Monthly Archives: November 2011

BDS Day of Action in London 2011: TAKE APARTHEID OFF THE MENU!

Export of Israeli agricultural produce is at the heart of Israel’s apartheid regime over the Palestinian people. It is an integral component of the ongoing process of colonisation and environmental destruction of Palestinian land, the theft of water and the abuse of Palestinian workers’ rights. For decades, Israeli agricultural enterprises and farms have exploited land that was illegally expropriated from Palestinians and water that rightly belongs to Palestinians.

During the weekend of November 25-27, campaigners for Palestinian rights across nine different European countries took action against Israeli agricultural produce exporters and supermarkets as part of a wave of action called Take Apartheid Off The Menu.

Below are reports from London groups who took part in this European-wide coordinated day of action.

STRATFORD, EAST LONDON

A contingent of human rights activists including a Palestinian student were outside the main entrance of the large Morrisons supermarket, less than one mile away from the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, urging shoppers to “check the label” and boycott Israeli and illegal Settlement produce.

A banner, large Palestinian flag, several Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) placards, an impromptu choir, along with one campaigner dressed as a giant orange wearing a sign that read BOYCOTT ISRAELI GOODS attracted attention from pedestrians and motorists alike.

Despite the bitterly cold and windy weather, shoppers stopped to accept flyers and talk about Palestine, Israel and the BDS campaign – with many people offering words of support such as “well done” and “good for you.”

There were several requests for information about joining the local PSC branch and one person was also keen to find out how they could financially support the campaign.

Proof of the continuing success of the BDS movement was witnessed by the presence of two members of the UK Zionist Federation who turned up in a futile attempt to stage a counter-demonstration.

However, it was too cold for Zionist Stephen Franklin, who allegedly had difficulty coping with public rejection and hastily departed after about thirty minutes, leaving stalwart Martin Sugarman alone clutching his Israeli flag while mumbling something about Nazi boycotts.

The bearded, willowy chair of the Hackney Anglo-Israel Twinning Association reverted to type when he called a young, female Palestinian campaigner “a bitch,” a Jewish human rights campaigner “an anti-Semite” and an emotional member of the public who dared question Israel’s actions, “a terrorist.”

Nonetheless, it was a highly successful action with several hundred flyers being distributed and more people in Stratford are now aware of the ongoing, inhumane and unacceptable oppression of the Palestinian people, as well as the continuing boycott of Israeli and illegal Settlement produce.

ACTON, WEST LONDON

For two hours, ten activists from West London Palestine Solidarity Campaign leafleted and talked to shoppers to persuade them to boycott Israeli and Settlement produce outside the huge Morrisons supermarket in Acton.

A Palestinian rights campaigner with placard and flyers.

Over 700 flyers were taken by shoppers and many stopped to talk to Palestinian rights campaigners to say they already boycott, to talk about events in Israel Palestine or to ask for advice on what particular types of products to watch out for.

In a sign of the increasing impact the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is having, three Zionist Federation counter-protesters turned up, including Jonathan Hoffman, Co Vice Chair of the Zionist Federation.

Jonathan Hoffman, Co Vice Chair of the Zionist Federation (centre), angrily harangues a young shopper who has expressed support for Palestinian human rights while a passer-by awards 'nul points' to the Zionists.

Almost immediately, the Zionist Federation trio started shouting slogans labelling the Palestinian Rights campaigners as ‘fascists’ and ‘racists.’ This did not go down well with many people, probably because the Palestine solidarity movement already has a strong presence in the area.

As a result, there were at least six occasions when shoppers who supported Palestinian rights publicly and loudly argued against the Zionist Federation counter-protesters, thus negating all their efforts that day.

BRIXTON, SOUTH LONDON

On Saturday, November 26th, members of Lambeth & Wandsworth Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a stall outside TESCO in support of the Take Apartheid Off the Menu campaign and to mark International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People which falls on the 29th of November every year.

The reaction from shoppers and passers-by was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. The Occupation’s crimes are ever more widely known by the public in the UK who react in growing numbers by boycotting Israeli produce on their trips to the supermarket.

We produced a flyer (text below) and collected signatures for the Don’t Buy Israeli Goods supermarket campaign.

