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Our 2nd Annual Day on the Hill is fast approaching! Download the full schedule of workshops and speaker bios and see below for a few FAQs (when you click on this link for the schedule, you will be redirected to another page and need to click on “full schedule” (below header in small black letters) once again). We are so inspired by who will be participating and the content they will add to this event. We are also thrilled to announce that Hedy Epstein, a Holocaust survivor who is world-renowned for her social justice work, will be speaking at our Rally at the State Capitol at 12 noon!
Where should I park?
Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave, St. Paul, asks that we NOT park in their parking lot but free street parking is available on the surrounding streets. If you are only attending the Rally or cannot find street parking, public metered parking is available in Lot Q, north of the Capitolat Cedar Street and Sherburne. Click here to get directions: http://bit.ly/HdKJTg
Can I take public transportation to the Day on the Hill?
Within the Twin Cities, certainly. Bus routes 16, 50, 94, 3, 62, 67, and 262 all have stops very near to the Church and the Capitol. Visit http://www.metrotransit.org to map out the best route for you.
Can I attend only part of the Day’s events?
Yes. Although we hope you can join us the whole day, please come for whichever part(s) of the day works in your schedule.
Is there a Registration fee for the Day on the Hill?
No, the event is free but donations are always appreciated. Click here if you would like to donate using Paypal now.
On March 5th at 2:30 pm
pack the Ramsey County Courthouse to
tell Judge Marrinan “No Material Support for Oppression”!
In an attempt to dodge our arguments that Minnesota’s investments in Israel Bonds violate state and international law, the State Board of Investment (SBI) filed a motion to dismiss our complaint based on an alleged lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. This motion will be heard on March 5, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ramsey County Courthouse (Click here http://bit.ly/Aa8f3A for directions). We need to pack the courtroom so that Judge Marrinan can see the level of support we have in stoppingMinnesota from continuing to fund apartheid!
At the hearing, the judge will listen to the SBI’s Motion to Dismiss in favor of dismissing the case from the Minnesota Attorney General’s (AG) Office which is representing the SBI. Lawyers representing the Plaintiff (MN BBC and all of the co-plaintiffs) who are asking the court to order the SBI to divest from Israel Bonds will also present our Opposition to the SBI’s Motion to Dismiss. In addition, the judge will listen to the Plaintiff’s lawyers argue a “Summary Judgment Motion” regarding why she can and should rule in our favor immediately on Count One of our Complaint. Count One states that Minnesota’s investments in Israel Bonds are illegal under current Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 11A and Chapter 356A. The AG’s Office will then provide their counter-arguments to our Summary Judgment Motion (SBI’s Response to Summary Judgment Motion Part 1 and Part 2. The audience can of course be present in the courtroom during the duration of the whole hearing, but please note that proper court decorum is in order. This is not a rally.
Once the arguments are completed the court will decide whether to permit the case to go forward (i.e. not side with the SBI that the case ought to be dismissed), and the judge has ninety days to issue a ruling. If she chooses to also rule on our Summary Judgment Motion, which she does not have to, she could decide Israel Bonds are in fact an illegal investment and demand that the state divest immediately! However, given that the case involves a public official making a decision regarding Israel/Palestine, it is highly likely that the case will ultimately be decided in the appellate court. Throughout this process we invite you join us in recalling this wise observation from Nelson Mandela:“It always seems impossible – until it’s done.”
Note: All of the linked legal documents can be read before the hearing to give you a greater understanding of the oral arguments that will be presented in the courtroom, if you are so inclined.
Opposition to the SBI’s Motion to Dismiss
SBI’s response to MN BBC’s Opposition to its Motion to Dismiss
SBI’s Response to Summary Judgement Motion Part 1 and Part 2
MN BBC’s Response to SBI’s Opposition to our Summary Judgment Motion
Photo Credit: http://www.aztlan.net/intapart.htm
by elisabeth geschiere, February 15, 2012
When I arrived at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday February 3, I was thrilled to see Allen Dershowitz’s face front and center on the campus’ newspaper. Dershowitz, a well-known Harvard Law Professor and Zionist figurehead, had spoken at UPenn the night before the conference at the emergency invitation of a number of local Jewish Zionist groups whose panicky reaction to the impending BDS Conference generated the kind of controversy the press loves covering. This time, however, the self-identified pro-Israel community took controversy to a whole new level. Leading up to the conference, one Penn professor, Ruben Gur, went so far as to compare the conference organizers to ‘Nazis’ and Penn President Amy Gutmann issued a statement that fell all over itself to distance the university from the conference with declarations like “We fundamentally disagree with the position taken by PennBDS”. The Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees even introduced Dershowitz plainly stating, “We are unwavering in our support of Israel” (The Daily Pennsylvanian 02/03/12).
