West Bank Settlement Map

Illegal Israeli Settlements in the West Bank as of 2013:

Click the image to view full sized map.

Israel, in 2014 & 2015, has pushed an incredible surge in new settlement buildings.  If you are not clear on why the continued settlement process is illegal, here is a short video that explains it all very clearly: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=849131691798194

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From:  40 Maps that explain the Middle East.  Check out the other thirty-nine maps as well as the commentary found here:  http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east

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Boycott for Peace! 

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/
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Israel Ignores International Law

Systematically and Continuously . . .

The United Nations most recent report on the issues, dated March 9, 2015, states that:

". . . Israel continued to play a leading role in the establishment and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in violation of international law, in particular article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The settlements continue to be a central source of  multiple human rights violations of Palestinians. In this context, Israel still largely fails to comply with its international obligation to protect the Palestinian population from violent acts committed by Israeli settlers, and to effectively prevent, and ensure accountability for, settler violence. Israeli policies and practices regarding access to Palestinian land have a negative impact on the rights of Palestinians, in particular their rights to an adequate standard of living and to work.

 "Israel must stop obstructing and restricting the access of Palestinians to agricultural land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Disproportionate restrictions, mostly related to settlements, are putting Palestinian livelihoods at a great risk. Effective measures should be taken to ensure that Palestinians are able to have access to and cultivate their land on a continuous basis, beyond ad hoc mechanisms such as “prior coordination”.  In addition, security of land tenure must be ensured, including by means of measures allowing Palestinians to register without discrimination the land they have been using for long periods of time.

"Israel, as the occupying Power, is obliged to take all reasonable measures to prevent violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Israel must ensure that all acts of violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property are investigated independently, impartially, thoroughly, promptly, effectively and in a non-discriminatory manner. Investigations should be open to public scrutiny and allow for the participation of victims. Alleged perpetrators should be prosecuted and victims should be granted an effective remedy.

"Israel must cease all settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan, and implement relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolution 497 (1981), and withdraw from the territories occupied in 1967.  Israel must also immediately cease the exploitation of natural resources from these territories." 


The full report is worth reading if you are not entirely familiar with the situation in the occupied West Bank and the occupied Syrian Golan. It is 17 pages long and contains sources and documentation:
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/a_hrc_28_44.pdf

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The issues brought up in this report represent only some of the reasons why we boycott Israel.   We have 13 additional posts that cover quite a few more:  http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/why%20we%20boycott

You may also want to explore some of the background on the conflict and how it began:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20roots

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Be the Change!

Learn more about the boycotts here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html

Find letters and petitions to sign here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/Quick%20action

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Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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Boycott for Peace!

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace 
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Palestine is a State

 

In fact, Palestine has been a U.N. recognized state since November 2012:

From Wikimedia Commons

"The United Nations general assembly voted overwhelmingly  . . . to recognise Palestine as a state, in the face of opposition from Israel and the U S.

"The 193-member assembly voted 138 in favour of the plan, with only nine against and 41 abstentions. The scale of the defeat represented a strong and public repudiation for Israel and the US, who find themselves out of step with the rest of the world."

From: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/29/united-nations-vote-palestine-state  

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Far more countries recognize the State of Palestine than countries that don't:

 

From: Wikimedia Commons.

Map identifying Recognition of the State of Palestine. Dark green = states that have recognised; medium green = states hosting a Palestinian mission; light green = states hosting a Palestinian general or special delegation; grey = states with no relations to Palestine.

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As of November 2014,  " . . . Sweden became the 135th U.N. member state to recognize Palestine:"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/07/


Meanwhile, only " . .  160 of the 192 other UN member states (83%) currently recognize Israel." That's just 25 more than recognize Palestine:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Israel


Of those countries that do recognize Israel, only a very small number do not have diplomatic relationships with Palestine (in dark blue on the map below).  On the other hand, a significant portion of  the nations in the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as the Pacific Island nations, not only do not recognize Israel, they have no relationship with Israel at all (dark green in the map below). 

From:  40 Maps that Explain the Middle East.

Check the gray areas on the map just before this one (the map that is mostly green).  The gray areas represent those countries that have no relations with Palestine.  Now check the dark green areas on the map directly above.  The dark green areas represent the countries that have no relations with Israel.  Clearly, Palestine is in better standing with the world than Israel.  Clearly, there is something wrong with the fact that mainstream Western media insists on spouting Israeli rhetoric about Palestinian statehood.


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Palestinian statehood is not something that Israel can confer or withhold from Palestine, no matter what rhetoric Israel convinces the mainstream media to repeat.  