Justice for Palestine

You can help by not buying Israeli produce – fruit, vegetables and salad which TESCO sells such as peppers, potatoes, avocados, citrus fruit, dates, dips and herbs. Often these have been grown on illegal Israeli settlements built on land stolen from Palestinian farmers. Palestinians on the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, have been living under Israeli military occupation since 1967.

Look out for labels such as Yarden and Barken wines, for instance, and anything labelled ‘Israeli produce’. Don’t be deceived if it says ‘West Bank’ produce because that is definitely from illegal settlements.

ASK TESCO TO STOP SELLING ISRAELI PRODUCTS

An action was also held in Leytonstone (North-East London).

The Jerusalem Quartet: “A rifle in one hand and a violin in the other”

The Jerusalem Quartet: 'Distinguished IDF Musicians.' Photo: deSingel

Report & photos by Bruce

If you think that the title for this post is taking poetic license, think again. The Israeli Press Service once said of the Jerusalem Quartet:

“For the three immigrants (3 members of the Quartet emigrated to Israel from Russia), carrying a rifle in one hand and a violin in the other is the ultimate Zionist statement.”

Campaigners, including students from Goldsmiths College and members of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG), were present outside London’s Wigmore Hall on November 21st where the Jerusalem Quartet, known by many as Israel’s musical ambassadors of apartheid, gave an afternoon concert.

A large banner that read ‘Stop Stealing Palestinian Land’ was displayed on the pavement very near to the entrance of the venue that ticket holders had to pass by and read. Most got the message.

The flyer distributed explained that the Jerusalem Quartet aren’t just musicians and their concerts aren’t separate from politics. The Jerusalem Quartet are cultural ambassadors not just for Israel but also for the IDF who they often perform and their concerts are as much a part of the Israeli military as white phosphorus and bulldozers.

Several members of the Beethovians for Boycotting Israel choir who the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms on September 1st entertained queuing concert-goers with a selection from their repertoire, including: ‘Ode to Boycott’ and ‘The Olive and the Army.’

Many of the Jerusalem Quartet’s concerts are sponsored by the Israeli government and they enjoy status in the IDF as ‘Distinguished IDF Musicians.’

There were no arrests, but the three police present who complained they were called away from other duties had to restrain several Zionists who verbally abused campaigners. Examples included one female human rights activist being called a “c*nt” and a cab driver expressing himself in the only way he knew, shouted “f*ck you!” as he drove by. The Co Vice Chair of the British Zionist Federation, Jonathan Hoffman, whose modus operandi is similar, would have felt at home.

However, the action also drew expressions of support. A number of ticket holders, upon hearing the reasons for our presence, returned their tickets and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people. And there were many members of the general public who gave us the thumbs up.

 The Quartet are seen as a legitimate cultural target of the 2005 BDS campaign called by Palestinian civil society and protests usually accompany them wherever they play, especially throughout North America and Australia. There have also been actions carried out by protesters in the UK.

In August 2008, five members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign were charged with a breach of the peace for disrupting the Jerusalem Quartet’s performance at the Edinburgh Festival. The Scottish human rights activists were later released to face charges of “racially aggravated conduct,” which was later thrown out by Edinburgh Sheriffs Court in April 2010.

In March 2010, London activists staged a protest during the Quartet’s performance at Wigmore Hall, forcing the BBC to pull its live broadcast of the concert off the air.

Tony Greenstein, another J-BIG member and one of the participants, wrote a colourful account that you can read here.

Even though no action was planned to take place during the performance, no doubt many of the audience were uncomfortable and uncertain whether the concert would be interrupted, drawing parallels with the uncertainty of life for many Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Israeli poet Aharon Shabtai, who wrote:

“I do not believe that a State that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural event.

That is, it is anti-cultural; it is a barbarian act masked as culture in the most cynical way. It manifests support for Israel and…that sustains the occupation.” 

Leafleting ticket holders as they arrive.

Outside Wigmore Hall

We were hoping that the Jerusalem Quartet would agree to accompany the 'Beethovians for Boycotting Israel' chamber choir.

Members of 'Beethovians for Boycotting Israel' entertaining queuing ticket holders.

Directly outside the main entrance. The banner reads: 'Stop Stealing Palestinian Land'

Engaging both ticket holders and passersby.

