See my post on the Palestinian Crisis to get a background to the issue first. Here are 6 ways to act now. Act fast!!
Boycott – Why boycott?
At a very minute level, our voices aren’t being heard. One huge hit can send a company down. They’ll have to take loans to continue running and will think twice about their Israeli affiliations. Lets do this for Palestine.
The main downside of boycotting is that very few of us stop using the products/services so not much impact on the companies but if we collectively boycott three of the major supporters (Coke, Tesco & McDonald’s) we can send a financial message to either pull out or lose revenue in the millions. If you’re in contact with anyone popular, get them to start/support a campaign. Get hashtagging. Lets all get on board. Have a boycott period of 2 months – For a people who can sacrifice food and drink (which are needs) for 30 days you have tremendous self-restraint. Surely it should be easy to sacrifice your desires of western goods and services. Stop contributing to your own destruction. If you can’t stop patronising them, then stop this hypocritical whining of Western double standards when you yourselves practise double standards – stop using such products, lose this attachment. Inform your local suppliers and shopkeepers – Avoid giving Israelis any support whatsoever – Check that your dates are non Israeli produce!!
UPDATE: Boycotts are extremely successful. Many businesses are joining the campaign, next April all major Israel affiliates will see a huge hit on their business Insha’allah.
Check out this post on how Israel was hit after boycotts: http://www.voltairenet.org/article159602.html
#BoycottBBC
Some of you guys will be watching the world cup final tonight. It will be aired both on BBC 1 and ITV. The BBC will be hoping to get as many viewers as they can, but this can be our way of getting back at them for their bias coverage and watch it on ITV instead of the BBC.
Whether you will or not gooooobe watching the world cup final or not, go onto your social networking sites and put it on your status’ that you will be watching the game on ITV followed by #BoycottBBC. If you watch eastenders, stop watching that crap too.
Supermarkets – These businesses support Israel. Pester them. Get them to act now! Get on the phone to supermarkets, threaten to boycott.
Here’s something a staff member at one of the biggest tesco stores in Bradford has said:
I work at the Tesco Extra Bradford (Great Horton). There have been a few protests at this Tesco. You have done a fantastic job, the store has been like a ghost town for majority of the peak trading hours, with a handful of customers. Our manager read our “Team 5″ out which is a bit of a news bulletin on the whats going on at Tesco. It states the previous weeks takings, and compares losses/profits to this time last year. It turns out the store was MINUS a whopping £133,000 from last years figures!
This is JUST ONE WEEKS LOSSES, OF A SINGLE STORE. Can you imagine what other stores will be like??
The staff and managers are really worried, they have asked us to literally cling onto customers when the ask you for help, offering them alternatives and taking them to the Direct Desk to order stuff etc. ensuring a sale. Also I noticed pallets irregular quantity of Coca Cola in the back, with more delivered today. They are on several promotional ends (which is not normal as they restrict them to 1, maybe 2 ends) at discount prices. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM BUYING THESE. YOUR MESSAGE WILL GET THROUGH TO THESE CORPORATIONS, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT!
Send this letter to:
Tesco: Tesco Stores Ltd, New Tesco House, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9SL
Tel: 01992 632222 or 0800 50 5555
Morrisons: Customer Service Department, Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, Hilmore House
Gain Lane, Bradford, BD3 7DL
Tel: 0845 611 500
ASDA: Southbank, Great Wilson St, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS11 5AD
Tel: 0113 243 5435
G4S: The Manor, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9UN
Tel: 020 8770 7000
Get emails of the top companies headquarters. G4s
Dear…..
I am writing as a concerned local ethical consumer, about the availability of goods from
illegal Israeli settlements in your stores.
The United Nations, Fourth Geneva Convention and International Court of Justice all
confirm that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The UK government has
also affirmed the illegal status of the settlements.
Nonetheless, these encroachments on Palestinian land continue and the maltreatment
of Palestinians is becoming ever more intolerable as their land is confiscated, homes
demolished and they are subjected to increasing violence at the hand of Israeli settlers.
In addition to the Israeli occupiers profiteering from the stolen land by using it to
produce goods for sale internationally, there are distressing reports of the treatment of
Palestinian workers on the annexed land.
Kav LaOved – an Israeli non-profit organisation helping to protect the rights of
disadvantaged Palestinian, migrant and Israeli workers – says that in the Jordan Valley,
where Palestinians have little alternative to working in the settlements, there are many
cases of discrimination, non-payment of the minimum wage and dangerous working
conditions. There are also documented cases of Palestinian child labour being exploited
(see www.kavlaoved.org.il for further details).
Despite the illegality of the source and well documented evidence of abuse, your chain of
stores continues to sell goods produced from these settlements.
