MEDIA ADVISORY:

Tuesday, September 7, 2010


“DIVEST FROM ISRAEL” CALIFORNIA BALLOT INITIATIVE LAUNCHES STATEWIDE ON WEDNESDAY WITH A SIGNING CEREMONY IN FRONT OF ISRAELI CONSULATE IN LA

First Ballot Measure in Nation Aimed at Changing Israeli Policies
Through Divestment by State Agencies

California Israel Divestment Campaign
www.israeldivestmentcampaign.org


VISUALS: Giant petition to be signed by speakers.


LOS ANGELES, CA (Sept.7) --Californians committed to peace and justice for Palestine-Israel will launch the statewide campaign of California ballot Initiative 10-0020 with a signing ceremony in front of the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Although California has adopted policies requiring divestment from Sudan, Iran and other nations, this is the first ballot measure in the nation aimed at changing Israeli policies through divestment by State agencies. It directs California’s large public employee and teacher pension funds to be consistent with their responsible investing policies and to divest from companies that violate the human rights of Palestinians. The description provided by the office of the Attorney General when it approved the measure for circulation last week says that the initiative “prohibits state retirement funds from investing in companies engaged in certain business activities in Israel.”


WHEN: NOON, Wednesday, September 8, 2010


WHERE: In front of the Israeli Consulate, 6380 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048


WHY: Launch Ballot Initiative Drive to Require Public Employee Systems to Divest from Certain Business Activities in Israel


WHO: Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California; Rev. Dr. DarELL T. Weist retired, Senior Minister United Methodist Church of Los Angeles; Yael Korin, Israeli-American researcher; Mahmood Ibrahim, Palestinian-American Professor of History, California State Polytechnic University Pomona; Rosie Martinez, labor activist, Latino Caucus, SEIU 721; and Andy Griggs, retired teacher LAUSD, STRS members, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) activist.


“Our government has done nothing to end Israel’s brutal occupation and violation of internationally recognized human rights,” said Sacramento resident Chris Yatooma, the founder of Israel Divestiture Forum and the official proponent of the initiative, “including UN Resolutions and the Geneva Conventions."

“Our tax dollars now help fund these violations of human rights to the tune of more than $3 billion a year in grants, adding up to a staggering $106 billion over the past five decades.” said Israeli-born campaign organizer Yael Korin.


“California retirement funds have their own disturbing record,” said local campaign organizer Sherna Gluck, a member of the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS). “Our public retirement systems have more than $1.5 billion invested in at least eight companies that provide war materials and services used in violation of internationally recognized human rights, including support for the illegal Israeli settlements and the "Separation Wall.”


Public pension funds in Norway and Sweden have already divested from one of the companies identified by the initiative organizers.


Organized by a diverse group of Californians, the initiative has been endorsed by two Nobel Peace Laureates: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the principal leaders of South Africa’s successful struggle to end Apartheid and Mairead Maguire, renowned Belfast peacemaker.


Leading local endorsers include Marcy Winograd, former California congressional candidate; Stanley Sheinbaum, well-known peace advocate and organizer of the historic meeting in which the PLO expressed its willingness to abandon armed struggle and recognize Israel; and Executive Director Hussam Ayloush of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA). Local clergy, labor activists and members of PERS and the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) have also endorsed the initiative. Several key endorsers will be present on Wednesday to become the first signers of the ballot initiative.


For a complete list of the current endorsers, see: www.israeldivestmentcampaign.org/endorsements.htm.


“Because I am a teacher" said Marcy Winograd, former congressional candidate and a STRS participant, "I am particularly concerned that my retirement funds might be used to further colonize Palestinian land or to erase the beautiful olive groves planted by the indigenous residents of the West Bank.”


Californians who do not want their state retirement funds to contribute to the violation of human rights are mobilizing a statewide campaign mirroring the worldwide anti-Apartheid movement that toppled White rule in South Africa. Their work draws moral support from Archbishop Tutu’s August 22nd endorsement message to Californians: “We defeated Apartheid nonviolently because the international community agreed to support the disinvestment in Apartheid campaign. A similar campaign can help to bring peace in the Middle East and do so nonviolently."

And that, folks, is the last you'll ever hear of it.

Global Boycott (BDS) Against Israel Is Working
By Stephen Lendman
9-7-10


In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the Global BDS movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees.

