vjp-global

https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/uaw-bds/ In December 2014, rank-and-file members of Local 2865 of the United Auto Workers (they represent over 14,000 teaching assistants and other workers at the Universities of California) voted to support boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) of Israel. With their vote, they honored the call of Palestinian civil society, and joined millions of people the world over who are taking non-violent action to protest Israel's human rights abuses. Posted by Sam Bryan, AIME member

https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/01/19/occupation-inc/how-settlement-businesses-contribute-israels-violations-palestinian Almost immediately after Israel's military occupation of the West Bank in June 1967, the Israeli government began establishing settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. From the outset, private businesses have been involved in Israel's settlement policies, benefiting from and contributing to them. This report details the ways in which Israeli and international businesses have helped to build, finance, service, and market settlement communities. In many cases, businesses are "settlers" themselves, drawn to settlements in part by low rents, favorable tax rates, government subsidies, and access to cheap Palestinian labor. [1] In fact, the physical footprint of Israeli business activity in the West Bank is larger than that of residential settlements... Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/opinion/when-made-in-israel-is-a-human-rights-abuse.html?_r=1 [On a trade bill to recognize settlement-made goods as "Made in Israel"] ...The more the line between Israel and the occupied territories is blurred, the more likely the rest of the world will be to question the legitimacy of not just the settlements but Israel itself. In the long run, this will not prevent Israel from being depicted as a pariah state, but instead will provide powerful ammunition to those who see it as such. Posted  by Judith Ferster, AIME Member

http://news.yahoo.com/uns-ban-swipe-israel-over-stifling-occupation-214742788.html Snippet: United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday renewed his criticism of Israel's "stifling" occupation of Palestinian territories, a day after similar hard-hitting remarks by the UN Secretary-General angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Posted by AIME member, Sam Bryan

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.698874 Was there a way to eliminate South Africa's apartheid regime from within, without South Africans investing years in spreading the word internationally? It seems not. Ruling classes tend not to concede their advantages willingly. In Israel, as noted, the ideological goal goes even further, and doesn't end only with the control of people lacking rights. Also see James Wall excellent blog article: http://wallwritings.me/2016/01/26/discerning-signs-of-the-times-in-iowa-and-israel/ Posted by Sam Bryan, AIM member

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-approves-153-new-settler-homes-west-bank-ngo-2012908020 Israel's defence ministry has approved plans to build 153 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a spokeswoman for Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said on Monday. Posted by Sam Bryan, AIME Member

1-21-2016 Israel Seizes Palestinian Land — Thumbs Nose at Europe by Destroying Aid Structures – Maayan Lubel Forward http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/331156/israel-seizes-palestinian-land-thumbs-nose-at-europe-by-destroying-aid-stru/#ixzz3xucu4LFp   … The appropriation, covers 380 acres in the Jordan Valley close to Jericho, an area where Israel already has many settlement farms built on land Palestinians seek for a state. It is the largest land seizure since August 2014… Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member  

  http://972mag.com/its-open-season-on-anyone-opposing-the-occupation/116184/   There is a campaign being carried out against anyone actively opposing the occupation in Israel, and it doesn't matter if you're an activist in the field, a human rights attorney or a former soldier talking about what you were ordered to do.   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

  http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/01/israel-gaza-blockade-bennett-objects-failure-netanyahu.html   With Education Minister Naftali Bennett joining those objecting the continued Gaza blockade, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon must rethink their position…It's time to admit that the siege on Gaza is not necessary to Israel's security, but quite the opposite.   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

http://palsolidarity.org/2016/01/gazan-families-struggle-to-survive-in-the-wreckage-left-by-the-2014-attack/   [individual family stories with pictures]   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

http://972mag.com/the-israeli-left-must-realize-it-is-at-war/116114/ ...we must not ignore the fact that the unprecedented persecution on the Israeli Left, its constant delegitimization, its orchestrated criminalization, is a new stage that will have far-reaching consequences on Palestinian citizens of Israel themselves... Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

http://972mag.com/poll-46-of-israeli-jews-dont-think-arabs-should-have-equal-rights/116100/ ...The Army Radio survey polled 503 Hebrew-speaking Jews over the age of 18. It was not clear what the margin of error was, or whether the questions were posed in person, by phone or by internet.

http://972mag.com/israeli-authorities-arrest-two-more-human-rights-activists/116124/ ...Two human rights activists, an Israeli and a Palestinian, were arrested late Tuesday night.... The arrests come more than a week after a prominent left-wing activist was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of making contact with a foreign agent... Posted by Judith Ferster, AIMe member

A group of American citizens is suing the US Treasury because they say the agency is allowing billions of dollars of tax-exempt charitable donations to flow to the Israeli army and support the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/charlotte-silver/us-sued-over-tax-exempt-donations-illegal-israeli-settlements Posted by Sam Bryan, AIME member

http://972mag.com/the-year-in-photos-palestine-and-israel-in-2015/115436/ Activestills selects the most powerful, important and moving images of 2015 — in chronological order. Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/line-fire-journalists-gaza-1105221878 Journalists in Gaza are not afforded the protection provided in other parts of the world, but still risk their life and limb to tell their stories.    Middle East Eye contributor Mohammed Omer went out to speak to some of the journalists in Gaza to hear about the struggles they face as photographers and writers covering the Israeli siege on Gaza and the related protests and wars. These are some of their stories as told to Omer.   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member