BOYCOTT!

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 and justice – with the hopes of bringing about positive change. The idea is to refuse to normalize interactions with such a country until it aligns its behavior with these laws and standards. Ideally, it is a short-term action because the change sought is achieved. Such was the case in South Africa, and so too do BDS supporters aspire regarding Israel.

Tindersticks cancelled their Tel-Aviv shows

Dear Stuart Staples, David Boulter, and Neil Fraser of Tindersticks,

We are a group of Israeli citizens who support the Palestinian Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) on Israel, as a means of bringing to an end the decades-long systematic oppression of the Palestinian people, which occurs daily in our name. We were surprised to learn about your upcoming performances in Israel and urge you not to let your music become part of the Israeli facade of normalcy, enabling the ongoing and ruthless oppression of the Palestinian people.

October 27, 2010
Dear Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and David Farrell of Linkin Park,

We are a group of over 150 Israeli citizens, who support the Palestinian United Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and universal principles of human rights¹. On November 15 your band Linkin Park is scheduled to perform in Tel-Aviv, Israel, thus undermining the most unified Palestinian form of non-violent struggle, which has already gained substantial recognition across the globe. We therefore urge you to cancel your Israel show, which is inevitably a show of support for Israel's apartheid.

30 September 2010

Dear Scorpions,

We are a group of activists from Israel, writing to you to express our support for the open letter written to you by PACBI.

As people who have for many years been striving to achieve justice and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis we have reached a conclusion that our efforts from within cannot result in the desired change without significant international pressure. The governments of the world have proven unwilling to exert the necessary pressure on Israel for it to abide by international law and end the ongoing occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. It is therefore up to conscientious individuals to send a clear message to Israel, its government and the Israeli public, that controlling millions of people abusing their most basic human rights is no longer acceptable.

September 14, 2010

To the board and member theatres of the European Theatre Convention (ETC),

We, Jews, Palestinians, citizens of Israel, write to you today asking you to cancel the Israeli theatre The Cameri's membership of the ETC, due to The Cameri's implicit and now also explicit role in sustaining the occupation of Palestine and the oppression of the Palestinian people.

As you may already know, on Wednesday, August 25, an Israeli newspaper revealed¹ that the major theatres in the country, including The Cameri, are to perform in the newly established cultural centre of Ariel. Ariel is one of the largest settlements in the occupied West Bank, located approximately 16 kilometres east of the internationally recognized “green line”, on expropriated agricultural Palestinian land. As any other settlement for Jews-Only, Ariel's existence is in itself a violation of international law, breaching article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits an occupier from transferring it's own civilian population into occupied territories. Ariel regularly contaminates Palestinian water and agricultural lands². Moreover, the West Bank separation wall and the roads for Israelis only that surround it form severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement and further expropriate Palestinian lands and resources. In 2004 the international court of Justice in Hague ruled the Israeli-built West Bank separation wall to be entirely illegal as well.

Sep. 18, 2010

Dear Joanna Newsom,

We are members of Boycott! – a group of Israeli citizens, Jews and Palestinians, who support the Palestinian call to boycott Israel as means of bringing to an end the murderous, systematic oppression of an entire population, which occurs daily in our name.

It has come to our attention that you are scheduled to perform in the city of Tel Aviv. As a group of Israeli citizens who object the long and brutal oppression that our state inflicts on the Palestinian people that are held under its sway, we urge you to cancel this show. Indeed, we hope that you will join the many artists around the world who have already endorsed the 2005 Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), and announced that they will refrain from including Israel in their concert tours.

30 August 2010

Dear Pete Seeger,
 
We are members of an Israeli group called “Boycott! supporting the Palestinian call for boycott divestment and sanctions (BDS) from within”. We are appealing to you because of commitment you have demonstrated during many years to social justice. We have recently heard that you plan to participate this November in the event “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East”, in benefit of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
You might not have heard initially about the BDS call and movement, a broad coalition of Palestinian organizations that have amongst other things, called on artists not to entertain apartheid Israel. Their call has been joined by Desmond Tutu and Bill Fletcher, Jr. amongst many others. These calls are the direct result of the systematic and ongoing oppression of Palestinians by Israel and Israel's decade’s long refusal to stop violating Palestinians human rights.

September 9, 2010

Dear Pete,

As long-time admirers of your music and your commitment to social justice, and as justice-seeking activists ourselves, we were surprised and troubled to learn that you plan to participate in the event “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East” this November.

As part of the 2005 Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), and inspired by the cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa, Palestinian people have asked international artists to join the BDS movement by refusing to perform in Israel or participate in events that serve to equate the occupier and the occupied and thus promote the continuation of injustice. Participation in “With Earth and Each Other” undermines the call for BDS until Israel meets the basic requirements of human rights and international law by ending its occupation, ensuring equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and respecting the rights of Palestinian refugees.

 20.8.2010

Dear members of Faithless.

We are writing to express our appreciation and gratitude for your recently announced decision NOT to schedule any concerts in Israel in the foreseeable future.