No TTIP, no silencing support for Palestinian rights

11. September 201118. Juni 2016

BDS Berlin hat einen offenen Brief gegen das geplante Freihandelsabkommen TTIP zwischen der EU und den USA mitunterzeichnet.

Im Herbst 2015 tritt die Auseinandersetzung um das Handels- und Investitionsabkommen in die heiße Phase. Das Abkommen droht Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit zu untergraben und auszuhebeln.

Einige US-amerikanische Politiker*innen versuchen im Rahmen der Verhandlungen
das Recht auf freie politische Meinungsäußerung einzuschränken und Kampagnen in Solidarität mit dem Kampf des palästinensischen Volkes für Freiheit, Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit zu blockieren.

We, the undersigned, oppose the dangerous Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations and the related attempts by some US politicians to use the TTIP process to restrict freedom of political expression and campaigning in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice and equality.

No TTIP, no silencing support for Palestinian rights

TTIP, currently being negotiated between the European Union and the USA, would see an
unprecedented transfer of power to corporate interests and represents a serious attack on
democracy, social standards, workers’ rights and environmental regulations. It would lead to irreversible privatisation and fragmentation of public services and would seriously
undermine measures to protect the environment.

Also deeply worrying are the secrecy and lack of democracy that are key features of the
negotiations, and the proposed Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, which would allow multinational corporations to sue governments in a parallel judicial system available to them alone.

As organisations opposed to any EU-US trade treaty that does not serve the public interest, we are gravely concerned at the recent introduction of US legislation that seeks to use TTIP to block human rights actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

On 29 June 2015, President Barack Obama signed into law the Bipartisan Congressional
Trade Priorities and Accountability Act, granting him ‘fast track’ authority over trade
negotiations such as TTIP. Section 20 of the Act establishes the “principal negotiating
objectives” for commercial partnerships in TTIP as including the provision “to discourage
politically motivated actions to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel and to seek the
elimination of politically motivated non-tariff barriers on Israeli goods, services, or other
commerce imposed on the State of Israel.”

The definition of such actions specifies further that they would include not only actions
targeted at those doing business in Israel, but also at those doing business “in Israelicontrolled territories”. The Act thus aims to protect Israel’s illegal settlements from
accountability measures in future, despite the fact that the EU and the UN consider Israeli
settlements to be illegal under international law.

The inclusion of these provisions in the ‘fast track’ legislation is a response to the growing
success of Palestine solidarity campaigns across Europe and the USA, and could require the
EU to reverse existing measures already taken in recognition of its obligations under
international law. This includes the ending of preferential treatment for exports coming
from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, and the implementation of
guidelines preventing EU public funds from being awarded to such settlements.

The EU has also taken action to warn businesses against having economic relations with
illegal Israeli settlements; major European banks have divested from Israeli banks and
corporations due to their role in Israeli violations of international law; and large European
companies such as G4S and Veolia are being held accountable for their participation in the
infrastructure of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land.

In the wake of Israel’s 2014 attack on the Gaza Strip, which killed more than 2,200 people
and included deliberate attacks on civilians that amounted to war crimes according to the
UN and other bodies, people around the world came out in numbers to express support
for the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. We will not accept any
legislative attempt to silence these expressions of solidarity.

