Palestinian civil society calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel

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  Refugee Rights Associations/Organizations  1. Al-Ard Committees for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria 2. Al-Awda Charitable Society, Beit Jala 3. Al Awda - Palestine Right-to-Return Coalition, U.S.A 4. Al-Awda Toronto 5. Aidun Group – Lebanon 6. Aidun Group – Syria 7. Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center, Aida refugee camp 8. Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced (ADRID), Nazareth 9. BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Bethlehem 10. Committee for Definite Return, Syria 11. Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights, Nablus 12. Consortium of the Displaced Inhabitants of Destroyed Palestinian Villages and Towns 13. Filastinuna – Commission for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria 14. Handala Center, 'Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem 15. 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) 16. High National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Ramallah 17. International Right of Return Congress (RORC) 18. Jermana Youth Forum for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria 19. Laji Center, Aida camp, Bethlehem 20. Local Committee for Rehabilitation, Qalandia refugee camp, Jerusalem 21. Local Committee for Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem 22. Palestinian National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Syria 23. Palestinian Return Association, Syria 24. Palestinian Return Forum, Syria 25. Palestine Right-of-Return Coalition (Palestine, Arab host countries, Europe, North America) 26. Palestine Right-of-Return Confederation-Europe (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden) 27. Palestinian Youth Forum for the Right of Return, Syria 28. PLO Popular Committees – West Bank refugee camps 29. PLO Popular Committees – Gaza Strip refugee camps 30. Popular Committee – al-'Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem 31. Popular Committee – Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem 32. Shaml - Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Center, Ramallah 33. Union of Women's Activity Centers – West Bank Refugee Camps 34. Union of Youth Activity Centers – Palestine Refugee Camps, West Bank and Gaza 35. Women's Activity Center – Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem 36. Yafa Cultural Center, Balata refugee camp, Nablus  Organizations  1. Abna' al-Balad Society, Nablus 2. Addameer Center for Human Rights, Gaza 3. Addameer Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association, Ramallah 4. Alanqa' Cultural Association, Hebron 5. Al-Awda Palestinian Folklore Society, Hebron 6. Al-Doha Children’s Cultural Center, Bethlehem 7. Al-Huda Islamic Center, Bethlehem 8. Al-Jeel al-Jadid Society, Haifa 9. Al-Karameh Cultural Society, Um al-Fahm 10. Al-Maghazi Cultural Center, Gaza 11. Al-Marsad Al-Arabi, occupied Syrian Golan Heights 12. Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Gaza 13. Al-Nahda Cultural Forum, Hebron 14. Al-Taghrid Society for Culture and Arts, Gaza 15. Alternative Tourism Group, Beit Sahour (ATG) 16. Al-Wafa' Charitable Society, Gaza 17. Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ) 18. Arab Association for Human Rights, Nazareth (HRA) 19. Arab Center for Agricultural Development (ACAD) 20. Arab Center for Agricultural Development-Gaza 21. Arab Education Institute (AEI) – Pax Christie Bethlehem 22. Arab Orthodox Charitable Society – Beit Sahour 23. Arab Orthodox Charity – Beit Jala 24. Arab Orthodox Club – Beit Jala 25. Arab Orthodox Club – Beit Sahour 26. Arab Students' Collective, University of Toronto 27. Arab Thought Forum, Jerusalem (AFT) 28. Association for Cultural Exchange Hebron - France 29. Association Najdeh, Lebanon 30. Authority for Environmental Quality, Jenin 31. Bader Society for Development and Reconstruction, Gaza 32. Canadian Palestine Foundation of Quebec, Montreal 33. Center for the Defense of Freedoms, Ramallah 34. Center for Science and Culture, Gaza 35. Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ramallah- Al-Bireh District 36. Child Development and Entertainment Center, Tulkarem 37. Committee for Popular Participation, Tulkarem 38. Defense for Children International-Palestine Section, Ramallah (DCI/PS) 39. El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe 40. Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Bethlehem 41. Environmental Education Center, Bethlehem 42. FARAH – Palestinian Center for Children, Syria 43. Ghassan Kanafani Society for Development, Gaza 44. Ghassan Kanafani Forum, Syria 45. Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Gaza (GCMHP) 46. Golan for Development, occupied Syrian Golan Heights 47. Halhoul Cultural Forum, Hebron 48. Himayeh Society for Human Rights, Um al-Fahm 49. Holy Land Trust – Bethlehem 50. Home of Saint Nicholas for Old Ages – Beit Jala 51. Human Rights Protection Center, Lebanon 52. In'ash al-Usrah Society, Ramallah 53. International Center of Bethlehem (Dar An-Nadweh) 54. Islah Charitable Society-Bethlehem 55. Jafra Youth Center, Syria 56. Jander Center, al-Azza (Beit Jibreen) refugee camp, Bethlehem 57. Jerusalem Center for Women, Jerusalem (JCW) 58. Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) 59. Khalil Al Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah 60. Land Research Center, Jerusalem (LRC) 61. Liberated Prisoners' Society, Palestine 62. Local Committee for Social Development, Nablus 63. Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Nablus 64. MA'AN TV Network, Bethlehem 65. Medical Aid for Palestine, Canada 66. MIFTAH-Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Ramallah 67. Muwatin-The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy 68. National Forum of Martyr's Families, Palestine 69. Near East Council of Churches Committee for Refugee Work – Gaza Area 70. Network of Christian Organizations – Bethlehem (NCOB) 71. Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace, Jerusalem 72. Palestinian Counseling Center, Jerusalem (PCC) 73. Palestinian Democratic Youth Union, Lebanon 74. Palestinian Farmers' Society, Gaza 75. Palestinian Hydrology Group for Water and Environment Resources Development-Gaza 76. Palestinian Prisoners' Society-West Bank 77. Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection, Gaza 78. Palestinian University Students' Forum for Peace and Democracy, Hebron 79. Palestinian Women's Struggle Committees 80. Palestinian Working Women Society for Development (PWWSD) 81. Popular Art Centre, Al-Bireh 82. Prisoner's Friends Association – Ansar Al-Sajeen, Majd al-Krum 83. Public Aid Association, Gaza 84. Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies 85. Saint Afram Association – Bethlehem 86. Saint Vincent De Paule – Beit Jala 87. Senior Citizen Society – Beit Jala 88. Social Development Center, Nablus 89. Society for Self-Development, Hebron 90. Society for Social Work, Tulkarem 91. Society for Voluntary Work and Culture, Um al-Fahm 92. Society of Friends of Prisoners and Detainees, Um al-Fahm 93. Sumoud-Political Prisoners Solidarity Group, Toronto 94. Tamer Institute for Community Education, Ramallah 95. TCC – Teacher's Creativity Center, Ramallah 96. Wi'am Center, Bethlehem 97. Women's Affairs Technical Committee, Ramallah and Gaza (WATC) 98. Women's Studies Center, Jerusalem (WSC) 99. Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, Jerusalem (WCLAC) 100. Yafa for Education and Culture, Nablus 101. Yazour Charitable Society, Nablus 102. YMCA-East Jerusalem 103. Youth Cooperation Forum, Hebron 104. YWCA-Palestine 105. Zakat Committee-al-Khader, Bethlehem 106. Zakat Committee-Deheishe camp, Bethlehem