After the concert began and everyone went inside, we turned the banner around and attracted a lot of attention from motorists on Wigmore Street. Many drivers beeped their horns in support while a lone policewoman looks on.

After the protest was over, we enjoyed lunch in a nearby cafe. As I had some time to kill, I decided to walk across town to visit an old crime scene.

But first a bit of sightseeing…

Piccadilly Circus. The statue of Eros is on the left and one of the entrances to Piccadilly Circus tube station is on the right.

Then off to Trafalgar Square. Like it or hate it, here's the Olympic Clock. Behind it is the National Gallery. The government is now debating whether to ban demonstrations during the London 2012 Olympics. A waste of time, as nowadays many demonstrations take place without any official approval or notice. Still, I wonder what the government is afraid of? People shouldn't need permission to express themselves.

A picture postcard view of Trafalgar Square complete with grey sky taking in most of the sights, including one of its two fountains and Nelson's Column. In 2008 during a 'Salute to Israel' rally in the square, activists poured red dye into the fountains turning them into 'fountains of blood,' which is what Israel truly represents. The fountains original purpose was to reduce the open space available and thus the risk of riotous assembly which proved ineffective. On Saturday, March 31st 1990, Trafalgar Square was the scene of one of the UK's worst riots caused by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's introduction of the Poll Tax which eventually led to her downfall. In the distance, barely visible, is the Clock Tower (aka St Stephen's Tower) that houses 'Big Ben.'

A former crime scene: This is 39 Monmouth Street today, the former Ahava shop, where for two years a campaign was waged to close it which eventually proved successful. The only recognisable features are the frontage and the hanging sign (which has its own story!). We often referred to the Ahava shop as "London's largest purveyor of illegal settlement goods." Now the sign in the window reads: 'Purveyors of the Finest Modern Crafted Clothing.' No illegal Israeli settlement goods sold here anymore!

A visit to London’s World Travel Market

Security tight around Ahava’s stand at major UK travel exhibition

Two Israeli security operatives (circled) opposite the Ahava stand, ready to pounce on any demonstrators (or photographers) at London's World Travel Market.

Report by London BDS

Even though campaigners have been successful in closing the UK’s only Ahava shop, it would be premature to say that the campaign against the company is over, since our motto is: ‘The resistance must be continuous.’

In Wales, activists have been campaigning to rid Ahava from a local beauty salon with tactics that include leafleting, lobbying, filing complaints with Trading Standards and getting coverage in the local press.

Just last month, activists in Manchester held a demonstration inside a major beauty trade show where Ahava was exhibiting, showing the hundreds of exhibitors and visitors attending the ‘Professional Beauty 2011′ event that ‘there’s no beauty in occupation.’

And in London, Kings College students are presently campaigning to divest their university from its partnership with Ahava in an EU-funded research project.

So when we heard that Ahava was going to be exhibiting at the World Travel Market 2011, touted as ‘The Leading Global Event for The Travel Industry,’ we knew it was an opportunity to further publicise the campaign against this toxic brand and registered to attend the four-day event held at the ExCeL exhibition centre in East London’s Docklands.

Bringing along a good number of Ahava boycott campaign postcards on the day we visited, which was ironically dubbed ‘World Responsible Tourism Day,’ we found the location of the Brand Israel pavilion NOT in the Middle East area of the exhibition where you would expect, but in the EUROPE section, sandwiched between the Czech Republic and Romania.

Since when was Israel in Europe?

Under the Israeli big tent, there were about thirty-five agencies, municipalities, organisations and businesses that fuelled the apartheid state’s tourism and hospitality sectors. The larger exhibitors included the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Tourist Authority, El Al airlines and the Dan Hotel chain.

There was also a refreshment and seating area in the centre serving up free Israeli wine and snacks. A noticeable number of vicious-looking, security staff dressed in ill-fitting suits and wearing earpieces hovered menacingly around, unintentionally providing the few visitors with a taste of what life for Palestinians unfortunate enough to live under Israeli occupation is like.

Free wine in the refreshment area. The busiest part of the apartheid state's pavilion.

A novel feature was a small patch of ‘Holy Land’ that visitors to the pavilion could walk on (without fear of being interrogated, detained, shot or deported).

