The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "BDS"
Israeli democracy makes form of protest illegal
There’s a ton of resources on the Israeli anti-boycott law, thanks to the groups in American and Israel who have condemned it across the political spectrum. But I will post groups we have featured on website before. First, Boycott from Within, the Israeli group most targeted by the law issued a statement in defiance. And here’s the Coalition of Women for Peace, whose video campaign targeted the law before it passed. A new law passed July 11 in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
A bad day for Israeli democracy
Coalition of Women for Peace, whose campaign we have featured before on this site, have a new video, and sadly, a new update on the progress of the “Boycott Bill” working its way through the Israeli Knesset. H/t to ACRI for the blog title, it came from the subject line of their email alerting us to the passage of this bill and the news that journalists aboard the Gaza Flotilla would be treated as criminals, which the government backed away from. “Boycott Bill” update, June 27, 2011 A new article was introduced in the Knesset committee hearing today denying public and non-profit tax status to organizations who “call for boycott.’ Knesset committee approved bill including new article for final vote. Members of Kadima party who supported the bill withdrew their support. The bill was heavily criticized … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Video from Israelis speaking out against Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions bill
Below is a short video of Israeli celebrities and several activists, among whom I was honored to appear. The video is in Hebrew and for an Israeli audience, but there are English subtitles. The video essentially is self-explanatory, but to give you a synopsis we are coming out strongly against the bill currently in advanced stages in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) that will make it illegal to support and advance boycotts, divestment campaigns and/or a call for sanctions (and perhaps other non-violent political expression) against Israel for its unlawful acts against Palestinians. We are all coming out for democracy, freedom of thought and expression, and stating that this law won’t stop us from resisting the occupation. From the Coalition for Women for Peace’s channel: This is the promo for a series of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Correction to the disclaimer, and Happy Hanukkah
By Jesse Bacon On Tuesday, I posted about a free documentary screening. I then edited that post when I learned that the film received Israeli government funding. I provided the disclaimer for folks who are observing the full cultural boycott of Israel, (which my sponsor Jewish Voice for Peace is not). However, it turns out that the actual call for cultural boycott does not demand the boycott of films simply for receiving government funding, only those … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
Jews dancing at the gate
By Jesse Bacon I am proud to note that Emily Schaeffer’s blog post on the BDS movement was linked to in Bradley Burston’s recent column. I have noted Burston’s shift in one of my first blog posts; it makes me happy that we are now part of his evolving thinking and the broader opinion shift that represents. To celebrate, here’s a video clip I have been meaning to post: Jewish Israelis protesting for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) at … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
What Is, and Isn’t, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement
By Emily Schaeffer The call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel is gaining momentum. At the same time, it is widely misinterpreted, unfortunately by skeptics, opponents and proponents alike.The basic premise behind BDS movements initiated by civil society is that they are a grassroots, international, non-violent means of expressing stern disapproval of a country’s choice to oppress or discriminate against a group of people in contravention of international law and principles of equality, humanity … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Victories for Democracy
Historic BDS debate in Zeek
By Jesse Bacon Zeek, the artsy hipstery Jewish journal, published two long pieces on BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) for what I assume is the first time. This bold move plants the movement squarely within the more creative portion of the Jewish establishment, at least as a topic of conversation. This suggests that the effort to make any discussion, as opposed to demonization, of BDS taboo has backfired. It is the BDS-demonizers who find themselves increasingly … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Mike Leigh joins the growing Israeli boycott festival
By Jesse Bacon You could already have a quite a film festival with the stars supporting the Ariel settlement boycott. Now one of my favorite directors Mike Leigh, has refused to come to Israel at all. On the same weekend that I heard JVP advisory board member Udi Aloni speak about artists who let themselves be used by the government versus those who don’t, Leigh gives us a good example. He had already refused to come … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Israeli right wing admits to dispossessing Palestinians, says Nakba was worse
By Jesse Bacon Reading the press coverage of Jewish Voice for Peace’s fabulous campaign in support of the Israeli theater artists boycotting settlements, I was struck by an item in Arutz Sheva, the settler’s news service, which ends with this paragraph.. The liberation of Israeli territory in the War of Independence in 1948 was accompanied by a massive exodus of Arabs, and dozens of Jewish communities were then built atop the ruins of Arab villages whose inhabitants had fled, as opposed to the Six-Day War in 1967, when the return of Judea and Samaria [Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza] to Israel was less violent and was not accompanied by an Arab exodus. Paradoxically, leftists in Israel consider communities built on the ruins of Arab … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Interactive Video
“You have a choice! Israeli Anti-Militarists Speak”
Four Israelis—Dorothy Naor, Sergeiy Sander and Eli Fabrikant, and Ofer Golani—talking about their personal histories, political views and activism in 132 short films.