المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Mah’d Zaban
The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements stated in its latest periodic-report about boycotting Israel , that Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – BDS Movement, achieved remarkable successes over the last year at the domestic, regional and international levels, seeking to impose international isolation over the Apartheid Regime that has been established by Israel in the occupied territories, including the 1948 line of the historic Palestine. Subsequently, the International Criminal Court – ICC’s resolution to investigate the Israeli war crimes, Israel is very concern on that, and follows-up the United Nations Human Rights Council’s intention to publish at the beginning of 2020, the “black list” of the companies working at Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territories in 1967 aggression, which in turn leads to boycotting and certainly forcing their owners to leave the West Bank.
Within the BDS achieved successes, rose the European Union High Court’s ruling made by the efforts exerted by the boycott movement, associations and human rights organization to label goods manufactured or produced in settlements – which are illegal and constitute obstacle for peace, and then exported to the EU’s States – established on the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 i.e. the West Bank including East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
Likewise, the stepping up support of the 8 million European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), extended to BDS Movement, through suspending the partnership agreement signed between the European Union and Israel, as the later always violates human rights in Palestine. Worth mentioning that the Laborers’ Unions in Britain, which represents 48 unions and 6,000,000 people also voted to end arm trade with Israel.
Although, Israel maneuvers to unclose real numbers of the heavy agricultural, commercial, industrial, and military losses to the Israeli Government, as well as the great damages in its academic, commerce and media fields due to the continued BDS’ campaigns, which mobilized it along with other Zionist lobbies and parties to call for American Administration’s interference in order to enact laws, especially in Europe for countering the BDS Movement and then be criminalized.
In its periodical report on the BDS affairs, the National Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlement tackled the most prominent activities and events carried out by the Human Rights Organizations, solidarity committees and BDS’ activists, over last Dec. 2019, as follows: –
In Europe, the Palestinian Community in Madrid, and in cooperation with BDS’ activists against Israel raised anti-settlement banners and flags of Palestine, during “an economic normalization symposium,” under the title: “Peace Islands” referring to the Israeli settlements in an attempt to prettify and legalize them before the Spanish society, but finally the organizers were forced to cancel that. In Madrid, activists of the international boycott movement also placed posters in the streets of the Spanish capital against a settler delegation visiting the capital, and also widely circulated posters of the President of the West Bank Settlements Council, Yossi Dagan, showing him building a wall with bodies of Palestinian martyrs around.
In Belgium, the Prime Minister of Wallonia, Elio de Robo, and the former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium as well as two Belgium local organizations refrained from visiting Israel with a trade delegation as they came to know that Israel violates the International Law, and disrespects peace. Worth mentioning that the Brussels Foreign Minister of Trade, Pascal Smith tweeted as saying, “The step is a great victory for supporters of BDS activists.
In Austria, the BDS Movement asserted that its activities and events pro-Palestine are stepping up as the Palestinian Cause is a just one, stressing that the movement’s activities are directed against the Israeli occupation practices, but not against the Jews. This assertion came at a time when the Austrian parties are preparing to vote on a draft bill at the Austrian Parliament to condemn all forms of hostility against Jews, including “anti-Semitism related to Israel.” The draft is scheduled to be voted on next month to condemn the movement’s economic and cultural boycott to Israel, as it calls for boycotting Israeli products and companies, and the Israeli artists, scientists and athletes as well.
In the United Kingdom, Head of the Solidarity Campaign for Palestine, Bin Jamal, emphasized that the boycott campaign seeks to “hold Israel responsible for violating the International Law, and the rights of the Palestinians. He added, the failure to take such action against Israel is merely a collusion.” For that, Israel is engaged in international campaigns to introduce laws against BDS. So, it acts with impunity. He added, “All those who believe in International Law, Human Rights and Freedom of Expression have to strongly oppose such maneuver.” Bin Jamal, and the boycott activists’ statements in the United Kingdom came in response to the new British Government headed by Boris Johnson’s intention to prevent universities and local councils from organizing any activity against Israel.
In Sweden, the Group 194’s response to Tobias Center for Political Research. Which is supported by the Zionist Lobby that tackled Director of the Center for Human Development, Samer Manna’s visit to the Swedish Parliament. The Group issued a statement condemned the suspicious pens. Within the context, the group also promised to take appropriate legal measures against those who harm the Palestinian Cause, and the Palestinian – Swedish relations. It was noted that the “Tobias’ report” reviewed Mana’s calls for boycotting Israel economically, culturally and academically, being an effective tool to counter the Zionist Apartheid Regime and its terrorism.
In Greece, large angry rallies came out onto streets of Athens, towards the Israeli embassy, refusing Israeli occupation PM Netanyahu’s visit, and demanding the cancelation of the natural gas pipeline deal (EASTMED), the gas, which is stolen from the Palestinian Natural resources by the occupation and then sold to Europe through Greece and Cyprus, which consequently means linking the Greek economy with the Israeli occupation directly.
In America, the BDS activity against Israel at American Universities has recently increased according to periodic reports of Jewish students in various American colleges and universities, as the reports wrote about the increased activity of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement among students in the American universities. But, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s view on the Arab League’s statement, which rejected the American resolution that considered the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories as legal, and do not violate the International Law. Moreover, Pompeo tweeted as saying: “It is time for Arab States to give up the boycott, and to work with Israel.”
For his part, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, and Likud party member, Gilad Ardan, has launched a violent attack against the Palestinian NGOs, calling on the European Union to stop funding them for having relationship with terrorist groups, and their close relationship with BDS as well. Furthermore, Ardan sent a letter to the new European Union FM, Joseph Burrell, asking him be sure that the EU’s funds are not misused.
In Palestine, the BDS Movement renewed its calls to put pressure on Microsoft Co. to end its investments in the Israeli Co. Annie Vision, as it works in developing a biological identification technique used to monitor the Palestinians. Within the context, the Palestinian Consumer Protection Council also called for confronting the Israeli Occupation Government’s resolution to withhold tax revenues, as the issue is a pure Palestinian matter.
The Palestinian Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlement
The National Bureau for
Defending the Land and
Resisting Settlement.
Nablus
