You think BDS doesn't stand a chance?

Think again...

Very good article by Naomi Klein (excerpts below):

Several days into Israel's Gaza assault, Richard Ramsey, the managing director of a British telecom company, sent an e-mail to the Israeli tech firm MobileMax. "As a result of the Israeli government action in the last few days we will no longer be in a position to consider doing business with yourself or any other Israeli company."

When contacted by The Nation, Ramsey said his decision wasn't political. "We can't afford to lose any of our clients, so it was purely commercially defensive."

It was this kind of cold business calculation that led many companies to pull out of South Africa two decades ago. And it's precisely the kind of calculation that is our most realistic hope of bringing justice, so long denied, to Palestine.

By the way, it seems the boycott of American goods and services is picking up again in the Arab world (no surprise). There are all these messages about stores like McDonalds and Burger King donating a portion of their revenue to the Apartheid State. I am usually quick to dismiss these as myths. In case I'm wrong, does anybody know of a US (or other) franchise which has publicly announced support for the Apartheid state (financial or otherwise) during this war?

Looking for a product to boycott?

The Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Apartheid state of Israel has re-issued it's call to the world:

Now, more than ever, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, BNC, calls upon international civil society not just to protest and condemn in diverse forms Israel's massacre in Gaza, but also to join and intensify the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions ( BDS) campaign against Israel to end its impunity and to hold it accountable for its persistent violation of international law and Palestinian rights. Without sustained, effective pressure by people of conscience the world over, Israel will continue with its gradual, rolling acts of genocide against the Palestinians, burying any prospects for a just peace under the blood and rubble of Gaza, Nablus and Jerusalem.

There are many challanges to organizing, and more importantly sustaining, a boycott campaign. On the consumer level, the key is finding the right target. There is a new one to add to the list (for the ladies mainly): L'Oreal.

In this holiday season, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, BNC*, calls upon people of conscience all over the world to boycott all the products of the French cosmetics giant, L'Oreal**, due to its deep and extensive involvement in business relations with Israel, despite the latter’s continued occupation and apartheid policies against the indigenous Palestinian people.

L’Oreal’s operations in Israel began in the mid-1990s, motivated in part by political considerations. Since then, L'Oreal Israel, the company’s subsidiary in Israel, has operated a factory in the Israeli town of Migdal Ha'emek in the Lower Galilee. The settlement of Migdal Ha'emek was established in 1952 on lands belonging to the ethnically-cleansed Palestinian village of al-Mujaydil, whose original inhabitants are still denied the right to return to their homes. Like almost all other Jewish settlements built in the midst of Palestinian villages in the Galilee, inside Israel, Migdal Ha’emek discriminates against Palestinian citizens of Israel, denying them the right to buy, rent or live on any part of the town, simply because they are “non Jews.”

L'Oreal Israel manufacturers a line of products using Dead Sea minerals under the name "Natural Sea Beauty" that is exported to 22 countries. It should be noted that one third of the western shore of the Dead Sea lies in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. While the entire shore and its resources are systematically closed to Palestinians by Israeli military occupation and apartheid practices, Israel exploits the Dead Sea for international tourism, mining, and improving its image.

Continue here

L'Oreal brands are listed on their website; they include The Body Shop (believe it or not!), Lancome, Diesel and Ralph Lauren.

Invest in Peace, Divest from Occupation

The BDS movement (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) against Apartheid Israel has been gaining incredible momentum this past year. Most recently, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers voted to support the boycott movement, which makes it the first national union in North America to do so - a historical moment.

Jewish Voice for Peace has recently launched a blog, Invest for Peace, to support American churches and Christian communities with their brave BDS initiatives. Check it out here.

What I really like about this campaign is that it gives the BDS movement a face, literally. JVP is requesting allies to post a short message along with their photo on the blog:

This week, Methodists have a chance to make history, but they need your support. They are gathering at their General Conference, a meeting that takes place once every four years, to make policy decisions for their 11.5 million member denomination.

They have already felt the sting of charges of anti-semitism for taking principled stands on the Israeli occupation, as well as considering selective divestment.

They need to hear from Jews and allies who are willing to stand up, tell the truth, and act for justice.

We've created a website for Methodist delegates (and Presbyterian delegates who are meeting in June) called "Invest in Peace."

Please send a photo and a short, positive message of support for our blog www.investinpeace.org. You can do this easily by sending an e-mail to investinpeace@jewishvoiceforpeace.org with a photograph attached and your personalized message in the body.

I think what the photo does is re-emphasize the fact that the Palestinian supporters are a diverse group of people from different faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds all of whom realize the injustices committed by Israel against the Palestinians and are not willing to remain silent about it. At the end of the day, this is what the global BDS movement is all about.

I'm sure JVP could use all the support they can get!