Marks and Spencer and the Co-operative have both promised to stop selling Israeli
settlement goods following consumer action. I very much hope that you too will
acknowledge that profiteering from goods grown on illegally occupied land in degrading
conditions for the Palestinians who work there, cannot be reconciled with any claim to
corporate social responsibility or an ethical trading policy.
I know that your company is known for doing good charitable work and has become
increasingly sensitive to the ethical standards expected by the public. I am sure, in the
light of the above evidence you will feel it impossible to condone and continue selling
what are, in effect, stolen goods.
I would be grateful if you would let me have your response to this pressing issue and that
you can confirm that your chain of stores will help take the lead in this area and end the
sale of settlement goods as a matter of urgency.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Also check: http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/consumer-boycott
Petitions
Fill out these petitions, get your family to too!
UK Petition – END THE CONFLICT IN PALESTINE
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67165
US Petition – Condemn the Apartheid State of Israel for their Human Rights Violations against the Palestinian peoples.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/condemn-apartheid-state-israel-their-human-rights-violations-against-palestinian-peoples/CjmPSCsG
Change.org – Step up and help Palestine or step down as PM
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-step-up-and-help-palestine-or-step-down-as-pm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_campaign=new_petition_recruit#share
Letter to mp
Your MP is your voice, Here is a general letter template:
[Your address]
[name] MP
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
[Date]
Dear MP Name,
I am writing to ask you to urgently contact the Foreign Secretary and ask him to make clear that Britain regards the collective punishment being meted out against Palestinians as totally unacceptable.
As of 10/7/2014 over 50 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and over 450 injured in an Israeli bombing campaign, which is in clear violation of international law. Many of the dead are children.
This followed intensive collective punishment against Palestinians in the West Bank after the abduction and murder of three Israelis. The Israeli authorities meted out brutal collective punishment against the Palestinian people: nightly raids on West Bank towns and villages, mass arrests, killings, house demolitions, shootings, severe restrictions of movement, and an escalation of violation and collective punishment measures targeting ordinary people.
Six Palestinians in the West Bank were shot and killed by Israeli military and their Forces arrested almost 500 Palestinians in raids and mass arrests throughout the West Bank. Former political prisoners have been particularly targeted, and at least 52 of the prisoners released in the Gilad Shalit exchange have now been re-arrested.
Given that whilst this killing is going on the Foreign Secretary will be in discussions with Israeli and Palestinian counterparts please make representations urgently. Please ask the Foreign Secretary calls in the Israeli Ambassador and asks him to explain Israel’s unacceptable collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
We would also urge you to vocally support Palestine’s application to the International Criminal Court so that Israel can be held account for their crimes.
Yours Disgruntled!
Your name
Alternatively, fill out this quick online form to write to your local MP automatically. All you need is to put in your details: http://act.palestinecampaign.org/lobby/crisisaction
Lawyers to Palestine wrote a letter to William Hague MP this week, check it out and also post it out to William Hague.
http://lphr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/LPHR-letter-to-UK-Foreign-Secretary-current-military-offensive-9-July-20142.pdf
The BBC are not covering this issue at all. The Palestinians are blamed. Here’s another link to complain to the bbc with an automatic firm. Just sign it!the BBC: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/sign-open-letter-bbc/
Donate
Your pennies are pounds to many! Its Ramadhan now, for whatever you donate, your rewards are fruitful. It brings a little comport to the Palestinian too!
Here’s a few – Look for local charities that donate 100%. Put your money towards something tangible like a medical aid kit. Its not time to pay admin fees of top charity ceos.
http://interpal.org/
http://www.map-uk.org/ – Medical Aid for Palestinians
http://lphr.org.uk/ – Lawyers for Palestine (Join this Human Rights movement)
http://www.foa.org.uk/ – Friends of Al Aqsa –
http://www.pcrf.net/ – Palestine Children Relief fund
http://www.waronwant.org
Buy merchandise
Buy some wearables and create awareness. Show solidarity. Friends of Al Aqsa have a wide range of Palestinian merchandise. – http://www.foa.org.uk/
Sponsor family/orphan
Sponsor a child or a family. Check some of the charities above for sponsorship programs from £25 a month.
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/the-middle-east/palestinian-territories
Attend events
Show your support, demo and protest against your government and embassies.
Visit the Israeli embassy Palace Green, London W8 4QB, Tel: 020 7957 9500
For other latest Palestinian Latest news visit: http://www.foa.org.uk/news
Check out this link to see other ways the Palestinian are tortured: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/prisoners-factsheet-WEB-April-2013.pdf
Follow this Boycott page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradfordBoycott
