Cairo Declaration, January 1, 2010

End Israeli Apartheid

Sent by Geoffrey Cook, MMNS

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 refugees

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;

Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;

A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;

Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;

Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;

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;

Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF). We appeal to organizations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality. Please go to http://cairodeclaration.org/sign to sign on.

Signed by:

Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA
Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa
Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa
Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*, South Africa
Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa
Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa
Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA
Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*, Ireland
Anthony Loewenstein, Australia
Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom
Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA
Ulf Fogelström, Sweden
Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA
Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA
Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany
Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA
Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CODEPINK*, USA
Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria
Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain
Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA
Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA
David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, USA
Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA
Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CODEPINK*, USA
Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA
Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France
Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*, USA
Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England
Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA
Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia
Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA
Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, England
Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria
Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA
Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada
Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada
Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada
Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada
Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada
Cleopatra McGovern, USA
Miranda Collet, Spain
Alison Phillips, Scotland
Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*, USA
Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA
Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA
Hope Mariposa, USA
Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*, Germany
Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA
Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA
Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA
Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA
Anna Keuchen, Germany
Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA
Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*, USA
Ina Kelleher, USA
Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA
Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA
Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*, Canada
Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Scotland
Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland
Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA
Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands
Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands
Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands
Sandra Tamari, USA
Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA
J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA
Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA
Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada*, Canada
Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France
Sylvia Schwarz, USA
Alexandra Safi, Germany
Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey
Ted Auerbach, USA
Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA
Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA
Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, US
Emma Grigore, CODEPINK*, USA
Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*, USA
Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA
Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA
Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA
Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA
Hanan Tabbara, USA
Marina Barakatt, CODEPINK*, USA
Keren Bariyov, USA
Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria
Ann Cunningham, Australia
Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
Athena Viscusi, USA
Marco Viscusi, USA
Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA
Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA
Ellen Graves, USA
Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Ireland
Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain
Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain
Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada
Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England
Aimee Shalan, UK
Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain
Priscilla Lynch, USA
Jenna Bitar, USA
Deborah Mardon, USA
Becky Thompson, USA
Diane Hereford, USA
David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada
Danah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*, Canada
Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada
Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada
Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada
Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France
Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India
John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA
Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal
Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW)
Labor For Palestine (* Affiliation for identification purposes only)

We 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.

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