The Israel Ministry of Tourism stand freely dispensed maps which identified the West Bank as ‘Judea’ and ‘Samaria’ and at the Jerusalem Tourism counter we collected literature advertising the 2012 Jerusalem Marathon. On a cover of a flyer promoting the event, the logo of Adidas, a major sponsor was mysteriously absent even though other sponsors logos were prominently displayed.

Another Dead Sea cosmetics company, Dead Sea Premier, who flog their dodgy products from kiosks staffed by Israelis in shopping centres, was also exhibiting. This company - just like Ahava – has a notorious background.

In December 2009, eight Premier employees who staffed a kiosk in a Bristol shopping centre were arrested (and later deported) for working illegally in the UK. And in January 2011, activists scored another BDS victory by successfully getting Premier’s kiosks removed from Irish and Scottish shopping centres.

‘More than you could ever imagine’ is Premier’s highly appropriate tagline.

Premier’s representative when questioned about the source of the natural minerals used in their products replied: “I don’t know,” despite the free samples being labelled ‘Made in Israel.’ When asked about Premier’s presence in West Bank settlements, the representative offered a brochure and left to speak to a colleague.

Dead Sea Premier: "More than you could ever imagine"

At the larger Ahava stand around the corner, the display stands were filled with a wide assortment of their stolen goods for sale, which was probably stock from their former Monmouth Street shop. The prices were crudely drawn on pieces of lined paper with a biro - something that looked very much out-of-place.

We were later to find out why.

Playing the part of a potential customer, I casually asked one of Ahava’s ambassadors if anyone had questioned the legality of their products. The representative nodded their head and in a quiet voice said, “I  know, but I can’t talk about it.”

That said it all.

After walking and leafleting around the world for several hours distributing Ahava boycott campaign postcards and chatting to countless exhibitors and visitors, we attracted the attention of some Spanish and African reporters who wanted to know more about the campaign and interviewed us.

At the end of a very productive day, we paid a visit to see the organiser and asked why Ahava was permitted to exhibit and sell their illegal goods. Apparently, the sale of products at the exhibition was against the rules and we were told someone would investigate.

Unfortunately, no one was able to provide a reason why Ahava, given their notoriety, was even allowed to exhibit, but the person at the front desk did provide contact details of one Paul Nelson, Reed Exhibition’s PR Manager.

Not surprisingly, neither Mr Nelson nor anyone else from Reed ever returned our emails or phone calls.

Returning the next day to the Israel pavilion, I was pleased to see that our visit resulted in some success, as no Ahava products were being sold.

Word must have spread about our efforts, as there were more security staff at the Israel pavilion than during the previous day, along with fewer visitors. Success!

Our observations proved without a doubt that behind Brand Israel’s slick facade, something sure stinks.

This overzealous Israeli wanted this image deleted in the interests of 'security,' but this is the UK, not the West Bank.

An opportunity to safely walk on Palestinian land.

Caught! Packing up Ahava's stolen goods which are clearly visible in the boxes.

The Palestine pavilion, unlike Israel's, was in the Middle East area of the exhibition.

A tentful of hasbara

Even Zionist propaganda acknowledges London as the "Hub of Hubs" in the international campaign to delegitimise Israel.

By Bruce Levy
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG)
 

A constant theme of the Zionist hasbara (propaganda) machine is that the BDS movement is built on a foundation of lies and hate, doomed to fail and is no threat to Israel.

Which leads one to ask if the Zios are so confident that BDS will be consigned to the rubbish heap of history, why then do they devote so much time, effort and resources to try to counter it?

In May, BICOM (the Britain Israel Communication and Research Centre) staged the We Believe in Israel conference in London that brought together the usual group of factually challenged oddballs and misfits along with some Israel embassy puppets and several political whores from Westminster seeking to feather their nests.

And in July, a highly controversial law was passed by the Israeli Knesset that made it an offence for any individual or organisation to call for a boycott against the State of Israel. 

I’m certain I wasn’t the only one who noticed an event called The Big Tent for Israel scheduled to take place in Manchester on November 27th which is yet another Zionist propaganda exercise promising to deliver a strategy against the successful delegitimisation campaign against the racist, apartheid state.

The remains of the tent in Sheikh Jarrah torched by Zionist settlers. (Photo: Ben Lorber - AIC)

It’s unlikely that the Big Tent name was inspired from the shelters that many Palestinians are now forced to live in after either their homes were bulldozed or were (il)legally taken over by Israeli settlers.

