<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Israel supporting companies suffer&nbsp;loss]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<div id="divNewsDetail">
<div id="divNewsDatetime">PressTV &#8211; Sat Apr 9, 2011 3:14PM</div>
<div id="divNewsByline">Interview with Sarah Colborner, Director of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.</div>
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<p><img src="https://i1.wp.com/previous.presstv.ir/photo/20110409/Derek20110409142954607.jpg" alt="" width="450px" height="300px" /></p>
<div id="divImageDesc">Palestinian Solidarity Campaign-Ireland</div>
<div id="divLead">Israeli  companies Havah and Veolia, which both share complicity in illegal  Israeli crimes and settlements, have been forced to close their doors  after extensive protesting.</div>
<p>Press TV interviewed the Director of the Palestinian Solidarity  Campaign, Sarah Colborner regarding the protests which led to the  closure of Havah, an Israeli shop selling Dead Sea products abstracted  from Palestinian territories, labeled with “made in Israel,” and then  sold.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> Why is this a victory being claimed by campaigners?</p>
<p><strong>Colborner:</strong> We&#8217;ve been campaigning outside that store for two  years, and pressing Havah because of the way the company is so complicit  in Israel&#8217;s occupation and crimes. Israel has a factory in the West  Bank in a settlement.</p>
<p>It exports Dead Sea products and markets them as labeled “made in  Israel.”  So we have been targeting Havah for two years now protesting  outside the store. It&#8217;s a major victory that they have been forced to  close that store, and they will have to look for other premises to trade  from.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> Are we saying that this is a BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) victory or they have just followed their own proprietors?</p>
<p><strong>Colborner:</strong> It&#8217;s a BDS victory. Even the Jewish Chronicle made  it clear that this was the results of the protests that had been taken  place outside this store.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> That&#8217;s not what the company is saying though is it?</p>
<p><strong>Colborner:</strong> No, but it was very clear from the responses of  other managers from the shops in the area that they were all lobbying  that the landowner did not renew the lease and Havah was not able to  continue in the street.</p>
<p>The impact of the protests on other shops in the streets was such  that they felt they wanted to get rid of Havah from that street  themselves.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> What might this mean for the company because they are not shutting down. They are just moving on.</p>
<p><strong>Colborner:</strong> No, but again according to the same article last  week they made losses of 550,000 pounds, and so what we are saying is  crime doesn&#8217;t pay. Complicity in Israel&#8217;s crimes of occupation does not  and must not pay.</p>
<p>More and more companies, Havah and Veolia which just lost their  opportunity to bid for a contract in South London, which was a contract  worth 1bn pounds, are also learning that complicity in Israel&#8217;s crimes  doesn&#8217;t pay.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> Tell me very quickly about the Veolia contract.</p>
<p><strong>Colborner:</strong> Again this is part of a campaign that&#8217;s been  launched not just in Britain, but world-wide against Veolia, which again  is complicit in the Israeli occupation. It was involved in constructing  and operating the travel line system connecting settlements in  Jerusalem.</p>
<p>It also runs busses at illegal settlements, and operates a land  field site in the West Bank. They have lost contracts because of their  complicity. We have also seen local authorities and other authorities in  Scotland, Whales and Ireland passing policies against Veolia&#8217;s  practices that are obviously complicit in Israel&#8217;s occupation.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> The cross over between activism and making direct  links between the money coming in from your pocket, and what is going on  with the regime over there is very real for you.</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> Absolutely and I think another point your  correspondent made is that the situation on the ground for Palestinians  living under occupation, or living as citizens of the Israeli state is  incredibly difficult. We have responsibilities internationally to do  what we can. It&#8217;s very easy for us to boycott Israeli goods for example.  It just means if you&#8217;re in a supermarket you check your labels.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s very easy to join the protests, and there are often online  protests against Havah and Veolia and other complicit firms. So it&#8217;s  really about people here who are supporting peace, justice and  international law. They have a responsibility to themselves to act, and  boycotting is a very easy way of acting and making sure that your money  does not get into the pockets of those who profit from Israel&#8217;s  occupation.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> You talked about law. What has happened with Judge Richard Goldstone?</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> From a lot of the stories, IIan Pappe for example  wrote a very clear piece about the amount of pressure Goldstone has been  under.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> But he&#8217;s been under this pressure since day one.  The terms of abuse were directed at him and the team that came up with  this report.</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> Certain Israelis were boasting that much of it was  done behind the scenes. Some of it was done openly that we were aware  of, and there were other parts we were not aware of. However, the  important part to note is the fact that Goldstone is only one of the  four who went out for that fact finding mission.</p>
<p>The other three have not joined in with Goldstone. Hina Jilani has  made a very clear statement that nothing has changed and that report  still stands. The report was only one of many reports again that were  issued to look at the crimes that had been committed by Israel during  operation Cast Lead.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> But to be fair, it&#8217;s the one that everyone has used as almost a definitive guide as to what may have taken place.</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> No matter what the Israeli government does to try  and draw a line over their crimes and prevent international justice from  taking place, the fact is those crimes were still committed. That is  the important thing. We will still be campaigning for the victims of war  crimes to achieve justice despite the situation with Goldstone. I  wouldn&#8217;t go as far as calling it a retraction. I think that this is part  of a plan by the Israeli government to try and change international  law.</p>
<p>They want to prevent soldiers and politicians from facing justice.  They want to ensure that they will be able to act again without their  hands being tied. We are seeing exactly what is happening in Gaza at the  moment. We are seeing a double pronged attack by Israel. First they are  trying to change international law to prevent them from being brought  to justice, and secondly to escalate the military assault on 1.5 million  Palestinians in Gaza.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> What is the latest with the Flotilla?</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> I was on the last Flotilla, on the Mavi Marmara. I  think the lesson from that very clearly was although it was an  extremely high price paid by the nine martyrs and their families. The  impact of those of us sailing over there and the millions that followed  us were immense. We did see the world realizing that something had to be  done about the siege on Gaza and that they would no longer sit by and  watch 1.5mn people placed in an inhumane and horrific blockade.</p>
<p>So the 2nd Flotilla came very much out of that. We have plans  underway and we will be sailing at the end of May. It will be bigger in  terms of ships and in terms of numbers than the previous Flotilla. For  people that want to follow us, from Britain there is a Facebook and a  twitter site now set up: Britain to Gaza, Britain number II and Gaza. So  please do follow us. We obviously want to make sure that this is not  just a Flotilla that involves the people who will be sailing on the  boat. This involves all of the millions around the world who support  justice of Palestinians. There is an opportunity for everybody to get  involved.</p>
<p><strong>Press TV:</strong> So check out the Facebook.</p>
<p><strong>Colborne:</strong> It is all on our website as well. Please do get  involved. This is only part of the activities we are organizing.  Obviously on the 14th of May, we are organizing a protest outside David  Cameron&#8217;s location at number 10 Downing St. to make sure pressure is put  on the British government not just to ensure safe passage for those of  us traveling to Gaza, but also to end the siege on Gaza and to free  Palestine.</p>
<p>NM/PKH</p>
<p><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/173917.html">Sopurce</a></p>
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