More than 40 people joined a BDS campaign action at the Seacret stall in the Carousel shopping centre.
Seacret is an Israeli cosmetics company that illegally sources its product from the Dead Sea in Occupied Palestine.
Borrowing a song from a successful Brisbane BDS action, Friends of Palestine activists created a musical message against Israeli Apartheid in the shopping centre’s food court. When Centre security tried to move us on, we proceeded to the Seacret stall chanting “Free, free Palestine, Occupation is a crime” where the protest continued for some time.
The actions by the shopping centre security force – colluding with police to try to close down a democratic protest for human rights – were largely ineffective. The protest achieved exactly what we set out to achieve: to raise the issue of Israeli Apartheid and the illegal actions of the Seacret company.
The questions must be asked though: Why does Carousel Centre Management tolerate the presence in its complex of a company that profits from illegal occupation? Further, why do they try to restrict the democratic rights and free speech of their customers who are simply drawing attention to the human rights abuses connected to Israeli Apartheid?
Friends of Palestine encourages our supporters to write to Carousel Shopping Centre encouraging the company to respect human rights and to end the lease they currently grant to Seacret. Click here for contact details.
The next Seacret action – don’t buy Israeli Apartheid for Christmas – will be on Thursday 8 December 2011. Contact Friends of Palestine WA for more information.
Boycott, Divestment and Sanction Campaign: Questions Answered
Why are we concerned with Palestine?
Israel has occupied Palestinian territory, contrary to UN resolutions, for over forty years. Palestinians have no state of their own. Palestinians who live in Israel experience second-class citizenship, particularly with regard to accessing housing and land. Palestinian who live in Israeli-occupied West Bank have no citizenship, and have been subjected to land seizures, curfews, road closures, checkpoints, harassment and even murder by Israeli settlers and the military. Palestinians who live in Gaza are subjected to an even worse situation – they are basically kept in a giant prison with very little able to get in or out, due to an Israeli blockade since 2007, and have suffered a high number of casualties at the hands of the Israeli military.
Who is calling for the boycott?
Over 150 organisations inside Palestine have called for this boycott and it is supported by human rights groups throughout the world. Here in Perth, we too are concerned with human rights.
Why a boycott?
We are targeting Israeli businesses on the basis that Israel is carrying out racial discrimination against non-Jews in Palestine, and we hope that our non-violent, democratic campaign will bring about change.
Israel has told the world that they seek a two-state solution with a Palestinian state, but all the while they have expanded their settlements in the West Bank. Many of us out in the world, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, know that just asking Israel will do the right thing and end the occupation of Palestine has not worked. Palestinians and human rights organisations from Israel have asked for the international community to boycott Israeli businesses, in the hope that a campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions will lead Israeli people to put pressure on their government to end the occupation of Palestine.
Can this one small action make a difference?
Its effectiveness relies on business-people experiencing a downturn in demand, and knowing why, and then taking the message to their government: What you are doing doesn’t just hurt the Palestinians, it also hurts us!
Has a boycott like this ever worked before?
You may question whether such change is possible, and whether ceasing to buy Israeli goods can actually mean anything in the scheme of things. We believe that it can. The boycott and sanctions campaign against Apartheid South Africa was made up of many small actions, and it brought about peaceful democratic change in that country. We believe that we can help to achieve an end to the apartheid system in Israel / Palestine. We are far away in Australia, but we have a voice as business-people and as consumers to not give support to regimes that carry out human rights abuses. We are attempting to be part of the solution, and we hope that in this one small way you will help too.
Isn’t it anti-Semitic to target Jewish or Israeli-owned businesses?
The BDS campaign is led by activists who reject any form of ethnic stereotyping or targeting. The labelling of the BDS campaign as anti-Semitic is a mischievous attempt to divert attention from the people who are really engaged in racial and ethnic persecution – the Israeli government. To treat people differently on the basis of their ethnicity or race is morally abhorrent no matter who is doing it. It was abhorrent in the 1930s when it was done to Jews in Europe, and it is abhorrent in Israel / Palestine when it is done to non-Jews. Any comparisons of BDS to early Nazism are not only slanderous but an insult to the victims of the Holocaust. We target Israeli businesses, or international businesses with links to the apartheid Israeli regime. Whether or not these businesses are owned by people identifying as Jewish is irrelevant. The point is that these businesses are providing material support to an apartheid system, and hence are legitimate targets of our non-violent campaign.
