Palestinian Civil Society Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights

9 July 2005

One year after the historic Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which found Israel’s Wall built on occupied Palestinian territory to be illegal, Israel continues its construction of the colonial Wall with total disregard to the Court’s decision. Thirty eight years into Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights, Israel continues to expand Jewish colonies. It has unilaterally annexed occupied East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and is now de facto annexing large parts of the West Bank by means of the Wall. Israel is also preparing - in the shadow of its planned redeployment from the Gaza Strip - to build and expand colonies in the West Bank. Fifty seven years after the state of Israel was built mainly on land ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian owners, a majority of Palestinians are refugees, most of whom are stateless. Moreover, Israel's entrenched system of racial discrimination against its own Arab-Palestinian citizens remains intact.

In light of Israel’s persistent violations of international law, and Given that, since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions have condemned Israel’s colonial and discriminatory policies as illegal and called for immediate, adequate and effective remedies, and

Given that all forms of international intervention and peace-making have until now failed to convince or force Israel to comply with humanitarian law, to respect fundamental human rights and to end its occupation and oppression of the people of Palestine, and

In view of the fact that people of conscience in the international community have historically shouldered the moral responsibility to fight injustice, as exemplified in the struggle to abolish apartheid in South Africa through diverse forms of boycott, divestment and sanctions;

Inspired by the struggle of South Africans against apartheid and in the spirit of international solidarity, moral consistency and resistance to injustice and oppression,

We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this Call, for the sake of justice and genuine peace.

These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law by:

1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;

2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and

3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

Endorsed by:

The Palestinian political parties, unions, associations, coalitions and organizations below represent the three integral parts of the people of Palestine: Palestinian refugees, Palestinians under occupation and Palestinian citizens of Israel.

UNIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, CAMPAIGNS

1. Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine (coordinating body for the major political parties in the Occupied Palestinian Territory)

2. Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights (PICCR)
3. Union of Arab Community Based Associations (ITTIJAH), Haifa
4. Forum of Palestinian NGOs in Lebanon
5. Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)
6. General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW)
7. General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT)
8. Federation of Unions of Palestinian Universities' Professors and Employees
9. Consortium of Professional Associations
10. Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC)
11. Health Work Committees - West Bank
12. Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
13. Union of Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)
14. Union of Health Work Committees - Gaza (UHWC)
15. Union of Palestinian Farmers
16. Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative (OPGAI)
17. General Union of Disabled Palestinians
18. Palestinian Federation of Women's Action Committees (PFWAC)
19. Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
20. Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
21. Union of Teachers of Private Schools
22. Union of Women's Work Committees, Tulkarem (UWWC)
23. Dentists' Association - Jerusalem Center
24. Palestinian Engineers Association
25. Lawyers' Association
26. Network for the Eradication of Illiteracy and Adult Education, Ramallah
27. Coordinating Committee of Rehabilitation Centers - West Bank
28. Coalition of Lebanese Civil Society Organizations (150 organizations)
29. Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), Network of Student-based Canadian University Associations

30. British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP)

REFUGEE RIGHTS ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS

30. Al-Ard Committees for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria

31. .Al-Awda Charitable Society, Beit Jala

32. Al Awda - Palestine Right-to-Return Coalition, U.S.A

33. Al-Awda Toronto

34. Aidun Group - Lebanon

35. Aidun Group -  Syria

36. Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center, Aida refugee camp

37. Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced (ADRID), Nazareth

38. BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian  Residency and Refugee Rights, Bethlehem

39. Committee for Definite Return, Syria

40. Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights, Nablus

41. Consortium of the Displaced Inhabitants of Destroyed Palestinian Villages and Towns

42. Filastinuna - Commission for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria

43. Handala Center, 'Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem

44. High Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Jordan (including personal endorsement of 71 members of parliament, political parties and unions in Jordan)

45. High National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Ramallah

46. International Right of Return Congress (RORC)

47.  Jermana Youth Forum for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria

48. Laji Center, Aida camp, Bethlehem

49. Local Committee for Rehabilitation, Qalandia refugee camp, Jerusalem

50. Local Committee for Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem

51. Palestinian National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria

52. Palestinian Return Association, Syria

53. Palestinian Return Forum, Syria

54. Palestine Right-of-Return Coalition (Palestine, Arab host countries, Europe, North America)

55. Palestine Right-of-Return Confederation-Europe (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden)

56. Palestinian Youth Forum for the Right of Return, Syria

57. PLO Popular Committees - West Bank refugee camps

58. PLO Popular Committees - Gaza Strip refugee camps

59. Popular Committee - al-'Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem

60. Popular Committee - Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem

61. Shaml - Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Center, Ramallah

62. Union of Women's Activity Centers - West Bank Refugee Camps

63. Union of Youth Activity Centers - Palestine Refugee Camps

64. Women's Activity Center - Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem

65. Yafa Cultural Center, Balata refugee camp, Nablus
    
    ORGANIZATIONS

66. Abna' al-Balad Society, Nablus

67. Addameer Center for Human Rights, Gaza

68. Addameer Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association, Ramallah

69. Alanqa' Cultural Association, Hebron

70. Al-Awda Palestinian Folklore Society, Hebron

71. Al-Doha Children's Cultural Center, Bethlehem

72. Al-Huda Islamic Center, Bethlehem

73. Al-Jeel al-Jadid Society, Haifa

74. Al-Karameh Cultural Society, Um al-Fahm

75. Al-Maghazi Cultural Center, Gaza

76. Al-Marsad Al-Arabi, occupied Syrian Golan Heights

77. Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Gaza

78. Al-Nahda Cultural Forum, Hebron

79. Al-Taghrid Society for Culture and Arts, Gaza

80. Alternative Tourism Group, Beit Sahour (ATG)

81. Al-Wafa' Charitable Society, Gaza

82. Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ)

