'By way of background, the AATA currently faces a lawsuit over its rejection of a proposed advertisement that included the text, “Boycott ‘Israel’ Boycott Apartheid.” [For a detailed account, see Chronicle coverage: "Bus Ad Rejection Affirmed"]
'Before approaching the podium, Henry Herskovitz asked if it was appropriate to speak to the lawsuit that had been filed against the AATA about the rejection of a bus advertisement. Herskovitz noted that public speaking at the start of the meeting is intended to be limited to agenda items, and while the lawsuit was not an agenda item, it was included as part of the meeting minutes that were in the board’s information packet for that evening’s meeting. Board chair Jesse Bernstein told Herskovitz it was fine for him to speak on that topic.
'Herskovitz introduced himself as a taxpaying supporter of AATA and a frequent rider. Three board members had conflicts of interest, he contended, in making a decision to reject the advertisement. He emphasized that he supported the right of anyone to join any group they like. However, he said it merits pointing out that Bernstein is a board member of Michigan Israel Business Bridge. MIBB is a nonprofit created “to facilitate business and investment opportunities between Michigan and Israel for their mutual economic benefit.”
'Herskovitz contended that a second conflict was the fact that Jerry Lax is legal counsel for the AATA and also a member of the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor. Board member David Nacht is member and supporter of the Anti-Defamation League, he said. [Nacht's profile on Linked In also lists membership in the American Civil Liberties Union, the group that is providing legal counsel for the plaintiff in the lawsuit against the AATA over the bus advertisement.]
'The three men, Herskovitz said, support the State of Israel – they’re free to do that. But they had a conflict of interest when polled for their vote on the ad – an ad that was critical of the state of Israel, which they support, he said....'
Sunday December 18, 2011 06:52
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News At: http://www.imemc.org/article/62688
The Palestinian branch of an international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel held its third annual conference in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, with several hundred Palestinian and international activists gathering for the event.
The conference was organized by the BDS Movement in an attempt to expand Palestinian civil society’s active implementation of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as an effective and popular strategy of civil resistance that is deeply rooted in the Palestinian struggle. The economic campaign to pressure Israel to change its policies began with a call from hundreds of Palestinian non-governmental organizations in 2005, and gained momentum after the massive Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip in 2008-9.
According to organizers of the conference, “The conference embodies the unified and determined Palestinian will to secure our legitimate rights, the most important of which are liberation, self-determination and right of return. It also expresses our gratitude to people of conscience around the world who stand on the side of justice in the face of Israeli occupation and apartheid.”
Among the speakers at Saturday’s conference were the Governor of Hebron Mr. Kamil Hmaid, Thobile Ntola, Central executive committee member, Congress of South African Trade Unions- COSATU, Adam Horowitz, an American journalist and BDS activist, Student activists Mukhtar Al-Ja’bary and Fajr Harb, and Haitham Arar & Badera Jaradat representing the Union of Palestinian Women.
They focused on issues like resisting ‘normalization’ efforts, which are events, activities and coalitions which aim to normalize the existing system of segregation and discrimination, often under the banner of ‘peace’ or ‘dialogue’ between Israelis and Palestinians. Speakers also targeted Palestinian businesses and business owners in their critique, challenging a recent report that Palestinian business leaders have over $6 billion invested into Israel, much of it in Israeli settlement activity.
The conference encouraged Palestinian activists to work to implement the boycott according to the criteria adopted by Palestinian civil society, particularly in terms of economic disengagement from Israel; and demanding that international institutions and organizations end their complicity in perpetuating Israeli occupation and apartheid.
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