Friends of Palestine WA – www.fopwa.org – 0449 028 894
Around 80 people marched through the streets of Perth to protest against Israeli Apartheid on September 17. The protest was organised by Friends of Palestine WA and targeted businesses in the CBD area that have links with Apartheid Israel or who profit from the illegal occupation of Israel.
Businesses targeted included Veolia, The Body Shop and Caterpillar. Veolia is building a light rail project to service illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and whose subsidiary runs some bus services in Perth. The Body Shop is owned by L’Oreal which has deep and extensive business links with Israel. Caterpillar produces military bulldozers specifically designed to be used in war zones and which have killed people defending Palestinian houses from demolition. Several shops in the CBD sell Caterpillar branded merchandise.
The rally attracted a counter-protest of supporters of Apartheid Israel which demonstrates that the international BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign is having major impact. The rally called for an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and for Israel to comply with international law.
Photo above by Jason Murphy above and by Zeb Parkes below.
Khristo Newall is a social justice activist and a peace campaigner who has recently returned from 3 months in the middle east and will be speaking particularly about Palestine and the struggle for peace there.
Khristo joined a Christian Peacemaker Team delegation into Israel and Palestine for 2 weeks, and then made a similar trip into Kurdistan (Northern Iraq), followed by a further 2 months of independent travels in Palestine and the region.
Come along to hear his personal account not only of tragedy but also of hope, including stories not heard often in the West, and learn about ways to be involved.
Drinks and nibbles provided, entry by donation.
For more info check out the blog:
http://wanderingsojourner2011.blogspot.com/
Venue: CIA studios are at 480 Newcastle St, West Perth:
directly opposite City Motors, look for the big brick school – entry via rear stairs.
Why the son of an Israeli general is speaking out for Palestine
A public forum with MIKO PELED
Miko Peled is an Israeli peace activist and writer living in the US. Born and raised in Jerusalem, his grandfather was an original signatory on the Israeli Declaration of Independence. His father was an Israeli soldier in 1948 and a general during the 1967 war. In 1997 his niece was the victim of a suicide bombing.
In this forum he explains why he is speaking out against Israel’s Apartheid policies and for justice for Palestine.
Thurs 29 September 6 for 6:30pm Alexander Lecture Theatre,(ALEX 106:157) – Ground Floor (Arts Building) UWA
Organised by Friends of Palestine * www.fopwa.org * 0449 028 894
Miko Peled is an Israeli peace activist and writer living in the US. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Miko grew up in this highly political insider’s milieu. A young patriot, he volunteered for a Special Forces Commando unit in the Israeli Defence Forces – service he later came to regret.
Peled’s outlook goes beyond the ordinary perceptions on the Palestine/Israel question common in the US. Driven by a personal family tragedy to explore Palestine, its people and their narrative, he has written a book about his journey called “The General’s Son.”
The book covers the work in which Peled’s family has been involved since his Zionist grandparents emigrated to Palestine in the early 20th century. It describes their work and their life in some detail. Peled’s grandfather was a signer on the Israeli Declaration of Independence and his father was a General in the Israeli army. In the 1970s, his father pioneered the Israeli Palestinian dialogue and later met with Yasser Arafat. In 1997, his sister Nurit lost her daughter in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem.
In preparing the book, Peled spent countless hours in the Israeli Army archives and interviewed former Palestinian political prisoners. What he found is described at length in his book. Peled expects the book will be translated into Arabic and Hebrew very quickly as the stories and the conclusions that are within it will be of great interest and value to readers in both languages.
