No disaster relief funding for states boycotting Israel, US says

(Glorious Trump supports convicted child sex traffickers, protects the secrets of convicted child rapists and now denies you disaster relief assistance if your state just happens to reject supporting a nation currently starving children and committing genocide so they can steal more fucking land.

This is what you voted for though, right?) 

from PressTV

The administration of US President Donald Trump has declared that states and cities boycotting Israeli firms will be denied federal funding for natural disaster preparedness, marking a new level of support for its ally, even as Israel faces global condemnation over its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in grant notices posted on Friday that states must follow its "terms and conditions" to qualify for funding, including  certifying they will not cut “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies.”

According to the notices, the condition applies to at least $1.9 billion that states rely on to cover expenses related to search-and-rescue equipment, emergency manager salaries and backup power systems.

In April, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, said that boycotting Israel is prohibited for states and cities receiving its grant funds.

The development comes as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes economic pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories, has been gaining popularity after the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in 2023...

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Huge Win for BDS is a Massive Blow to Netanyahu!

(Bit of good news from the UK. The BDS movement finally convinced the company which made the motors for Israel's quad-copter killer drones to stop filling the orders. These drones are driven hard and brought home to roost wet so the IDF killed drone pilots need a constant stream of new motors to replace the worn out ones. Well, they wont be getting em from this UK manufacturer anymore and that is good news.) 

from KernowDamo

 

US House passes bill meant to cover up Israel’s occupation of Palestine

from PressTV

The US House of Representatives has approved a controversial bill that disregards Palestinians’ rights to their land by designating products from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank as originating from Israel.

The proposal, sponsored by Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of New York, was passed by a vote of 231 to 189 on Thursday.

Titled the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act,” the bill is designed to combat the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, signaling approval for Israel to steal more Palestinian land for its illegal settlement activities.

The bill stipulates that products from the majority of the occupied West Bank will be marked as “Product of Israel” or “Made in Israel.” 

It also mandates that goods from the occupied West Bank and Gaza no longer be labeled together but separately, effectively erasing the recognition of their unified identity.

Thus, products would read either “West Bank” or “Gaza” rather than “West Bank and Gaza”.

The bill goes to the finance committee next week. Should it pass in the Senate, it would further complicate efforts aimed at supporting Palestinian-made goods and boycotting Israeli items...

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Arab League intensifies anti-'Israel' boycott rules

from al Mayadeen English

The Arab League agreed to strengthen the boycott on Israeli-affiliated companies on Wednesday, issuing a ban on corporations that violate the rules of the Arab boycott in investment in illegal settlements. 

The Arab delegates also demanded companies withdraw their investments and renounce cooperation with the Israeli occupation, adhering to the implemented boycott rules during their 96th conference of the Liaison Officers of Arab Regional Offices on Boycott of "Israel" in Cairo.

The conference, led by Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories Ambassador Saeed Abu Ali, highlighted “the importance of strengthening the work of the Arab boycott agencies and following up on their efforts and activities in implementing the provisions of the Arab boycott.” ...

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Let councils boycott Israel, new Attorney General told Labour

from Telegraph

The newly appointed Attorney General previously advised Labour it should allow public bodies to boycott Israel.

Richard Hermer KC provided legal advice last July on Tory plans to ban all public bodies from imposing their own divestment campaigns on foreign countries and ­territories.

Michael Gove, then the Communities Secretary, introduced the legislation, which was promised in the 2019 manifesto, after several councils backed the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanction) movement against Israel.

Mr Hermer told Labour the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill would “stifle free speech at home”.

He criticised the Bill as “poorly drafted” and said it would have a “detrimental impact on the United Kingdom’s ability to protect and promote human rights overseas”.

The legislation was ultimately dropped...

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Yes, Coke has a Gaza factory. But its Israel ties run much deeper

from Business Standard

This brings us to the question: What on earth is Israel to Coca-Cola that in their latest "eye opener" OVC they were referring to Israel as 'Oi jayga' (that place) instead of taking the actual name?...

... the sheer audacity to reduce an issue concerning the brand's 'alleged' association with a nation accused of genocide to mere mockery, especially of those trying to take a stance by boycotting the brand's products, is truly mind-blowing...

In 1997, the Government of Israel Economic Mission honoured Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for "its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years" and for "refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel." ...

Because one should not forget that Coca-Cola's factories in occupied territories are also considered contentious. It has long been alleged that Coca-Cola has a factory in Atarot, an illegal Israeli settlement built on land taken from Palestinians. Palestinian communities are forcibly removed to make way for such settlements, which are illegal under international law...

The United Nations in 2020 blacklisted the company for operating in illegal Israeli settlements...

In the past, there has also been proof of Coca-Cola donating to the Zionist cause, as a document from the Israel Corporations Authority revealed that Israel's Coca-Cola franchisee, the Central Bottling Company, donated $13,850 (50,000 shekels) to extremist Zionist group Im Tirtzu in 2015...

Let's go back to March 2022, when Coca-Cola suspended its business in Russia amidst the "tragic events in Ukraine." But the company hasn't done anything like this in protest of the Israeli aggression in Gaza? 

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Coca-Cola ad in Bangladesh sparks backlash for ‘denying ties with Israel’

from al Jazeera

A 60-second Coca-Cola advertisement in Bangladesh has caused a storm of criticism for the beverage giant over its attempt to distance itself from Israel amid the war on Gaza...

