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Leviev's Africa Israel continues building Israeli settlements, despite its statements to the contrary to the Norwegian government

August 31, 2013 - Norway’s Ministry of Finance announced that is has repealed Norway’s 2010 exclusion prohibiting Norway’s Pension Global Fund from investing in Lev Leviev’s company Africa Israel and its construction subsidiary Danya Cebus due to their construction of Israeli settlements. This clears the way for reinvestment in Africa Israel and Danya Cebus. The Ministry of Finance’s decision was based on a recommendation from Norway’s Council on Ethics, which advises the Ministry of Finance on ethically investing Norway's Pension Global Fund. The Council on Ethics accepted April 2013 assurances of Africa Israel and its construction subsidiary Danya Cebus that they are not currently building Israeli settlements.

Immediately after Norway’s decision was made public, the Israeli watchdog group Who Profits was able to rebut Africa Israel’s claims, by procuring August 27, 2013 photos and videos now published on the Electronic Intifada showing Africa Israel and Danya’s Cebus’ ongoing construction of settlement homes in the Israeli settlement of Gilo in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

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Open letter from North American organizations: Batsheva, Take a strong, unequivocal stance against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians

February 21, 2012

To Batsheva Dance Company:

We are writing as human rights activists and artists from North American cities that you plan to visit on your upcoming tour. Palestinian civil society has issued a call for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, modeled on the call for the boycott of apartheid South Africa. Respecting that call, we urge you to cut all ties to the Brand Israel campaign and take a stand against the Israeli government’s violations of Palestinian rights. Until you do so, we will not welcome you in our cities and will organize a boycott of your performances due to your collaboration with the Israeli state.

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Second letter to Brooklyn Academy of Music responding to their reply re: Batsheva performances 2012

Alan H. Fishman
Chairman of the Board
Brooklyn Academy of Music

Karen Brooks Hopkins
President
Brooklyn Academy of Music

February 6, 2012

Dear Ms. Brooks,

Thank you for your February 2nd e-mail responding to Adalah-NY’s January 26th letter in which we called on you to cancel the Batsheva Dance Company’s upcoming performances at BAM. Adalah-NY supports the Palestinian civil society call for a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, such as the Batsheva Dance Company, that are complicit in Israel’s violation of international law and denial of Palestinian rights, and that refuse to take a stand against Israel’s systematic discrimination against the Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, within Israel, and as refugees in the diaspora.

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Reply from Brooklyn Academy of Music regarding Adalah-NY's request to cancel the Batsheva Dance Company's 2012 performances.

Mr. Patrick Connors, Adalah-NY

Dear Mr. Connors,

Thank you for your letter regarding BAM's upcoming presentation of Batsheva Dance Company. I appreciate that you recognize BAM's history as a progressive arts organization and its commitment to diversity. Our core mission is an artistic one; we recognize the work of Batsheva as we recognize and support artistic work from dozens of countries and cultures.

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Letter to Brooklyn Academy of Music asking them to cancel Batsheva Dance Company’s upcoming performance, January 2012

Alan H. Fishman
Chairman of the Board
Brooklyn Academy of Music

Karen Brooks Hopkins
President
Brooklyn Academy of Music

January 26, 2012

Dear Mr. Fishman and Ms. Brooks,

We are a group of New York City-based human rights activists and artists supporting the struggle for justice, human rights, equality and democracy in the Middle East.  As residents of New York City, including Brooklyn, we greatly appreciate the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) long history as a progressive arts institution that supports diversity, equal rights, environmental consciousness and grassroots community action. We are writing with respect to Batsheva Dance Company’s upcoming performance at BAM.

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More Deaths and Injuries from US Tear Gas in Palestine, around the Middle East, and in Oakland

January 15, 2012 - US-made tear gas, manufactured by companies like Combined Systems Inc. (CSI), Defense Technology, and NonLethal Technologies, continues to be used by governments including Egypt, Israel, Yemen, Bahrain and the United States to repress popular protest movements for economic and social justice.

In response, human rights advocates will protest again on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16th, 2012, outside CSI's Jamestown, Pennsylvania headquarters (see past Protests against Israel's tear gas use). In advance of the protest, reports indicate that CSI has replaced the Israeli flag that previously flew alongside the US flag outside its headquarters with a Pennsylvania state flag.

Strong evidence that CSI canister killed Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi: On December 9, 2011, in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank an Israeli soldier inside an armored military jeep fired a tear gas canister at close range directly at the face of Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi during a protest against the expansion of Israeli settlements on Nabi Saleh’s land. Mustafa died from his wounds the next day. Protesters did not manage to collect the actual tear gas canister fired at him. However, residents of Nabi Saleh have collected samples of the types of tear gas canisters that the Israeli army uses against Nabi Saleh’s weekly protests, including the specific type of tear gas canister - same size and shape - that hit Mustafa. The type of canister that killed Mustafa can be seen in the January 11 and 13, 2012, photos below taken in Nabi Saleh by Bilal Tamimi. The canister has a headstamp on it that reads CTS. CTS stands for Combined Tactical Systems, a brand name of Combined Systems Inc., in Jamestown, PA. Adalah-NY received these photos from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.

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Open letter from Jayyous regarding Zufim settlement and Lev Leviev

January 6, 2012

Jayyous has some of the most fertile agricultural lands in Palestine, providing 75% of Jayyous' income and fruits and vegetables to people throughout the West Bank. Furthermore, this area is significant because it contains artesian water wells which irrigate more than 8000 dunams (approx. 1977 acres) of land planted with all types of citruses and other fruits. These wells also irrigate 120 dunams (approx. 30 acres) of greenhouses which, throughout the year, are planted with tomatoes and cucumbers. These lands and those in Qalqilya and the village of Falamya are situated on the western drainage basin, which is this biggest of drainage basins in the West Bank, containing 362 million square meters of water per year. With this taken into account, Israel’s annexation wall was built and settlements were expanded to isolate 75% of these fertile lands as well as the drainage basin, thus depriving the citizens of their lands and water. In addition to this, the settlement of Zufim was built on parts of Jayyous’s lands. Initially, 200 dunams (approx. 49 acres) of these lands were confiscated by the Israeli army under the pretext of building a military camp, but, in 1991, they were used as a site for constructing the settlement of Zufim, which itself began to expand at the expense of Jayyous' neighbouring farmland.

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