Eye on Palestine: JAI Newsletter–December 8, 2014

by Middle East and Europe | published on Dec 18, 2014

Newsletter from the YWCA and YMCA Joint Advocacy Initiative in #Palestine

Israeli cabinet approves Netanyahu’s bill giving national rights only to Jews

The Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday the controversial “National Law” bill based on the versions submitted by MK Ze’ev Elkin of Likud and a nearly identical version proposed by MKs Ayelet Shaked of Jewish Home, Yariv Levin of Likud and Robert Ilatov of Yisrael Beytenu, Israel’s Channel 7 news reported on Monday. The National Law aims to recognise the State of Israel as “the national home of the Jewish people,” where “the right to realisation of national self-determination in Israel is exclusive to the Jewish people.” The non-Jewish Arab population in Israel is about 20 per cent. Read more …

Kairos Palestine Christmas Alert 2014

Another Christmas is approaching, and injustice in the land of peace remains rampant. This time again, we pray that the coming year will be different: that violence will cease, impunity will end, and peace with justice will begin to flourish…In this Christmas alert, we choose one Sunday during the advent to shed light on the situation Palestinians face and to express compassion and support in the name of peace with justice. The Alert is translated into 13 languages. Read more…

Middle East Studies Association affirms members’ right to boycott Israeli academic institutions

A huge win for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement at the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) annual conference in Washington. Participating members voted overwhelmingly, by a majority of 265 against 79, to adopt a draft resolution defending their right to boycott Israeli academic institutions, part of the Palestinian campaign for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The resolution “affirms calls for institutional boycott, divestment, and/or sanctions are protected free speech and legitimate forms of non-violent political action” and “deplores…measures of intimidation” that have been directed against other academic associations mentioning 4 by name who have passed similar resolutions in the past. Read more …

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