Peled has been featured and interviewed in the SD Union Tribune through letters to the editor, op ed pieces and feature stories. He is a contributor to several online publications that deal with the Middle East and authors a blog dedicated to creating peace between Israelis and Palestinians, to tearing down Israel’s separation wall, and advocating the creation of one secular state with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.
Peled lectures at universities across the US. He has also been a guest on radio talk shows and was featured in a 2002 Israeli television documentary. His lectures and panel involvement on the issue of Palestine/Israel include the University of San Diego’s Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, SDSU, Southwestern College, Palomar College as well as synagogues, churches local mosques and Rotary clubs. Recently, he spoke at the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee in Washington DC on the subject of BDS.
Together with Palestinian Nader Elbanna, he has established The Elbanna-Peled Foundation, a not for profit, 501c3 dedicated to educational and humanitarian support for people in Palestine/Israel. In their work together Peled and Elbanna have sent over 1000 wheelchairs to Palestinian and Israeli children and have been part of numerous projects to help the people of their shared homeland.
Educated in Israel, Japan and the United States, Miko is an accomplished professional martial artist. He holds a sixth degree black belt in karate, which he teaches at his dojo in Southern California. Peled’s martial arts school is dedicated to teaching leadership skills and non-violent conflict resolution through martial arts.
He also teaches classes to Palestinian children in the West Bank. Miko frequently travels from his home in the US to Palestine/Israel. He lives in Coronado, California with his wife, Gila, and their three children.
Friends of Palestine WA organised a speakout in support of the “free speech and a free Palestine” on Friday 12 August. Here are some photos of the event. The next major action for Palestinian human rights is the rally and “rogues tour” on September 17 beginning in the Murray Street Mall at 1pm.
Supporting activists arrested in during a Max Brenner protest in Melbourne
We, Israeli citizens, members of Boycott!, would like to express our solidarity with the Australian citizens who were brutally arrested by the police during a non-violent demonstration near a Max Brenner store on July 1 in Melbourne. We consider these activists as friends, and we thank them wholeheartedly for promoting the BDS initiative, as well as challenging the Australian’s government’s complicity in Israel’s policies of apartheid and occupation.
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within boycottisrael.info/
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Following anti-Democratic Arrests and Intimidation Attempts: Israeli Citizens in Solidarity with Australian BDS Activists!
We, Israeli citizens, members of Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within, would like to express our solidarity with the numerous Australians who are involved in the burgeoning BDS campaign in Australia.
Witnessing first-hand the brutality of our government against the Palestinian people, we have joined the July 2005 Palestinian call for a comprehensive boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against the state of Israel and its institutions. Such means should be applied as long as Israel continues to flout international law and UN resolutions and refuses to acknowledge the Palestinian people’s universally recognized human rights: The rights of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, the rights of Israel’s Palestinian citizens, and the rights of Palestinians who were expelled from their homes during the Nakba (the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestine).
As Israeli citizens, we are angered by the outrageous attempts to exploit the horrors committed by the Nazi regime, through a comparison of the Palestinian led BDS campaign to the 1933 Nazi boycott campaign, in order to try and silence the Palestinian non-violent popular struggle for freedom and justice. The deplorable and racist Nazi boycott campaign targeted all Jews, without exception, and only for being Jewish. The Australian BDS campaign does NOT target Jewish businesses, as argued by demagogues in Australia! The lesson from the Jewish Holocaust should be, in our view, the need to oppose all forms of discrimination and violence committed against different ethnic groups in the name of nationalist or supremacist ideologies. The state of Israel has failed to learn that lesson.
To reiterate, we are concerned that some politicians in Australia have accused the activists involved in BDS of being anti-Semitic. We reject those accusations. The BDS campaign is a legitimate form of non-violent political action, whereby people and organizations are required not to participate in or support violations of international law. We take a clear stand against all forms of racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. Not only does the BDS campaign oppose anti-Semitism, it is also a responsible call that targets only complicit institutions rather than individuals. BDS is neither anti-Jewish nor anti-Israeli, since it does not oppose all that is Israeli because it is Israeli: the campaign simply insists that Israel abide by its obligations under international law. Furthermore, by attempting to lump together all Jews around the world as a monolithic block that is expected to support its criminal policies, the state of Israel is denying the fact that many Jews, including in Israel, oppose the occupation and apartheid policies inflicted on the Palestinian people.
