We, representatives ofPalestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizationsand people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts andimplement divestment initiatives against Israelsimilar to those applied to SouthAfrica in the apartheid era. We appeal toyou to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctionsagainst Israel.We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this Call, for the sake ofjustice and genuine peace.
IJANencourages its members to take up actions in support of the, "Call fromPalestinian Civil Society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (text of full call). Rather than lead BDS efforts, IJAN encouragesand supports participation of its members in local, national and internationalcampaigns. Where such organizing is not yet happening, we encourage our membersto identify like-minded organizations to develop a BDS campaign plan, startingwith some actions that individuals can do themselves, with a few friends orfellow IJAN members, and/or with other organizations.
Youdon’t need to wait for an organized campaign to participate in some of thefollowing BDS activities described below. IJAN can support you in gettingconnected with people all over the world who are involved in BDS work. Thereare also many tool kits and resources created in Palestine and available on-line-several ofthese are listed below.
1) Consumerboycott of Israeli goods: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/9
Individual consumers can show their opposition to Israel’s project by participatingin a consumer boycott of Israeli goods and services. A consumer boycott worksin two ways: firstly by generating bad publicity for the offender and secondlyby applying economic pressure for change.
The Israeli barcode starts with 729
Do it yourself! Go to the BDSMovement website above for the details on the following 5 easy things you cando to participate in the consumer boycott of Israeli goods.
1. Don’t buy Israeli goods
2. Identify and lobby retail outlets that stock Israeli goods and askthem to de-shelve Israeli products
3. Boycott and picket outlets that do not respond to lobbying
4. Set up a local campaign and website promoting the boycott
5. Take it a step further… http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/9
2) Academic/culturalboycott: http://www.pacbi.org/
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel waslaunched in Ramallah in April 2004 by a group of Palestinian academics andintellectuals to join the growing international boycott movement. The Campaignbuilt on the Palestinian call for a comprehensive economic, culturaland academic boycott of Israelissued in August 2002 and a statement made by Palestinian academics andintellectuals in the occupied territories and in the Diaspora calling for aboycott of Israeli academic institutions in October 2003.
We, Palestinian academics and intellectuals, call upon ourcolleagues in the international community to comprehensively andconsistently boycott all Israeli academic and cultural institutions as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation, colonizationand system of apartheid, by applying the following:
- Refrain from participation in any form of academic and cultural cooperation, collaboration or joint projects with Israeli institutions;
- Advocate a comprehensive boycott of Israeli institutions at the national and international levels, including suspension of all forms of funding and subsidies to these institutions;
- Promote divestment and disinvestment from Israel by international academic institutions;
- Work toward the condemnation of Israeli policies by pressing for resolutions to be adopted by academic, professional and cultural associations and organizations;
- Support Palestinian academic and cultural institutions directly without requiring them to partner with Israeli counterparts as an explicit or implicit condition for such support.
3) SportsBoycott: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/5
International sporting events can play an important role in shaping acountry’s image in the rest of the world. A sporting boycott of Israel wouldsend a powerful message that its policy of occupation, expulsion and racismagainst Palestinians is unacceptable.
Swiss activists disrupts Israel’s World Cup qualifier, September2007
Do it yourself! Go to the BDS Movement website for the details on thefollowing 3 easy things you can do to participate in the sports boycott: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/5
For the BDS campaign to be successful, fans, players and sportinginstitutions need to be drawn into concerted lobbying efforts. The first stepis to transform perceptions of Israel,building a climate in which teams and players refuse to play in Israeli sportsgrounds, not because of any potential "danger" or "risk", but as a statement ofprotest against Israel’soccupation and apartheid.
1. Identifying and lobbying clubs who maintain relations with Israel
2. Lobbying pro-Palestinian sports bodies, clubs and personalities
3. Lobbying sports personalities who lend their support to Israel
4) Divestment from the Israeli Economy: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/4
Divestment (or disinvestment) means putting andend to investments in Israeland companies supporting Israeli occupation and apartheid.
Encourage and pressure individuals, financialinstitutions and companies to shed their investments in Israel in order to curb the profits of Israel’s warand apartheid economy. To raise awareness about Israel’spolicies and true nature among companies, and encourage them to use theireconomic influence to put pressure on Israel to end the discriminationand expulsion of the Palestinian people and the occupation of their land.
Do it Yourself! Go to the BDS Movementwebsite for the details on the following 4 ways to divest from Israel: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/4
1. Get rid of your own investments in Israel
2. Lobby financial institutions:
3. Put pressure on organizations that you are a member of
4. Shareholder Activism
5) Pressure local government to divest from and enforce sanctions on Israel: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/6
Action at the level of local and regional governments aims to cut all tiesbetween municipalities or regional councils and Israe
l at cultural, economic, anddiplomatic levels. This can be achieved by passing measures or resolutionstargeting Israeli produce, institutional ties and cooperation or investmentsand bonds the local government may hold in Israel.
Do it Yourself! Go to the BDS Movementwebsite for the details on the following 4 ways to pressure your localgovernment to divest from and pass sanctions against Israel: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/6
1. Motions, resolutions and twinning
2. Engage with your local politicians
3. Establish a local campaign group to put pressure on localpoliticians and administrations
4. Link local activism to other BDS campaigns
6) Organize your union to divest from and enforce sanctions on Israel: http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/124
A trade union boycott of Israelmeans that trade unions cut economic, social and political ties with Israel andbuild ties with Palestinian unions. Trade unions should respond to the BDS callthat has, among others, been put forward by the major Palestinian trade unions.Palestinian workers are suffering under Israeli apartheid policies ofexploitation that aim to bring in the profits necessary to maintain theoccupation. Trade unions globally must transform workers solidarity intopractice and ensure that they are not indirectly providing financial support tothe Occupation by propping up the Israeli economy.
Do it Yourself! Go to the BDS Movementwebsite for the details on the following 3 ways to pressure your union to divestfrom and pass sanctions against Israel:http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/124
1. Motions, measures and resolutions
2. Form or join a "Friends of Palestine" group inside your union
3. Show the commitment of your union at national and internationallevel
The following two websites offer a vast selection of educationalmaterials, posters, toolkits, sticker templates and other materials to supportBDS efforts:
The BDS Movement: http://www.bdsmovement.net/
Stop the Wall Campaign: http://www.stopthewall.org/
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