Yet, as Palestinian activist Ali Abunimah stated during his compelling keynote speech: “This insane hysteria about the conference tells us something about the moment we are in. In terms of the battle of ideas, we are in the end game.” The conference itself reflected this intellectual concept more emotionally. You felt excitement, solidarity, anticipation, power, and the overwhelming sense that change is inevitable in every room. This came simply from being surrounded by three hundred other active folks in the BDS movement, who were merely representatives of the thousands of people in this movement, as well as from the incredible content of the weekend-long event.
The conference opened with the first screening of a powerful new film called “Roadmap to Apartheid”. Using brilliant cinematography, the film juxtaposes how apartheid looked in South Africa and looks today in Palestine/Israel, as well as the eerily similar repression tactics and strategies of the the apartheid South African government and the Israeli government to liberation movements. It also focused on the effectiveness of the BDS movement in helping to end apartheid in South Africa, and the successes and potential of the current Palestinian-led BDS movement for affecting change in Israeli policy. I was able to meet one of the filmmakers, Eron Davidson, and MN BBC is planning on partnering with other organizations to host a screening of Roadmap to Apartheid in the Fall!
In general, the weekend was full of networking, visioning, and building. If you were not already aware, you should know: people and organizations all over the nation are inspired by MN BBC. Folks from other amazing groups such as Mondoweiss, Existence is Resistence, Adeleh NY, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Prometheus Project, WhoProfits.org and more were thrilled to be gifted a copy of our “Not Just a Bond; A Bonds with Israeli Oppression” posters as well as campaign pins. In addition, Anna Baltzer, the National Organizer for the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, asked MN BBC to put together a toolkit about how to develop an Israel Bonds Divestment campaign. We will be working on that project over the next number of months. Finally, people were really intrigued to hear about the lawsuit we are bringing against the MN State Board of Investment, and were energized by the fact the Bi’lin Popular Committee is one of our co-plaintiffs since that directly connects our work to the grassroots in Palestine.
While its focus was on achieving Palestinian human rights, the BDS conference was about so much more than this one struggle. It was about the rights of all indigenous people; it was about the struggle of all peoples against racism and all other forms of oppression and for equity and justice; and it was about de-colonizing the whole planet, starting with ourselves. Featured speakers Susan Abulhawa and Ali Abunimah both captured this reality eloquently in their respective addresses, and I encourage you to watch them in full. This inclusive, broad vision is what distinguishes the BDS movement from the opposition’s efforts to sustain the status quo, which is about “the few” having power over “the many”. Therefore, as we in MN BBC move our work forward both on divestment and education, I challenge us to position ourselves as one bold, active, and willing partner in a truly global struggle for justice for all.
Photo: pennbds.org
Precinct caucuses are meetings organized by Minnesota’s political parties to begin the process of selecting candidates for the 2012 election and policy positions to shape the party platform. Caucuses are held in locations across Minnesota, are open to the public, and participation is encouraged.
In 2010, 41 MN BBC supporters brought this same resolution to their precinct causes and it passed in 34 of those caucuses. We are hoping to double, if not triple, our success this year!
You can find your precinct caucus location (based on which party’s caucus you would like to attend) here: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=886
At Democratic and Republican Caucuses, and possibly at others, you must hand write the resolution you are bringing on a form that will be provided at your caucus location. If the resolution is simply printed out and turned in, it will not be considered, even if it was passed. So we recommend arriving early to fill out the form and to ask any questions you might have in order to feel totally prepared!
Finally, when you submit a “Divest from Israel” resolution at a precinct caucus, you are probably going to encounter some opposition and questions, in addition to support of course. Stay calm. Answer the questions as you feel comfortable, but try not to get “trapped” by questions that are totally biased and unhelpful. For example, if someone says “This resolution is anti-semitic”, you can simply say “This resolution is in support of human rights for all people” rather than digressing into any number of arguments you might be inclined to make. Browse our Campaign Resources for more FAQ as you prepare: http://mn.breakthebonds.org/?p=339
If you are able to get the resolution passed at the precinct level, please let MN BBC know by sending a short email to mn@breakthebonds.org!
Still have questions!? Feel free to call or e-mail Bill McGrath: 507.645.7660 or billmcgrath52@gmail.com.
