From Ferguson to Palestine

Over 1,000 Black activists, artists, scholars, students, and organizations have launched a statement expressing their solidarity and commitment to ensuring justice for Palestinians. Signatories to the statement span a wide cross-section of Black activists and scholars, including Angela Davis, Boots Riley, Cornel West, dream hampton, Emory Douglas, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Pam Africa, Patrisse Cullors, Phil Hutchings, Ramona Africa, Robin DG Kelley, Rosa Clemente, Talib Kweli, and Tef Poe. 38 organizations signed on, including The Dream Defenders, Hands Up United, Institute of the Black World 21st Century, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and Organization for Black Struggle.

Read Statement

Letter delivered to Sandy Williams in Rhinebeck

July 9, 2015

Dear Mr. Williams:
We are sorry to note that SodaStream products have not been removed from the shelves of your stores in response to Gregory DeSylva's Jan. 21, 2015 letter to you. Since then, we at Middle East Crisis Response have circulated the enclosed petition reiterating this request, which includes over 150 signatures collected to date.

The Palestinian people endure tremendous hardship as a result of Israel's colonization and settlement of their land. Products like SodaStream are manufactured in the illegal settlements, on land taken from them by military force. You can help to end this suffering by dropping SodaStream, and we hope you will do so as soon as possible.

The SodaSteam Boycott is part of the much larger Interfaith Boycott Coalition: Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, American Friends Service Committee, Episcopal Peace Fellowship’s Palestine Israel Network, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, Friends of Sabeel (Palestinian Christians), United Church of Christ, Church of the Brethren, and the United Methodist Kairos Palestine.

Your response to our request will be very much appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like further information.

Sincerely yours,


Fred Nagel

Middle East Crisis Response www.mideastcrisis.org
Hudson Valley BDS www.hudsonvalleybds.org

Local Hudson Valley boycott

Stop selling SodaStream products at Williams Lumber

-Whereas: Israel occupies Palestinian land in opposition to official US policy and international law, and holds Gaza under siege, murderously attacking its residents;

-Whereas: Israel and its lobby undermines US efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran and pays our politicians millions of dollars to advocate for renewed war in the Middle East; 

-Whereas: A boycott of Israeli products is a nonviolent way to pressure Israel to reform its policies toward the Palestinians and its Middle East neighbors in general;

-Whereas: Williams Lumber carries SodaStream, still manufactured in the illegally occupied West Bank;

We the undersigned therefore respectfully request that Williams Lumber Company promptly stop selling SodaStream products in its stores.

Not too late to sign the petition

Ahava victory

Six years ago this month we launched our international boycott campaign against Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories with a protest inside their shop at the Tel Aviv Hilton. Today we’re writing to you to share with you some good news and our brand new Stolen Beauty Ahava boycott website. Check out the web site and read on for the good news!

Last week, after five years of our campaign and hard work by activists around the world, it was reported first in the Israeli business paper The Globes that Ahava is considering moving its factory out of the West Bank. The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, and The Electronic Intifada picked up the story. But by far our favorite piece was this one from U.K. Cosmetics Business News.

Stolen Beauty has been targeting Ahava since 2009, because of "the illegality of its practices". Nancy Kricorian, Campaign Manager at Stolen Beauty, told Cosmetics Business: "We welcome the news that they are considering moving their manufacturing facility out of an illegal West Bank settlement. This is a clear indication of the growing power of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) movement, which is scoring new victories every day."

Ahava stopped selling its products in the UK late last year and has recently closed two of its seven Israeli stores.

However, Stolen Beauty was not ready to drop its boycott of Ahava products. Kricorian added: "While moving out of Mitzpe Shalem will address one of Ahava's violations of international law, there would still remain the issues of the pillage of occupied natural resources and the subsidies to the two illegal settlements that are co-owners of the enterprise." Yet, the group's reaction to the news was still overwhelmingly positive. Kricorian added: "That said, when Ahava's plant and visitors center in the occupied West Bank are definitively shuttered, I'm going to throw a party."

Even before the factory is moved out of the West Bank, let’s take a moment to savor this partial victory and the growing strength of our movement. Then, as the tenth anniversary of the Palestinian BDS call approaches next month, let’s get back to work taking the profit out of Israel’s occupation.

Cheers,
Nancy K and the Stolen Beauty Team

Nakba Day in Beacon is a big success

Quite gratifying to see so many people, about 50 at the speakers forum, and there were more at the vigil. We picked up about 40 signatures for our SodaStream petition (thanks, Nic).

If you haven't signed yet, it only takes two minutes:

https://www.change.org/p/president-sandy-williams-stop-selling-sodastream-products-at-williams-lumber

Commemorate Al Nakba

Williams Lumber in Rhinebeck, NY carries SodaStream

-Whereas: Israel occupies Palestinian land in opposition to official US policy and international law, and holds Gaza under siege, murderously attacking its residents;
-Whereas: Israel and its lobby undermines US efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran and pays our politicians millions of dollars to advocate for renewed war in the Middle East; 
-Whereas: A boycott of Israeli products is a nonviolent way to pressure Israel to reform its policies toward the Palestinians and its Middle East neighbors in general;
-Whereas: Williams Lumber in Rhinebeck, NY carries SodaStream, still manufactured in the illegally occupied West Bank;

We the undersigned therefore respectfully request that Williams Lumber Company promptly stop selling SodaStream products in its stores.

SIGN PETITION