Nor was it likely that the organisers came up with the name after news broke in September that the tent used by solidarity activists in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah district was torched by Zionist settlers.  

Most blurbs for the Big Tent proclaim that “London, UK is the ‘Hub of Hubs’ of the international campaign to delegitimise Israel”, echoing the well-deserved title that Israel’s Reut Institute gave to London in its 2010 report  entitled: The Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy: London as a Case Study. However some publicity eliminates the London reference and states that the UK is the ‘Hub of Hubs’ in a desperate attempt to entice more people from a wider geographical area to pay the £28.00 registration fee, which also includes a kosher lunch. 

The UK is now the "Hub of Hubs"

But just as in the case of the Zionist state, the rainbow hasn’t come out and the birds haven’t started singing. Problems under the big tent started to appear almost from the beginning.

Big tent political events usually seek to bring together people with a diverse range of views and opinions. However,  Orthodox ‘Rabbi’ Jonathan Guttentag, the leading organiser, at first refused to allow ‘progressive’ (ie: Reform) rabbis to speak – which drew the ire of the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, who both threatened to withhold official recognition unless progressive Jews were also given time on the podium.  

‘Rabbi’ Guttentag was forced to bow to strong pressure to avoid yet another embarrassing and divisive rift within the Zionist community and eventually changed his mind about his ban on progressive rabbis.

'Rabbi' Jonathan Guttentag: An embarrassing and humiliating reversal.

Ironically, the Manchester Big Tent event is scheduled to take place at the same time as the Reform Movement’s Northern Communities’ Weekend conference, another major event.

Coincidence or what?

There also have been problems with BICOM. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the Big Tent event was intended as a follow-up to BICOM’s We Believe in Israel conference in May, but disagreements caused BICOM to pull out of any involvement in the Manchester event.

Yet another controversy.

A sister event in London called The Mini Big Tent for Israel was held on Wednesday, November 9th at Edgware United Synagogue – the secretive location emailed to attendees just two days before the event.

This unsavoury (and unsuccessful) ploy of keeping the venue of any Zionist event closed and secret is often dismissed under the pretext of ‘security’, but everyone knows the actual purpose is to deter any opposition. 

Contrast that with Palestine solidarity events which are openly publicised and welcome to all - including Zionists. 

The speakers at the London Mini Big Tent included ‘Rabbi’ Guttentag, Michael Weiss, Alan Mendoza, who’s Executive Director of the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society and Douglas Murray of the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, an Israeli think tank that’s also affiliated with the Henry Jackson Society.

The presentations included: “Hub of Hubs – The Challenge to UK and London Jewry – the findings and recommendations of the Reut Report”, “The Media Angle – Just how much is Hamas being sanitised in the UK media?”, “The Case for Israel – The Broader Perspective” and “UK, Eye of the Storm – where do we go from here?” 

I registered to attend through The Big Tent for Israel website, but on Tuesday, one day before the event, this arrived in my inbox:

I am emailing you to inform you that your application to attend the Mini Big Tent for Israel, taking place this Wednesday 9th November has been declined and your e-ticket that was sent to you earlier today has been withdrawn.

Regards,

Debbie Marks
Conference Organiser | The Mini Big Tent for Israel

I replied, asking for a reason why my ticket was withdrawn, stating that I’m Jewish, as well as a longstanding campaigner for a democratic Israel.

I didn’t have to wait long for an answer:

I am afraid your request to attend this event has been declined, we are not obliged to give a reason.

The reason is simple: No matter what is discussed, no matter what strategies to win hearts and minds for the apartheid state are planned, they are all doomed to fail because people, no matter what their religion, culture or background, will always recognise injustice, discrimination and oppression –  be it in apartheid South Africa or apartheid Israel.

So let them pitch their big tent. We all know which way the political wind is blowing.

No Let Up For Veolia At The Natural History Museum London

Postcard handed to museum goers



Report by Isvestia London November 2011

Over fifteen Campaigners for Palestinian Rights were out in force for over two hours on Saturday 5 November protesting outside the Natural History Museum in London. Many of the campaigners are actively involved in the increasingly successful campaign across the UK and throughout the world to exclude Veolia from winning local authority contracts.

