Palestinians have a right to resist the Israeli occupation, including the illegal and brutal 11-year blockade of Gaza. The living situation for the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza is terrible and getting worse.
We stand in solidarity with the Great March of Return protestors who every Friday assemble at the fence and demand equal human rights with the Israelis on the other side. These young people refuse to be trapped in the open air prison created by the Israeli government and abetted by the Egyptian dictatorship. They refuse to be refugees forever.
Rocket attacks against civilians are illegal and ineffective. There is no military solution for Palestinians. Israel – backed by massive funding from the USA – has overwhelming conventional dominance. Israeli civilians – like Palestinian civilians – must never be targeted. Despite this legal prohibition, civilians in Gaza have repeatedly been attacked by the Israeli army, with about 1,500 killed in Israel’s 7-week bombardment of Gaza in 2014.
The refusal of Palestinians to meekly play the part of the conquered, by protesting for equality and dignity, whether in Gaza, the West Bank or increasingly within Israel, is inevitable. Palestinians have never accepted the cruel deal imposed on them in 1947-48. They have always resisted the occupation and the stunting of their lives and those of their children.
Our solidarity through peaceful, targeted, determined BDS campaigning is removing the cloak of legitimacy that once allowed the Israeli state to promote the myth that Palestinians did not exist and that Israel was a normal society. Social media allows Palestinians at home and throughout the diaspora to speak for themselves and demand the right to return home.
With Israeli elections just weeks away it suits Netanyahu to be seen as a strongman. But whichever chauvinist wins the election the situation for Palestinians will remain desperate and international solidarity remains vital.
We urge people to join Land Day rallies on this Saturday 30 March to commemorate the first anniversary of the beginning of the Great March of Return actions in Gaza.
Diverse members of the Australian community send a message to SBS, Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service, to support the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) Australia call to cancel this year’s Eurovision broadcast from Israel. In many languages these SBS viewers have one message: “We love Eurovision, but we love human rights more.”
In every Eurovision country campaigners are working in solidarity with the struggle of Palestinian people for their equal human rights and the upholding of international law. They are calling on organisations like SBS that broadcast and promote the song contest to end their participation because this year Eurovision is not ‘bringing people together.’
Justice for Palestine Brisbane and BDS Australia held a protest event to meet with the fans going in to Eurovision ‘Australia Decides’ to explain why we are calling for a boycott, that “we love Eurovision, but we love human rights more.”
And below is some video footage of a boycott supporter unfurling a banner inside the event at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
SBS Australia and Blink TV have now announced the 10 contestants for the Eurovision – ‘Australia Decides’ – Gold Coast 2019 event happening on February 8 and 9.
We have written to each contestant (see our letter below to Kate Miller-Heidke), but we really need your help to let these musicians know that Palestinians are calling on them to #BoycottEurovision2019 in Israel.
All the artists are on Facebook, 9 have Instagram, and most use Twitter.
Contact details for all of the performers are below. Here’s how to do it best: 1/. If you’re a fan, let them know you love what they do 2/. Be super polite: we want to inform and convince them. Remember, they may not really understand the situation for Palestinians or how they can help, so again, be super polite! 3/. Use your own words, but there are many places to get information, including many links on this page 4/. Tell them about the role international artists played in piling on the pressure with boycotts to end apartheid in South Africa – some of them may not know anything about this 5/. Remind them that Eurovision will happen again in 2020, so sitting out this year for Palestinians’ human rights is not so hard 6/. Ask for a reply 7/. Share what you’re doing on social media so others will also contact them 8/. Use the hashtags #Eurovision2019 #BoycottEurovision2019 #FreePalestine #BoycottIsrael
“Disapproval of the actions of Israel and sympathy for Palestinians in public opinion is high. But, as every Palestine campaigner here knows, translating agreement into action can often be an uphill battle.”
It really helps if you: 1/ Sign our Boycott Eurovision 2019 SBS petition 2/ Make a donation of any size to support our work 3/ Like our Facebook page 4/ Share these^ links. 5/ Do all of the above! Thanks!
This website is maintained by BDS Australia, which is affiliated with the coalition of Palestinian organisations that leads and supports the BDS movement and by the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a BNC member organisation.
It’s a great question posed by our BDS Australia committee member Nick Riemer in New Matilda today –