European, North American Campuses Observe Israeli Apartheid Week
KIM BROWN: Welcome to The Real News Network in Baltimore. I'm Kim Brown.
On Monday, Israel Apartheid Week began on university campuses across Europe, North America and Africa.
What is it? It's an annual informal week of information organized by pro-Palestinian activists about illegal Israel policies towards Palestinians. The first Israel Apartheid Week was held in Toronto in 2005, and has been held every year since then, in an increasing number of cities.
This year it is marked with two milestone dates: 50 years of Israeli military occupation in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Syrian Golan Heights. And a 100 years since the Balfour Declaration, in which the British Empire promised, "A national home for Jews in Palestine.
"We've covered Israel Apartheid Week here before on The Real News, and let's have a look at that.
REPORTER: ...demonstrations, banner drops, flash mobs, workshops, as well as the annual Israel Apartheid Week, are different forms of actions organized by D.S. activists to raise awareness about Israeli's apartheid policies towards the Palestinians. And to build boycott divestment and sanctions, BDS campaigns, as part of a growing global BDS movement. Israeli Apartheid Week's rapid expansion, alongside that of the BDS movement, has arguably established the two as the most prominent global projects by Palestinian activists, and their supporters.
KIM BROWN: Joining us to discuss 2017's Israel Apartheid Week, we're joining with Yara Hawari. She is a Palestinian PhD candidate and lecturing assistant at Exeter University. She writes for The Independent, Electronic Intifada and is a policy member at the Al-Shabaka Think Tank. She is involved in the U.K. BDS campaign, and local Palestinian organizations. She joins us today from Washington, D.C., Yara, thank you so much for being here.
