3 April 2014, Occupied Ramallah - Addameer and the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee call on campaigners and people of conscience to take action Palestinian prisoner’s day on April 17 to stand in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the biggest charitable foundation in the world, owns shares in Israeli prison contractor G4S worth more than $170m. Join us in calling on them to divest their shares!
Over 5,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 183 children and 175 held under administrative detention, a form of detention without trial that Israel uses to hold Palestinians indefinitely on secret information.
Each year the Israeli military arrests thousands of Palestinians in an attempt to suppress any resistance to its continued occupation and apartheid policies. Among these are hundreds of children as young as 12 years old. In too many cases Palestinian children are tortured, ill-treated, placed in solitary confinement and coerced into signing a confession in Hebrew, a language which most Palestinian children do not understand. Every year approximately 1,000 children are sentenced in Israeli military courts.
Night raids are the most common form of arrest, during which Israeli soldiers will ransack an individual’s house, destroying personal property and abusing physically abusing family members. The arrested person will then be handcuffed and blindfolded before being thrown into the back of an Israeli military jeep, face-down, where the beatings, insults and humiliation will continue.
Under Israeli military law, Palestinians can be interrogated for a period of 90 days and denied access to a lawyer for the first 60 days. Since 1967, 73 Palestinian detainees have died as a result of torture while under Israeli interrogation, the most recent of which was Arafat Jaradat, who was tortured to death in a G4S-secured interrogation centre in February 2013.
We urge people to take action on Palestinian prisoner’s day on April 17 to stand in solidarity with the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners.
Stop G4S – Tell Bill Gates to divest now!
Two years ago, on the eve of the mass hunger strike by more than 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners, Addameer and other Palestinian organisations called for a campaign against G4S, the British security company that runs and provides security services and equipment at Israel’s prisons.
As part of the rapidly growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, campaigns against G4S are now underway in more than a dozen countries. Universities, banks, charities and trade unions across the world have cancelled contracts with G4S because of its role in Israel’s abhorrent prison system, costing G4S millions of dollars. Feeling the pressure, G4S has tried to make statements distancing itself from Israel’s prison system.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the biggest charitable foundation in the world, owns shares in G4S worth more than $170m.
The Gates Foundation says that it is “guided by the belief that every life has equal value” and that it uses its investments to fund projects that “help all people lead healthy, productive lives”. But through its holdings in G4S, the Gates Foundation is legitimising and profiting from Israel’s use of torture and mass incarceration.
This Palestinian political prisoner’s day, join Addameer in putting pressure on the Gates Foundation to divest from G4S.
Take action!
· Sign and widely share the petition calling on the Gates Foundation to divest from G4S
· Share this call and the link to the petition using the hashtag #StopG4S
· Share the graphics from our Facebook page calling on the Gates Foundation to divest
- Organise an action at a G4S or Gates Foundation office in your city
· Organise a protest or rally in so1lidarity with Palestinian political prisoners
Send an email to info@addameer.ps to let us know about any actions you are planning.
Published by:
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Palestine
Palestinian BDS National Committee, Palestine
Endorsed by:
Abu Jihad Center for Prisoners Movement, Palestine
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, Palestine
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights, Palestine
Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights "Hurryyat", Palestine
The Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem (Representing 25 member organizations), Palestine
Defence for Children International - Palestine Section, Palestine
Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, Palestine
National & Islamic Parties in Ramallah & Al-Bireh, Palestine
Palestine Farmers Union, Palestine
Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign " Stop The Wall", Palestine
Palestine National Institute for NGOs (Representing 420 organizations), Palestine
Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (representing over 135 member organizations), Palestine
Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies, Palestine
The Palestinian General Union of Charitable Societies (Representing 500 organizations), Palestine
Treatment & Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC), Palestine
The Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, Palestine
Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network, Palestine
The Palestinian General Union of Charitable Societies, Palestine
Palestine National Institute for NGOs, Palestine
International Solidarity Movement, Palestine
International Women‘s Peace Service, Palestine
Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Aotearoa-New Zealand
Federation of Palestinian-Argentinian Entities, Argentina
Artists Against Apartheid AU, Australia
Australian Friends of Palestine Association, Australia
Australians for Palestine, Australia
Friends of Palestine (Western Australia), Australia
