A Palestinian bicycle rider rides past the separation wall, in al-Aizaria neighborhood near Jerusalem on March 01, 2013. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Wednesday called for runners and sponsors to boycott the 2013 Jerusalem Marathon, saying involvement in it implies acceptance of Israel's "illegal annexation" of eastern Jerusalem. Photo by Issam Rimawi/Flash90

International call: Move the “Big Start” of the Giro d’Italia from Israel

 

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We, the undersigned civil society groups committed to universal human rights, sustainable development, freedom of movement, and ethical tourism are alarmed to see world class cycling event Giro d’Italia aiding Israel in its violations of international law and Palestinians’ human rights.

Holding the “Big Start” of the 2018 race in Israel will not only cover up Israel’s military occupation and racist policies against Palestinians, it will also exacerbate Israel’s sense of impunity and encourage it to continue denying the Palestinian people their UN-stipulated rights.

Starting the race in Jerusalem will help cement Israel’s unlawful claim of sovereignty over the city. Since it occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem over 50 years ago, Israel has worked tirelessly to expand and consolidate its illegal Jewish-only settlements in and around the city.

According to a United Nations Special Rapporteur, the Jerusalem municipality itself, as a matter of policy, is actively carrying out gradual “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians through home demolitions, forced expulsions and revocation of residency rights. Israel’s actions in Jerusalem have been repeatedly condemned as illegal by the UN.

On its web site and official social media channels, Giro d’Italia deceptively portrays occupied East Jerusalem as part of Israel and as its unified capital. No country in the world recognizes any part of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The race stage planned for southern Israel, through the Naqab (Negev) desert, will pass by dozens of Palestinian Bedouin villages Israel refuses to recognize. Israel denies the indigenous Palestinians of these villages, who are Israeli citizens, the most basic of services, including electricity, water, clinics, schools and roads. Many of these villages have been subjected to repeated demolitions by Israel, with one of them, Al-Araqib, demolished over 100 times. In addition, Israel is arbitrarily revoking the citizenship of thousands of Palestinian Bedouins, leaving them stateless, in clear violation of international law.

Giro d’Italia is also working with at least one company active in illegal Israeli settlements. The Israeli production company for the event counts among its clients the Golan Heights Winery, which operates from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights in violation of international law.

The UN Human Rights Council has already warned some 150 Israeli and international companies of the legal consequences of their unlawful involvement in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian — and Syrian — land constitute a war crime, according to international law.

We are further concerned at news of Giro d’Italia plans to “celebrate” 70 years since the establishment of the State of Israel at a time when Palestinians will be commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (“catastrophe”), when approximately 800,000 indigenous Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homeland, signaling the beginning of Israel’s dispossession of Palestinians as a people and its ongoing denial of their human rights that continues today.

Such injustice and oppression run counter to the values and spirit of sports.

We therefore call on RCS MediaGroup, organizers of the Giro d’Italia, to move the start of the race to another country to ensure no involvement in Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.

We remind RCS MediaGroup, race sponsors and participating teams of the legal consequences and reputational damage stemming from collaborating with Israeli institutions and companies involved in violations of human rights and international law.

We call on cycling teams planning to participate in next year’s race to join us in urging RCS MediaGroup to move the race to another country, and, in the event RCS fails to do so, to consider withdrawing from the race to avoid abetting violations of human rights and international law.

Finally, we strongly urge the governments of participating teams to take a public position against Israeli claims of sovereignty over Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem, as its capital and encourage teams, institutions and companies to refrain from providing recognition or assistance to Israeli violations of international law.

Signed:

 

Noam Chomsky – linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist and historian

Sergio Cofferati – Member of the European Parliament,

John Dugard – jurist and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights,

Richard Falk – professor emeritus of international law and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights

Eleonora Forenza – Member of the European Parliament,

Luisa Morgantini – former vice president of the European Parliament,

Moni Ovadia – actor, writer playwright

Curzio Maltese – Member of the European Parliament

Marina Albiol Guzman – Member of the European Parliament

 

ECCP (European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine), Europe

 

Palestine Solidarity Styria, Austria

BDS Austria, Austria

Frauen in Schwarz, Austria

Personenkomitee Gaza Muss Leben, Austria
Antiimperialistische Koordination, Austria

 

