Jews worldwide in solidarity with Omar Barghouti and Palestinian non-violent resistance

Israel has officially declared its determination to use everything in its power to intimidate and supress the leaders and supporters of the international BDS movement—including the usage of targeted actions by intelligence agencies. Israel’s Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked instructed the international department of her ministry “to prepare a plan of legal steps” in order to “move from defence to offence” against the BDS movement already a year ago, with the full backing of the Israeli government, to run a massive campaign aimed at criminalizing the internationally-growing BDS movement, and at silencing any protest against the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Meanwhile Aryeh Deri, Israel’s Interior Minister personally took efforts to revoke the permanent residency status of Mr. Omar Barghouti, acting coordinator and spokesman of the BDS movement in Ramallah. He has been barred from leaving the country ever since. His life and well-being have been threatened by Israeli officials repeatedly.

As Jewish organizations and individuals committed to human rights, to democracy and to the rule of law, we speak out against the widespread attacks by the current Israeli government against the BDS movement. Appalled by this state-led bullying against non-violent resistance to the illegal Israeli occupation, we wish to underscore a basic truth which seems to escape the current Israeli administration and its apologists: International citizens’ boycotts against ongoing abuse of international law are a legally-protected and fundamental civil right. Civil boycotts are a key means of non-violent protest. They cannot, precisely, be interdicted, made illegal or punishable.

In steadfast defence of accepted universal human rights and established standards of international law and decency, we therefore demand:

The end to Mr. Barghouti’s residency restriction and the reinstatement of his right to free movement

The guaranteeing of Mr. Barghouti’s and all other Palestinians’ freedom of movement, of political expression and of assembly

The immediate cessation of all political and legal attempts to criminalize support for BDS and the recognition and restitution of the inalienable right to non-violently resist unjust state actions like occupation and apartheid

List of Organizations (3.6.2016)

Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians (ACJC) Canada

Code Pink USA

International Jewish Antizionist Network USA (IJAN USA) USA

Jewish Voice for a Just Peace (Juedische Stimme) Germany

Rete’ Ebrei contro l’Occupazione (Network of Jews against Occupation) Italy

European Jews for a Just Peace (EJJP) Europe

Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada

Kosher to Boycott Israeli Goods (Jews4Big) UK

Jewish Socialists’ Group (JSG) UK

Jewish-Palestinian Dialogue Group Germany

Jews for a Just Peace North Carolina (jfajpNC) USA

Jews for Justice for Palestine (jfjfp) UK

union juive française pour la paix (ujfp) France

Jewish Voice for Just Peace - Ireland (JVJP)

Among the first 100 signatories are:

• Medea Benjamin, Jewish co-founder of Code Pink.

• Noam Chomsky;

• Ronnie Kasrils - former South African government minister;

• Felicia Langer - former Israeli attorney known for her legal defence of Palestinians from the Westbank and Gaza.

• Nurit Peled - 2001 laureate of the Sakharov Prize for human rights and the Freedom of Thought;

• Eyal Sivan, well known filmmaker f. i. Route 181 (2003);

• Rolf Verleger former board member of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.