january 2014 (17 national unions are now affiliated to PSC — representing and www.whoprofits.org, which exposes the activities of more than 80% of trade union members of the TUC.) companies involved in the Occupation). Hugh Lanning, Chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The Israeli organisation ‘Boycott from Within’ states: The non-violent said: “Just as the movement against South African “A critical stance against the occupation, including BOYCOTT apartheid inspired a previous generation, the Palestinian explicit BDS actions taken by individuals and struggle is inspiring a new generation to take action.” organisations, is not anti-Semitic. On the contrary, only response to Trade unions in Norway, Italy, Canada, New Zealand resistance of this kind, as part of the struggle for peace and Australia have also been very supportive of the based on justice and equality, will enable a common DIVESTMENT rights of Palestinian workers. Above all, the South African future for Arabs and Jews in the region.” Israeli apartheid trade union COSATU has passed a number of strong motions supporting boycott, divestment and sanctions. Backing the Palestinian economy International union bodies such as Public Services SANCTIONS and occupation International have also passed BDS policy. t is almost impossible for fresh produce to be exported from the Occupied Territories as Israel’s policy is to When he came Israel reacts Idelay fruit, ‘I’ve been very deeply distressed in my visit flowers and to power, President he creation of very well-funded propaganda vegetables to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much Obama called for a halt organisations (Bicom, Just Journalism, Honest at road of what happened to us black people in on settlement building TReporting), penetration of the media, intimidation blocks so South Africa.’ — but fell silent when of journalists and attempts to smear campaigners with that they Israel continued to the label of anti-Semitism all show that the campaigns of become Archbishop Desmond Tutu announce expansions. awareness-raising and of boycott are working. PSC was unsaleable. Israel naturally feels it proud to hear that the Reut Institute – an advisory body However, can act with impunity. to the Israeli government – believes that ‘London stands olive oil is Why boycott? As our government out as a hub of delegitimisation’ and that PSC is a major exported won’t apply pressure ‘catalyst’ within that hub. and the n For decades Israel has been destroying Palestinian on Israel, it is up to In July 2011 the Israeli parliament passed the “Law voluntary lives, homes and livelihoods. It continues to build illegal ordinary citizens to act. for Prevention of Damage to the State of Israel through organisation settlements in the West Bank, stealing land and water Boycott”, which aims at silencing criticism or dissent. Zaytoun (www.zaytoun.org) sells it through retail outlets resources and setting up hundreds of checkpoints to Our role In June 2012 the Israeli Embassy in London hosted and volunteers in the UK. stop Palestinians getting to work, school or hospital. The a two-day conference for 150 lawyers from around the Other non-perishable Palestinian products can be Jordan Valley has, in effect, been annexed to Israel. SC formally launched the Boycott Israeli Goods world to discuss ways of combating the growing global obtained via the following websites: www.hadeel.org; campaign in the UK at a House of Commons BDS movement. www.holyland-handicraft.org; www.jimmysbazaar.net; n Israel has almost completed an eight-metre high Pmeeting in September, 2001. Since then we have www.olivecoop.com; www.palestineonlinestore.com; Apartheid Wall which snakes through the West Bank, entered into a dialogue with supermarkets that stock www.palestinianpottery.com; www.taybehbeer.net. isolating many Palestinian centres of population, Israeli goods, Boycott from within Visiting Palestine also helps to support the Palestinian including Bethlehem. and with ithin Israel there is a small but growing economy. See www.travelpalestine.ps for all kinds of organisations n In East Jerusalem Israel is carrying out a policy of movement in support of the Palestinian call for travel information. and institutions ethnic cleansing; Palestinians whose families have lived Boycott (see, for example, boycottisrael.info that promote W there for centuries are being evicted from their homes, cultural, which are then destroyed or occupied by settlers. sporting and academic Your actions can help bring about a just peace in the Middle East. Get involved! n Since 2006 the Gaza Strip has been under siege; relations with even basic necessities are denied entry. In the winter Israel. We seek Join the Palestine Solidarity Campaign of 2008–2009, over 1400 Palestinians including more to explain the than 300 children were killed in three weeks of bombing current legal Join online: www.palestinecampaign.org Name...... and shelling by land, sea and air, condemned by the UN and political Or by phone on 020 7700 6192 or return this form. Goldstone report as war crimes. situation to q I wish to join the PSC and enclose Address...... them. We also n In Israel itself the indigenous Palestinians are treated q £24 waged q £12 unwaged ...... campaign q I wish to help PSC’s campaign and enclose as second class citizens, and no refugees have been within trade allowed to return to their homes. q £10 q £25 q £50 q £…. other unions and ...... Postcode...... church groups and lobby parliament on these issues. Cheques payable to PSC. A shameful silence PSC branches have made the BDS campaign Return to: PSC, BM Box PSA, London WC1N 3XX. Tel...... central to their work in communities around the UK. As Phone: 020 7700 6192 ll these actions fly in the face