A high court judge has ruled that the UK government acted unlawfully by trying to block councils from pursuing divestment boycotts and sanctions against Israel through their pensions schemes.
Ben Jamal, director of Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, issued the following message to supporters:
We have some wonderful news. As you know, last week we took the British government to the Royal Courts of Justice to fight for our right to boycott.
Today the judge delivered his verdict: WE WON!!
The government was trying to stop local council pension schemes divesting from companies complicit in Israel’s human rights violations. Theresa May’s disgraceful attempt to silence Palestinian voices and restrict our right to peaceful protest has failed.
It’s a moment to treasure and a key victory for local democracy, the rule of law and for Palestine.
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We know the public is on our side, as our recent YouGov polling showed 43% of the British public thought BDS was reasonable.We now know that the law is on our side too. We couldn’t be happier that our right to boycott has been upheld by the court in the month that the illegal military occupation turns fifty years old.
To fight this case, we needed your help and financial support. You came to our aid magnificently, and we were blown away by your generosity. Thank you for making this possible.
We couldn’t have done it without all of you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Our task now is to take forward our campaigning with renewed vigour. We will as a priority be sending this judgment to all local councils and LGPS fund managers to let them know that the Government regulations have been ruled illegal, and that they once again need to ensure they are not investing funds in companies complicit in Israel’s violations of human rights and international law.
Today we have drawn a line in the sand against the attempts to suppress the right to boycott and to stand up for Palestine. Tomorrow lets pick up our campaigning with a renewed vigour and spring in our step. Free Free Palestine!!
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Source: www.islam21c.com
Alhamdulillaah – excellent news.
Boycott Hewlett Packard
HP plays a key role in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. It provides technology, equipment and services to the Israeli military, including for the checkpoints and ID card system that underpin Israel’s apartheid policies and its movement restrictions for Palestinians. The international Boycott HP campaign has already seen several US churches divest from the company and has attracted support from student governments across the US.
Boycott G4S
G4S is a British security company that helps Israel run prisons where Palestinian political prisoners are held without trial and subjected to torture and ill-treatment. G4S is also involved in providing equipment and services to Israeli military checkpoints, illegal settlements and to military and police buildings. The international Stop G4S Campaign has cost the company contracts worth millions of dollars and compelled the Bill Gates Foundation to sell its shares in G4S. In response to international pressure, G4S has announced that it may sell its Israeli operations. However, G4S has a track record of breaking such pledges and we need to keep up the pressure to make sure G4S ends all aspects of its support for Israel’s crimes.
Cultural Boycott
Israel overtly uses culture as a form of propaganda to whitewash or justify its regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid over the Palestinian people. Just as South African anti-apartheid activists had called on international artists, writers and cultural institutions to culturally boycott South Africa, PACBI urges international cultural workers and cultural organizations, including unions and associations, to boycott and/or work towards the cancellation of events, activities, agreements, or projects involving Israel, its lobby groups or its cultural institutions. International venues and festivals are asked to reject funding and any form of sponsorship from the Israeli government. Thousands of artists across the world now refuse to perform in Israel, including a host of global superstars such as Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, Lauryn Hill and Chuck D.
The BDS movement is building an economic boycott of Israel and developing effective campaigns against companies that participate in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. International companies aid and abet Israel’s violations of international law, including by operating in illegal Israeli settlements and acting as contractors for the Israeli military and government. Campaigning has led to major companies such as Veolia and Orange selling up and leaving Israel altogether and a range of investors divesting from Israeli and international companies. The UN, the World Bank and other experts say that BDS is having an important economic impact on Israel and that this could well grow as the movement develops.