En Passant

Sherry Wolf, a longtime activist for Palestinian freedom and former press officer for the Russell Tribunal on Palestine in 2012, in Socialist Worker US looks at the rise of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israeli apartheid–and the next steps for the struggle in the face of Israel’s new onslaught on Gaza. Although written for a US audience Sherry’s arguments apply in Australia and elsewhere. Let’s build BDS across the globe to isolate the brutal apartheid state of Israel.

This is an updated version of an article I sent to to the editors of Woroni, the student newspaper of the Australian National University. They refused to publish an earlier version of what is written below. I have submitted a cut down version of this to the Canberra Times for their consideration.

Socialist Alternative makes no bones about our opposition to the apartheid state of Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians, just as we opposed apartheid South Africa. We make a clear distinction (for anyone willing to see it) between Zionism as a political justification for the state of Israel, and the Jewish religion. We are critical of Zionism. Religion is a private matter. There are Jews, proud of their heritage, among our membership.

The Australasian Union of Jewish Students and its campus affiliates very actively and publicly support the Israeli state and its policies.

But the reality of Israel’s brutal actions, from the death of more than 1,100 as Israel bombed Beirut in 2006 to the massacre of 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza in January 2009 (to name just two examples found unavoidably newsworthy by the mainstream media), makes it ever more difficult to present Israel in a positive light.

By resorting to fabrications of racial vilification against those who oppose Israel’s crimes, our accusers merely reveal that they are attempting to defend the indefensible.

EL MOVIMIENTO llamando al boicot, desinversión y sanciones (BDS) para presionar a Israel a otorgar derechos básicos a los palestinos ha repentinamente pasado de los márgenes al centro del escenario.

Tin soldiers and Zion’s coming,
Palestinians are on their own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Many dead in Palestine.

Many dead in Palestine.

The Australian’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions propaganda is reaching new heights of the bizarre. The shrillness perhaps suggests the panic reaching into the heart of Zionism as the effectiveness of the campaign grows, built on the obvious fact that Israel is an apartheid state.

The federal opposition in Australia has announced that it will support sweeping attacks on academic freedom and the free speech of any individual or organisation supporting the pro-Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel writes Kim Bullimore in Socialist Alternative.

I look forward to the next installment in this magnificent victory for free speech. Might I suggest burning all BDS material in the Quadrangle at Sydney University as one option for Bishop to consider?

The substantive charges against the Max Brenner 16 (besetting and trespass in a public place) have been dismissed this morning in court. 5 defendants are however still in court fighting specific charges of resist arrest and assault police.

The decision on the substantive charges is nonetheless a big win for our right to protest in public places in Melbourne. We have beaten back their attempts to criminalize dissent and their attempts to silence a public pro-Palestine voice in Australia.

The goals of the BDS movement–as set in the 2005 Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions–are straightforward: an end to Israel’s occupation of all lands seized in 1967; full equality for and an end to all forms of discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel; and that Israel respect, promote and implement Palestinian refugee rights, including the right of return.