In January, Ms. Dion, you were afraid of the sitution in Lebanon so you cancelled your July concert!
Seems BDS is a scary thing for someone bound and bent on playing to APARTHEID.
Check out the letter sent in November 2019 by over 50 artitsts to Ms. Dion coordianted by the Canadian BDS Coalition. Even though we did hear back Ms. Dion , maybe your handlers did hear your fellow artists, and decided the situation in Beirut would not look good for you as BDS call mounted on July 31, just before your August 4-5 concerts in Tel Aviv?
Individuals wishing to write to Ms. Dion can do so HERE. Thanks CJPME for this campaign. There are close to 5K signatures.
Artists who wish to join in adding their name to the call to Ms. Dion can continue do so HERE.
Beyond the November call from fellow artists, Ms. Dion heard direclty from Palestinian artists and form Israeli citizens.
The Canadian BDS Coalition call to Canadian artist Céline Dion
Céline, the Canadian BDS Coalition would welcome your response, which we would be pleased to convey to your fellow artists. We would also welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the situation in Palestine and the art washing under Brand Israel. We expect more artists will join in the call. We also understand you have received a letter from Palestinian artists directly. Read more HERE
The Beruit concert would have seen BDS actions mounting as Ms. Dion prepared to play her APARTHEID concert.
Why did you not choose to share info on your own official site Ms. Dion?
Of course your current North American concerts are cancelled, or as you say “going to be rescheduled.” One would expect you would also be cancelling your European concerts shortly given situation with Covid-19.
We did notice that you quietly backed out of Beirut.
A signal that you were afraid of the mounting BDS call for you to cancel your Tel Aviv aparthied concerts scheduled for several days later! Seems you left it to venue to announce, rather than you making your own statement!
In the upcoming Canadian general election scheduled for October 21, 2019, we commit to vote for candidates and parties that: • Support Palestinian human and national rights including the inalienable right to self-determination. • Oppose Israeli ethnic cleansing, war crimes and apartheid. • Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality. • Respect, protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194. • Support ending Israeli occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall. • Oppose Canadian tax-deductible status for the Jewish National Fund JNF, HESEG Foundation and all Zionist organizations that are disguised as charities while supporting the Israeli military and settlements. • Recognize the rights of Canadians to support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions BDS movement as a non-violent strategy to force Israel to abide by UN resolutions and all international humanitarian laws, and • Oppose condemning or criminalizing people or organizations who support the BDS Movement.
JE VOTE POUR LA LIBERTÉ, LA JUSTICE ET L’ÉGALITÉ REJOIGNEZ CETTE PAGE D’ÉVÉNEMENT FB ET PRENEZ UN ENGAGEMENT #IVotePalestine Lors des prochaines élections générales au Canada, prévues pour le 21 octobre 2019, nous nous engageons à voter pour les candidats et les partis qui: • Soutiennent les droits de l’homme et les droits nationaux des Palestiniens, y compris le droit inaliénable à l’autodétermination. • S’opposent au nettoyage ethnique israélien, aux crimes de guerre et à l’apartheid. • Reconnaissent les droits fondamentaux des citoyens et citoyennes arabo-palestiniens d’Israël à la pleine égalité. • Respectent, protègent et promeuvent le droit de retour des réfugiés palestiniens et la repossession de leurs propriétés, conformément à la résolution 194 des Nations Unies. • Supportent la fin de l’occupation israélienne et de la colonisation de toutes les terres arabes ainsi que le démantèlement du mur. • S’opposent au statut d’organisme de bienfaisance, déductible d’ impôts au Canada, pour le Fonds national juif ( FNJ), la Fondation HESEG, et toutes les organisations sionistes déguisées en œuvres de charité qui soutiennent l’armée israélienne et les colonies de peuplement. • Reconnaissent le droit des Canadiens d’appuyer le mouvement BDS (Boycott Désinvestissement et Sanctions) en tant que stratégie non violente pour forcer Israël à se conformer aux résolutions de l’ONU et à l’ensemble du droit international humanitaire, et • S’opposent à la condamnation ou à la criminalisation des personnes ou des organisations qui soutiennent le mouvement BDS.
