Palestinian Civil Society Call for BDS

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 lanned 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; and

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

• Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine (Coordinating body for the major political parties in the Occupied Palestinian Territory)

• Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen’s Rights (PICCR)

• Union of Arab Community Based Associations (ITTIJAH), Haifa

• Forum of Palestinian NGOs in Lebanon

• Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)

• General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW)

• General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT)

• Federation of Unions of Palestinian Universities’ Professors and Employees

• Consortium of Professional Associations

• Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC)

• Health Work Committees – West Bank

• Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)

• Union of Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)

• Union of Health Work Committees – Gaza (UHWC)

• Union of Palestinian Farmers

• Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative (OPGAI)

• General Union of Disabled Palestinians

• Palestinian Federation of Women’s Action Committees (PFWAC)

• Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)

• Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign

• Union of Teachers of Private Schools

• Union of Women’s Work Committees, Tulkarem (UWWC)

• Dentists’ Association – Jerusalem Center

• Palestinian Engineers Association

• Lawyers’ Association

• Network for the Eradication of Illiteracy and Adult Education, Ramallah

• Coordinating Committee of Rehabilitation Centers – West Bank

• Coalition of Lebanese Civil Society Organizations (150 organizations)

• Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), Network of Student-based Canadian University Associations

Refugee Rights Associations/Organizations

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

Al-Awda Charitable Society, Beit Jala

Al Awda – Palestine Right-to-Return Coalition, U.S.A
Al-Awda Toronto
Aidun Group – Lebanon
Aidun Group – Syria

Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center, Aida refugee camp

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

BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Bethlehem
Committee for Definite Return, Syria

Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights, Nablus

Consortium of the Displaced Inhabitants of Destroyed Palestinian Villages and Towns

Filastinuna – Commission for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria

Handala Center, ‘Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem

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)

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

International Right of Return Congress (RORC)

Jermana Youth Forum for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria
Laji Center, Aida camp, Bethlehem

Local Committee for Rehabilitation, Qalandia refugee camp, Jerusalem

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

Palestinian National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria
Palestinian Return Association, Syria
Palestinian Return Forum, Syria

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

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

Palestinian Youth Forum for the Right of Return, Syria

PLO Popular Committees – West Bank refugee camps

PLO Popular Committees – Gaza Strip refugee camps

Popular Committee – al-‘Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem

Popular Committee – Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem

Shaml – Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Center, Ramallah

Union of Women’s Activity Centers – West Bank Refugee Camps

Union of Youth Activity Centers – Palestine Refugee Camps, West Bank and Gaza

Women’s Activity Center – Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem

Yafa Cultural Center, Balata refugee camp, Nablus

Organizations

Abna’ al-Balad Society, Nablus

Addameer Center for Human Rights, Gaza

Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association, Ramallah
Alanqa’ Cultural Association, Hebron

Al-Awda Palestinian Folklore Society, Hebron

Al-Doha Children’s Cultural Center, Bethlehem
Al-Huda Islamic Center, Bethlehem

Al-Jeel al-Jadid Society, Haifa

Al-Karameh Cultural Society, Um al-Fahm
Al-Maghazi Cultural Center, Gaza

Al-Marsad Al-Arabi, occupied Syrian Golan Heights

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Gaza
Al-Nahda Cultural Forum, Hebron

Al-Taghrid Society for Culture and Arts, Gaza
Alternative Tourism Group, Beit Sahour (ATG)
Al-Wafa’ Charitable Society, Gaza

Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ)

Arab Association for Human Rights, Nazareth (HRA)

Arab Center for Agricultural Development (ACAD)

Arab Center for Agricultural Development-Gaza

Arab Educational Institute – Open Windows (affiliated with Pax Christie International)

Arab Orthodox Charitable Society – Beit Sahour
Arab Orthodox Charity – Beit Jala
Arab Orthodox Club – Beit Jala
Arab Orthodox Club – Beit Sahour

Arab Students’ Collective, University of Toronto

Arab Thought Forum, Jerusalem (AFT)

Association for Cultural Exchange Hebron – France
Association Najdeh, Lebanon
Authority for Environmental Quality, Jenin

Bader Society for Development and Reconstruction, Gaza

Canadian Palestine Foundation of Quebec, Montreal

Center for the Defense of Freedoms, Ramallah

Center for Science and Culture, Gaza

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

Child Development and Entertainment Center, Tulkarem
Committee for Popular Participation, Tulkarem

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

El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe

Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Bethlehem
Environmental Education Center, Bethlehem

FARAH – Palestinian Center for Children, Syria

Ghassan Kanafani Society for Development, Gaza
Ghassan Kanafani Forum, Syria

Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Gaza (GCMHP)

Golan for Development, occupied Syrian Golan Heights
Halhoul Cultural Forum, Hebron

Himayeh Society for Human Rights, Um al-Fahm
Holy Land Trust – Bethlehem

Home of Saint Nicholas for Old Ages – Beit Jala
Human Rights Protection Center, Lebanon
In’ash al-Usrah Society, Ramallah
International Center of Bethlehem (Dar An-Nadweh)
Islah Charitable Society-Bethlehem
Jafra Youth Center, Syria

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

Jerusalem Center for Women, Jerusalem (JCW)

Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC )

Khalil Al Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah

Land Research Center, Jerusalem (LRC)
Liberated Prisoners’ Society, Palestine

Local Committee for Social Development, Nablus

Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Nablus
MA’AN TV Network, Bethlehem
Medical Aid for Palestine, Canada

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

Muwatin-The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy

National Forum of Martyr’s Families, Palestine

Near East Council of Churches Committee for Refugee Work – Gaza Area

Network of Christian Organizations – Bethlehem (NCOB)

Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace, Jerusalem

Palestinian Counseling Center, Jerusalem (PCC)
Palestinian Democratic Youth Union, Lebanon
Palestinian Farmers’ Society, Gaza

Palestinian Hydrology Group for Water and Environment Resources Development-Gaza
Palestinian Prisoners’ Society-West Bank

Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection, Gaza

Palestinian University Students’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, Hebron
Palestinian Women’s Struggle Committees

Palestinian Working Women Society for Development (PWWSD)
Popular Art Centre, Al-Bireh

Prisoner’s Friends Association – Ansar Al-Sajeen, Majd al-Krum
Public Aid Association, Gaza

Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies
Saint Afram Association – Bethlehem
Saint Vincent De Paule – Beit Jala
Senior Citizen Society – Beit Jala
Social Development Center, Nablus
Society for Self-Development, Hebron
Society for Social Work, Tulkarem

Society for Voluntary Work and Culture, Um al-Fahm

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

Sumoud-Political Prisoners Solidarity Group, Toronto

Tamer Institute for Community Education, Ramallah
TCC – Teacher’s Creativity Center, Ramallah
Wi’am Center, Bethlehem

Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, Ramallah and Gaza (WATC)

Women’s Studies Center, Jerusalem (WSC)

Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, Jerusalem (WCLAC)

Yafa for Education and Culture, Nablus
Yazour Charitable Society, Nablus
YMCA-East Jerusalem
Youth Cooperation Forum, Hebron
YWCA-Palestine
Zakat Committee-al-Khader, Bethlehen
Zakat Committee-Deheishe camp, Bethlehem
The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People (PCR)
Alternative Voice in the Galilee (AVIG)