Anti-Israel Petitions Signed by Israeli
Academics
Tel Aviv University -
Rachel Giora (Dept of Linguistics) and her Comrades in Jihad demand
that Poland Boycott Israel
Letter To The Polish Government Regarding
Israel's Apartheid Policies
By Prof. Rachel Giora,Shir
Hever, Eytan Lerner, Ofer Neiman & Emily Schaeffer
• In particular, we expect Poland to cancel arms
trade between Rafael and Poland 's Bumar for Spike Missile
production, given that these weapons are used by the Israeli
military against civilians
• Promote an EU arms embargo on Israel, in
accordance with the tenets of international law.
...
Cancel contracts and operations in Poland
by Israeli companies that are clearly violating International Law
through their illegal operations in servicing and building illegal
settlements in occupied Palestine. Contracts should not be
signed nor implemented until these companies cease their material
and financial support for the illegal occupation of Palestinian
territory.
http://www.countercurrents.org/schaeffer070211.htm
Letter To The Polish Government Regarding Israel's
Apartheid Policies
By Prof. Rachel
Giora,Shir Hever, Eytan Lerner, Ofer Neiman & Emily Schaeffer
07 February, 2011
Countercurrents.org
We are a group of Israeli citizens who are
deeply concerned about our government's policies of apartheid and
occupation, and the European Union's complicity in these policies.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
Poland for assuming the EU Presidency in July 2011. It has been
brought to our attention that the first joint Polish-Israeli
cabinet session is due in Jerusalem on the 24th of
February. We are therefore writing to you to ask that you resume
your responsibility to uphold basic principles of
international law and human rights in Israel/Palestine.
Israel's violations of human rights, in the
occupied Palestinian territories, as well as inside Israel, include
violations of : the Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of
the Crime of Apartheid (1976); The Fourth Geneva Convention (1949)
Art 49 regarding transfer of an occupying powers' civilian
population into the territory it occupies; The Right to Life,
article 6 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966; Fourth
Geneva Convention (1949), Art 33, Prohibiting collective punishment
of a civilian population; and Articles 53 and 147 on deliberate and
wanton destruction of personal and state property not justified by
military necessity.
Fundamental principles of international law as
well as numerous European Union laws have been violated by Israel's
policy of founding illegal colonies on Palestinian
territories as well as imposing blockade on Gaza,
not to mention Israel's numerous military operations which have
targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure and property,
Israel's policy of extra-judicial execution and
Israel's continued building of the illegal separation
barrier (wall) inside occupied Palestinian territory.
In view of the aforementioned violations of
international law and human rights, we expect Poland, as a prominent
member of the EU, to:
• Clarify, in the most unequivocal manner,
that from now on, Poland will not be complicit in Israel 's
violations of international law and human rights.
• In particular, we expect Poland to cancel arms
trade between Rafael and Poland 's Bumar for Spike Missile
production, given that these weapons are used by the Israeli
military against civilians
• Promote an EU arms embargo on Israel, in
accordance with the tenets of international law.
• Send independent observers to monitor
Israel 's human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian
territories, including East Jerusalem.
• Monitor and protest against a wave of
racist legislation proposals that have been adopted by the Knesset,
or are about be voted on by it.
• Cancel contracts and operations in
Poland by Israeli companies that are clearly violating International
Law through their illegal operations in servicing and building
illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. Contracts should
not be signed nor implemented until these companies cease their
material and financial support for the illegal occupation of
Palestinian territory. Some of these companies are:
• Egged Mobilis - currently
running parts of the Polish city bus routes; responsible for
co-constructing the Jerusalem Light Railway System; and operating
bus routes between illegal settlements in the
occupied West Bank;
• Eden Springs Ltd - the second
largest distributor of bottled water in Poland - The parent company
of Eden Springs Ltd is Mayanot Eden which has, amongst its sources
the Salukia spring as well as a bottling plant in Katzrin, both in
the occupied Golan Heights;
• ASBUD - founded and majority
owned by Israeli corporations Asthrom, Shikun and Binui
Group (Housing and Construction Holding) (HCH) and
S.T.R. Development & Construction Group. ASBUD is a real
estate development company listed in Poland, building housing
complexes in the neighborhoods of Konstancin, Tarchomin and
Piaseczno amongst others.
• Asthrom supplies
construction materials for Israeli military checkpoints
("terminals") in the occupied West Bank, and is building housing
units in the illegal settlement of Nof-Zion in Jerusalem. It is a
majority stakeholder in the construction of the Light Rail Project
in Jerusalem, which will supply transportation services to
settlement towns and neighborhoods around Jerusalem.
• Shikun and Binui is expanding
the illegal settlement of Ramot in occupied East
Jerusalem, whilst subsidiary company and contracting arm for HCH
Solel Boneh is listed by the Israeli Ministry of
Defense as a supplier of construction elements for the
construction of Israeli military checkpoints in the
occupied West Bank.
Some of us were born in Poland. Others are
the descendants of immigrants from Poland. According to our
knowledge, Poland 's present policy towards Israel has been shaped,
to a great extent, by the history of Jews in Poland. If there is any
lesson to be drawn from this chapter in history, it should be a
universal lesson. When Israel is subjecting millions of human beings
to indiscriminate violence and humiliation we say: Not in our name!
And when Israel is committing these acts, we expect your protesting
voice to be heard.
Please do not evade your responsibilities!
Sincerely,
Prof. Rachel Giora
Eytan Lerner
Ofer Neiman
Emily Schaeffer
On behalf of Israeli BDS group
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