Here are the hosts and endorsers of the campaign
Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians
APAC – Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians
Canada Palestine Association
Canadian BDS Coalition
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, Victoria
Independent Jewish Voices
Independent Jewish Voices – Winnipeg
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
Justice for Palestinians, Calgary
Mid-Islanders for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association OPRA
OPIRG Guelph
Palestine Just Trade
Palestine Solidarity Working Group (Sudbury)
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (Montreal)
Palestinian Canadian Congress
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Regina Peace Council
Socialist Action
St. John’s Solidarity with Palestine
United for Palestine – Toronto/GTA
This event page will update voters on the positions of individual candidates and parties regarding these issues.
PRINT to provide to candidates seeking your vote. Let them know what is important to securing your vote.
Write to your local candidates. CLICK HERE to download letter which you can customize.
To find your candidates check out Election Canada and then in order to find candidate info for your riding go to specific political parties through the links provided.
You can also find candidates for the following parties at the links:
In the upcoming Canadian general election scheduled for October 21, 2019, we commit to vote for candidates and parties that: • Support Palestinian human and national rights including the inalienable right to self-determination. • Oppose Israeli ethnic cleansing, war crimes and apartheid. • Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality. • Respect, protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194. • Support ending Israeli occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall. • Oppose Canadian tax-deductible status for the Jewish National Fund JNF, HESEG Foundation and all Zionist organizations that are disguised as charities while supporting the Israeli military and settlements. • Recognize the rights of Canadians to support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions BDS movement as a non-violent strategy to force Israel to abide by UN resolutions and all international humanitarian laws, and • Oppose condemning or criminalizing people or organizations who support the BDS Movement.
JE VOTE POUR LA LIBERTÉ, LA JUSTICE ET L’ÉGALITÉ REJOIGNEZ CETTE PAGE D’ÉVÉNEMENT FB ET PRENEZ UN ENGAGEMENT #IVotePalestine Lors des prochaines élections générales au Canada, prévues pour le 21 octobre 2019, nous nous engageons à voter pour les candidats et les partis qui: • Soutiennent les droits de l’homme et les droits nationaux des Palestiniens, y compris le droit inaliénable à l’autodétermination. • S’opposent au nettoyage ethnique israélien, aux crimes de guerre et à l’apartheid. • Reconnaissent les droits fondamentaux des citoyens et citoyennes arabo-palestiniens d’Israël à la pleine égalité. • Respectent, protègent et promeuvent le droit de retour des réfugiés palestiniens et la repossession de leurs propriétés, conformément à la résolution 194 des Nations Unies. • Supportent la fin de l’occupation israélienne et de la colonisation de toutes les terres arabes ainsi que le démantèlement du mur. • S’opposent au statut d’organisme de bienfaisance, déductible d’ impôts au Canada, pour le Fonds national juif ( FNJ), la Fondation HESEG, et toutes les organisations sionistes déguisées en œuvres de charité qui soutiennent l’armée israélienne et les colonies de peuplement. • Reconnaissent le droit des Canadiens d’appuyer le mouvement BDS (Boycott Désinvestissement et Sanctions) en tant que stratégie non violente pour forcer Israël à se conformer aux résolutions de l’ONU et à l’ensemble du droit international humanitaire, et • S’opposent à la condamnation ou à la criminalisation des personnes ou des organisations qui soutiennent le mouvement BDS.
Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians
APAC – Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians
Canada Palestine Association
Canadian BDS Coalition
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, Victoria
Independent Jewish Voices
Independent Jewish Voices – Winnipeg
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
Justice for Palestinians, Calgary
Mid-Islanders for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association OPRA
OPIRG Guelph
Palestine Just Trade
Palestine Solidarity Working Group (Sudbury)
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (Montreal)
Palestinian Canadian Congress
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Regina Peace Council
Socialist Action
St. John’s Solidarity with Palestine
United for Palestine – Toronto/GTA
This event page will update voters on the positions of individual candidates and parties regarding these issues.
PRINT to provide to candidates seeking your vote. Let them know what is important to securing your vote.
Write to your local candidates. CLICK HERE to download letter which you can customize.
To find your candidates check out Election Canada and then in order to find candidate info for your riding go to specific political parties through the links provided.
You can also find candidates for the following parties at the links:
HP-branded corporations play key roles in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. They are complicit in Israel’s occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid regime. They provide computer hardware to the Israeli army and maintain data centers through their servers for the Israeli police. They provide the Itanium servers to operate the Aviv System, the computerized database of Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority. This forms the backbone of Israel’s racial segregation and apartheid. BDS. Read more
Organizations, Workplaces, Unions, Faith Groups
Declare your organization, your workplace, your union, your faith group, or your home HP Free.
