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Follow Us on TwitterSUPPORT BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT & SANCTIONS (BDS) AGAINST ISRAEL IN AUSTRALIA March 8, 2011
Please support NSW Marrickville Council’s right to endorse the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel as part of its ethical investment and purchasing strategy. The motion was supported by 10 councillors from the Australian Labor Party, the Greens and an Independent. The Marrickville Resolution said:
That:
1. In particular recognition of its sister city relationship with Bethlehem and the strong support for this relationship from local progressive faith communities and other community members, Marrickville Council support the principles of the BDS global campaign and report back on any links the Council has with organisations or companies that support or profit from the Israeli military occupation of Palestine with a view to the Council divesting from such links and imposing a boycott on any future such links or goods purchases
2. Marrickville Council boycott all goods made in Israel and any sporting, institutional academic, government or institutional cultural exchanges.
3. Marrickville Council write to the local State and Federal ministers (Carmel Tebbutt and Anthony Albanese) informing them of Council’s position and seeking their support at the State and Federal level for the global BDS move.
This conscientious decision has, however, led to a public campaign to get the Council to overturn that decision and to oust the mayor Fiona Byrne, a member of the Greens. Very public attacks have found their way into the media and talkback radio in NSW and it would be a travesty if this decision was overturned because of pressure being brought to bear on the Council.
The Marrickville BDS group has drafted an open letter (see below) for which signatures are urgently required. The letter with signatures will be presented to Marrickville Council at the next meeting. Please email our community campaign at marrickvillebds@y7mail.com as soon as possible but no later than Friday 11 March 2011, if you are willing to endorse the letter with
1. your name 2. any title or position 3. your suburb/town/city and, if outside Australia: 4. your country
DOWNLOAD pdf Open letter
Please consider sending the councillors a personal message of support – their email addresses are as follows:
Fiona Byrne (Mayor) fbyrne@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
E Tsardoulias etsardoulias@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
M Hanna mhanna@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
M O’Sullivan mosullivan@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
P Olive polive@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
S Iskandar (Dep Mayor) siskandar@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
M Phillips mphillips@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
V Macri vmacri@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
C Peters cpeters@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
L Wright lwright@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
M Kontellis mkontellis@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
D Thanos dthanos@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
For more information see website
Further reading:
“Boycott of Israel is beyond the pale”, The Australian
“Every anti-Semite would love the Greens”, The Herald Sun
“Don won’t, but libs can stop the left”, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Mural targets mayor over Israel boycott”, The Sydney Morning Herald online
Thank You.