SIGNATORY ORGANISATIONS

1. ELA Basque Country
2. Ikasle Abertzaleak Basque Country
3. Third World Health Aid Belgium
4. Association Belgo-Palestinienne WB Belgium
5. Palestina Solidariteit Belgium
6. Médecine pour le Tiers Monde (M3M) Belgium
7. Solidarité Socialiste Belgium
8. Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine Belgium
9. Climaxi – Friends of the Earth Flanders and Brussels Belgium
10. intal Belgium
11. Mouvement ouvrier chrétien Belgium
12. Gents ActiePlatform Palestina Belgium
13. Links Ecologisch Forum Belgium
14. Mouvement Citoyen Palestine Belgium
15. Bruxelles Panthères Belgium
16. Zaustavimo TTIP Croatia
17. ISM Czech Republic Czech Republic
18. Přátelé PALESTINY Czech Republic
19. Ne 2asim jménem! – Za spravedlivý mír na Blízkém východě Czech Republic
20. Palestinian Club in Czech Republic Czech Republic
21. ICAHD Finland Finland
22. Finnish-Arab Friendship Society Finland
23. Physicians for Social Responsibility, Finland Finland
24. Työpaikkojen rauhantoimikunta Finland
25. Vlaams-Socialistische Beweging (V-SB) Flanders
26. CCIPPP34 France
27. UJFP – French Jewish Union for Peace France
28. Association France-Palestine solidarité (AFPS) France
29. Sortir du colonialisme France
30. Amis de la Terre France
31. SNESUP-FSU France
32. Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine France
33. ECOAR))) Galicia
34. BDS Berlin Germany
35. AG Palästina/Frankfurt Germany
36. Deutsch Palästinensische Gesellschaft Germany
37. Jüdisch-Palästinensische Dialoggruppe München Germany
38. AK Nahost Berlin Germany
39. ICAHD Germany Germany
40. bilaterals.org International
41. Friends of the Earth International International
42. European Work Hazards Network International
43. Action from Ireland (Afri) Ireland
44. Stop TTIP Ireland Ireland
45. Keep Ireland Fracking Free Ireland
46. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ireland
47. Comhlámh Ireland
48. Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within Israel
49. AL-BEIT: Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Israel Israel
50. ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) Israel
51. associazione senza paura genova Italy
52. Associazione per la Pace Italy
53. Lorusso Editore Italy
54. Forum Palestina Italy
55. Gastellina (gruppo d’acquisto solidale) Italy
56. Fairwatch Italy
57. Pax Christi Catania Italy
58. assopacepalestina Italy
59. Coordinamento nord sud del mondo Italy
60. BDS Italia Italy
61. US Citizens for Peace & Justice – Rome Italy
62. BDS Sardegna Italy
63. Associazione Amicizia Sardegna Palestina Italy
64. Rete-ECO Italy
65. ULAIA ArteSud onlus Italy
66. Un Ponte perS Italy
67. Gruppi Informali Italy
68. Rete Radié Resch – Gruppo di Salerno Italy
69. Rete Radié Resch – Udine group Italy
70. Circolo Sel Aurelio Italy
71. ISMal Italy
72. Coordinamento Acqua Bene Comune della Provincia di Sondrio Italy
73. Italian Forum for Water Movements Italy
74. COSPE Italy
75. A Sud – Ecologia e Cooperazione ONLUS Italy
76. CDCA – Centro di documentazione sui conflitti ambientali Italy
77. Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient Luxembourg
78. Stop TAFTA Luxembourg Luxembourg
79. Breed Platform Palestina Netherlands
80. Kerk en Vrede Netherlands
81. Diensten en Onderzoek Centrum Palestina (docP) Netherlands
82. Netherlands Palestine Committee (NPK) Netherlands
83. SAP/Grenzeloos Netherlands
84. Kairos Palestina Nederland Netherlands
85. WILPF Netherlands Netherlands
86. stichting Groningen-jabalya Netherlands
87. Ander Europa Netherlands/Belgium
88. PROJOB Netherlands
89. Women in Black Netherlands
90. Nederlands Palestina Komitee Netherlands
91. Utrecht4Palestina Netherlands
92. Woman in Black Utrecht Netherlands
93. Hope Netherlands
94. Humanisitisch Vredesberaad Netherlands
95. Palestina Komitee Nijmegen Netherlands
96. Polish Palestine Solidarity Campaign Poland
97. GAP (Grupo Acção Palestina) Portugal
98. MPPM – Movimento pelos Direitos do Povo Palestino e pela Paz
no Médio Oriente Portugal
99. Comité de Solidariedade com a Palestina Portugal
100. Precários Inflexíveis Portugal
101. Association of Palestinian Communities, Scotland Scotland
102. Scottish Friends of Palestine Scotland
103. Dundee Trades Union Council Scotland
104. Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign Scotland
105. Iniciatíva za spravodlivý mier na Blízkom východe Slovakia
106. BDS Slovenia Slovenia
107. Union of Slovenian Journalists Slovenia
108. Institute Abraham Slovenia
109. UP Jesenice Slovenia
110. Institute Circle Slovenia
111. Zavod Krog Slovenia
112. Matafir Slovenia
113. Fundacion madrid Paz y Solidaridad – CCOO de Madrid Spain
114. Fundación Mundubat Spain
115. International Workers’ League – Fourth International Spain
116. Corriente Roja Spain
117. PalestinaTomaLaCalle Spain
118. Al-Quds Association Spain
119. Rumbo a Gaza Spain
120. Anticapitalistas Spain
121. NOVACT Spain
122. Anticapitalistas Spain
123. Ecologistas en Acción Spain
124. Hilombe Solidaridad Spain
125. Red Solidaria contra la Ocupación de Palestina (RESCOP) Spain
126. ATTAC Spain Spain
127. Unión Sindical Obrera Spain
128. Small Ones Develop Sweden
129. BDS Switzerland Switzerland
130. War on Want UK
131. National Union of Teachers UK
132. GMB UK
133. UNISON Northumberland County Branch UK
134. Exeter Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
135. Student Stop AIDS Campaign UK
136. Public & Commercial Services Union (PCS) UK
137. ICAHD UK UK
138. Bristol (UK) Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
139. Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
140. Palestine-UK Social Work Network UK
141. UK-Palestine Mental Health Network UK
142. Unite UK
143. Trade Justice Movement UK
144. Global Justice Now UK
145. Antonine Friendship Link UK
146. Jews for Justice for Palestinians UK
147. Knighton Palestine Links UK (Wales)
148. WILPF (UK) UK
149. National Justice & Peace Network UK (England & Wales)
150. Citizens for Justice in the Middle East – Kansas City USA
151. CODEPINK Women for Peace USA
152. HealthWrights USA
153. Just Foreign Policy USA
154. Fellowship of Reconciliation USA