You can declare your organization HP-Free by either:
i) having NO HP equipment & pledging to NOT buy any HP equipement
ii) by pledging to not buy HP equipment, and marking the equipment you presently as “THIS IS MY LAST HP”
The Canadian BDS Coalition joins in the BDS Vancouver campaign Boycott TEVA-Apartheid is Bad Medicine. LIKE the FACEBOOK PAGE to follow the campaign.
Boycott TEVA, the Israeli pharmaceutical company that is one of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the world.
Order a strip of our “No TEVA” stickers for free by clicking on the Send Message button at the top right of this page and letting us know where to send your Boycott TEVA kit. Or just tell your regular pharmacy to put a permanent “No TEVA” note on your file!
Who Profits provides the following information regarding Teva, a global pharmaceutical company and the world’s largest generic drug manufacturer. The company develops, produces and markets generic, innovative and branded drugs. Teva currently operates in approximately 60 countries with an estimated 45,000 employees worldwide.
Teva is the largest commercial (and industrial) company on the Israeli market by equity, net profit, operating income and market value. The company is also the largest provider of healthcare products and services in the Israeli market, by sales volume. Teva distributes healthcare products and services, including consumer healthcare products, hospital supplies, dialysis equipment and disposables, diagnostics and home care services. An Israeli subsidiary – Salomon, Levin and Elstein, provides logistical support for Teva’s sales and distribution activities in Israel, including the distribution of third parties of several multinational pharmaceutical companies. READ MORE on WHO PROFITS about TEVA.
“Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. agreed to pay $85 million to settle an Oklahoma lawsuit…Oklahoma said J&J and Teva helped create a public-health crisis from opioid abuse that killed thousands of its residents.” Read more HERE.
TEVA is also BigPharma and has been recently named in an anti-trust lawsuit in the U.S., as helping to “mastermind a sweeping conspiracy among generic drugmakers to raise the price of medicines” Read more HERE.
Tell TripAdvisor to pull out of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine
The Canadian BDS Coalition stands in solidarity with Amnesty International TripAdvisor campaign to
Ask Stephen Kaufer, CEO of TripAdvisor Inc. to stop listing or promoting properties, activities and attractions located in illegal Israeli settlements or run by settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
TripAdvisor lists more than 70 different properties, activities and attractions in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). By doing so, TripAdvisor is boosting the settlement economy and contributing to settlement expansion. The company’s promotion of settlements as a tourist destination helps to “normalise” and legitimise them to the public. Settlements are illegal under international law – their creation amounts to a war crime. Settlements are on stolen Palestinian land. They should not be tourist destinations.
The following letter has been sent by email and registered mail to Mary Anne Yule, President & CEO, HP Canada
Mary Anne Yule, President/CEO
HP
Canada
5150 Spectrum Way #600
Mississauga, ON L4W 5G1
Sent by
email & registered mail
15 July 2019
Dear Ms. Yule
We are writing to you to demand that Hewlett Packard
Enterprise and HP Inc. end your involvement in Israel’s grave violations of
Palestinian rights and system of military occupation, racial segregation and
oppression.
We write as to you Ms. Yule as the CEO and President
of HP Canada asking you to take leadership. We ask HP Canada to
Listen Up. We remind you that:
The International Court of Justice
(ICJ) issued an advisory opinion fifteen years ago on July
9, 2004 ruled that Israel’s building of a barrier in the occupied Palestinian
territory is illegal and said construction must stop immediately and Israel
should make reparations for any damage caused.
June 9, 2004: The International
Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion today that Israel’s
building of a barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and said
construction must stop immediately and Israel should make reparations for any
damage caused.
Just as many companies profited in the past from the
South African apartheid regime, HP companies are today profiting from Israeli
apartheid. Increasingly around the world, HP stands for harming Palestinians
among churches and unions representing millions from India to the UK and from
the US to Malaysia. In Canada, organizations are declaring themselves HP
Free, and individuals pledging to not buy HP going forward.
Today marks a year since the Israeli parliament
adopted the Jewish Nation-State Law, conveying constitutional status to its
apartheid regime against Palestinian citizens of Israel. We are marking this occasion
by strengthening the struggle against Israel’s apartheid, occupation and colonization
against Palestinians and against complicit corporations, like yours, that
enable this system of oppression to continue.
