URGENT UPDATE: New information shows that the Zim-operated ship was delayed and will now dock at the Vancouver harbour port on Tuesday, June 8. So grab your mask and keffiyeh and gather June 8 at 3 pm at Woodland Park. ** We strongly urge everyone to get all updates and news by texting your name to 1-833-590-1987 **
(#BlockTheBoat Vancouver Action, June 8)(Marching to the Vancouver Port, June 8)
And bravo to Oakland that on Friday held a successful #BlockTheBoat action, forcing the Zim-operated ship to finally leave the harbour without unloading. Our campaigns and organizing are working: Israeli Apartheid not welcome in Vancouver Port! FB Event Page
(Oakland community picket to Block The Boat June 4)
For the past 10 days, the threat of the #BlockTheBoat protest organized in the Bay Area has kept a cargo ship operated by ZIM – apartheid Israel’s largest and oldest shipping company – from docking at the Port of Oakland. We are winning! Our people power is working, and sending a clear message that Israel’s ongoing settler-colonialism, occupation, and violence against the Palestinian people will come with a heavy price. Every hour that ZIM cargo ships remain undocked and unloaded is a huge victory, as it means that the apartheid state of Israel is losing enormous amounts of money. Here in Vancouver, we are responding to an international call to action to BLOCK THE BOAT here at the Port of Vancouver as well! Learn more about #BlockTheBoat at https://blocktheboat.org
Let’s send a clear message: Israeli apartheid is not welcome at Vancouver’s ports! ** Because shipping times and docks can always change, it’s important to be organized and ready to block the boat! Text your name to +1-833-590-1987 to make sure you stay in the loop! **
The sale of wines from illegal Israeli settlements in BC and Canadian liquor stores has been an ongoing travesty for over a decade; there is no better place for the NDP to implement its new policy to end “all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements in Israel-Palestine”.
Today, we sent a letter to the Finance Minister in the BC NDP government, calling for action to finally be taken on this issue. In September 2018, thirty-one organizations already told the BC government: “We do not wish to be made complicit in these violations of international law.”
We are following up on our previous letter to BC Attorney General, David Eby, who was at that time responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch, regarding the stocking of illegal Israeli settlement wines in our public liquor stores. We are corresponding with you as the Minster of Finance, as we understand the BCLDB is now under your jurisdiction.
Since our letter to Mr. Eby (that was neither acknowledged nor answered), and further to the concerns presented by a Feb. 10, 2020 community delegation that were also disregarded, there have been several developments to which we would like to draw your, and your government’s, attention.
On Jan. 12, 2021, Israel’s leading human rights organisation, B’Tselem issued a report under the title: “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid”.
On Mar. 3, 2021, ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda confirmed “the initiation by the Office of the Prosecutor (”Office”) of the International Criminal Court (”ICC” or the ”Court”) of an investigation respecting the Situation in Palestine. The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court …”
On April 10, 2021, the NDP convention adopted the Palestine Resolution that called for:
Ending all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements in Israel-Palestine
Suspending the bilateral trade of all arms and related materials with the State of Israel until Palestinian rights are upheld.
These are all further proof that by carrying Israeli wines produced in the Palestinian occupied territories, you are complicit in the crime of Apartheid.
Further, as noted multiple times in our previous correspondence with your government, carrying these illegal settlement wines produced in the Palestinian occupied territories also means you are violating International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention (article 33 Paragraph 2), regarding the pillaging of occupied territories.
We also expect from your NDP government to now abide by the NDP convention resolution on Palestine that called for “Ending all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements”. We would like to remind you that over 80% of the NDP delegates voted for the Palestine resolution; these are the same delegates who represent many of the people who elected your government in B.C. and will be waiting to see if NDP officials in power will respect the wishes of the party’s grassroots.
We also remind you again of the Federal Court ruling that “product of Israel” labels from wines made in the West Bank, in the occupied Palestinian territories, are “false, misleading and deceptive”.
The time is over for stonewalling and ignoring our correspondence; your government’s handing of this issue is a grave reflection on your disregard for morality and humanity.
