BDS

By Ali Abunimah

December 21, 2012 -- Electronic Intifada -- For the first time ever, the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa, today made the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) on Israel part of its official policy.

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi of BDS South Africa said the decision “by the ANC’s National Conference, its highest decision making body, is by far the most authoritative endorsement of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign”.

In a press release, BDS South Africa explained: "In October 2012, the ANC’s International Solidarity Conference (ISC) declared its full support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign.

"Today, Lindiwe Zulu announced at the ANC’s 53rd National Conference plenary session, the ANC’s official endorsement .... Giving muscle to resolution 39 (b), the ANC has committed to set up a steering committee to implement these ISC resolutions.

Palestinian, Israeli and

By the Palestinian BDS National Committee

November 15, 2012 -- On November 8, Israel carried out an attack on civilians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip, shooting 13-year-old Ahmad Abu Daqqa while he played football with friends. By November 14, Israel had intensified its attacks on Gaza and begun to implement an intensive plan of aggression that at the time of writing has killed at least 15 Palestinians, including at least six children, and injured over 150, predominantly civilians.

Despite biased Western media reports to the contrary, it is clear that Israel has initiated and escalated this new assault [1] on the eve of its upcoming parliamentary elections, underlining the time-honoured Israeli formula of Palestinian bodies for ballots.[2]

It is worth noting that a great majority of the Gaza population are refugees ethnically cleansed by Zionist militias and later the state of Israel during the 1948 Nakba and denied by Israel their UN-sanctioned right to return to their homes of origin.

A protest in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, on November 15, 2012, called for an end to Israel's attacks on Gaza.

The Noynoy government must condemn Israel’s actions and support build-up of international pressure to stop Israeli aggression!

Statement byPartido Lakas ng Masa (PLM, Party of the Labouring Masses, Philippines)

[The following interview with national co-convenor of Australia's Socialist Alliance

For more

By the Trade Union Friends of Palestine (Ireland)

October 11, 2012 -- BDS Movement -- Israel's trade union federation, the Histadrut, was founded in December 1920 in British Mandate Palestine. From its inception its aims were neither to build workers' solidarity nor represent or campaign for workers' rights.

Instead it was founded as an exclusively Jewish organisation to facilitate the colonisation of Palestine. As such it worked in tandem with the Jewish Agency to promote the exclusion of Palestinian labour and produce, and was at the forefront of the movement to turn Palestine from an Arab country into a Zionist one.

Today it continues to work hand in hand with th government of Israel and promotes and defends policies that violate the basic civil, political and human rights of Palestinians.

July 11, 2012 -- GreenLeftTV -- The second episode of the Green Left Report features and discussion with Michael Karadjis on the political situation in Greece and the rise of far-left SYRIZA coalition; independent journalist, BDS campaigner and author of the new book Left Turn Antony Loewenstein; "commentator" Carlo Sands and much more.

The Green Left Report is a regular show produced by Australia-based GreenLeftTV and is supported by Green Left Weekly and Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal.

Hosts: Mel Barnes and Simon Butler. Crew: John Reynolds, Jill Hickson, Paul Benedek, Viv Miley, Frank Lesha, Andry Andry and Katrina Channels. Graphics: Daryl Davies. Music: John Gauci. Thanks to all our guests, the crew and the live audience.

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By Patrick Bond and Muhammed Desai

Ronnie Kasrils speaks out against Israel's apartheid policies, March 5

In 1948, more than 800,000 Palestinian men, women and children were forced to flee their homes.