Both HP Inc. and HPE have ongoing
ties with Israel that entrench its daily human rights violations. HPE provides
the exclusive Itanium servers for the Aviv System of Israel’s Population and
Immigration Authority. This system is the backbone of the apartheid regime that
racially discriminates against Palestinians and other non-Jewish citizens of
Israel, treated as second-class citizens.
This apartheid is at its worst when it comes to
Palestinian ‘residents’ of occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem, whose basic
rights can be revoked arbitrarily.
HP Inc. provides computer hardware to the Israeli
army, that maintains the illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem.
HPE also maintains the Yesha database, which compiles
information on Israeli citizens in illegal settlements in the occupied
Palestinian West Bank, which are condemned under international law as war
crimes.
Both companies, in their communication, mention human
rights as a core value to their work. And yet, they maintain these criminal
ties and profit from Israel’s racism and violent denial of Palestinian human
rights.
Until HP-branded companies convincingly end their ties
in Israel’s crimes and respect their own commitment to the essential values of
human rights and international law, we shall continue to boycott and divest
from them. This is part of our moral obligation to support the Palestinian
struggle for freedom, justice and equality.
In Canada, the legislation, the War Crimes and Crimes
Against Humanity Legislation provides a direct accountability of the Rome Statues
and International Humanitarian Law to the Canadian law including the Criminal
Code. We trust you will consider your
accountability under international law as well as domestic law, regarding the
Fourth Geneva Convention within the context of HP in Canada
We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you and
your Canadian management team, Ms. Yule.
We did write to you in March 2017, but you provided no response. The letter is attached for your
information. We continue to look to you
to take leadership within HP Canada; leadership to speak out against violations
of International Humanitarian Law and abuses of human rights associated with HP
technology infrastructure that Israel uses to maintain its system of apartheid
and settler colonization over the Palestinian people.
Mary Anne Yule,
President and CEO at HP Canada
5150 Spectrum Way #600,
Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5G1
Meg Whitman,
President and CEO, HPE
Canadian HPE HQ
5150 Spectrum Way, Floor 4-5
Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5G1
Delivered by Registered Mail
Dear Ms. Yule and Ms. Whitman,
Canadian citizens concerned about International Humanitarian Law
violations and human right abuses are among the more than 1.8 million people
who have signed a petition calling on Hewlett Packard (HP) and Hewlett Packard
Enterprises (HPE) to end its role in Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism.
We write to you, as the Presidents and CEOs at HP Canada and HPE
to let you know that we are concerned, and look to you to take leadership
within HP Canada and HEP; leadership to speak out against the violations of
International Humanitarian Law and abuses of human rights associated with
HP/HPE technology infrastructure that Israel uses to maintain its system of
apartheid and settler colonialism over the Palestinian people.
From November 25 to December 3, 2016, a Global Week of Action
took place that led to over 150 actions in over 100 cities on six continents.
These actions highlighted HP/HPE’s provision of key services and technology
infrastructure that enables the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian
lands and suppression of Palestinian human rights.
We write to make you aware that Canadians took part in these
actions in several cities across the country, as well as through social media
actions. We are hearing from consumers that they are concerned about the social
actions of HP/HPE.
Canadians like people across the world will continue this
action, with the hope they can show you, that enabling Israeli apartheid is bad
for business. Just as companies like Veolia and G4S have stepped away from
Israeli contracts following worldwide BDS campaigns, so too can the HP
companies — especially if HP/HPE wants to begin to live up to its stated
principles of global citizenship that fulfills its “responsibility to society
by being an economic, intellectual and social asset to each country and
community where they do business.”
The campaign against HP was launched quite recently but has
already achieved some important successes.
South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote,
“I have been to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and I have witnessed the
racially segregated roads and housing that reminded me so much of the
conditions we experienced in South Africa under the racist system of
Apartheid.”
In the 1970s, there was a similar campaign targeting Polaroid
for likewise providing imaging services used by the South African apartheid
government’s racist ID system. Procurement decisions led to Polaroid eventually
withdrawing from Apartheid South Africa along with other corporations —
something widely acknowledged today as speeding the fall of that brutal system
of oppression. Leaders of the Polaroid campaign are today calling for a boycott
of HP.
Recently a professional poll has
indicated that our government’s policy on Israel is out of touch with the
Canadian public’s opinion. Most Canadians say sanctions and boycott are
reasonable measures to defend Palestinian rights.
