Middle East conflict. It provides informational materials, assists in organizing public forums, produces media studies, and provides speakers and written materials to hundreds of venues across the United States. It maintains a web site with statistics and information on topics related to Israel and Palestine, and has been consistent in criticizing Israel's occupation of Palestinian land. http://www.ifamericansknew.org/about_us/
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Jamaica Plain Residents for Human Rights (JPRHR), Massachusetts. 2010
Jamaica Plain Residents for Human Rights (CRHR) hosts monthly public screenings of films dealing with Palestinian human rights, followed by Q & A and discussion. http://divestmentproject.org/about_SDP.shtml
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Just Peace Mid East. 2009
A group called Just Peace Mid East in the San Francisco area has established a new web site with many video clips and information about life under occupation for Palestinians. http://www.justpeacemideast.org/
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Maryam. 7/10
'Maryam' is a group of Christian and Muslim women from Lebanon and Catholic nuns from the United States preparing to sail for Gaza the last week in July, 2010. ('Maryam' is the Arabic word for'Mary,' the mother of Jesus.) Their ship,'The Maryam,' will carry 40 female journalists, as well as medicines to treat cancer patients in Gaza. The goal of the project is to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. http://us.oneworld.net/article/369417-women-prepare-set-sail-past-israel
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Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign. 2009, 2/10
This is a group of Minnesota citizens from many faiths and ethnicities who are dedicated to bringing Palestine- centric education to Minnesota in order to help end the Israeli occupation. The group helped organize Gaza Week at the University of Minnesota and a Gaza Freedom March to coincide with the international Gaza Freedom March in Egypt in late December 2009. Two new resources, a question-and-answer sheet and a fact sheet about Israel bonds, were published by the organization in February 2010. http://mn.breakthebonds.org/, http://mn.breakthebonds.org/?p=339
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New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel. 7/09
The New York Campaign wrote a letter to Amnesty International urging it to drop its cooperation with Leonard Cohen in channeling funds from his Israeli concert to'peace groups.' The New York group was one of many around the world arguing that Mr. Cohen's performance in Israel would lend an air of normalcy and'whitewash' Israel's ongoing actions against the Palestinian people. Amnesty ultimately withdrew its agreement with Mr. Cohen. http://boycottisraelnyc.org/category/nycbi/letters-statements/our-letters
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Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural Project (ORSMP). 5/10
The Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural Project (ORSMP) was conceived by residents of Olympia, Washington, the hometown of Rachel Corrie, who was killed at age 23 by an Israeli bulldozer. It was created by 150 groups and internationals. The mural was formally dedicated and celebrated on May 8, 2010 with music, dance, spoken word, and poetry. Hundreds gathered to hear the mural'speak' (with audio recordings) as each image was introduced. The mural has an audio component and for the cost of a local cell phone call one can enter an extension number for each image and hear related poetry, information, history, interviews, etc. ORSMP hopes to extend this project throughout the United States, and has set a goal of 1,000 Palestinian Solidarity Trees by 2011. http://olympiarafahmural.org/
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Palestine Solidarity Committee, University of Texas (PSC-UT), Austin. 2010
The Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) is a student organization at the University of Texas at Austin dedicated to telling the story of the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination on the University campus and in the wider Austin community. In the spring of 2010, the group took part in a protest of Ahava cosmetics (made in an illegal West Bank settlement) at the Ulta Beauty store in Austin. Women dressed in pink police uniforms strung police tape over shelves carrying Ahava products, while other volunteers held shopping bags calling for a boycott of Ahava. The protest was captured on video at http://vimeo.com/11100258
PSC works to tell the Palestinian story through lectures by academics and political activists, movie screenings, events and displays on the UT West Mall,'CafČ Intifada' open mic events, the Family Aid direct humanitarian assistance program, and various other activities including protests, fundraisers and a new program in which the group sends an eye-witness delegate each year to visit occupied Palestine. http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/palestine/about.html -
Palestine Solidarity Movement, US. 2/06
PSM asked US universities, churches and other institutions to end financial support for companies linked with Israeli injustice. Their campaign was modeled after the successful effort to end apartheid in South Africa. PSM hosted university students and community activists in its 5th annual conference at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. 2/06. www.palestinesolidaritymovement.org , http://explore.georgetown.edu/documents/?DocumentID=12105
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Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee. 6/09
The Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee was founded to foster information, dialogue and activities connected with the Palestinian People's struggle for independence. The group helped organize a boycott of Israeli products sold at Trader Joe's in Pittsburgh on June 8, 2009, and produced a YouTube video to encourage the boycott. http://pittsburgh-psc.org/about-2/, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXjO5Amcm_c
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Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice
Named for a 23-year-old college student who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer, The Rachel Corrie Foundation takes delegations from the US to the Gaza Strip to observe first-hand the human rights crisis brought about by the occupation and blockade. These delegations seek to strengthen ties of solidarity between Americans and the people of Gaza by encouraging greater communication and cooperative work. Those who participate return to tell other Americans about the reality of Palestinian life under occupation. http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/projects/delegations
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Rhode Island Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation. 6/10
More than 60 protesters gathered on the steps of the Federal Building in Providence's Kennedy Plaza on June 2, 2010, to protest the lethal Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla. Protesters called on the U.S. to condemn the attack and force Israel to end its blockade. They held signs denouncing Israel's raid and its ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. The protest was organized by the Rhode Island Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation and attended by individuals from across the state, including many members of the Interfaith Peace Initiative. Individuals who had recently been in the occupied territories spoke of Israel's oppression against Christians and Muslims in the region. http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/06/60-protest-in-kennedy-plaza-ag.html