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a final bid to shore up right-wing support ahead of a knife-edge vote on Tuesday, (March 17, 2015) said he would not permit a Palestinian state to be created under his watch if he is re-elected."

"Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said Netanyahu's comments were 'dangerous' and could plunge the region into violence.  'This is the real Netanyahu,' she said. 'From the beginning, he was attempting to carry out a grand deception by pretending to be in favor of the two-state solution. But what he was actually doing on the ground is destroying the chances of peace."

From:  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4637673,00.html

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We must not forget that Israel's occupation of Palestine is illegal!

 

“The Israeli occupation of the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) is illegal both intrinsically and extrinsically.”

From: ‘Illegal Occupation: Framing the Occupied Palestinian Territory,’ Berkeley Journal of International Law:   http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1299&context=bjil

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Free Palestine!

 

That's what we are working for!

Please see our complete Boycott List here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html

And our Quick-Actions here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/Quick%20action

If you have any doubt about why we boycott and work to free Palestine, please read the posts found here:   http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/why%20we%20boycott

You may also be interested in exploring the historical roots of the conflict between Israel and Palestine:  http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20roots

From Wikimedia Commons.

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Boycott for Peace!

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace 
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Boycott AHAVA

Israeli companies, including AHAVA, generate around 3 billion USD annually from the sale of Dead Sea minerals.  The Dead Sea is in Palestinian territory which is being illegally occupied and raided by Israel.

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Documentation:                     

“Ahava – Dead Sea Laboratories . . . is a private Israeli cosmetics corporation that operates from the occupied West Bank:”  http://www.whoprofits.org/content/ahava-tracking-trade-trail-settlement-products

AHAVA’s “factory and visitor's center is located in the Mitzpe Shalem settlement in the occupied Jordan Valley. In addition, Ahava is partially owned by the settlement of Mitzpe Shalem and Kalia. The company's products are sold in Europe under a misleading label, which doesn't indicate the name of the settlement the factory is located in. The company uses mud which is excavated from the occupied Palestinian area in its products:”  http://www.whoprofits.org/company/ahava-dead-sea-laboratories

“Pillage of the Dead Sea: Israel’s Unlawful Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory:”  http://www.alhaq.org/publications/publications-index/item/pillage-of-the-dead-sea-israel-s-unlawful-exploitation-of-natural-resources-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory

“Israel’s total control of the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea is depriving the Palestinian economy of income and jobs, while bringing in big profits for the occupation.” http://www.imemc.org/article/65987

“Israel is stealing and damaging Palestinian natural resources, including Dead Sea salt, mud and land, and using this for profit.  Israeli companies generate around 3 billion USD annually from the sale of Dead Sea minerals (primarily potash and bromine) and from other products, which are derived from Dead Sea Minerals.  That is a huge amount of money being generated by and for a state which upholds apartheid and occupation of Palestinian lands.”  http://www.boycottisraelisalt.com/why-boycott/

When “you buy Ahava products you help finance the destruction of hope for a peaceful and just future for both Israelis and Palestinians.” http://www.stolenbeauty.org/article.php?id=4951

AHAVA documents its own use of minerals found near and in the Dead Sea:  http://www.ahavaus.com/discover-ahava/our-story#

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Facebook sharable meme.

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Take Action!  In addition to boycotting, Code Pink offers a number of action plans; from those you can engage in from your home computer to a ten step guide to taking action at a store that sells AHAVA products:  http://www.stolenbeauty.org/

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Participate!  If you can get a decent photo of AHAVA products or even just one product, we may be able to use it in an upcoming meme.  Contact us by private message on our facebook community page:  https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace

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Be sure to boycott table salt from the Dead Sea as well:

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2015/02/salt-justice.html

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If you have any question about why we boycott Israel please check out the posts at this link:

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/why%20we%20boycott

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Boycotting is the right thing to do!  Here is our complete boycott list:

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html

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Photo for meme - Code Pink protests AHAVA from:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CodePink-BeautyProductProtest-July2009.jpg

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Boycott for Peace! 

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/

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Quick Action: Say NO to Settlements

Tell Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg--NO Adds for Illegal Settlements!

 

 

Learn more and sign the letter on Avaaz.org:

"We were shocked to see ads for illegal Israeli settlements on Facebook. The establishment and expansion of settlements is considered a war crime. Settlements are a main cause of violence and discrimination in the region. Facebook's advertising guidelines state that "Ads may not constitute, facilitate or promote illegal activity." We therefore call upon you to ban all advertisements for settlement homes or settlement based products from showing on Facebook." 