It’s a wise move for MN BBC supporters to volunteer during the precinct caucus and to become delegates to the next higher level, a convention that usually happens about a month later. At that second convention, there will be a long list of resolutions that were previously approved at the precinct level. The convention will not have time to debate all of these resolutions. But you may be able to request that the “Divest from Israel” resolution be brought to the floor for debate. If so, a few words from you through the microphone is apt to help the resolution pass. Delegates (including you) will probably be able to vote on paper as to which of the many resolutions should be passed.
Finally, it would be great to have some MN BBC people on the Resolution Committee. This is a group that will look at resolutions that have been passed. The committee tries to whittle down the number of resolutions, by combining some of them that are related. For instance, there may be one that says “Divest from Israel” and another resolution that says “Restrict U.S. aid to Israel.” The Resolution Committee might try to combine those two into one. Then you could wind up with something that merely says “The U.S. should examine its economic ties with Israel.” That is not what MN BBC had in mind!
Thank you again for participating in this important action! Questions can be directed to Bill McGrath: 507.645.7660 or billmcgrath52@gmail.com.
Photo: housingrights.org
Israel Bonds Lawsuit to Continue Despite Governor’s Refusal to Divest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2011
[St. Paul] Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign (MN BBC), a statewide campaign aimed at stopping Minnesota investment in Israel’s human rights and international law violations, has officially filed its lawsuit against the Minnesota State Board of Investment. This filing comes after Governor Dayton rejected the Campaign’s demand that the SBI divest from in Israel Bonds.
The complaint was formally filed yesterday in the Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul, and today was assigned to Judge Margaret M. Marrinan, with case number 62-CV-11-10079.
On November 29, 2011, MN BBC, along with 26 other co-plaintiffs, including Palestinian residents of the besieged village of Bil’in in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Jewish-Israeli members of the Israeli human rights advocacy group Boycott From Within, served a lawsuit against the SBI demanding that it cancel its Israel Bonds investments. The suit was not formally filed in court at that time in order to permit the SBI an opportunity to resolve MN BBC’s divestment demand without the necessity of court action.
The lawsuit claims that the Board’s investments in Israel Bonds are unlawful according to Minnesota and international law because they help fund Israel’s universally condemned illegal settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Following Governor Dayton’s rejection of the divestment demand, the Executive Committee of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), headquartered in New York, advised all four members of the SBI Board, including Governor Dayton, that the Board was aiding and abetting Israel’s violation of international law, which also violates Minnesota law. The NLG correspondence to each of the four Board members, which was delivered to them on December 13, 2011, is posted at the MN BBC website at http://mn.breakthebonds.org/?p=1597.
In deciding to proceed with the lawsuit, the plaintiffs also considered the murder by Israeli soldiers last Friday of Mustafa Tamimi, a Palestinian resident of Nebi Saleh, one of a growing number of West Bank villages besieged by Israeli settlers. Tamimi was shot point-blank in the face with a high velocity tear gas grenade. Israel buys a portion of its military equipment with the aid of Israel Bonds. MN Break the Bonds Campaign believes that Minnesota should not be investing our state’s money in such atrocities.
To read the complete version of the lawsuit, go to: http://mn.breakthebonds.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/MNBBCvSBI.pdf
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Photo: i-consult.org
By Beth Atim, December 14, 2011
On Friday, December 9, 2011, an Israeli soldier ruthlessly killed Mustafa Tamimi, a Palestinian from the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank, Palestine. He was intentionally shot in the face with a tear gas canister from the back of an army jeep just a few yards away during the weekly demonstration against the colonization of his land.
Last Sunday, thousands gathered to mourn his death. Wrapped in a Palestinian flag and keffiyeh, Tamimi was carried through the streets of Ramallah and onto his home village, followed by a long procession of cars moving at the slow pace of a mournful community.
Photos captured of Tamimi just before and after he was hit have circled the globe, bringing feelings of horror to those who see them. One of these images depicts Tamimi’s head being held steady by the desperate hands of a fellow-demonstrator as blood spills out of his gushing wounds and pools below his almost-lifeless body. These are the images that we fear to look at; we gasp in disbelief and are left with a great sense of sadness for humanity.
We cannot help but think of the soldier who made the decision to shoot with such intentionality and precision at Tamimi. The systems of militarization and colonization that the Israeli government implements not only negatively affect the Palestinians, but it also dehumanizes Israeli youth by training and instructing them to occupy, torture, and kill.
This is the reason we do what we do; it is the reason we call on the Minnesota State Board of Investment with great urgency to divest from Israel until they abide by international law.
