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Civic Coalition calls for blacklist of corporations supporting the occupation of Jerusalem

June 21, 2008

A network of seventeen Palestinian human rights NGOs today launched a campaign to mobilize the international community to end Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem.

The Civic Coalition for Jerusalem is calling for a ‘blacklist’ of corporations supporting the occupation of Jerusalem, and is asking activists all over the world to research companies in their own countries to go on the list.

A network of seventeen Palestinian human rights NGOs today launched a campaign to mobilize the international community to end Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem.

The Civic Coalition for Jerusalem is calling for a ‘blacklist’ of corporations supporting the occupation of Jerusalem, and is asking activists all over the world to research companies in their own countries to go on the list.

Companies can be blacklisted in seconds using the online reporting system on the Coalition website, www.ccdprj.ps/stopexulsion. The Coalition will then contact the company concerned to get clarification on their policy. If the company insists that they will support the occupation regardless of Palestinian rights, they will be blacklisted and details distributed to activists.

Targets include media outlets advertising properties in settlements and contractors carrying out infrastructural and other work for the occupation authorities. Top the bill is Veolia, the French company working on the construction of the Jerusalem Light Rail project to link up the illegal settlements.


According to the Civic Coalition’s human rights bulletin for May just released, seven Palestinian homes were bulldozed in Jerusalem last month, part of a sustained campaign of demolition since January. The demolitions are part of a wider picture: the Israeli master plan for Jerusalem explicitly aims to keep the Palestinian population at no more than 30% of the total population of Jerusalem. This is being achieved through rapid settlement expansion, punitive restrictions on Palestinian communities, demolition of Palestinian homes and withdrawal of ID cards.

Khalil Tukfaji, member of the Stop the Expulsion campaign committee and planning expert, said:

“The Jerusalem master plan for 2020 aims for 40,000 homes, mainly for Jews in Jerusalem. There will be some development for Palestinians, but the aim of the master plan is to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and minimize the number of Palestinians in the city. So far this year, there have been 7000 tenders for settlement housing units in Jerusalem, so we can see that the Israeli municipality is now implementing this plan.”

Jamal Juma’, member of Stop the Expulsion campaign committee, and Coordinator of the Stop the Wall campaign said:

“We have had sixty years of UN Resolutions, sixty years of statements and condemnation of Israel’s policies of annexation and Judaization in Jerusalem. Last week plans for thousands new homes were announced for settlements in Jerusalem, drawing the usual half hearted condemnations from European leaders. And then what does the EU do? In the same week it unanimously upgrades its economic and diplomatic relationship with the occupying power. This is hypocrisy on a massive scale.

“We are calling for nothing more than respect basic principles of justice and humanity.”

The Coalition will be blacklisting multinational corporations who provide their services to assist the occupation of Jerusalem, and coordinating with activists internationally to hold their governments to account over Israel’s impunity.

Information about the Stop the Expulsion campaign is available on the Civic Coalition website, www.ccdprj.ps/stopexpulsion

 


The house of Khalid Shoman, Beit Hanina, north Jerusalem, demolished April 2008

 

The Ghozlan Abassi family’s furniture under a temporary shelter after their home was demolished, Mount of Olives, May 2008

June 21, 2008
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