of international one member said: “This is an excellent way to open email: [email protected] Email...... law. The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which up a discussion with the general public. You start with AIsrael is a signatory, is being violated on a daily imported avocados and end up with the Fourth Geneva • See PSC’s website www.palestinecampaign.org • See the BIG website www.bigcampaign.org for more basis. The International Court of Justice and dozens of Convention!” for factsheets on other aspects of Israel’s policies of details of the campaign, including lists of Israeli products UN resolutions have called for immediate action to put Local activities vary from leafleting supermarkets to occupation,house demolition, expulsion, land grab, and firms complicit in the process of occupation and a stop to Israel’s illegal activities — yet not a single challenging the promotion of Israel’s economy, sport and targeted killings and imprisonment without trial. colonisation. western government has taken any action. culture in the UK.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign factsheet www.palestinecampaign.org Palestine Solidarity Campaign factsheet www.palestinecampaign.org and that support their government’s policies – by, for place; the only solution, legally and morally, is to avoid all n Sanctions are a crucial method of exerting Palestinians call for boycott example, playing to segregated audiences in the illegal Israeli goods. In April 2012 the Co-op decided to expand governmental pressure on Israel. Thanks to the n 2005 over 170 organisations, fully representative settlements – find themselves unwelcome abroad. At its boycott of settlement goods to a complete boycott of all campaigning of constituents, MPs are increasingly of Palestinian civil society, called upon international the same time singers, writers, musicians and actors are Israeli companies sourcing any goods in the settlements. critical of Israel’s policies and, via Early Day Motions and Iorganisations and people of conscience all over refusing to appear in Israel, and academics are refusing Carmel-Agrexco, Israel’s major exporter of settlement debates, demand that the government take action. (The the world “to impose broad boycotts and implement to attend conferences. Universities and student unions in produce, went bankrupt in 2011 after a long campaign House of Commons website gives information about the divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those the US, S Africa, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Britain are exposing its activities, while the cosmetics company signatories of EDMs and the texts of debates: applied to South Africa in the apartheid era”, until Israel organising debates on these issues, and calling for non- Ahava had to close its flagship store in CoventG arden www.parliament.uk.) Members of the House of Lords are complies with international law. cooperation or boycott. For instance, Britain’s University following protests about the illegal sources of its products. also active in debating these issues, and have visited the The BDS National Committee in Palestine (www. and College Union (UCU) voted in 2007 to promote a Local authorities and other large organisations have Occupied Territories as part of PSC delegations. bdsmovement.net) has since been coordinating the BDS boycott of Israeli academic institutions and called for been divesting from or refusing to use firms complicit n Groups of lobbyists from around Europe are constantly campaign around the world. freezing European funding for Israeli academic institutions. in Israel’s occupation. After heavy campaigning the bringing the plight of the Palestinians to the attention In 2008 the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic Other professional spheres, such as medicine and West London Waste Authority was persuaded not of their MEPs, to elicit action from the European and Cultural Boycott of Israel (www.pacbi.org) called architecture, are also the focus of fierce debate. to sign contracts worth many millions with Veolia, a Commission and the European Parliament. upon colleagues in the international community to “Planning, architecture and other construction company involved in providing transport services to “comprehensively and consistently boycott all Israeli disciplines are being used to promote an apartheid system the illegal settlements. This followed the loss of a £1 Trade union response academic and cultural institutions as a contribution to of environmental control,” say British architects who have billion contract with Sandwell in the West Midlands, and the struggle to end Israel‘s occupation, colonisation established Architects and Planners for Justice in contracts worth 3.5 billion Euros in Sweden and 750 ollowing Israel’s attack on Gaza in 2008-9, a wave and system of apartheid”, on the grounds that “Israeli Palestine (www.apjp.org), who monitor and publicise the million Euros in Bordeaux. Eden Springs, which takes of motions were passed in unions, calling for academic institutions (mostly state controlled) and the colonisation of Palestinian land. They say that architects, its mineral water from the Golan Heights, has also been Fconcrete action. vast majority of Israeli intellectuals and academics have planners and engineers working on Israeli projects in the successfully targeted. The Irish Congress of Trades Unions launched a either contributed directly to maintaining, defending or Occupied Territories are “in violation of their professional PSC also campaigns to halt the lucrative arms trade boycott of Israeli goods in February 2009, followed in otherwise justifying the above forms of oppression, or code of ethics” and should be called to account. between Israel and