On Monday December 12th, members of MN Break the Bonds attended the State Board of Investment meeting during which one of the Board members stated, “Whenever I have a difficult situation on any of the boards I serve on, I always go back to my authority and my responsibility as defined by state law and the constitution. And they don’t list morality…”
When public officials so confidently state that their dedication is to the law regardless of morality, it is extremely difficult to believe that they understand the weight of such a statement. We sincerely hope that any such statement was made without full reflection. In light of yet another death at the hands of Israel’s occupation, we must take ownership of the fact that the Israel Bonds in which Minnesota is invested support Israeli settlements which suffocate the West Bank, the Apartheid Wall which cages in a whole society, and the military that occupies it.
Tamimi and the countless others whose lives have been taken by the Israeli Occupation Forces put a face on the struggle for Palestinian liberation. These are the faces we must remember. These are the faces that remind us how critical it is to look at what we finance and why. Minnesota, let us be a state that puts human rights first and divest from the Israeli occupation.
Photo: electronicintifada.net
December 13, 2011
To: Attorney General Lori Swanson
CC: Governor Mark Dayton, State Auditor Rebecca Otto, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie
On behalf of the National Lawyers Guild, we write in support of the lawsuit filed on November 29, 2011, against the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) which seeks a judgment directing the SBI to divest from Israel Bonds.
The complaint against the SBI makes pointed reference to Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which both the United States and Israel are parties. Article 49 specifically prohibits an occupying power from transferring (settling) parts of its own civilian population into territory it occupies. Article 49’s anti-colonization provisions are jus cogens, which means that they are mandatory norms of international law. Jus cogens violations are not political questions.
As the complaint abundantly shows, there is no credible dispute that Israel has been in continuous violation of Article 49 since shortly after the 1967 war by engaging in ever-accelerating settlement building activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. In the last ten years, the United States has reduced its loan guarantees to Israel by nearly one billion dollars in response to Israel’s illegal settlement activities. The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion confirming the illegality of Israel’s settlement activities and the UN Security Council has issued a number of resolutions condemning Israel for these activities.
It is well known that money obtained from the sale of sovereign Israel Bonds is used by Israel to fund its continued violations of Article 49 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. On its Israel Bond website, the Government of Israel goes so far as to even promote its settlement infrastructure projects along with its official slogan that Israel Bonds are a “Bond with Israel”.
Despite having been repeatedly informed that money generated from the sale of Israel Bonds is used by Israel to violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, the stridency by which the SBI clings to its Israel Bond investments demonstrates that they are at least “purposive”. This means that the Board is aiding and abetting Israel’s violations of international law. Such aiding and abetting is itself a violation of international law.
The SBI’s violation of international law also violates Minnesota law. The Fourth Geneva Convention is part of the supreme law of the land and must be regarded as part of the law of each individual state to the same degree as the state’s own statutes. Additionally, the Minnesota statutes impose an express fiduciary duty on each Board member to invest “in a manner consistent with law.” By aiding and abetting Israel’s violations, the Board members are investing state pension funds in a manner not consistent with law and violating their fiduciary obligations to the citizens of Minnesota.
By investing in Israel Bonds to “Bond with Israel”, the SBI has made an international law issue a Minnesota law issue. Under Minnesota law, the SBI’s investments in Israel Bonds are illegal and Minnesota should immediately divest.
National Lawyers Guild
Letter originally posted with photo: http://nlginternational.org/news/article.php?nid=452
Photo: Home demolished in Al-Walaja, West Bank, Palestine. In the background, the settlement of Gilo. Al-Walaja has lost about 70% of the lands it originally owned before 1948. (Active Stills)
On December 12, 2011 at 12 noon, we need YOU
to RALLY with us at the Minnesota State Capitol in the Rotunda.
Together, we will raise our voices to tell the MN State Board of Investment:
Stop funding Israeli occupation and apartheid: Divest from Israel Bonds NOW!
Speakers will include co-plaintiffs from the MN BBC lawsuit against the SBI.
Following the Rally, help us pack the room at the SBI’s Meeting
at 1:00 pm in Room 123 of the State Capitol Building
to show the Board Members how many Minnesotans support divestment!
Note: Signs on sticks are not permitted in the capitol building.
For Directions and Information on Parking visit: http://bit.ly/rO2w1w
So invite your family and friends and we’ll see you there!
Additional Information: Last Tuesday, November 29, 2011, MN BBC served a lawsuit on the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) seeking an order from the court directing the SBI to immediately divest from Israel Bonds and to refrain from purchasing more. This Rally is an opportunity to show the SBI that there is strong public support for them to do the right thing and divest, which is why your presence is so important! For more information about the lawsuit, or to learn how you can support MN BBC, visit mn.breakthebonds.org or e-mail or call us anytime at mn@breakthebonds.org or 616.745.6810. Thank you.
