Skip to content

BDS Movement

Portland Votes To Divest From Companies Doing Business With Israel

September 6, 2024 Emma Davis, Maine Morning Star. , , , , ,
Portland’s city council adopted a resolution Wednesday night urging the city to divest from companies doing business with Israel in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The city council unanimously approved the resolution — put forth by councilor April Fournier and sponsored by the Maine Coalition for Palestine and Maine’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace — in a packed chamber following more than three hours of public comment. Councilors also said individually that they’d received thousands of emails from constituents regarding the resolution. More than 80 companies are included in the divestment list, including the major corporations Volvo, Boeing, Chevron and Intel, which the resolution calls complicit in Israel’s violation of international law.

BDS Win: AXA Divests From Israeli Banks And Elbit Systems

August 22, 2024 Michael Arria, Mondoweiss. , , , ,
In a resounding victory for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the French multinational insurance company AXA has sold its investments in all major Israeli banks and divested from Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. The news was confirmed by a new report published by the corporate accountability group Ekō, which is part of the coalition that’s been pressuring AXA to divest for nearly a decade. “BDS pressure works. The confirmation of AXA’s divestment from all Israeli banks and Elbit Systems is a major milestone for the movement that follows years of strategic BDS campaigning,” said BDS Movement Europe Coordinator Fiona Ben Chekroun in a statement.

Israel Faces Collapse ‘In Less Than A Year’ If War Of Attrition Continues

August 22, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
The former ombudsman of the Israeli army, reserve General Yitzhak Brik, says his country “faces collapse in less than a year” if the war against the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the Lebanese resistance in the north continues at its current pace. In an opinion column published by Haaretz on 21 August, Brik claims Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has begun to “sober up,” pointing to Gallant’s recent comments in which he called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises of “total victory” in Gaza “gibberish.” “[Gallant] has started to understand that if a regional war breaks out due to failure to reach a [ceasefire deal], Israel will be in danger,” Brik says, adding that “Gallant already understands that the war has lost its purpose.

The Quiet, Local Success Of The Israel Divestment Movement

August 18, 2024 Marianne Dhenin, Next City. , , , ,
The United States has historically provided hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid to Israel. The flow of taxpayer funds to Israel’s military has only increased since Israeli forces launched an attack on Gaza in October 2023, in which as many as 186,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to an estimate published in The Lancet in July 2024. Beyond the federal dollars funding the ongoing attack on Gaza, there are also investments made on the state and municipal levels to support Israel’s violence against Palestinians. “The ethnic cleansing and horrors that we’re witnessing being carried out by the Israeli government are deeply entangled in material support from the United States, and that happens on multiple levels,” says Jay Saper, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) in New York City.

Thou Shalt Not Commit Genocide

August 17, 2024 Chris Hedges, Scheer Post. , , , , , ,
There is only one way to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza. It is not through bilateral negotiations. Israel has amply demonstrated, including with the assassination of the lead Hamas negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, that it has no interest in a permanent ceasefire. The only way for Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians to be halted is for the U.S. to end all weapons shipments to Israel. And the only way this will take place is if enough Americans make clear they have no intention of supporting any presidential ticket or any political party that fuels this genocide. The arguments against a boycott of the two ruling parties are familiar: It will ensure the election of Donald Trump. Kamala Harris has rhetorically shown more compassion than Joe Biden.

Voters Are Sending A Clear Message Ahead Of The DNC

August 16, 2024 Mitchell Plitnick, Mondoweiss. , , , , , , ,
As Democrats prepare for their National Convention in Chicago next week, anti-genocide protesters and advocates are gearing up to meet them there. While Democratic leaders hope to demonstrate unusual party unity at the Convention, the yawning gap between those leaders and most Democratic voters—especially the key sectors of young voters, progressives, Muslim- and Arab-Americans—stands in the way of that unity. Democratic policy toward Palestine is not the only problematic issue in the Democrats’ policy book, but it’s a prominent one. Neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, has demonstrated any commitment to changing that policy despite its manifest failure and its unpopularity among Democratic voters.

The ICJ Finds That BDS Is Not Merely A Right, But An Obligation

August 14, 2024 Craig Mokhiber, Mondoweiss. , , , , , ,
Israel and its lobby have, for years now, been engaged in a frenzy of activity to further insulate Israel from accountability by using their influence in the West to effectively outlaw organized opposition to Israel. Foremost among these efforts has been the Israeli campaign to penalize calls to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel for its gross violations of human rights. As a result, countless laws and policies are now on the books across the U.S. and the broader West, trampling on core constitutional principles and internationally guaranteed human rights in defense of Israeli impunity. But an advisory opinion issued last month by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should help to turn that around.