The current debate within Israeli society shows us that the boycott campaign is extremely effective. The latest attempt by the Israeli government to silence its own citizens, the new anti-boycott legislation, in addition to other explicitly racist laws, is yet another indication of the need for this Palestinian-led non-violent global movement, in order to insure the rights of all people in this region.
The recent Australian BDS actions have been a great inspiration. We are encouraged to know that as far-away as Down Under there are individuals and groups active in the BDS campaign, promoting the Palestinian people’s unassailable rights. The BDS movement needs your help and support. We call upon all Australians to join and support the struggle for freedom and equality in Palestine.
With the deepest gratitude and all our support,
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within
Friends of Palestine WA has called a speakout this Friday to support the BDS (boycott, divestment & sanctions against Apartheid Israel) campaigners who were arrested in dawn raids on August 9 in Melbourne. The speakout will also be taking up threats by the Victorian government to use trade practices law against the BDS movement. This has implications for all progressive campaigners and is a major free speech issue.
The speakout will be in the Murray Street Mall outside the Perth Underground Station from 4:30pm on Friday 12 August.
Join the protest for free speech and a free Palestine.
[Friends of Palestine WA has endorsed the following statement about the Victorian government attempts to criminalise the BDS campaign.]
We the undersigned call on the Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O’Brien to withdraw allegations he made singling out several pro-Palestine advocacy groups calling for them to be investigated by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) for an alleged suspicion that they may be involved in ‘secondary boycotts’ against Israeli-owned businesses in Australia.
These allegations form an ongoing campaign of intensified attacks on Palestine solidarity organizing and freedom of expression in Australia. We understand the current round of attacks to be a direct reaction to a growing international solidarity movement in support of Palestinian human rights, so we take the opportunity to reiterate our support for the Palestinian civil society’s call for boycott divestment and sanctions (BDS) from Israel.
The BDS campaign is based on well-founded criticism of the Israeli state for its ongoing violations of international law, violations that include: Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories; its settlement-building and construction of an apartheid wall on occupied land; its refusal to respect the right of Palestinian refugees to return; and its ongoing military siege on the Gaza strip.
As in the past when the Australian people participated in the boycott campaign against apartheid South Africa, we affirm our right to participate in the BDS campaign against apartheid Israel in our churches, unions, professional bodies, local councils, parliaments and community groups. This campaign has provided a vital and viable framework and non-violent approach to building an anti-apartheid movement grounded in principles of international solidarity. People of conscience in Australia, have a proud history of principled international solidarity through BDS campaigns – any legalistic attempts, employing anti-union laws such as the ‘secondary boycotts’ law, will fail to deter social justice groups from vocally advocating the BDS campaign and supporting Palestinian human rights.
It is very disappointing that elected politicians choose to launch investigations into human-rights and solidarity organizations, rather than explain to the public why Israel is not held to account for its violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice against Israel’s Wall and colonial settlements. The active attempts to repress Australian organisations that work to promote Israel’s accountability before international law is beyond reproach.
We stress that the BDS movement is an anti-racist movement that rejects all forms of racism including Anti-Semitism and Islamphobia. The consumer-boycott campaigns are aimed at institutions and businesses that provide support for ongoing Israeli violations of international law, they do not target any particular religious or ethnic group.
We note that most of the organisations named by the Minister for the investigation did not take part in the protest he refers to against Max Brenner stores in Melbourne, this is a clear indication that he has not looked closely into the matter, but is purely targeting all pro-Palestine advocacy groups on the basis of their support for BDS. Although, we may have not all participated in this specific protest, we strongly believe in the basic right to peacefully protest and raise awareness about businesses that have questionable policies and show blatant disregard for basic human rights.
We urge elected officials to remember that their job is to protect rights and freedoms and to represent democratic values, not to waste our hard earned tax dollars on trying to appease a foreign state and those who blindly cheer for it.
