Category: Press
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PRESS ALERT: Deputy Minister in the South African Presidency to walk for Palestinian children at 702 Walk the Talk
22 July 2016 Deputy Minister in the South African Presidency, Cde. Buti Manamela, will be walking for Palestinian children at the upcoming 702 Walk the Talk taking place in Johannesburg on Sunday 24 July. Manamela will form part of a team led by the human rights and Palestine solidarity organization BDS South Africa. The BDS…
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PRESS STATEMENT: South African Church backs Palestinian struggle and adopts BDS boycott of Israel
14 July 2016 The human rights and Palestine solidarity organisation BDS South Africa warmly hails the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) for its support of the oppressed Palestinians. The UCCSA, at its recent 8th South African Synod Conference in George this past weekend, passed a robust resolution in support of the Palestinian struggle…
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PRESS STATEMENT: Three South Africans arrested by Israeli Forces in East Jerusalem
26 June 2016 The human rights and Palestine solidarity organisation BDS South Africa is concerned by reports of three South Africans citizens arrested by Israeli forces. It has been reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped Saleh Bader Abu ‘Assab and Mohammad Naseef, in addition to three South African citizens (http://imemc.org/article/israeli-army-kidnaps-eleven-palestinians-three-south-africans-in-the-west-bank-injures-five/). According to news reports, Israeli soldiers…
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Celebrating the hero, Muhammad Ali (1942-2016)
PRESS STATEMENT Celebrating the hero, Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) 04 June 2016 The human rights and Palestine solidarity organisation BDS South Africa joins the peace-loving peoples of the world in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of boxing legend and activist, Muhammad Ali. Ali is an inspiration for those us fighting for justice – be it…
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African-Palestinian community’s deep roots in liberation struggle
Ali Jiddah speaks with a tour group in the Old City of Jerusalem in March 2014. Ryan Rodrick Beiler In early June the African Community Club in Jerusalem’s Old City was crammed with mourners. They had come to pay their respects to the late Subhiyeh Sharaf, an amiable woman and community elder. The club serves as the…
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Women elected student body president at three West Bank universities
When Dana Rwaidy started university two years ago, she never thought she would hold the position of student body president. Most class presidents in the occupied West Bank’s universities are chosen from the senior class, and the vast majority have long been men. “I was one of 33 people on the list of possible candidates for…
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PRESS STATEMENT: Activists request meeting with Die Antwoord music band over Israel boycott
15 May 2016 The human rights and Palestine solidarity organisation BDS South Africa has written a 1000-word letter to rappers Ninja, Yolandi Visser (Vi$$er) and DJ Hi-Tek of the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. BDS South Africa is urging Die Antwoord to respect the international boycott against Israel. Die Antwoord is due to perform…
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PRESS STATEMENT: South African church activist en route to Palestine deported by Israel
13 May 2016 | http://tinyurl.com/hvouwgd South African church activist, Itani Rasalanavho, was detained and then deported by Israeli authorities last week en route to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Last Thursday (5 May) Itani Rasalanavho was travelling to Palestine to join the Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT), an organisation conducting human rights work in various countries including…
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From Israeli citizens to Die Antwoord – Please don’t play apartheid Israel
May 2016 To Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones), Yolandi Visser and DJ Hi-Tek, We are citizens of Israel, active against our government’s military occupation and apartheid policies against the Palestinian people. After many years of trying to change our society from within, we have come to the conclusion that only an international campaign, such as the one…
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Dear Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones), Yolandi Visser and DJ Hi-Tek and other members of Die Antwoord,
6 May 2016 Dear Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones), Yolandi Visser and DJ Hi-Tek and other members of Die Antwoord, “The temptation in our situation is to speak in muffled tones about an issue such as the right of the people of Palestine…we can fall into the trap of washing our hands of difficulties that others…
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Four BDS boycott Israel successes from Latin America
PRESS STATEMENT: Four BDS boycott of Israel Successes coming out of Latin America 01 May 2016 CHILE: In a referendum held last Monday (25 April 2016) the University of Chile’s Law Faculty students voted overwhelmingly for Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The referendum came following a 6 month intense campaign (and counter campaign…
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Message at the opening of “Sands of Palestine” (Durban, 13-24 April)
Friday 15th April 2016 Zuleikha Mayat Tonight I have the pleasure of seeing another play by Yusuf Haffejee, directed by Vivian Moodley. Haffejee’s maiden, part of the 150 year commemoration, “Bitter Sweet” depicted the struggles of Indentured Indians in South Africa, was nominated for the Mercury Theatre Award. Sands of Palestine has now ventured into…
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MESSAGE BY PALESTINIAN BDS LEADER OMAR BARGHOUTI ON ISRAEL’S RECENT THREATS OF “CIVIL ASSASSINATIONS” OF BDS ACTIVISTS
Some, including journalists, have written to me inquiring about or voicing their concern at the recent Israeli government minister’s threat of “civil targeted killing” against BDS “leaders” and activists. There is of course a good reason to be seriously alarmed when government ministers anywhere make such threats against human rights defenders. So imagine the seriousness…
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South African Jews to protest upcoming trip of Former Israeli Prime Minster Shimon Peres
MEDIA STATEMENT South African Jews to protest upcoming trip of Former Israeli Prime Minster Shimon Peres (19 February 2016) The organization, South African Jews for a Free Palestine*, opposes the upcoming visit to South Africa of former Israeli Prime Minsiter Shimon Peres on the 28th of February 2016. Feted as ‘a man of peace’, advocating…
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JOIN: 12TH INTERNATIONAL ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK
The 12th annual international #IsraeliApartheidWeek (IAW) campaign takes place in South Africa between the 7th and 13th of March 2016 (during various weeks between February and March in other countries). IAW is an annual international series of self-organized events (including rallies, lectures, cultural performances, music shows, films and workshops) that raise awareness of Israel’s apartheid policies, violations…