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Somerville Divestment Project, Massachusetts. 2004, 2006, 2008
The Somerville Divestment Project'focuses on building a solid base of support for the human rights and self- determination of the Palestinian people.' In 2004, the group was successful in having eight aldermen on the Somerville Board of Aldermen introduce a proposal for the city to divest its funds from companies supporting Israel's occupation. Members gathered 1500 signatures to support the proposal, which the Board rejected, but in the process they educated thousands of their fellow citizens about Israel's occupation. In 2006 elections, they successfully got two resolutions on the ballot. One called for Somerville to divest from Israel and the other called for supporting the right of all refugees, including Palestinian refugees, to return to their homeland. In 2008, they successfully got questions on the ballot in Somerville and Cambridge, MA, in which 62% of Somerville residents and 73% of Cambridge residents voted that Palestinian citizens of Israel should have equal rights. Members continue to promote voter action to defend Palestinian human rights. http://divestmentproject.org/, http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3448.shtml
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Stop CAT Coalition. 2010
Stop CAT sponsors an annual Day of Action focused on Caterpillar headquarters in Peoria, Illinois, to urge that Caterpillar'cease all sales to the Israeli military and government' and abide by its own code of conduct which states'as a company, we strive to contribute toward a global environment in which all people can work safely and live healthy, productive lives.' The Coalition says Caterpillar's D-9 bulldozer 'is directly implicated in grave abuses of human rights by Israeli Defense forces, including the collective punishment of the Palestinian people through house demolitions, clearing a path for and constructing the Apartheid Wall and murder of civilians'-- actions that'are illegal under international law -- specifically violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the International Court and the Hague Conventions.' The sale of the D-9 to the IDF also violates the US Arms Export Control Act. On an annual International Day of Action Against Caterpillar, protests are held in cities worldwide, and are organized in the US by Stop Cat, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Demonstrations at Caterpillar dealers are also held. Stop Cat provides informational videos and PowerPoint presentations. http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/
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US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. 2009
The US Campaign's focus on Motorola in 2009 contributed to the company's sell-off of a firm that manufactures fuses for aerial explosives like cluster bombs. US Campaign's boycott drive, "Hang up on Motorola," targeted Motorola's provision of military-related equipment such as the fuses and also radar devices for Israeli settlements and the separation wall, and cell phones adapted for military use by the IDF. The US Campaign joined US church groups asking Motorola to stop supplying military equipment to Israel at the company's shareholders meeting in 4/09. The US Campaign is a coalition of some 180 US organizations. It supports municipal, state and business-oriented divestment campaigns. It provides resources to inform, educate and mobilize the public about the US government's role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the way cities, states, trade unions and other organizations help sustain the occupation through their investment funds. The Campaign's member groups call on municipal, state and federal governing bodies to issue statements opposing the occupation. www.endtheoccupation.org/
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United for Peace and Justice. 2008
This international campaign for peace and justice has established a Palestine/Israel Just Peace Campaign which organizes for a just and lasting Palestinian-Israeli peace based on human rights and international law. In January 2008, it endorsed an international day of action calling for an immediate end to the [Israeli] assault on Gaza, and the opening of its border crossings to people and goods; a comprehensive ceasefire that covers all territories and all parties to the conflict; and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel www.unitedforpeace.org/section.php?id=73, http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3836
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Veterans for Peace. 8/05
VFP, a 20-year-old US veterans'organization, adopted "Economic Support For Justice And Peace In Palestine" at its National Conference, 8/05. The resolution states that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a major international flashpoint; people of the region are suffering from militarization; the US is the largest single source of governmental financial aid to Israel; and all forms of intervention have failed to achieve Israeli compliance with international law as embodied in UN resolutions and world court decisions (and supported by peace activists in Israel). Therefore, inspired by the South African struggle and the international solidarity which made it effective, and in support of the call by more than 170 Palestinian political parties, unions, and organizations for such economic actions,'Veterans For Peace calls for boycott, divestment, and other actions against economic activities that support Israel's continued occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands and the denial of fundamental human rights to Palestinians both in Israel and in the occupied territories until the Government of Israel complies with international law and the universal principles of human rights. VFP urges members and chapters to support such economic actions, which seem to them best calculated to bring about a change in Israeli government policy for the benefit of both the Israeli and Palestinian people.' http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Board_resolutions_2004.vp.html
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Women in Black, Los Angeles. 2/07
"Maybe it's the artists and musicians who will finally bring peace and justice to Israel, Palestine and the region." This was the plea of Women in Black-Los Angeles, asking members of the Israel Philharmonic to make a public call for an end to the Occupation, thus creating "a huge positive ripple effect on Israeli society." Receiving no such assurance, silent vigilers held candles outside Disney Hall during two performances. The Philharmonic is called "Israel's flagship" by conductor Zubin Mehta, and is supported by the Israeli government. It has played for soldiers in the field and is an instrument of government policies, says Women in Black. WIB is an international movement of both women and men, standing against violence and for justice. It was founded in Israel in 1988 to oppose the Occupation. The L.A. vigils were endorsed by the Middle East Peace Fellowship of Southern California, by A.N.S.W.E.R. and by Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid (CEIA). http://www.wib-la.net/, http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/a-call-for-justice-and-decency/
Acknowledgments
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The Global DBS Maps, which have been produced by Sadaka, use 'mapper.js' from Christian Effenburger http://www.netzgesta.de/mapper/. Most of the information is taken from 'Global Actions to End Israel's Occupation' (http://www.interfaithpeaceinitiative.com/globalactions.pdf) produced by the Palestine-Israel Action Group, a committee of Ann Arbor, Michigan Quakers (http://www.quakerpi.org/Q-Action.shtml)