Issue-oriented and thematic papers for PfL’s advocacy work, including statements, campaign materials, articles and updates on developing issues; and links to related resources and information
No. 55 (2008.10.22) – Lock maker Assa Abloy to move West Bank plant
Editor’s note:
Why Boycott Israel?
The Palestinian people are experiencing their fortieth year of military occupation. The siege by the Israeli army and the economic blockade have devastated their daily lives so that ‘normal’ life is impossible.
Israel operates an entrenched system of racial Apartheid against its own non-Jewish inhabitants and has been illegally occupying Palestinian land in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights since 1967. It has sought to further annex these lands and has systematically transferred its own civilian population into these occupied territories in contravention of international law. Israel continues to build the illegal Apartheid wall, annexing vast swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank and creating Palestinian ghettos, despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice that it is illegal.
The experiences of the anti-apartheid movement against South Africa demonstrated how “peoples sanctions” made an impact from a local level. Once grassroots campaigners built popular, widespread support for sanctions, these were taken up at regional, national and global institutions. In a sense sanctions form a core goal of boycott campaigns that appeal to agencies to apply specific measures against the offender. As with apartheid South Africa, Israel is the target of various forms of sanctions in support of an oppressed people struggling for freedom:
Military Sanctions
Israel’s military industry is unusual compared to other states in that production is geared towards external markets, bringing in vital investment for the economy. Israel has a shortfall in domestic production and imports military goods from the US and some EU states (often with assistance).
A sanctions campaign looks to cut off an important sector of the Israeli economy, which has caused mini weapons races across the world, fuelled various conflicts and assisted various regimes, dictators and juntas.
Until the Israeli government shows it is serious about complying with international law, economic pressure must be applied on its governments. Some 200 Palestinian organizations have called for a campaign of Boycott-Divestment-and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The least that informed citizens around the world can do is to bring their governments to pursue the BDS line as an instrument that has the potential to bring Israel to its knees. It is naive to think this will be an easy thing to do, but that was the way people felt about applying sanctions against South Africa too! And finally, the combination of resistance and boycotts did work to end apartheid.
In this issue of Palestine Update, we bring you one example of a company choosing divestment as its protest option. For more on the BDS campaigns, we suggest readers look up the net on www.bds-palestine.net/.
Lock maker Assa Abloy to move West Bank plant
ASSOCIATED PRESS 10.21.08, 10:51 AM ET
STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Sweden’s Assa Abloy AB, the world’s largest lock maker, said Tuesday it would move a production plant from an Israeli settlement in the West Bank after being criticized by human rights groups.
The announcement followed a critical report by the Church of Sweden, aid group Diakonia and SwedWatch, a nonprofit group that monitors the conduct of Swedish businesses. The report said Assa Abloy disrespects international humanitarian law by conducting business in occupied territory….
Read full article at
Please write/call this firm today and thank them for taking this move:
ASSA ABLOY AB
P.O. Box 70340
SE-107 23 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8-506 485 00
E-mail: infoassaabloy.com
Palestine Update is an occasional mailing edited by Ranjan Solomon and sent out by Goa-based Alternatives on behalf of Alternatives/Badayl
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