Hanna Kawas,
Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association
c.c. BC Premier John Horgan NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
On March 16, CPA activists joined with BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network to deliver a message to the consulate of France in Vancouver and to show solidarity with Olivia Zémor! Olivia is being sued by the Israeli pharmaceutical giant, TEVA, and is charged with calling for a boycott of the company. The verdict in her trial is expected in mid-May. Background info here: CAPJPO EuroPalestine pour le procès d’Olivia Zémor face à TEVA ! (Photos) – CAPJPO EuroPalestine
Check out our Boycott Teva-Apartheid is Bad Medicine FB page for more resources on why all consumers should ask their pharmacist for another brand of generic drug.
Canada Palestine Association and BDS Vancouver were busy in 2020 with both on-line and in-person events and campaigns. We had demos and rallies to reject “The Theft of the Century” and Israeli annexation. We supported Palestinian prisoners campaigns, commemorated Nakba72 and called out the CBC for its attempts to erase “Palestine”. Our BDS actions targeted Israeli wines, HP and Puma. The #BoycottPuma campaign closed out the year with a bang, and was linked to our Make your Holidays Apartheid-Free solidarity videos. We are proud of all the work done by our strictly volunteer-run committees, that rely solely on the dedication of their activist base. Next year in a Free Palestine!
New update on Puma campaign – Puma Swaps One Complicit Israeli Distributor for Another.
(Puma responded quickly to our December 9th letter, which over 25 organizations in Canada had endorsed. Following is our reply to them, as well as a copy of their letter.)
December 10, 2020 Bob Philion President, Puma North America
Thanks for your quick reply to our letter. However, our main concern about Puma sponsorship of the Israel Football Association IFA remains unanswered.
Puma’s current exclusive licensee in Israel, Delta Galil Industries, has been listed on the United Nations database of companies that are complicit in, or profit from, illegal settlement activity. So it is encouraging to hear that the contract with Delta Galil expires at the end of 2020 and there is a new distribution contract with Al Srad Ltd, that “does also not have any operations or branches in settlements”.
However, this does not change the fact that Puma is still a sponsor of the Israeli Football Association IFA. An association that you acknowledge in your letter includes teams from illegal settlements. Having the Puma logo proudly displayed on the IFA website connects your company with this egregious violation of international law. To claim that Puma does not directly put jerseys on the backs of players in those specific illegal settlement teams in no way alleviates that complicity.
In today’s global economy, a company’s brand is its currency. Your brand is tainted by your involvement with the IFA. As we said in our original letter, “we will not purchase Puma products until the company stops these unethical practices, and until the Puma logo is no longer featured on the website for the Israel Football Association”. Until then, we are keeping Puma out of our shopping cart. ________________________________________ Puma’s Response to our Initial Letter:
BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish Canada Palestine Association
With regards to your recent memo, please know that PUMA does not support football teams in settlements nor does its Israeli distributor have branches in settlements.
PUMA’s local distribution partner Delta Galil supplies the Israeli National Teams with PUMA branded football equipment to compete in international competitions. PUMA’s contract with its Israeli distributor Delta Galil will expire at the end of 2020. The new distribution contract is with Al Srad Ltd, a company of Irani Corporation. Al Srad Ltd. does also not have any operations or branches in settlements. It is the decision between our new distributor and the Israeli Federation to mutually agree whether to continue the cooperation or not.
PUMA does not have any other connection or association with any other Israeli football club team – neither in mainland Israel nor in settlements. The six football clubs (Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Bikat HaYarden, Kiryat Arba, Givaat Zeev and Oranit) which play in different leagues of the IFA and are based in the West Bank are not equipped with PUMA products, but by other sports brands.
PUMA continues to support and outfit athletes from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation and national origin. As a brand concerned only with the power that Sport has to bring people together, PUMA does not support any political direction, political parties or governments. We welcome the opportunity to help everyone compete in sports no matter who they are or where they are from.
Sincerely, Bob Philion President PUMA NORTH AMERICA | COBRA PUMA GOLF | 10 Lyberty Way | Westford, MA. 01886