The Tel Aviv-based Reut Institute (RI) provides "real-time strategic decision-making" support in areas of national security and socioeconomic policy. Its new report titled "The Gaza Flotilla: The Collapse of Israel's Political Firewall" suggests it's working. It followed an earlier one on "creating a political firewall" against Israel's "delegitimization challenge," recommending sabotage and subterfuge against growing global forces it fears, not an equitable solution it rejects.

Focusing now on the Gaza Flotilla, it called it "the tip of the iceberg" attempt along with the BDS movement and Durban conference against racism to cause "tangible and significant damage to Israel." Unmentioned was how expert Israel is in self-inflicting it by decades of occupation and crimes of war and against humanity.

Clearly they're having an effect, RI saying opposition "momentum is gaining," its aim "to delegitimize Israel in order to precipitate its implosion, inspired by the collapses of" apartheid South Africa and the Soviet Union. Calling the challenge global, systemic and political, RI blames two cooperating forces:

-- the Iran/Hamas/Hezbollah "Resistance Network;" and

-- the "Delegimization Network" based in cities like London, Brussels and San Francisco.

Their "constantly adapting" strategy requires Israel to adopt "a comprehensive systemic treatment" of the challenge it faces.

RI gave its version of the Gaza Flotilla interdiction, specifically against the Mavi Marmara mother ship, a "grave incident devlop(ing) during the takeover (when) Members of the Turkish IHH organization attacked Israeli forces with knives and metal bars, and in some cases with live fire. In the ensuing confrontation, nine Israeli soldiers were injured and nine Turkish activists killed."

An earlier article discussed the truth, not RI's revisionism, accessed through the following link:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/05/brave-israeli-commandos-slaughter-aid.html

Israeli commandos (trained killers), planned and executed a premeditated attack in international waters against nonviolent, unarmed humanitarian activists, trying to deliver essential to life aid to besieged Gazans - to break Israel's attempt to suffocate and starve them.

RI ignored the crime, focusing instead on world outrage, including anti-Israeli demonstrations in dozens of major cities, increased BDS efforts, international investigations, and the "stronger perception of cooperation between Israel's Arab citizens and the Resistance and Delegitimization Networks." Turkey also "exploited" the incident, "deepen(ing) the crisis with Israel."

Israel followed with two inquiry commissions, an IDF one under reserve Major General Giora Eiland and another under retired Supreme Court Judge Jacob Turkel, both mandated to whitewash the crime, what RI won't admit, instead saying:

"The mandates of both commissions reflect the mindset that mistakes surrounding the Gaza Flotilla were technical-operational or tactical-political in nature. The commissions are thus focused on the reasonableness of the actions taken by decision-makers on existing laws, regulations, and accepted practices."

In addition, RI is conducting its own inquiry, "based on a methodology of systemic policy analysis and on its conceptual framework for confronting the delegitimization challenge....to contribute to understanding the strategic significance of the event and to suggest principles for preventing similar occurrences in the future."

RI, of course, means preventing world outrage from boiling over, followed by actions harming Israeli interests, not its repeated crimes of war, against humanity, and high seas outrages. It worries instead about a new challenge because of two developments:

-- Hamas' "increased sophistication and efficiency and the Resistance Network's 'Logic of Implosion.' " It aims to precipitate Israel's collapse from overstretch, benefitting from the unpopular occupation, promoting its delegitimization, and engaging in asymmetric tactics against Israeli civilians; and

-- the Delegitimization Network's evolution, aiming to portray Israeli as a pariah state, gaining support from "the Western liberal progressive elite (through) a variety of means aimed at blurring its true intentions."

In recent years, the Resistance and Delegitimization Networks have created connections able to accelerate the following dynamics:

-- "Promoting the one-state paradigm;" and

-- Foiling Israel's ability to contain or deny legitimacy to Hamas and Hezbollah.

Both lead "a systemic and systematic attack against Israel's political and economic model, which has already had strategic consequences and may become existential if ignored or inadequately addressed." In addition, Israel hasn't developed an effective response to this challenge.

Hamas gained "agility" from 2006 electoral victory. Israeli "rigidity" followed - policies unable to change Hamas' positions or precipitate its demise. "On the contrary, Hamas went from strength to strength" despite Israel's imposed siege and Cast Lead. It continually adapts to new circumstances, "demonstrating a relatively clear strategic logic....while strengthening its domestic and international status" and ability to promote Israeli delegitimization.

The Gaza Flotilla and others planned are "the latest manifestation of a systemic and systematic attack" to undermine Israel's legitimacy with considerable support from the BDS campaign, the "lawfare" war against senior Israeli officials, and effect of the Goldstone Commission.

