Territory (OPT) -- including East Jerusalem -- have sponsored, organized,
or otherwise facilitated joint Palestinian-Israeli projects that obfuscate
or altogether ignore the reality of Israeli colonial and racist policies
against the people of Palestine. Regardless of intentions, such projects
only serve to promote a false image of Israel as an “enlightened
democracy,” rather than an occupying power that has for decades violated
international law and basic human rights and pursued a criminal agenda of
completing the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people of Palestine,
that started in the Nakba, through gradually and persistently destroying
what remains of Palestinian society in the OPT and in Israel itself.
At a time when the international movement to isolate Israel is gaining
ground in response to the escalation of Israel's apartheid policies, we at
PACBI respectfully urge all diplomatic missions, particularly those based
in Jerusalem, to refrain from supporting -- in any form --
Palestinian-Israeli encounters or joint projects that are not explicitly
dedicated to ending Israel's illegal occupation and other forms of
oppression. Such meetings and projects only contribute to the prolongation
of injustice by normalizing and thereby legitimizing it, and inadvertently
support Israel’s efforts to appear as a “normal” participant in the
“civilized” world of science, scholarship and art irrespective of the
fact that it is practicing a pernicious form of apartheid against
Palestinians.
We also urge diplomatic missions to refrain from arranging visits to
Palestinian institutions for international visitors who come primarily to
Israel to participate in conferences, meetings, or festivals in mainstream
institutions and venues there, virtually all of which are complicit in one
way or another in maintaining the occupation and oppression. While
Palestinians have always warmly welcomed solidarity visits by
international delegations, most of us firmly believe that such solidarity
visits should not be used as an occasion to give lectures at Israeli
universities; organize performances, film screenings or exhibits in
mainstream Israeli venues; collaborate in any way with Israeli political,
cultural or academic institutions; or participate in activities sponsored
or supported -- directly or indirectly -- by the Israeli government or any
of its agencies.
Endorsed by an overwhelming majority in Palestinian civil society [1], the
Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement believes that
international relations with Israeli institutions that have not explicitly
condemned occupation and oppression lend legitimacy to these institutions.
Such institutions include all Israeli universities and major research
centers, as well as the vast majority of cultural and artistic
organizations.
Palestinian calls for boycott of Israel -- until it fully complies with
its obligations under international law -- are inspired by South African
anti-apartheid appeals of the not-so-distant past. South African
anti-apartheid leaders were among the first to expose the underlying
common denominators between the two systems of racial discrimination, even
arguing that Israel’s apartheid is in many ways worse than the one that
existed in South Africa, as UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the
OPT, Prof. John Dugard, has stated. Indeed, Israel’s oppression of the
Palestinians is three-tiered: military occupation of Gaza and the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the extensive colonization of the
latter; denial of the UN-sanctioned rights of Palestinian refugees,
including their right to return; and the system of racial discrimination
against Palestinian citizens of Israel. This underlines the need for moral
consistency from representatives of states that, through sustained
sanctions, actively participated in bringing down apartheid in South
Africa. We ask them to apply the same standards and not to make an
exception for Israel.
PACBI
www.pacbi.org
_________
[1] In July 2005, the first anniversary of the International Court of
Justice's ruling on the illegality of the Wall and the occupation regime,
more than 170 Palestinian civil society unions and organizations issued
the Call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) as a non-violent form
of resisting Israel's oppression. The Call issued by PACBI for academic
and cultural boycott of Israel has also received widespread support from
federations of academics, professionals, writers and artists, and from
civil society organizations in Palestine. See:
- http://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=66_0_1_10_M11
- http://www.pacbi.org/campaign_statement.htm
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"The formula of two states is sixty years old: an abortive and dangerous illusion that enabled Israel to continue its occupation without facing any significant criticism from the international community.. The facts on the ground are crystal clear: the two-state solution has dismally failed and we have no spare time to waste in futile anticipation of another illusory round of diplomatic efforts that would lead to nowhere." Ilan Pappe.
"It seems there are no moral restraints left in Israel. It is
right and proper that such a regime be isolated with boycott,
divestment and sanctions until it desists from its racist --
and potentially genocidal -- practices." Ali Abunimah.
"The conflict in Palestine is at a very critical juncture. Israel, brazenly aided by the two remaining imperialist countries, the US and the UK, is in the final stages of planning its Bantustanisation of the disconnected pockets that remain of historic Palestine." Ramzy Baroud.
"Israel is simply blessed with the ongoing Palestinian stupid leadership since a long time. Israel is destroying the possibility of a two state solution and fears peace if not preferring war. The next call will be for a one state and a world wide campaign against apartheid." Eyad Sarraj.
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