Consolidating a Brazilian response to Kairos Palestine

Record!

I am an Arab

And my identity card is number fifty thousand

I have eight children

And the nineth is coming after a summer

Will you be angry?1

In celebration of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the First National Meeting of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Brazil was held on 25-28 November at the Florestan Fernandes Popular School in Guararema, Sao Paulo. It brought together 108 Palestinian and Brazilian leaders and guests from Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, including militants and Palestinian refugees, representatives of social movements, ecumenical movements and political parties and other organizations of the Brazilian working class with the support of Peace for Life.

The discussions were aimed at the collective construction of common denominators that shall guide the struggle for solidarity and the creation of a social and political movement of an international character, to ensure decent living conditions, work and freedom to the Palestinian people. The goal now is to consolidate a National Committee and preparation for the Free Palestine Social Forum, scheduled for November 2012 in Porto Alegre (RS).

Record!

I am an Arab

Employed with fellow workers at a quarry

I have eight children

I get them bread

Garments and books

from the rocks..

I do not supplicate charity at your doors

Nor do I belittle myself at the footsteps of your chamber

So will you be angry?

João Felício (left), international relations of Central Unica de Trabalhadores/
Brasil (Workers Union); Jamal Juma (center); Soraya Misleh (right),
Brazilian-Palestinian journalist.

Leila Kahled (left), Nancy Cardoso (center),
Abla Saadat (right)

Several leaders attended the event: Jamal Juma, founding member of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, the Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange and the Palestinian Environmental NGO Network; since 2002, Juma is one of the coordinators of the campaign against the apartheid wall (Stop the Wall) and member of the International Council of the WSF; Abla Saadat, Palestinian human rights activist working for the release of Palestinian political prisoners and to expose their poor conditions and abuse by Israeli authorities; Abla is the wife of Ahmad Saadat, secretary-general of the Palestinian party Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine since 2002; Leila Khaled, one of the greatest leaders of the Popular Front, chairs the National Union of Palestinian Women and a member of the Palestinian National Council.

Leila Khaled (left); Ibrahim Al Zeben (right)

Also present were the ambassador of the Palestinian Authority in Brazil, Ibrahim Al Zeben; Atef Saa of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU); Ruba Odeh of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, Mahmoud Zwahre of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee; Abdallah Abu Rahma of the Bil'in Popular Committee, among others.

Record!

I am an Arab

I have a name without a title

Patient in a country

Where people are enraged

My roots

Were entrenched before the birth of time

And before the opening of the eras

Before the pines, and the olive trees

And before the grass grew

The ambiguity of the Brazilian position:
football, water and coffee, tourism and war

One of the main issues discussed was how Brazil has contributed to the apartheid regime committed by Israel. Brazil has become a strategic objective for the Israeli war economy, which is in constant search of new markets and economic alliances that support its policy of colonization and war. Between 2005 and 2010, our country was the fourth largest importer of Israeli arms in the world and initiated several joint ventures with weapons manufacturers, and the Israeli weapons industry has bought Brazilian companies.

Here are some examples:

Tavor Rifle: It was developed by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) during the second Intifada and the War in Gaza. Taurus in Brazil was given the license to produce these rifles that are purchased by the Brazilian army.

Elbit Systems: Provides Israeli weapons that kill civilians in "extrajudicial executions" and equipment for the Apartheid Wall and settlements. Purchased three Brazilian companies: Aeroeletronica (AEL), Ares Aeroespecial e Defesa, and Periscopio Equipamentos.

National Security: The Israeli military industry aims to get billions of dollars in contracts in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Of the seven Israeli arms companies, six of them have proven ties to Israeli violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

But it is not only Israeli militarism that is on Brazilian soil. In 2011, the Israeli national water company, Mekorot, profited greatly here. On 6 May, the minister of industry and trade in Israel, Shalom Simhon, signed a technical cooperation agreement with Sabesp, the water supply company in Sao Paulo. The water industry is based on the Israeli colonization of Palestinian land and steal natural resources, so Brazilian consumers contribute, unknowingly, to the perpetuation of crimes committed by Israel.

Even coffee is stained with blood by Israeli terrorism. A decade ago, the Strauss Group identified Brazil as a strategic target of its expansion and now controls Café Três Corações (Three Hearts Coffee), Santa Clara and Fino Grão (Fine Grain). In 2006, the Strauss Group announced an impressive growth of 26% in Brazil that helped offset a decline in its overall profits. Part of these profits supports the Israeli occupation forces, ending in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank. The Strauss Group is proud of its support for Israeli occupation forces, specifically the Golani Brigade, a combat unit that aggressively and regularly violates human rights and international law. Golani soldiers have been convicted of beatings of detained Palestinians, forcing them to sing songs and humiliating them with sexual perversion while blindfolded. Brazilian coffee consumers, without realizing it, are making this business profitable.

