Israeli Apartheid Week 2013

[blake 3:17]

This is a big international event. IAW does push for some particular ideas and strategies, most of it is educational. Even if you don't support BDS there are probably many events that you could learn from and enjoy.

Info here: http://apartheidweek.org/ To find local events try here: http://apartheidweek.org/en/cities

Anyways...


The 9th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week 2013

(February - March 2013)

We are excited to announce the upcoming 9th annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) starting late February in Europe and moving to various countries through the month of March.

Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an annual international series of events (including rallies, lectures, cultural performances, film screenings, multimedia displays and boycott of Israel actions) held in cities and campuses across the globe. Last year’s IAW was incredibly successful with over 215 cities participating worldwide.

IAW seeks to raise awareness about Israel's apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign.

To accommodate various university schedules and cities from around the world, IAW will take place in slightly different weeks but all in the months of February and March. Here is a list of dates for regions confirmed so far:

Europe: February 25 - March 10
Palestine: 8-15 March
United States: March 4 - 8
Canada: March 4 - 8
South Africa: March 11 – 17

If you would like to organize and be part of Israeli Apartheid Week on your campus or in your city please get in touch with us at [email protected] Also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED DURING IAW

IAW offers ordinary people around the world an opportunity to partake in something truly global. If you would like to get involved and organize your own IAW event or action let us know so that we can share with you the IAW Basis of Unity and organizing principles. Here are some ways that you can actively get involved:

1. Organize a film screening
Consider hosting a film. For more info or for suggestions contact us at [email protected]

2. Arrange a lecture, workshop, rally or protest
There are many speakers ranging from academics, politicians, trade unionists and cultural activists that we can suggest for you to host. Be in touch with us and we can put you in contact.

3. Organize a BDS action
Organize with others a practical boycott of Israel action or have a BDS motion tabled at your relevant student council, municipality etc.

4. Join us online
Help us spread the word online about Israeli Apartheid Week

5. Be creative
Be creative! Draw attention to Israeli apartheid with a Mock Israeli Apartheid Wall or Checkpoint, a flash mob, a concert or poetry reading, street theater, protest etc.

[mxx]

Wikipedia says, that people there don't respect Israels right to exist and want to boycott products produced in Israel. Is that true?
"Apartheid" is definitely the wrong word for the state of Israel.

[blake 3:17]

Wikipedia says, that people there don't respect Israels right to exist and want to boycott products produced in Israel. Is that true?
"Apartheid" is definitely the wrong word for the state of Israel.

Last things first, I do think Apartheid is an appropriate way to describe Israel. Israeli Apartheid differs from South African, and has more in common with the North American treatment of indigenous peoples, in that is primarily a complicated series of legal, military and policing steps to steal land and not to exploit labour.

One of primary goals of IAW is to promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel, similar to the one used against South African apartheid. You can learn about it here: http://www.bdsmovement.net/ or attend some IAW events. It took a South African comrade to win me over to the cultural and academic boycott.

[cynicles]

You might be interested to know that many people here don't respect Israel's "right" to exist, whatever that means. In addition, BDS is about the bare minimum someone can offer to support Palestinian liberation, there used to be a time when people would go so far as to take up arms to show solidarity.

[Red Banana]

In addition, BDS is about the bare minimum someone can offer to support Palestinian liberation, there used to be a time when people would go so far as to take up arms to show solidarity.

If you really feel that way, then go do it. No one here is stopping you.

[cyu]

Wikipedia says, that people there don't respect Israels right to exist

Well, we anarchists don't respect any country's "right" to exist :D
We do respect the right of Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, and anybody else to exist though. There's a big difference.

[l'Enfermé]

Why would any normal person support the existence of an inherently racist settler-colonist entity?

[Red Banana]

do what?supporting bds

No, taking up arms for the people of Palestine.

[cynicles]

If you really feel that way, then go do it. No one here is stopping you.

I already engage in BDS thanks.

[Red Banana]

You all know exactly what I was referring to, but whatever.

[cynicles]

You all know exactly what I was referring to, but whatever.

Its impossible to know what you meant. I said BDS was the bare minimum and then illustrated that by contrasting it against other more active forms of solidarity. The point being to call out all those who were antsy about engaging even in a boycott. You said if i 'felt' that way then I should go 'do that', a statement that didn't really bare any continuity with what I said and implied. In addition to that you implied some unnecessary hostility on the matter.

[mxx]

@free palestine: I'm talking about the german wikipedia article.
@cyu: I'm not an Anarchist. And I think that the rights of jewish people can't be guaranteed without Israel.
@l'Enférme: racist settler-colonist entity? What do you think, what would happen if Israel wouldn't exist anymore? Who should protect it's population from antisemitism? As long as anti-semitic groups like Hamas or Hizbollah exist, the state of Israel is necessary.
Furthermore I still have more sympathy for a western style democracy than Islamists like Morsi, Ahmadinedschad or Hamas.

Of course I'd rather see a socialist Israel and a socialist Palestine. Of course I want a 'Palestinian liberation', but there won't be liberation and peace with organisations like Hamas. To say that are the good palestinians on one side and the bad state of Israel on the other side, is just too simple.

