September 29, 2011

The Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign (MN BBC) denounces the convictions of the Irvine 11 students for conspiracy and disruption.

In February 2010 Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren visited the University of California’s Irvine campus to give a speech. This speech was an example of “rebranding Israel,” one of the Reut Institute’s recommendations for reshaping Israel’s worsening image in the world. Oren’s speech was interrupted by shouts from 11 students, who, one by one were led out of the auditorium by police (video here). UCI Chancellor Michael Drake, visibly embarrassed by the students’ behavior, attempted to shame them. Several pro-Israeli students in the audience attempted to silence the protestors using ridicule. At the end of the video a professor is seen telling the students that they have all flunked their exams.

The eleven protesting students, all Muslim and apparently all of Middle Eastern descent or origin, were subsequently charged with crimes. The charter of the student organization to which they belonged, the Muslim Student Union was revoked and the organization was placed on probation for two years.

A similar demonstration in New Orleans by the group Young Jewish and Proud, during a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, resulted in no charges against the Jewish demonstrators.

MN BBC believes that the eleven Muslim students had a constitutional right to demonstrate against the Israeli ambassador and express their political views. Charging and convicting them of the rarely prosecuted crime of disruption (dating back to campus protests against the Vietnam War) denied them their First Amendment rights of free speech and subjected them to unconstitutional selective prosecution. Additionally, suspending the students, denying their right of free assembly within the student group structure, and threatening to fail them for participating in the demonstration, are methods to stifle free speech, particularly political speech, and especially speech regarding views on Israel. Even the dean of the UC Irvine Law School, constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, commented that the prosecution was a “terrible mistake,” “unnecessary,” “harmful” and “divisive.” Hector Villagra, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said “If allowed to stand, this will undoubtedly intimidate students in Orange County and across the state and discourage them from engaging in any controversial speech or protest for fear of criminal charges.”

We believe that the Irvine 11 were selectively prosecuted because of their ethnicity, religion and stance against Israel’s injustices, and that Islamophobia and racism of any type must be condemned and combated wherever they occur.

Photo: mlfa.org

by Sylvia Schwartz, March 11, 2011

Steve Hunegs’ piece, “Divesting from Israeli bonds is morally wrong” repeats often propagated myths, per usual, omitting some important facts. Israel is a violator of human rights and international law. Numerous reports detailing these violations can be found in studies by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Israel-based human rights organization B’Tselem, and many agencies in the United Nations.

Democracy for Jews only

Israel is often called “the only democracy in the Middle East.” Within the borders of Israel (that is the territory internationally known as Israel, which does not include the West Bank, Gaza, or the Golan Heights) Israel’s minority Palestinian population are subject to ethnic based discriminatory laws which prevent them from purchasing, leasing, or working on most of the land (land owned by the Jewish National Fund is by law only for Jews), marrying and living with a spouse who is not an Israeli citizen, and visiting holy sites. In the United States such discriminatory laws would be found unconstitutional and struck down, but since Israel has no constitution there is no restriction on passing racist laws.

In the occupied territories two systems of laws are in effect and which system applies depends solely on ethnicity. Jewish Israelis (illegal settlers according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 49), are subject to Israeli civilian law. Palestinian Christians and Muslims, living only meters away from these illegal settlements, are subject to military orders, which are random and capricious. Palestinians can be and often are subject to “administrative detention,” which is detention without charges or trial, can last 180 days and be extended indefinitely. Adalah, the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel, keeps statistics regarding the number of administrative detainees (including many children).

Occupation

According to the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention, military occupation is considered a temporary condition during which the occupied population is to be protected under international law. Israel routinely violates provisions, including Article 3 (persons taking no part in hostilities shall be treated humanely), Article 33 (no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed), Article 34 (the taking of hostages is prohibited), Article 49 (the Occupying power shall not transfer civilians into occupied territory), and many others.

The Separation Wall

In July 2004 the International Court of Justice found that Israel’s construction of a wall snaking deep inside the occupied Palestinian territory violates international law and ordered Israel to cease its construction and dismantle parts already built. The ICJ noted that the wall violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other covenants.

Rather than complying with the ICJ ruling, Israel has continued building the wall. It now runs more than 400 miles within the occupied territories and completely surrounds many villages, resulting in the confiscation of thousands of acres of Palestinian land and preventing Palestinians from accessing water sources, crops, workplaces, hospitals, schools, and even neighbors.

Minnesota’s involvement

These and many more Israeli human rights violations are what we, as Minnesotans, pay for with our investments in Israel bonds that total more than $18 million. The money from these investments goes into Israel’s general treasury and is used in projects like the wall, infrastructure, including roads and water distribution networks in the occupied territories which benefit only illegal Israeli settlers, and result in severe hardship, loss of land and livelihood for Palestinians.

If Hunegs believes, as he claims, that he is “work[ing] toward the realization of a two-state solution – a safe and secure Israel side by side a free and democratic Palestinian state,” why does he support investing in projects which make this solution impossible? These are projects which illegally appropriate Palestinian land, confine Palestinians into non-contiguous areas, and devastate the Palestinian economy. No Palestinian state can arise with those impediments; therefore the only conclusion to be drawn is that those who want to continue investing in these projects do not want a Palestinian state or Palestinian self-determination at all, despite the mantric repetition of those words.

After the US veto of the settlement resolution in the UN two weeks ago, and nearly 20 years of “negotiations,” it should be clear to all that we can no longer wait for governments to comply with human rights laws on their own.

MN BBC

Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign (MN BBC) was founded to follow the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) until Israel complies with international law. BDS is a non-violent tactic, modeled after the international BDS movement instrumental in ending South African Apartheid, which allows all of us, citizens of the world, to put pressure on governments to change their policies.

We believe in human rights for all and we believe that we have the moral obligation to make sound investments that will not aid in the oppression of any race or ethnicity. Because of its education and outreach program, more than 2,000 people across Minnesota have signed on to the campaign. We say, “We no longer want to be responsible for Israel’s actions. Divest for Justice!”

Photo: activestills.org