My father.. descends from the family of the plow

Not from a privileged class

And my grandfather...was a farmer

Neither well-bred, nor well-born!

Teaches me the pride of the sun

Before teaching me how to read

And my house is like a watchman's hut

Made of branches and cane

Are you satisfied with my status?

I have a name without a title!

Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions

After the presentation of data on the participation of Brazil in the strategic military and colonialist Israel, the discussions turned to measures of boycott spearheaded mainly by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign launched six years ago by various Palestinian civil society organizations against companies, products and services that fund the Israeli apartheid. This year the initiative focuses on achieving a full military embargo on Israel until it complies with the fundamental Palestinian claims:

The immediate end of military occupation and colonization of Arab lands and the dismantling of the apartheid wall, which is being built in the West Bank since 2002.
The recognition of the rights of Palestinians to self-determination, sovereignty and equality.
The right of return of Palestinian refugees to their land, which has been expelled since 1948.
Release of thousands of political prisoners.

Despite the movement expanding throughout the world, Brazil still needs to move forward. A study sponsored by the organization Stop the Wall reveals that the Mercosur-Israel free trade agreement (FTA) includes the sale, in Brazilian territory, of products made in illegal settlements in the West Bank. In addition, USP (Universidade de São Paulo) and CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education) have signed cooperation agreements and exchanges with Israeli institutions, especially in recent years.

Stop The Wall warned that these initiatives will ensure that wars, Israeli occupation and colonization continue to generate profits. The organization emphasized that these links bring into question the commitment of the Brazilian government to support human rights, peace and the creation of a Palestinian state. Brazil cannot reconcile complicity in serious violations of international law by Israel with the aspirations of an emerging world power and an advocate of international law and human rights.

Record!

I am an Arab

You have stolen the orchards of my ancestors

And the land which I cultivated

Along with my children

And you left nothing for us

Except for these rocks..

So will the State take them

As it has been said?!

Consolidating a Brazilian response to Kairos Palestine

The objective of this meeting was to articulate solidarity with Palestine in Brazil creating significant consensus among social movements, social pastoral and human rights organizations. The complex political differences between the Brazilian organizations have historically created difficulties for the realization of solidarity.

Davina Lucas (left), Faith and Politcs Movement;
Nancy Cardoso (center); Vanessa Dias (right),
World March of Women

From this meeting and the consensus built we believe that solidarity with Palestine will be more effective and that the participation of the progressive sectors of religions can contribute to Kairos Palestine.

Between the axles for ecumenical action is identified as a tourism rebound urgent question that mobilizes people and resources and reinforces misconceptions in Brazilian mass culture about the conflict with a tendency to support the State of Israel because of the supposed continuities with biblical Israel is very present in the religious imagination of the great Brazilian masses exploited by the media and many religious fundamentalists.

It also considered the challenge to articulate scholars of religion, especially the biblical literature to confront fundamentalism circulating both on campus and in the general cultural gospel.

Father Naves (left), Land Pastoral Comission; Nancy Cardoso
(center); Father Vidal (right), Bible Ecumenical Center

For the routing of these proposals were articulated two working groups: one on religious tourism and the other on theological fundamentalism.

The ecumenical movements (Pastoral Land Commission, Faith and Politics Movement, Ecumenical Center of the Bible, the Latin American Council of Churches, Youth Pastoral), shared commitments of the Kairos Palestine committed to these tasks. A theological and pastoral response to the call charge of the Palestinian people must go through a concrete commitment to solidarity. Also of great importance was the presence of WCC-EAPPI’s Manuel Quintero who can share on the program and expanding the possible participation of Brazil.

Therefore!

Record on the top of the first page:

I do not hate poeple

Nor do I encroach

But if I become hungry

The usurper's flesh will be my food

Beware..

Beware..

Of my hunger

And my anger!

Charter of Principles

At the end of the event, a charter of principles was drawn up that will guide the actions of the National Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, with the aim of strengthening and coordinating the building of solidarity campaigns currently underway in Brazil and future actions that were highlighted throughout the meeting.

The principles are:

Defend the Palestinian people's legitimate right to struggle against Israeli occupation;
Recognition of a Palestinian state as a full member of the UN;
Strengthen the fight for the release of Palestinian prisoners, including the 22 MPs who are now in prison;
Intensify the fight against the Mercosur-Israel Free Trade Agreement;
Intensify Brazil's boycott and divestment campaign against Israel;
Counter the economic, political and military power imposed by Israel on the people of Gaza;
Uphold the right of all Palestinians return to their land; and
Support popular mobilizations against the Israeli occupation.

The first Brazilian National Meeting of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was held on 25-28 November at the Florestan Fernandes Popular School in Guararema, Sao Paulo, attended by 108 Palestinian and Brazilian leaders and guests from Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. [Photo: Sitio Coletivo]

1 by Mahmoud Darwish, 1964