Western Food Brands See Profits Tank Due To Boycott For Israeli Ties

August 5, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , , ,
Companies operating western food and drinks brands in Muslim countries are suffering significant losses due to an ongoing boycott of firms doing business with Israel amid its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the Financial Times reported on 5 August. Consumers in majority Muslim nations, such as Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, are boycotting companies such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, KFC, Starbucks, Mondelez, and Pizza Hut to protest their support for Israel in the war in Gaza. “This event is unprecedented. The length of this conflict is unprecedented. The intensity is unprecedented,” Amarpal Sandhu, chief executive of Americana Restaurants, stated on a conference call

World Court Opinion On Illegal Israeli Occupation Gives Tools To End Genocide

July 30, 2024 Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. , , , , ,
On July 18, 2024, the World Court (aka the International Court of Justice) issued an advisory opinion that found Israel to be an illegal occupation of Palestine and that the settlements must be dismantled, Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes and they must be paid reparations. International human rights lawyer Francis Boyle talks to Clearing the FOG about how the court's opinion came about, what it means and how it can be used by activists in their communities to end the genocide in Palestine. Boyle explains why now is the time to escalate our actions and end the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Norwegian Fund Drops Stake In US Construction Giant

June 26, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , , ,
Norway’s largest private pension fund, Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Gjensidig Forsikringsselska (KLP), has dropped its stake in US construction giant Caterpillar Inc, citing “concerns” the company is contributing to the destruction of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. “Although Caterpillar has shown itself willing to engage in a dialogue with KLP, the company’s responses failed to credibly substantiate its ability to actually reduce the risk of violating the rights of individuals in situations of war or conflict, or of violating international law,” Kiran Aziz, the firm’s head of responsible investments, told Bloomberg.

One In Three People Are Boycotting Brands Over Israel’s War On Gaza

June 16, 2024 Staff, Middle East Eye. , , , , ,
More than one in three people say they are boycotting a brand viewed as supporting a side in Israel's war on Gaza, with oil-rich Gulf states and large Muslim-majority countries leading the way. The latest edition of an annual Trust Barometer report from public relations firm Edelman underscored how sharp divides over the war are causing consumers across the globe to take a stance with their wallets. The survey polled 15,000 consumers across 15 countries, including France, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the US. The poll didn't say who respondents sided with in the war, but out of the top five countries listed as engaged on boycotting brands over Gaza, three are Muslim-majority nations: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia.

A Texas Company Is Providing The Jet Fuel For Israel’s Assault On Gaza

June 1, 2024 Michael Arria, Mondoweiss. , , , , , , , ,
A new report calls on United States companies to stop supplying Israel’s military with jet fuel and recommends an embargo to achieve this goal. “Many credible sources have documented crimes under international law being committed by Israel in the context of its ongoing military campaign in Gaza,” reads a briefing from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO). “These include indiscriminate attacks leading to massive loss of civilian life and targeting of civilian infrastructure amongst other acts which constitute war crimes. Multiple sources, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN human rights experts have documented indiscriminate attacks by air which have resulted in catastrophic civilian casualties.

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Block Chevron Headquarters During Meeting

May 30, 2024 Nollyanne Delacruz and Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News. , , , , ,
Around 50 Bay Area protesters blocked the entrance to Chevron’s headquarters in San Ramon ahead of the company’s annual meeting Wednesday morning to draw attention to the company’s links to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. As shareholders and company officials gathered to discuss financial results for the oil and gas giant, chants from the crowd rang out: “Chevron, Chevron, you can’t hide! Blood for oil is a crime!” Wassim Haj, a member of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, said the aim of the protest was to “demand an end to Chevron’s complicity in the ongoing war in Gaza.” Haj said the protesters demanded that Chevron completely withdraw from their holdings in and around Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and encouraged consumers to boycott Chevron until a full divestment was reached.

Palm Beach Residents Sue County Over Its Israel Investments

May 24, 2024 Michael Arria, Mondoweiss. , , , , , ,
In the first legal action of its kind, a group of Palm Beach residents are suing the Florida county over its massive investment in Israeli bonds. Palm Beach has invested $700 million in the bonds, 22 times more than any other county in the United States. On May 15, dozens of local organizers and human rights advocates gathered outside the county’s courthouse for a press conference announcing the move. David Piña, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, told the crowd that Comptroller and Clerk of the Circuit Court Joseph Abruzzo had put 15% of the county’s investments in Israeli bonds. “[Abruzzo] has has not only failed us morally, he’s also violated two state statutes in the process,” Piña explained.

How Israeli University Presidents Are Proving The Case For Boycott

May 8, 2024 Mayssoun Sukarieh, Mondoweiss. , , , , , , ,
On April 26, 2024, the presidents of Israel’s nine research universities — Ben-Gurion, Weizmann Insitute of Science, Hebrew University, the Open University, Ariel, Tel-Aviv, Haifa, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology — issued a collective statement in response to the Palestinian solidarity student encampments that were spreading across university campuses throughout the United States and beyond. The statement was a remarkable condemnation of student protestors in the U.S. as engaging in “severe violence, antisemitism [and] anti-Israel sentiment,” characterizing these students as “incited and hateful groups,” who are allegedly “organized and supported” by “terrorist organizations.”
«1234»
Sign Up To Our Daily Digest

Independent media outlets are being suppressed and dropped by corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our daily email digest before it’s too late so you don’t miss the latest movement news.