In its latest attempt to boost sales, the company on Sunday released an advertisement on television and social media, aimed at dispelling the “misinformation” that Coca-Cola is an Israeli product, arguing that the beverage “has been enjoyed for 138 years by people in 190 countries”...

The shopkeeper, through a conversation with the man and his friends, explains to them that Coca-Cola is not from “that place” and that claims linking it to “that place” are misinformation...

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The Ilhan Omar Smackdown Has Backfired

They ran the risk of bringing more attention to the issues they wanted silenced when they attacked Rep. Omar a month ago. Now they are trying to couch the discussion in identity politics in order to move the focus from BDS, AIPAC, UN report on IDF cruelty and Palestinian rights. Their efforts are failing.

Why They Attacked Rep. Omar: It Ain't the Tropes

Question: Why are they angry Rep. Omar said AIPAC is buying influence in American politics?

Answer: They aren't. Not really. They're scared of something else.

Anti-BDS Bill Advances in Senate

The worst part about this bill (aside from it's unconstitutional structure and the fact that it legislates 3.8 billion dollars a year to Israel for the next 10 years and beyond) is the chilling effect it will have on U.S. citizens who care about things like human rights. It is really an assault on folks who aren't psychopaths and an effort to make them keep their mouths shut when they see horrors playing out in places like Gaza and the West Bank.
 

The US Senate Just Quietly Advanced A Free Speech Busting Anti-BDS Bill

by Whitney Webb, MintPress News

In an evening vote that garnered essentially no national media coverage, the U.S. Senate voted last night to advance the “Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019” – sometimes called the “anti-BDS bill” for its component that would allow state and local governments to punish companies or individuals who support the non-violent Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement aimed at promoting Palestinian rights and ending Israeli apartheid and military occupation of the West Bank. The bill was, notably, numbered S.1 — the Senate’s first legislative act of its 2019-20 session.
 
Numerous rights groups, politicians and civil rights advocates have accused this measure of violating freedom of speech and setting a dangerous precedent for the private political activism of American citizens, all on behalf of a foreign country.

The bill was adopted by the Senate in a vote of 74 in favor to 19 against, with seven abstentions. The bill had previously been blocked by Senate Democrats by a 56-44 vote as part of their objection to acting on legislation during the government shutdown. However, many of those Democratic senators who had previously blocked the bill ultimately voted in support of the measure. In order to become law, the measure would still need to pass the Democrat-run House of Representatives. However, given the amount of support for the measure among Democrats and the power of the Israel lobby, the bill stands a considerable chance of passing the House.

Some commentators have paid particular attention to how Democratic senators considered to be 2020 hopefuls voted on the bill. Several confirmed and likely contenders for the upcoming Democratic nomination voted “No” – including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). However, Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), whose private courting of the Israel lobby was the subject of a recent MintPress News report, abstained from voting. Another notable abstention was Republican Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who had previously threatened to filibuster a key component of the bill last year, preventing its passage during the previous Congress...

[read more here]

On Contact: The Lobby - USA

"The four-part Al Jazeera documentary about how the government and intelligence agencies of Israel work with US Jewish groups to spy on, smear, and attack critics, was blocked due to heavy Israeli pressure. It was recently leaked online by the Chicago-based Electronic Intifada, the French website Orient XXI, and the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. Joining Chris Hedges for a two-part interview are Electronic Intifada co-founder Ali Abunimah and journalist and author Max Blumenthal."

The Truth About Israel, Boycotts, and BDS

‘Un-American Sellouts’: Rick Sanchez denounces anti-BDS politicians (Bahia Amawi story)

Texas 2270 law

"RT America’s Rachel Blevins joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the case of a Texas special-ed teacher who was fired for refusing to sign an employment contract containing an anti-BDS (Boycott-Divestment-Sanction) pledge. Then criminal defense attorney Andrew Dalack joins to explain how anti-BDS legislation is “repugnant to American values” and flies in the face of the First Amendment"

Manufacturing dissent: Leaked footage reveals US Israel lobby astroturfing student event (VIDEO)

from RT

 The Grayzone Project’s Max Blumenthal released a new segment Tuesday, revealing that US think tanks arranged a fake protest to disrupt a Students for Palestine national conference in 2016. The practice is known as astroturfing and aims to create an illusion of dissent where there is none, in turn creating press coverage to further the agenda of the perpetrators.

The footage features Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee on Israel, along with fellows from the Hoover Institution. A fellow named Marshall reveals Pollak’s views on students who support Palestine, recounting how he told them, “Look, there are these jihadis who basically support suicide bombing, and they’re on a campus and you have to stop them.”

 “This is astroturfing,” he said, and admitted his boss told him attendance was “mandatory.”  Marshall also revealed how much he is paid as a fellow when he joked about what people would say if he was exposed.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, who are these traitors who sold out to the Jewish conspiracy for money?'” he began. “I’m like, ‘We did! We cost $50,000 plus benefits.”

The video shows the protesters being briefed to stay on message and emphasize that the student group is a “hate group.” The staged protest includes Pollak shouting a number of claims about Palestinians, including, “they kill women, they kill children.”

The footage includes a clip of Pollak explaining that the US is more pro-Israel than the UK, which, he says, “let half of f*cking Pakistan in.”

The Lobby reveals US groups work in tandem with elements of Israel’s military intelligence and Israel advocates like casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, the Grayzone Project reports...

[read more here]