Blood Bath & Beyond

Cold day in New Paltz

Cold, but a good action. We went through about 120 flyers despite the weather.

People seem to read the flyer we hand out as opposed to some of the glossy cards. More to learn from  it?

Some people stopped and talked about BDS, but most hurried on to find someplace warm. New Paltz continues to be a good place, however. Return in the spring?

BDS Event in New Paltz

Passing out new flyers in New Paltz

on a busy Saturday afternoon

Eight Middle East Crisis members passed out about 250 flyers at the main light in New Paltz. We reworded the flyer to cover several products made in the illegal West Bank settlements, rather than just concentrate on Ahava being distributed by CVS stores.

This freed us to go where the people are. Most people take the flyers. Some thank us, and a few stop to discuss the issues. 

The "I Am Jewish" signs provoked the most heated response of the day, a man screaming an obscenity from his car window. 

Two students from Saudi Arabia said that they never expected to see this in America, and that they were very thankful for us being there.

Israel accused of pillaging Dead Sea resources in occupied territory

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/03/israel-accused-dead-sea-occupied

Israel accused of pillaging Dead Sea resources in occupied territory

Israel is "pillaging" the natural resources of the Dead Sea which lie in occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law, a report which singles out the cosmetics firm Ahava for criticism.

According to the Palestinian human rights organisation al-Haq, the "appropriation and exploitation of Palestinian land and natural resources in the occupied Dead Sea area by Israeli settlers and companies … meet the requirements of the crime of pillage".

Its report, Pillage of the Dead Sea, says Israeli restrictions on planning and movement "have severely hampered the ability of Palestinians to use and access their land and other natural resources in the region. The presence of settlers who directly utilise and profit from the Dead Sea wealth has severely exacerbated this situation and contributed to the over-exploitation of the area, resulting in severe environmental damage."

Almost two-thirds of the western shore of the Dead Sea lies within the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. The remaining area is in Israel, and the eastern shore is in Jordan. At the lowest point on Earth, 410 metres below sea level, the inland sea is a magnet for tourists keen to float in its salt-saturated waters and for industries which extract its minerals.

Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories, which manufactures and markets beauty products based on Dead Sea minerals and mud, is located within the Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem in the West Bank. It is licensed by the Israeli government to mine Dead Sea raw materials. According to al-Haq, almost 45% of its shares are owned by Mitzpe Shalem and another Israeli settlement on the Dead Sea shore, Kalia.

Within two decades of its launch in 1988, Ahava's annual global sales had reached almost $150m (£95m). The company has been the target of boycott campaigns by anti-settlement activists, which contributed to its decision to close its store in Covent Garden, London, a year ago.

The al-Haq report says Ahava is "unlawfully utilising the Palestinian natural resources of the Dead Sea area for its own economic profits and therefore can be considered directly responsible for the pillage of the occupied territory's natural resources in clear violation of customary international law".

However, in a letter circulated in 2010, Ahava said: "The mud and minerals used in Ahava's cosmetic products are not excavated in an occupied area. The minerals are mined in the Israeli part of the Dead Sea, which is undisputed internationally."

Ahava did not respond to a request for comment on the al-Haq report.

The land along the Dead Sea shore was classified as "Area C" in the 1993 Oslo accords, in which Israel has full military and administrative control. Much of the land has been declared or registered as "state land", which has "dispossessed Palestinians of extensive portions of the Dead Sea land, effectively depriving them of the possibility of benefiting from [its] natural resources," according to the report.

Al-Haq says "Israel is openly in violation of its obligations under international and humanitarian law as an occupying power … because it is encouraging and facilitating the exploitation of Palestinian natural resources and actively assisting their pillaging by private actors." It cites The Hague regulations and the statute of the international criminal court.

In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry said that, under the Oslo accords, Israel had territorial jurisdiction that includes land, subsoil and territorial waters in Area C. It "therefore would be entitled to licence a company to excavate mud in that area if it chose to do so".

The al-Haq report calls on the European Union to adopt restrictions on the import of Israeli products originating from settlements, and urges cosmetic retailers to provide clear information about the origin of products they sell to allow consumers to make an informed choice about purchases.

BDS action in New Paltz

We had a great street action on Saturday in New Paltz (despite the heat).  There were six of us from mecr (Nic, Helaine, Fred, Jo, Donna, Eli) and a few others from Occupy New Paltz and Occupy Poughkeepsie joined with us.  We stood in front of Starbucks, in the shade (thanks Nic) and gave out many flyers and "shrinking Palestine map" postcards, in addition to having numerous conversations with passersby.  The reception in New Paltz was generally good with only a few contentious interactions.  It was good to be out in the streets again.  Let's get some pics next time. Eli

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Yes, it was hot!

But we were really connecting to people, talking about the settlements and the future of Israel and Palestine. Turns out we don't really have to be in front of a CVS store to talk about settlement products. We have great handouts, so lets order another 1,000 of those Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions map postcards. And we need a modified handout with one side that talks about several settlement products that people can boycott.

I was so busy, I never got to take a picture. Anyone take one?

Interesting that we were jointed by a group of socialists at the end, a number of young people who completely support our stand on Palestinian human rights. I will ask Tim if they want to join us at another demonstration.

Fred

SodaStream: part of the occupation

This report provides an extensive analysis of SodaStream (Soda Club), a manufacturer of home carbonating devices whose main factory is in the industrial park of Mishor Edomim in the West Bank, territory occupied by Israel. Using SodaStream as a case study for corporate activity in the illegal settlements, the report explores the concept of industrial production in settlements. The report discusses key issues of production in settlements, including the identity of the manufacturers, workers’ conditions, land confiscation and trade in settlement products. This report provides a broad picture about SodaStream, its commercial activities in the territories, and its international business ties, which are mainly in Europe and the United States.

SodaStream has shown substantial growth and expansion in recent years, reaching new international markets. Most significantly, as of November 8, 2010, the company has gone public and its shares are traded on NASDAQ. Examining the performance of this company is important in order to understand how its success is based, at least in part, on the structural advantages that production in Israeli settlements enjoys. Settlement production benefits from low rent, special tax incentives, lax enforcement of environmental and labor protection laws, as well as additional governmental support...

Download full report at:
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/cM8GUJm4GkaJT6MJpG44Np6ZkKx9nUKy9YG3WtO_7UN2X6rehyBxSyf9oKI98BAs1NOH0q4OebmLQJygKMqEQHPXxoQdeQ/WhoProfits-ProductioninSettlements-SodaStream.pdf

Roger Waters - We Shall Overcome