The Flotilla was "a first-of-its-kind collaboration" between Hamas and the Resistance and Delegitimization Networks. Turkey's involvement was the "difference that made the difference." In addition, its organizers' ability to gain Western progressive elite support turned Israel's interdiction into a "global and politically explosive event." RI called it a "clash of brands," Israel tarnished and defeated in the eyes of world public opinion.

Indeed so but not enough. Still RI concludes that Israel's firewall is eroding because it's increasingly viewed as not "genuinely striving for peace, consistently and honestly committed to ending control over the Palestinians, or concerned with alleviating the humanitarian situation in Gaza."

Israel doesn't understand the gravity of the delegitimization threat, and hasn't addressed it effectively. The campaign promoting it will continue, perhaps in new forms. RI urges confronting it strategically by "systematically collect(ing) intelligence (and) identif(ing) key (delegitimization) catalysts," as well as adopting a:

"consistent and honest....commitment to end....control over the Palestinians, advance human rights (at least rhetorically), and promote greater integration and equality for its Arab citizens...."

"It takes a network to fight" one, says RI. Disrupting it is job one by training Israeli diplomats to work in delegitimization hubs, developing its own network, re-branding itself to promote a new image, and engaging "liberal progressive elite(s)." The objective - delegitimize, isolate and marginalize the delegitimizers and BDS movement.

Its earlier "delegitimize challenge" report recommended sabotage and subterfuge against growing forces it fears. Perhaps now it's softening but not enough. It omitted the right of return, East Jerusalem as Palestine's capital, the logic of a one-state solution, the renunciation of conflict, an admission of Israeli crimes of war and against humanity, accountability for those responsible, demilitarization as a show of good faith, legislation granting all Israeli citizens equal rights, an occupation end date, a full commitment to the rule of law, and restitution to compensate victims for decades of crimes and destructive harm for starters.

Short of fundamental change, Israeli delegitimization will prevail over half-hearted measures, more rhetorical than substantive the way they've always been for decades.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

Another stinking slab of cut and paste from Lendman. That's really so very persuasive, aint it.

Sara Lee is always on sale and still not moving off the shelves.
Coincidence or what?
It seems that Israel is on everyone's shit list nowadays.

Just one little problem -- Sara Lee's based in Illinois, not Israel. But then nobody ever boycotted Israel out of sheer raw brain power, did they.

shyster word games aside...

Sara Lee is a known Israeli investment.
The zionist association apparently was enough to put a hurt on this one product, alone.
"nobody wants to eat Sara Lee"
the facts speak for themselves.

Just remember.
720 on the barcode means Israel.

'Cept it ain't. Another indymedia genius.

oops....
You're right, I had mistaken the last digit on the code!
It's
729 !!
Israeli products are 729......
thanks for the correction!

Not just Sara Lee!
go to:
http://www.monabaker.com/boycottisraeliproducts.htm
for a more inclusive list of Israeli products.

ironic that Hugo Boss invests in the zionist entity, when they produced the uniforms for the SS...

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/15/business/hugo-boss-acknowledges-link-to-nazi-regime.html


yet more evidence of the nazi-zionist nexus

as a comment to the previous comment about Hugo Boss.
"ironic that Hugo Boss invests in the zionist entity, when they produced the uniforms for the SS... "
... my research has established a solid link from the zionist movement to the NAZIs as their mentors, not their students; so the idea of a SS and zionist partnership is quite logical.
It was the zionist cult which built up the NAZI movement through the Warberg interests.
Make no mistake about it. The NA and the ZI-onist roots are one and the same. So this corporation actually has a history without contradiction.

The boycott movement -- such as it is, started with Caterpillar, didn't it? How's that Caterpillar boycott doing?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/17/business/AP-US-Caterpillar-Sales.html?hp

"Caterpillar Sales Accelerate Across the Globe"

"Sales in Latin America jumped 57 percent in August over the same month a year ago. North American sales rose 40 percent. Sales in Asia rose 32 percent."

Dazzling success! Congratulate yourself, LA Indymedia, for bringing Caterpillar to such a grinding halt.

sure...as Israeli has such big contracts with Caterpillar for crushing Palestinian homes and the UAW removed from any position of strength, no wonder this one company is still sucking toes to Israel.
Another client, like the media and congress...
and Rahm's bath house buddy, Obama.
ha ha ha ha ha ha

We did not even get 10 % of the required signatures.

Stay tuned for plan B