People of conscience in the world have historically fought the injustice of apartheid through diverse forms of boycott, divestment and sanctions. As in the struggle of South Africans against apartheid, we in the Hudson Valley support the Palestinians in their fight for justice.
The state of Israel was built on land ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian owners. A majority of Palestinians are refugees, most of whom are stateless.
Since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions have condemned Israel's colonial and discriminatory policies as illegal, and called for effective remedies.
People of conscience in the world have historically fought the injustice of apartheid through diverse forms of boycott, divestment and sanctions. As in the struggle of South Africans against apartheid, we in the Hudson Valley support the Palestinians in their fight for justice.
Activist Radio (5 - 6 pm) has the following guest on this Thursday:
GUEST: Cody O'Rourke, human rights activist in the West Bank and communications coordinator for the Good Shepherd Collective, talks about his organizations commitment to exposing apartheid and ending the occupation of Palestine.
Activist Radio is broadcast: Thursdays 5-6 pm from WVKR 91.3 FM at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY; Sundays 4-5 pm from WIOF 104.1 FM in Woodstock, NY; and Sundays 5-6 pm from the Progressive Radio Network at PRN.FM. Past programs can be heard on ClassWars.org, or as a podcast (search for Activist Radio).
There are five major Israeli date companies that export to the United States and Europe: Hadiklaim and its brands Jordan River and King Solomon, Mehadrin, Galilee Export, Carmel Agrexco and Agrifood Marketing with its brand Star Dates.
Hadiklaim, Mehandrin and Carmel Agrexco all have operations in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Hadiklaim and Carmel Agrexco have been accused of using child labour and paying Palestinian workers less than the minimum wage.
Israel's largest arms company, Elbit Systems, profits from the siege on Gaza — “battle-testing” its killer drones, white phosphorus, sniper bullets and fighter jet parts, all deployed by the Israeli occupation army to murder or maim Palestinians. Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 drones were among Israel’s drones that murdered 164 Palestinian children in Gaza in 2014.
Now the European Union is using Elbit’s Hermes 900 drones to implement the EU’s deadly anti-migration policies.
During the protest, members of Students for Justice in Palestine silently held signs emblazoned with quotes from one of the panelists, right-wing Harvard professorRuth Wisse, such as “Palestinian Arabs are people who breed and bleed and advertise their misery.”
The two members of SJP under investigation, Ben Mulick and Akiva Hirsch, are the only ones who spoke to the media after the protest – according to civil rights group Palestine Legal – and are the only ones being investigated for alleged violations of Bard’s free speech policy and its harassment, discrimination and stalking policy.
Ben & Jerry's in Israel is implicated in Human Rights Abuses by selling ice cream in Shufersal supermarkets "that profit from Israel’s illegal annexation and settlement activity in the West Bank" according to the UN Human Rights Report. (Read Morehere )
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, announced that 112 major companies had been identified as operating in Israeli settlements in ways that violate human rights. The UN 'Advance Unedited Version' of the report (12 February 2020) lists the companies doing business in illegal settlements. It was announcedhere.
The list includes the Israeli Supermarket chain Shufersal that sells Ben & Jerry's ice cream in settlements.
Along with major Israeli banks, transport services, energy, building and telecoms firms, prominent international businesses are listed. They include Airbnb, Booking.com, Motorola, Trip Advisor, JCB, Expedia and General Mills.
Contact Ben & Jerry'shereand select "Social Mission Goals and Objectives" Or phone them at +1 802-846-1500 Mon - Thurs, 8:30am - 4:30pm EST; Friday 8:30 - 12:30 Ben & Jerry's out of Israeli Settlements! Don't collaborate with Israeli Apartheid!
The UN has published a list of companies with business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the US-based TripAdvisor and Airbnb and the British truck and digger maker JCB.
Most of the 112 companies linked to settlements, which are regarded as illegal under international law, were Israeli. The list included 18 international firms, including the London-based online travel agency Opodo and the Netherlands-based Booking.com.
The UN statement made clear the report was not part of a judicial process and the database will have no immediate legal implications for the companies. However, an official list published by a UN agency could lend energy to pro-Palestinian efforts to pressure governments and consumers to take action such as boycotts against businesses linked to the occupation.