Just Peace Queensland, Australia
Justice for Palestine Brisbane, Australia
Justice for Palestine Matters, Australia
Women for Palestine, Australia
Women in Black, Austria
Association Belgo-Palestinienne, Belgium
ECCP - European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine, Belgium
Palestina Solidariteit, Belgium
Ciranda Internacional da Comunicação Compartilhada, Brazil
Frente de defesa do Povo Palestino, Brazil
Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign, Canada
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), Canada
Palestine House in Mississauga, Canada
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Canada
Comité Chileno de Solidaridad con Palestina, Chile
BDS Colombia, Colombia
Finnish-Arab Friendship Society, Finland
AFPS, France
Campagne BDS France, France
CCIPPP, France
Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine, France
Stop Apartheid Toulouse, France
UJFP, France
BDS Berlin, Germany
InCACBI, India
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ireland
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within, Israel
Associazione Senza Paura Genova, Italy
BDS Italia, Italy
Fellesutvalget fr Palestina, Norway
Polish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Poland
Comité de Solidariedade com a Palestina, Portugal
Scottish Friends of Palestine, Scotland
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Scotland
BDS Slovenija, Slovenija
BDS South Africa, South Africa
BDS Madrid, Spain
BDS Switzerland, Switzerland
Breed Platform Palestina, The Netherlands
Diensten en Onderzoekcentrum Palestina (docP), The Netherlands
Netherlands Palestine Committee, The Netherlands
Palestina Komitee Rotterdam, The Netherlands
WILPF Nederland, The Netherlands
Brighton & Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
Football Against Apartheid, UK
Friends of Al-Aqsa, UK
ICAHD UK, UK
Inminds, UK
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods, UK
Jews for Justice for Palestinians, UK
Liverpool Friends of Palestine, UK
London BDS Group, UK
London Palestine Action, UK
Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
Stop G4S, UK
Trade Union Friends of Palestine, UK
Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
War on Want, UK
Watford Friends of Salfeet - Palestine, UK
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, US
14 Friends of Palestine, Marin, US
Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel, US
Al-Nakba Awareness Project, US
Bay Area Women in Black, US
Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition, US
Chico Palestine Action Group, US
Citizens for Palestinian Self Determination, US
Committee for Palestinian Rights (Howard County, MD), US
Culture and Conflict Forum, US
Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network, US
Delaware Neighbors Against The Occupation, US
Friends of Palestine Wisconsin, US
Jewish Voice for Peace - SF Bay Area chapter, US
Justice First Foundation, US
Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Landf, US
Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, US
Methodist Federation for Social Action, US
Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign, US
NH Veterans for Peace, US
Northwest BDS Coalition, US
Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago, US
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace, US
Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice c, US
Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, University of Washington, US
the Rachel Corrie Foundation, US
Tiffin Area Pax Christi, US
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, US
United Methodist Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel of Upper New York Conference, US
United Methodists‘ Holy Land Task Force, US
US Peace Council, US
Vancouver for Peace, US
Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, US
WI Middle East Lobby Group, US
WILPF Boulder, US
Per non dimenticare Gaza, Italy
Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, USA
Oregon Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA
International Solidarity Movement, Czech Republic
Not in Our Name! Initative for a Just peace in the Middle East, Czech Republic
Friends of Palestine Czech Republic, Czech Republic
Jewish Voice for Peace-Portland, USA
AssoPacePalestina, Italy
Comite Democratico Palestino, Brazil
Sociedade Arabe Palestino - Corumba, Brazil
CODEPINK Women for Peace, USA
BDS Triste Comitee, Italy
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network UK, United Kingdom
Centro Cultural Arabe Palestinio do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Comite Gaucho de Solidariedada com o Provo Palestino, Brazil
Middle East Study Group of Central Contra Costa County, USA
Collettivo Palestina Rossa, Italy
Un ponte per..., Italy
Freedom Archives, USA
Voices for Justice in Palestine -- Walnet Creek, CA, USA
Rete Milanese per la Solidarieta con la Palestina - Milano, Italy
Faculty for Palestine at Carleton University/Ottawa
Moroccan Palestinian Solidarity, Morocco
Association Marocaine Genre et Developpement (AMGED), Morocco
Union Nationale Des Ingenieurs Marocains, Morocco
Ministere De Agriculuture, Morocco
CDT, Morocco
French NGO Platform, France
Southampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign, United Knigdom
The American Palestine Public Affairs Forum, USA
Jewish Voice for Peace - Seattle Chapter, USA
Friedns of Sabeel - North America, USA
Ciranda Internacional da Comunicacao Compartilhada, Brazil
Comite Brasileiro de Defesa dos Direitos do Provo Palestino, Brazil
Comite de solidariedade ao povo palestino do ABCDMRR/SP, Brazil
Comite Pro-Haiti, Brazil
Frente em Defesa do Povo Palestino, Brazil
MST - Movimento sem Terra, Brazil
Organizacao Revolucionaria Indigena, Brazil
Rede Autonoma em Defesa dos Jurados de Morte, Brazil
Add the endorsement of your organisation by emailing info@addameer.ps