  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/facebook_stop_ads_for_settlements_palestine_final/?shGpzab

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Participate!  If you find other very quick actions people can take, such as easy to sign letters or petitions, media storms, or flash mobs, be sure to leave us the details in comments.  We may be able to feature them in an up-coming post.  If you would like credit for yourself or your organization, be sure to include your by-line as you would like it to appear, and a URL if appropriate. You can alternately contact us by private message on our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace

Thanks!  We are the change!

 

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Boycott for Peace!  
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/

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Just The Facts

Facts All US Citizens Need to Know About Israel and Palestine:  

• Gaza (along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem) is occupied Palestinian territory under international law, determined by the vast majority of the world, as well as the highest court in the world, the UN’s International Court of Justice. Gaza cannot commit aggression against Israel, since Israel is in constant and continual commission of illegal aggression against Palestine by occupying it (illegally and sadistically blockading it and frequently committing terrorism against its civilians, including by targeting them with chemical weapons provided by US taxpayers – see “Rain of Fire” by Human Rights Watch). As documented by Amnesty Int’l, Human Rights Watch, and many others, Israel intentionally targets and murders civilians, including children, en masse.

Many more facts are covered in this in depth, documented, and well linked outline:
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/07/facts-us-citizens-need-know-israel-palestine.html

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Boycott for Peace! 

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/

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PLO/Palestine: Time to Stop Buying Time

Almost every day brings the announcement of a new international initiative by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to seek recognition as a "state" or to end Israel’s military rule. Most recently, the PLO announced that it intends to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution that sets a three-year deadline to end the Israeli occupation that began in 1967. This comes after two years of efforts aimed at getting other countries to recognize the "State of Palestine" – efforts that were recently rewarded with Sweden becoming the first major European state to recognize the State of Palestine, despite the tsunami of criticism it received when it first announced its intentions. In addition, there is frequent talk of Palestine signing other international conventions, as well as joining the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Yet all this talk about new initiatives rings hollow because the PLO has done so little with the many legal tools already available to it. Just a few of these instruments would, if properly used, make Israel accountable and could hasten not just an end to occupation but also the fulfillment of all Palestinian rights. Action is especially important given the Israeli government’s recent actions in East Jerusalem and the danger to its holy sites, over and above the decades of Israeli colonization throughout the West Bank and the siege of Gaza.


First and foremost among these instruments is the 2004 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the "Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." The opinion was a huge achievement for the Palestinian people. It involved months of work by the PLO’s UN representative at that time who led a top notch international and national legal team that defeated Israel’s best efforts.


The importance of the ICJ Advisory Opinion must not be underestimated. It is worth recalling some of the court’s major findings:

• The Wall is illegal and Israel is obliged to make reparations for all the damage it has caused.
• Not only is the Wall illegal but so is the entire "associated
  regime" – i.e., the gates, permits, closed areas, and other restrictions
  on movement. Moreover, the court reaffirmed that Israeli settlements
  breach international law.
• The court also affirmed that the West Bank and Gaza, including East
  Jerusalem, are occupied territories and that Israel is an occupying
  power with legal responsibilities.
• Perhaps most importantly, the court found that all states are
  obliged not to recognize the situation as lawful and cease any
  assistance or aid to Israel in maintaining it.

Read the rest of this in-depth article here:

PLO/Palestine: Time to Stop Buying Time

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Boycott for Peace!
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Don't Believe SodaStream!

 

Keep the Boycott Strong!  

 

Include ‘Country Time Lemonade,’ ‘Kool Aid,’ and ‘OceanSpray’ in your boycotting efforts.  They are SodaStream’s partners in crime.

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We boycott for many reasons, you can read about some of them here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/why%20we%20boycott

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Key points for continuing the SodaStream boycott from BDS:

1.  They haven’t closed the plant in the illegally occupied territory, yet, and they might not follow through.

2. The new planned plant will be in the area where Palestinian Bedouins are being forcefully removed from their traditional lands.

3.  “Palestinian workers are paid far less than their Israeli counterparts and SodaStream recently fired 60 Palestinians following a dispute over food for the breaking of the Ramadan fast. Workers have previously said they are treated ‘like slaves.’”

4. “Palestinians are forced to work inside settlements in sub-standard conditions because of Israel’s deliberate destruction of the Palestinian economy.”

5. “ . . . the main Palestinian trade unions have called for boycott and are members of the Palestinian BDS National Committee . . .”  

Read the full BDS statement here:  https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=862668540444674&id=115083011869901

Keep in touch with BDS on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Divestment-and-Sanctions-BDS-Movement/115083011869901

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Facebook Sharable Meme

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Boycott for Peace:

http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace/

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