[blake 3:17]

@mxx -- the BDS campaign DOES NOT call for the destruction of Israel. Its three demands are:


1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

What we are trying to do is to stop the destruction of a people. I have little patience for Left opponents of BDS who make calls for socialism in the Middle East, neglecting the concrete social realities of bureaucratized militaristism, racist policing, and theft of land and property.

[mxx]

I support these three demands. I just asked if they call for the destruction of Israel, because of the wikipedia article.

Call for 2 socialist states doesn't mean I neglect the social realities you are talking about. The things I wrote after this sentence are more important. I think the question is 'what is Palestinian liberation?'. If you talk about palestinian liberation, you also have to talk about reactionary palestinian organisations.

At the beginning I just asked a question about this event. I didn't want to start a discussion about the whole Israel-Palestine conflict..

[cynicles]

@free palestine: I'm talking about the german wikipedia article.
@cyu: I'm not an Anarchist. And I think that the rights of jewish people can't be guaranteed without Israel.
@l'Enférme: racist settler-colonist entity? What do you think, what would happen if Israel wouldn't exist anymore? Who should protect it's population from antisemitism? As long as anti-semitic groups like Hamas or Hizbollah exist, the state of Israel is necessary.
Furthermore I still have more sympathy for a western style democracy than Islamists like Morsi, Ahmadinedschad or Hamas.

Of course I'd rather see a socialist Israel and a socialist Palestine. Of course I want a 'Palestinian liberation', but there won't be liberation and peace with organisations like Hamas. To say that are the good palestinians on one side and the bad state of Israel on the other side, is just too simple.

Lol, Israel is in no way protecting Jews from antisemitism especially given its history of collaborating with European most infamous antisemites. Further more, hizbollah is irrelevant to this issue sine they're a local force centre on resisting Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty. In addition to that using the scare tactic of a possible explosion of antisemitism is hacky at best given its the same argument used by white south Africans against ending apartheid there and the fact that the Palestinians are living under the constant racism of a colonial state. One might even be tempted to draw the conclusion that your prioritization of a nonexistent explosion of antisemitism of the real and continual racism against Palestinians by the Zionist colonial entity is a reflection of your own racism towards Palestinians and Arabs in general. By I wouldn't dare infer such a thing.

[o well this is ok I guess]

As long as anti-semitic groups like Hamas or Hizbollah exist, the state of Israel is necessary. Let put this formulation in the hands of the other side of the wall
"so long as Israel continues its polices of displacing us from our homes by bulldozer or bomb, we must have Hamas to fight".
Cmon man Hamas wasn't created in a vacuum.

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

realities you are talking about. The things I wrote after this sentence are more important. I think the question is 'what is Palestinian liberation?'. If you talk about palestinian liberation, you also have to talk about reactionary palestinian organisations.
.

First of all, the two state solution perpetuates the idea that israel has the right to steal land from the Palestinians. There should be only one state with free movement and harsh anti-discrimination laws. If Israelis don't want to live with brown people then tough for them!

Second, Other than Hamas most other Palestinian organizations are communist of some variety. So obviously we support the Communist forces involved and not the reactionary ones.

[mxx]

@cynicles: So Hamas and Islamic Jihad aren't anti-semitic organisations? They are antisemites. They want to kill jews, because they are jews. That is antisemitism and Israel stops them.
@o well this is: The crimes of Israel do not legitimate the goals and crimes of Hamas. There are two sides of the wall.
@Yet Another: So any form of existence of Israel means to steal land? Only one state is not realistic at the moment. Israelis don't want to live with brown people? Ok, of course there is racism in Israel. But 20% of the population are Arabs. How many jews live in Gaza? And how long they would survive there? The point is that you shouldn't critize Israel without critizing reactionary palestinian forces, because with them you can't actualise anti-discrimation laws. At least not for jews or homosexuals. I agree with you that we have to support communist or at least secular forces.

[Mala Tha Testa]

What do you think, what would happen if Israel wouldn't exist anymore? Who should protect it's population from antisemitism? As long as anti-semitic groups like Hamas or Hizbollah exist, the state of Israel is necessary.

I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, Hamas and Hezbollah are both groups consisting of a semitic majority (of course there's always exceptions in such organizations) because Arabs and Jews are both semitic people. So really, they're just anti-Zionist, yeah?

[bricolage]

I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, Hamas and Hezbollah are both groups consisting of a semitic majority (of course there's always exceptions in such organizations) because Arabs and Jews are both semitic people. So really, they're just anti-Zionist, yeah?
I think it's pretty obvious what anti-semitism means.

[MarxArchist]

Well, we anarchists don't respect any country's "right" to exist :D
We do respect the right of Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, and anybody else to exist though. There's a big difference.
Abolish religion mate.

[Let's Get Free]

1N69oP9nrwo

[electro_fan]

the bds movement as it currently exists is a load of reactionary bullshit if you ask me. zionism should definitely be opposed though.

[blake 3:17]

I'd be curious to know as well, even if I didn't ask you. I had certain reservations about the BDS campaign and have been convinced that it is the correct path.

Within the BDS movement there is a great deal of open debate and is hardly a one size fits all campaign. The hope is through non violent action and global solidarity the terrible persecution of the Palestinian people can be brought to an end and the beginnings of a just peace in the Middle East can occur.

What are your objections?