We expect you to show just leadership and stand on the right
side of history to end your company’s complicity with Israeli oppression.
We would be glad to meet with you in this regard.
Respectively signed by friends and members of the Canadian BDS
Coalition:
Independent Jewish Voices – Winnipeg
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU) – Montreal
Justice for Palestinians, Calgary
United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)
Canada Palestine Association, Vancouver
Palestinian Solidarity Working Group, Sudbury
Peace of Peace, London
University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) & Durham College
Students for Justice for Palestinians
Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundations (BBCF)
Palestine Solidarity Network-Edmonton
CODEPINK
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) – Toronto
Actions for Palestine- Toronto
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid-Victoria
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Ontario
Independent Jewish Voices, Canada
Solidarity with Palestine, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Video:
“What Makes HP an Important Boycott Target? feat. anti-Apartheid activist
Caroline Hunter [Part1 of 2]”, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, URL:
youtu.be/FA-Ot-OpQlM
Fifteen years already since the International Court of Justice finds Israeli barrier in Palestinian territory is illegal
9 July 2004
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion on July 9, 2004 indicated that Israel’s building of a barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and said construction must stop immediately and Israel should make reparations for any damage caused.
June 9, 2004 The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion today that Israel’s building of a barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and said construction must stop immediately and Israel should make reparations for any damage caused.
Remembering this the Canadian BDS Coalition sends a message to Mary Anne Yule, President and CEO at HP Canada demanding that HP Canada stop profiteering from Israel’s apartheid, occupation and colonization.
#MaryAnneYule President/CEO @HPCanada Listen Up… July 9,–15 years since the International Court of Justice found Israeli barrier in Palestinian territory illegal. Still @HP aids and abets war crimes, apartheid and colonization. #SHAME#BoycottHP@BDSmovementpic.twitter.com/Cs8t7Ph2ii— Canadian BDS Coalition (@Canadian_BDS) check out @Canadian_BDS tweet at: July 9, 2019
Canadian BDS Coalition Joins in 2019 Global Week of Action
HP plays a key role in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. It provides technology, equipment and services to the Israeli military, including for the checkpoints and ID card system that underpin Israel’s apartheid policies and its movement restrictions for Palestinians.HP relies on its good image and its contracts with public organisations, civil society bodies and private businesses. Effective grassroots campaigning can push HP to end its role in Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism.
From July 10th – 15th, groups from across the world are coming together to send a powerful message to HP companies, HP Inc and HP-E, demanding that they stop profiteering from Israel’s apartheid, occupation and colonisation.
July 15 marks one year from the adoption of the racist Nation-State Law by the Israeli parliament, that has made discrimination of Palestinians and all non-Jews mandatory, officially declaring Israel an apartheid state. Let’s call out Israel on its regime of apartheid and take action to stop international complicity with it!
HP companies have been enabling Israel’s apartheid and brutal oppression of the Palestinian people for years.
HP-E provides Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority with the exclusive Itanium servers for its Aviv System. This system enables the government to control and enforce its system of racial segregation and apartheid against Palestinian citizens of Israel. HP-E is also directly involved in Israel’s settler colonialism through its “Yesha database”, which compiles information on Israeli citizens in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
HP Inc., the legal successor of HP, provides computer hardware to the Israeli army which maintains the illegal occupation over millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Grassroots and civil society groups across the world have called upon HP companies to end their ties with Israel’s grave violations of human rights. 30+ churches in the US have declared themselves HP free. Trade unions in the UK and across Europe have committed their support to Palestinian rights by boycotting HP products and divesting from the company. India’s largest students’ federation, with over four million members, has endorsed the call to boycott HP and is taking this campaign to college campuses. Dublin City Council, in its resolution to support the Palestinian call fro Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), has also endorsed the boycott of HP companies. More boycott pledges from across the world are coming up during the week of action.
This is a moment to further strengthen this campaign globally. During this week of action, you can do any of these actions, or build your own action, to support the campaign.
Take Action
Follow us on Twitter @Canadian_BDS and retweet messages sent to HP Canada, and major retailers of HP products in Canada.
Like us on Facebook at @BDSCoalition & SHARE our messages regarding HP.
If you organization is planning a specific action anywhere in Canada let us know at bdscoalition@gmail.com
A letter will be sent to HP Canada, and to major retailers later this week form the Canadian BDS Coalition. Details on how you too can share a letter will be provided shortly. STAY TUNED. Retailers selling HP Products: In Canada consumer boycott focused on Best Buy and Staples, but not limited to these retailers.