83. Arab Association for Human Rights, Nazareth (HRA)

84. Arab Center for Agricultural Development (ACAD)

85. Arab Center for Agricultural Development-Gaza

86. Arab Education Institute (AEI) - Pax Christie Bethlehem

87. Arab Orthodox Charitable Society - Beit Sahour

88. Arab Orthodox Charity - Beit Jala

89. Arab Orthodox Club - Beit Jala

90. Arab Orthodox Club - Beit Sahour

91. Arab Students' Collective, University of Toronto

92. Arab Thought Forum, Jerusalem (AFT)

93. Association for Cultural Exchange Hebron - France

94. Association Najdeh, Lebanon

95. Authority for Environmental Quality, Jenin

96. Bader Society for Development and Reconstruction, Gaza

97. Canadian Palestine Foundation of Quebec, Montreal

98. Center for the Defense of Freedoms, Ramallah

99. Center for Science and Culture, Gaza

100. Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ramallah- Al-Bireh District

101. Child Development and Entertainment Center, Tulkarem

102. Committee for Popular Participation, Tulkarem

103. Defense for Children International-Palestine Section, Ramallah (DCI/PS)

104. El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe

105. Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Bethlehem

106. Environmental Education Center, Bethlehem

107. FARAH - Palestinian Center for Children, Syria

108. Ghassan Kanafani Society for Development, Gaza

109. Ghassan Kanafani Forum, Syria

110. Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Gaza (GCMHP)

111. Golan for Development, occupied Syrian Golan Heights

112. Halhoul Cultural Forum, Hebron

113. Himayeh Society for Human Rights, Um al-Fahm

114. Holy Land Trust - Bethlehem

115. Home of Saint Nicholas for the Aged - Beit Jala

116. Human Rights Protection Center, Lebanon

117. In'ash al-Usrah Society, Ramallah

118. International Center of Bethlehem (Dar An-Nadweh)

119. Islah Charitable Society-Bethlehem

120. Jafra Youth Center, Syria

121. Jander Center, al-Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem

122. Jerusalem Center for Women, Jerusalem (JCW)

123. Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC )

124. Khalil Al Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah

125. Land Research Center, Jerusalem (LRC)

126. Liberated Prisoners' Society, Palestine

127. Local Committee for Social Development, Nablus

128. Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Nablus

129. MA'AN TV Network, Bethlehem

130. Medical Aid for Palestine, Canada

131. MIFTAH-Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Ramallah

132. Muwatin-The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy

133. National Forum of Martyr's Families, Palestine

134. Near East Council of Churches Committee for Refugee Work - Gaza Area

135. Network of Christian Organizations - Bethlehem (NCOB)

136. Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace, Jerusalem

137. Palestinian Counseling Center, Jerusalem (PCC)

138. Palestinian Democratic Youth Union, Lebanon

139. Palestinian Farmers' Society, Gaza

140. Palestinian Hydrology Group for Water and Environment Resources Development-Gaza

141. Palestinian Prisoners' Society-West Bank

142. Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection, Gaza

143. Palestinian University Students' Forum for Peace and Democracy, Hebron

144. Palestinian Women's Struggle Committees

145. Palestinian Working Women Society for Development (PWWSD)

146. Popular Art Centre, Al-Bireh

147. Prisoner's Friends Association - Ansar Al-Sajeen, Majd al-Krum

148. Public Aid Association, Gaza

149. Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies

150. Saint Afram Association - Bethlehem

151. Saint Vincent De Paule -  Beit Jala

152. Senior Citizen Society -  Beit Jala

153. Social Development Center, Nablus

154. Society for Self-Development, Hebron

155. Society for Social Work, Tulkarem

156. Society for Voluntary Work and Culture, Um al-Fahm

157. Society of Friends of Prisoners and Detainees, Um al-Fahm

158. Sumoud-Political Prisoners Solidarity Group, Toronto

159. Tamer Institute for Community Education, Ramallah

160. TCC - Teacher's Creativity Center, Ramallah

161. Wi'am Center, Bethlehem

162. Women's Affairs Technical Committee, Ramallah and Gaza (WATC)

163. Women's Studies Center, Jerusalem (WSC)

164. Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, Jerusalem (WCLAC)

165. Yafa for Education and Culture, Nablus

166. Yazour Charitable Society, Nablus

167. YMCA-East Jerusalem

168. Youth Cooperation Forum, Hebron

169. YWCA-Palestine

170. Zakat Committee-al-Khader, Bethlehen

171. Zakat Committee-Deheishe camp, Bethlehem

For additional endorsement, please contact:

OPGAI c/o: info@badil.org – Anti Apartheid Wall Campaign: mobilize@stopthewall.org -

  ITTIJAH: ittijah@ittijah.org   – PACBI: info@boycottisrael.ps 

Coalition of Lebanese Civil Society Organizations: Hdekmak@hotmail.com