By Ali Abunimah"January 2, 2010
The Gaza Freedom March has come to an end, but before the protesters dispersed they agreed on the following statement:
End Israeli Apartheid
Cairo Declaration
January 1, 2010
We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective
response to an initiative from the South African delegation, state:
In view of:
* Israel’s ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza;
* the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements;
* the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza;
* the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006;
* the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza one year ago;
* the continuing discrimination and repression faced by Palestinians within Israel;
* and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees;
*
all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;* in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with impunity;
* and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)
We reaffirm our commitment to:
Palestinian Self-Determination
Ending the Occupation
Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine
The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugeesWe therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call of July 2005 for
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with international law.
To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.
Mindful of the many
strong similarities between apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:
1)
An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider public internationally;
2) Participation in the
Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;
3) A systematic unified approach to the
boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;
4) Developing the
Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;
5) Campaigns to encourage
divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;
6)
Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli government war criminals; coordination of Citizen’s Arrest Bureaux to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals; support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its recommendations;
7) Campaigns
against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality.
Please e-mail us at cairodec@gmail.com
Signed by:
(* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)
1.
Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*,
USA
2.
Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*,
South Africa3.
Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*,
South Africa4.
Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*,
South Africa5.
George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*,
South Africa6.
Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*,
South Africa7.
Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*,
South Africa8.
Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*,
South Africa9.
Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*,
South Africa10.
Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*,
South Africa11.
Sayeed Dhansey,
South Africa12.
Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*,
South Africa13.
Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*,
USA14.
Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*,
Ireland15.
Anthony Loewenstein,
Australia16.
Sam Perlo-Freeman,
United Kingdom17.
Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*,
USA18.
Ulf Fogelström,
Sweden
19.
Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*,
USA20.
Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*,
USA21.
Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*,
Germany22.
Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*,
USA23.
Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*,
USA
24.
Svetlana Gesheva-Anar,
Bulgaria25.
Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*,
Spain26.
Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*,
USA27.
Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*,
USA28.
David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*,
USA29.
Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*,
USA30.
Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*,
USA
31.
Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*,
USA32.
Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*,
France33.
Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*,
USA34.
Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*,
USA
35.
Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*,
USA 36.
Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*,
England
37.
Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*,
USA38.
Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*,
Australia39.
Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*,
USA40.
Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
England41.
Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*,
Austria42.
Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*,
USA
43.
Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*,
Switzerland44.
Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*,
Switzerland45.
Ashley Annis, People for Peace*,
Canada
46.
Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*,
Canada47.
Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*,
Canada48.
Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*,
Canada49.
Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*,
Canada50.
Filsam Farah, People for Peace*,
Canada51.
Awa Allin, People for Peace*,
Canada52.
Cleopatra McGovern,
USA
53.
Miranda Collet,
Spain
54.
Alison Phillips,
Scotland55.
Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*,
USA
56.
Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*,
USA57.
Jesse Meisler-Abramson,
USA58.
Hope Mariposa,
USA 59.
Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*,
Germany60.
Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*,
USA61.
Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*,
USA62.
Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*,
USA63.
Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*,
USA
64.
Anna Keuchen,
Germany65.
Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*,
USA
66.
Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*,
USA67.
Ina Kelleher,
USA68.
Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*,
USA69.
Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*,
USA70.
Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*,
Canada71.
Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
Scotland72.
Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*,
Switzerland73.
Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*,
USA 74.
Leila El Abtah,
The Netherlands75.
Richard, Van der Wouden,
The Netherlands76.
Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*,
The Netherlands77.
Sandra Tamari,
USA78.
Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*,
USA
79.
J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen,
USA
80.
Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*,
USA81.
Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada*,
Canada82.
Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France
83.
Sylvia Schwarz,
USA 84.
Alexandra Safi,
Germany
85.
Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*,
Turkey86.
Ted Auerbach,
USA
87.
Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*,
USA88.
Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*,
USA89.
Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*,
USA90.
Emma Grigore, CodePink*,
USA
91.
Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*,
USA
92.
Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*,
USA
93.
Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*,
USA94.
Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*,
USA95.
Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*,
USA 96.
Hanan Tabbara,
USA97.
Marina Barakatt, CodePink*,
USA98.
Keren Bariyov,
USA99.
Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*,
Austria 100.
Ann Cunningham,
Australia101.
Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*,
USA102.
Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*,
USA103.
Athena Viscusi,
USA 104.
Marco Viscusi,
USA105.
Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*,
USA106.
Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey,
USA107.
Ellen Graves,
USA 108.
Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
Ireland109.
Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*,
Spain110.
Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*,
Spain111.
Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*,
Canada112.
David Heap, London Anti-War*,
Canada113.
Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*,
England114.
Aimee Shalan,
UK
115.
Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*,
Spain 116.
Priscilla Lynch,
USA
117.
Jenna Bitar,
USA
118.
Deborah Mardon,
USA
119.
Becky Thompson,
USA
120.
Diane Hereford,
USA121.
David Heap, People for Peace London*,
Canada 122.
Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*,
Canada123.
Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*,
Canada124.
Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*,
Canada
125.
Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*,
Canada126.
Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*,
France127.
Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*,
India
128.
John Dear, Pax Christi*,
USA129.
Ziyaad Lunat,
Portugal
130.
Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW)
131. Labor For Palestine"