The French multinational Veolia is the official sponsor of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Museum and its corporate logo appears prominently on the posters and publicity materials. Veolia is a company that is deeply complicit in and that directly profits from Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Campaigners approached exhibition-goers to give them information about Veolia and to encourage them to fill in the official feedback forms to protest at the Museum’s decision to appoint Veolia as exhibition sponsor.

Hundreds of general postcards about Veolia’s activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as special leaflets about the sponsorship of the Wildlife Photography exhibition, were handed out by Palestinian rights campaigners and dozens of conversations took place as exhibition-goers wanted to know more. Many people expressed their thanks to the campaigners for the information about Veolia and expressed their disappointment that Veolia should be chosen by the museum as Exhibition sponsor. The positive reception from so many members of the public was a boost for the Palestinian Rights Campaigners. There was a boost from another quarter; amongst a group of British Army soldiers who were jogging by the museum, one gave the victory sign and shouted ‘Free Palestine’ !

Palestinian Rights campaigners will be continuing their protests every two weeks at the Natural History Museum in London.

For more information about Veolia and its activities please go to www.bigcampiagn.org/veolia/

Special flyer distributed to museum goers

ASA complaint against misleading Jewish Chronicle advert UPHELD!

Advertising Standards Authority: Complaint UPHELD!

By London BDS

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint made by a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) against Israel Lease Acquisitions Network (ILAN) Real Estate for its advertisement in the 24 June 2011 edition of the Zionist Jewish Chronicle ‘newspaper’.

The advertisement implied that the properties that ILAN offered were for sale in Israel, but Michael Shanahan, a member of the PSC, noticed that one of these featured, notably Efrat, was actually an illegal settlement.

The international community regard all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and not part of Israel.

Mr Shanahan commented:

“My interest in the matter goes back very many years; I read my history and discovered that the Palestinians had suffered the greatest of sorrows at a time when colonialism was being seriously  diminished. In present times, I am happy to meet many brave and honourable people of many different backgrounds who are prepared to speak out.”

The Jewish Chronicle: Misleading advertising.

The ASA’s adjudication stated that the Dekel development in Efrat is located in the occupied West Bank – in territory not internationally recognised as part of Israel – is likely to be highly relevant to consumers and that the omission of the information in the ad that was published in the Jewish Chronicle newspaper was misleading.

The ASA adjudication also noted ILAN’s violation of the Committee of Advertising Practice rules 1.7 (Unreasonable delay) and 3.1 and 3.3 (Misleading advertising).

ILAN Real Estate failed to respond to enquiries and thus Mr Shanahan’s complaint was upheld.

You can read the full adjudication here.

The Jewish Chronicle advertisement that was the subject of the complaint also mentioned that ILAN Real Estate had a stall at the Israeli Property & Investment Exhibition held in June at the Regents Marriott Hotel, near London’s Swiss Cottage that Londonbds.org covered in a post entitled Israel Property Exhibition – A Deserted Flop. This poorly attended event was picketed by human rights activists holding a banner that read ‘Stop Stealing Palestinian Land’. 

Outside the Israel Property Exhibition in June

The ASA decision is in line with its three previous rulings against the Israeli Tourist Board for advertisements that implied that the Occupied Palestinian Territories were in Israel.

In 2009, after receiving over six hundred complaints, Transport for London removed Israel Ministry of Tourism posters displayed at London Underground stations that showed a borderless map of Greater Israel that included the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights.

But no Gaza, West Bank or Golan Heights.

In addition, this UK ruling follows one earlier in the year by the South African Advertising Standards Authority which ruled that Israel could be referred to as an apartheid state in a radio advertisement that included the words, “Be on the right side of history. Don’t entertain apartheid. Join the international boycott of Israel” spoken by the UK’s Dave Randall of the band Faithless, which was broadcast on 5fm, the mainstream South African radio station with over 2 million listeners.

The advert was in support of the South African Artists Against Apartheid coalition. In the advert Randall says:

“Hi, I’m Dave Randall from Faithless. Twenty years ago I would not have played in apartheid South Africa; today I refuse to play in Israel. Be on the right side of history. Don’t entertain apartheid. Join the international boycott of Israel. I support southafricanartistsagainstapartheid.com.”

Listen to the South African Artists Against Apartheid radio advert:

BBC take note.

The resistance must be continuous.