the UK. Britain is legally bound not April by the Scottish Trades Union Congress who voted have been complicit in them through their silence”. In Israel, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR-Israel) to supply arms that will be used to oppress a civilian in pro-boycott policy. protest against the denial of access to medical care population, but the government admitted that British- In September 2009 the Trades Union Congress to Palestinians, particularly those in Gaza, and against made arms had been used during Israel’s murderous (TUC), representing 6.5 million workers, voted to work Academic and cultural boycott the use of torture — in which they claim Israeli doctors attacks on Gaza. Export licenses for some of these closely with PSC for a boycott campaign focussing on have been complicit. In the UK a group of doctors have armaments have since been revoked (see www.caat. n the UK the British Committee for the Universities of settlement goods. They are also putting hard questions brought these issues to the pages of the British Medical org.uk), but the arms trade continues. Palestine (www.bricup.org)has been set up in support to their opposite number in Israel, the Histadrut, who Journal and the Lancet, and have repeatedly called upon A recent campaign focuses on the security firm of the Palestinian call. It is clear that Israel’s academic support Israel’s racist policies. I the Israeli Medical Association to investigate such cases G4S, heavily involved in ‘security’ arrangements for the institutions are integral to Israel’s economy through their (see www.boycottima.org). settlements and in prisons where Palestinians are held, research and development work. They are indifferent often without charge or trial. to the daily attacks on the freedom of Palestinians to study, teach and research, and Ariel University has Sport been implanted in the heart of the West Bank (see Divestment BirZeit University: http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/) – a move n the field of sport Israel is treated like a member of SC campaigns for British companies and strongly opposed by many Israeli academics. the European Union — though it does not abide by shareholders to divest from Israel and for the Students in Gaza, in particular, have been prevented the European Convention on Human Rights. I government to suspend all trade agreements. Civil from taking up university places abroad, or even in the Palestinian sportsmen and women in the Occupied P society organisations such as trade unions, Women’s West Bank. Territories find it extremely difficult to meet, in order Institutes, ethical trading groups and co-ops, are asked to Academic and cultural boycott is a particularly to train and compete, due to the harsh restrictions on scrutinise their investments and pension funds, to make powerful tool. As Professor Hilary Rose puts it: ‘The movement imposed by Israel. Solidarity groups worldwide sure they are not implicated in supporting Israeli Apartheid. academic arena is to Israel what rugby football was have therefore been challenging sporting events in which to Apartheid South Africa.’ Israel competes, and pressing for Israel’s exclusion until n In the UK, one focus has been Caterpillar, the Increasingly, Israeli orchestras and theatrical it changes its policies. International soccer players like company that produces militarised bulldozers that companies that act as ambassadors for the state of Israel Eric Cantona and Frédéric Kanouté and organisations Members of the TUC voting in 2009 destroy Palestinian homes, sometimes killing the such as Show Racism the Red Card, FIFpro and UEFA inhabitants. The Methodist Conference has referred all protested at the imprisonment without charge of the the matter to its Joint Advisory Committee for Ethical Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak, on hunger strike Investment, while the General Synod of the Church of BDS in Europe for over 85 days, until he was promised release. England recommended divestment from Caterpillar. urope is Israel’s second largest export n The biggest Swedish pension fund, Foersta market after the US, worth 12 billion Euros; Progress APFonden has barred Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems Ean estimated one third of these exports are from its investment portfolios on ethical grounds fully or partially produced in the settlements. In srael’s repeated aggressions have had a major impact because it operates a surveillance system for the illegally February 2010, the European Court of Justice made on public opinion and generated a wave of support for constructed Wall. the important ruling that goods made in West Bank Iboycott, divestment and sanctions. n Danske Bank, the biggest financial group in Denmark, settlements should not benefit from the favourable In December 2009 Defra (the Department for and PKA Ltd, one of the largest funds administrating import taxes under the EU-Israel Association Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) confirmed it was workers’ pension funds have also divested from Elbit Agreement. A key element of our BDS campaign is an offence to label settlement goods ‘Produce of Israel’. and from Africa Israel, which is involved in settlement to have this Agreement suspended, as Israel violates Most supermarkets now refuse to stock such items. construction. The latter has also been removed from the the conditions attached to it on a daily basis. Palestinian students hold an impromptu seminar at an Israeli roadblock However there is evidence that a lot of mislabelling takes portfolio of the Dutch pension fund PFZW.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign factsheet www.palestinecampaign.org Palestine Solidarity Campaign factsheet www.palestinecampaign.org