Join the more than 1.8 million people have signed a petition calling on HP to end its role in Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism.
HP Free Zones: Call on student groups, faith communities, not-for-profits, unions, institutions, other organizations, businesses, along with governments declare that they are HP Free. This could include owning no HP products, publicly getting rid of HP products, or declaring will not buy any further HP products and placing “This is my last HP” sticker or other marking. on all current HP products. Any Canadian organizations, churches or work places that have taken this step, should contact bdscoalition@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who joined the #RaptorsDontGo twitter storm urging the @raptors not to visit Israel! This is definitely not the end. We will continue to build momentum to ensure they don’t take up a trip to an apartheid state!
Peace and solidarity✌️— Canadian BDS Coalition (@Canadian_BDS) June 22, 2019
BREAKING NEWS
A rain shower before a storm. Initial twitter storm Saturday June 22.
Join an initial twitter storm. The Momentum is building! @Raptors #SkipTheTrip to Israel on Saturday, June 22, Starting at 13:00 ET, 20:00 Palestine, 10:00 PT. Join us for 1-2 hours
Breaking news, October 22 The Raptors did not go! Check out statement here. Read more in Mondoweiss
The Canadian BDS Coalition calls on each of the Raptors to say NO to this offer by Tanenbaum. Say no to being used as an ambassador to sports-wash an aggressive ongoing colonization complete with apartheid, genocide and war crimes.
NOTE: June 27, 2019: The Canadian BDS Coalition earlier this week officially requested clarification from all the owners of Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment (MLSE), the parent body of the Toronto Raptors, as to whether a trip to Israel for the team was under consideration or had already been approved. To date, no response has been received, but we will post any answer from them when available. In the absence of a reply confirming that such a trip will NOT be happening, we will continue our campaign to say #RaptorsDontGo to Israel.
Owners of MLSE are Bell 37.5%, Rogers 37.5% and Kilmer Sports (holding company of Larry Tanenbaum) 25%.
Our campaign #SayNo#SkipTheTrip is gaining momentum with CodePink & Jewish Voices for Peace on board. And more media covering it, including Quds News Network and the Palestine Chronicle.
The Raptors billionaire co-owner, Larry Tanenbaum, said he would bring @Raptors to visit if they win the @NBA title, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Tanebaum a founder of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., which is the parent company of the Raptors as well as the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, the CFL Toronto Argonauts. He also currently serves as the board chairman of the NBA, and as a member of the board of governors of the NHL and Major League Soccer.
Israel’s Sport 5 reported last week that during a low-key visit to Israel in April, Tanenbaum told several people he met that “If we win the NBA championship, I will come with the Toronto Raptors to visit the Holy Land.”
The Call
The Canadian BDS Coalition calls on each of the Raptors players to say NO to this offer by Tanenbaum. Say no to being used as an ambassador to sports-wash an aggressive ongoing colonization complete with apartheid, genocide and war crimes.
Learn about cultural including sports boycott check the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel guidelines.
We are writing to you as long-time fans to urge you to uphold Palestinian human rights and not to travel to Israel. Since 2004 Palestinian civil society organizations have called for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel until such a time as Israel recognizes the Right of Return of over 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants displaced in the process of Israeli colonization and occupation of Palestine; ends its occupation and colonization of the West Bank and its siege of Gaza; and dismantles the Apartheid system of racial discrimination and segregation for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Around the world poor and oppressed people have embraced basketball as a sport of the people, and basketball players, many of whom come from poor and struggling backgrounds, have an important history of taking progressive positions and giving back to their communities. From Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Russel’s stand with Mohammed Ali against the draft and the Vietnam War to public and collective statements against police brutality against Black people in America, NBA players have stood on the side of social and racial justice.
Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, its settlements and its Apartheid Wall are a war crime. The siege of Gaza, and the death and misery meted out on an effectively jailed civilian population, is a crime against humanity. And its system of racial discrimination and segregation is a form of Apartheid, as articulated by survivors of South African Apartheid including Desmond Tutu and Mandla Mandela (grandson of the great freedom fighter Nelson Mandela).
As NBA Champions, you have the opportunity to use your stature and influence to make the world a better place for the young people all over the world who admire you. Please take this opportunity to stand with Palestinians in their struggle for freedom and liberation, and do not travel to Israel.
