Saturday Demonstration at Leviev: Free Mohammad Othman! Stop the arrests of Palestinian BDS Campaigners!

Press Release

New York, NY – On Saturday forty New York human rights advocates rallied on a cold fall day at the Madison Avenue jewelry store of Israeli settlement mogul Lev Leviev to demand that Israel release jailed Palestinian boycott activist Mohammad Othman. Othman, held without charges and in solitary confinement since September 22nd, is from Jayyous, a West Bank village where Leviev’s company Leader is building the Israeli settlement of Zufim. The protesters also called for an end to Israel’s wave of arrests of Palestinian activists from Bil’in, another West Bank village campaigning against the construction of settlement homes by another Leviev company, Africa-Israel.

Andrew Kadi of Adalah-NY commented, “Israel’s arrest of Mohammad Othman and residents of Bil’in simply affirms the need for a global movement of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), similar to the movement against apartheid South Africa, to hold Israel accountable, and pressure Israel to respect Palestinian rights.”

Press Coverage

Ma'an News Agency

Abstract: 

For nearly six weeks now Mohammed Othman, a prominent Palestinian activist and an outspoken advocate of the nonviolent boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, has been held in an Israeli military prison without charges. Othman's imprisonment also highlights a government intent on punishing Palestinians who speak out in international forums.

Press Coverage

The Guardian

Abstract: 

The plight of Palestinian activist Mohammad Othman has dominated the agendas of NGOs in the region ever since his detention in late September. However, while his case is at the forefront of their minds, Othman is just one of 11,000 Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, 800 of whom are incarcerated under the terms of administrative detention – meaning that they are imprisoned indefinitely without any charges brought against them.

Press Coverage

Ma'an News Agency

Abstract: 

Some 40 rights advocates, including members of Adalah-NY, rallied at the Madison Ave. jewelry store of Israeli settlement mogul Lev Leviev in New York City on Saturday, demanding that Israel release jailed Palestinian activist Mohammad Othman.


Join Adalah-NY and the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (NYCBI) for a protest at the Leviev store. Stand with the villages of Jayyous & Bil'in to say no to Leviev's settlements and Israel’s imprisonment of Palestinian boycott activists. Also, check out The Nation's call to Act Now to Free Jayyous' Mohammad Othman (http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow/485341/free_mohammad_othman) and sign the on-line petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/STW2/petition.html).

A few weeks ago, Mohammad Othman, a boycott campaigner from Jayyous and longtime activist against the wall, was detained and imprisoned by the Israeli forces on his way back into Palestine. He is the first activist arrested for his activism around BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, AND SANCTIONS (BDS) against Israel.

The West Bank villages of Jayyous and Bil'in are under attack because they are protesting to stop the construction of Israel's wall and Lev Leviev's settlements on their land. Jayyous and Bil'in are key partners with Adalah-NY in the successful worldwide campaign to boycott Lev Leviev’s companies, which are major builders of Israeli settlements.

Leviev's companies are staggering from the global economic crisis and from the worldwide boycott movement! Activists in Palestine are calling for global action on October 16th and 17th to show our opposition to Israel’s assault on Palestinian grassroots activists (http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2092.shtml).

 

Join our protest and support the growing BDS movement.

This action is a part of two days of non-stop BDS activism around the globe. We’ll send a message to the Israeli authorities: “If you want to stop the BDS movement, you'll have to arrest us all!”


BACKGROUND

Boycott activist Mohammad Othman, from the West Bank village of Jayyous, was abducted by Israeli forces on September 22nd on his return from Norway. Mohammad had been asking the Norwegian government to boycott companies that support Israeli repression, including Lev
Leviev’s companies that are building settlements on Jayyous' land. The people of Jayyous have been protesting, non-violently, against Leviev's settlement and Israel's wall for seven years. No charges have been filed against Mohammad, but his detention has now been
extended until October 20th. (Info: http://freemohammadothman.wordpress.com)

At the same time, Israel has stepped up repression against Bil'in's five-year nonviolent campaign of boycott, legal suits, and protests against Leviev's settlement and Israel's wall on Bil'in's land. More than 20 Bil'in activists have been arrested since June. Bil'in protester Adeeb Abu Rahme and 17 others are still being held, and Bil'in nonviolent organizer Abdullah Abu Rahme is "wanted" by the Israeli army.

Mohammad Othman, Adeeb Abu Rahme and the others from Bil'in represents only a few of the 11,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons. More than 800 are being held in “administrative detention,” meaning that they are imprisoned indefinitely without charge. Over 700 Palestinian children are imprisoned by Israel annually (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091102/dcruz).

Event Location: 

Leviev NYC
700 Madison Ave. Between 62nd and 63rd Sts
New York , NY

Event Date: 

Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

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