Agir pour la Paix, Belgium

Association belgo-palestinienne, Belgium

Appel Pour une Ecole Démocratique, Belgium

BACBI (Belgian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel), Belgium

Comité BDS-ULB, Belgium

FORUM NORD SUD, Belgium

Links Ecologisch Forum, Belgium

M3M – Médecine pour le Tiers Monde, Belgium

MOC Mouvement Ouvrier Chrétien, Belgium

Palestina Solidariteit vzw, Belgium

Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine, Belgium

Plateforme Watermael-Boitsfort Palestine, Belgium

Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgium (UPJB), Belgium

Wilde Pedal, Belgium

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Canada

Acción Colectiva de Objetores y Objetoras de Conciencia, Colombia

BDS Colombia, Colombia

Colectiva Antimilitarista La Tulpa, Colombia

Grupo Libertario Vía Libre, Colombia

 

Association of Academics for the Respect of International Law in Palestine (AURDIP), France

AFPS – Association France Palestine Solidarité, France

Association pour le tourisme Equitable et Solidaire (ATES), France

BDS France, France

BDS France 66, France

FSGT 93, France

Parti Communiste Français, France

TDS VOYAGE, France

Union Juive Française Pour La Paix, France

Union Syndicale Solidaires, France

BDS Berlin, Germany

Réseau syndical international de solidarité et de luttes (www.laboursolidarity.org), International

 

Action from Ireland (Afri), Ireland

Gaza Action Ireland, Ireland

Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ireland

Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Ireland

100 Idee Per La Pace – Siena, Italy

APS Libera Accademia di Roma, Italy

ASD Università Popolare dello Sport, Italy

Ass. Pace per Gerusalemme – Il Trentino e la Palestina onlus, Italy

Associazione Cultura è Libertà una campagna per la Palestina, Italy

Associazione di Amicizia Italo Palestinese Onlus – Firenze, Italy

Associazione per la Pace di Pordenone, Italy

Associazione Ya basta! Êdî bese!, Italy

AssoPacePalestina, Italy

BDS Italy, Italy

BDS Rome, Italy

BDS Sardegna, Italy

Biciclettaro di Malaerba & Natrium, Italy

Centro di Salute Internazionale – Associazione di Promozione Sociale, Italy

CENTRO STUDI SERENO REGIS di Torino, Italy

Comitato BDS Campania, Italy

Comitato pistoiese per la Palestina, Italy

Comunità cristiana di base di San Paolo – Roma, Italy

Commercio Equo e Solidale Coop. Soc. onlus, Italy

Coordinamento Campagna BDS Bologna, Italy

Coordinamento Lombardo per Palestina, Italy

FIOM – CGIL, Italy

Fronte Palestina, Italy

Gazzella Onlus, Italy

La tenda di Amal Onlus, Italy

Libera – Emilia Romagna, Italy

Lorusso Editore, Italy

Lunaria, Italy

Nova jerusalem, Italy

Palestina Rossa, Italy

Partito della Rifondazione Comunista – Piemonte, Italy

Partito della Rifondazione Comunista – Sinistra Europea, Italy

Pax Christi Italy, Italy

Radio vostok, Italy

Rete Radié Resch – Udine group, Italy

Rete Romana di Solidarietà con il Popolo Palestinese, Italy

Rete-ECO (Jews Against the Occupation), Italy

Salaam Ragazzi dell’Olivo Comitato di Trieste, Italy

Salaam Ragazzi dell’Olivo-Milano-Onlus, Italy

Servizio Civile Internazionale, Italy

U.S. Citizens Against War – Florence, Italy

Un ponte per…, Italy

USB – Unione sindacale di base, Italy

Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg

Breed Platform Palestina, Netherlands

Diensten en Onderzoek Centrum Palestina (docP), Netherlands

Internationale Socialisten, Netherlands

Kairos – Sabeel Netherlands Foundation, Netherlands

Palestijnse Gemeenschap PGNL, Netherlands

Palestijse huis, Netherlands

Palestina Komitee Rotterdam (PKR), Netherlands

Palestina Werkgroep Enschede, Netherlands

Stichting Palestina, Netherlands

The Rights Forum, Netherlands

Vrouwen in het Zwart Haarlem, Netherlands

Vrouwen inhet Zwart [Women in Black], Netherlands

Craigavon Council of Trade Unions, Northern Ireland

 

AKULBI Academic and Cultural Boycott of the State of Israel (Norway), Norway

Fellesutvalget for Palestina, Norway

Friends of Sabeel Norway, Norway

The Association of Norwegian NGOs for Palestine, Norway

 

ICAHD, Palestine/Israel

 

Edinburgh Action for Palestine, Scotland

Scottish Friends of Palestine, Scotland

Scottish Palestinian Forum, Scotland

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Scotland

 

Iniciatíva za spravodlivý mier na Blízkom východe, Slovakia

 

Gibanje za pravice Palestincev, Slovenia

Society for Human Rights and Supportive Action, Slovenia

 

BDS South Africa, South Africa

National Coalition for Palestine (NC4P), South Africa

 

Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía (APDHA), Spain

RESCOP (Red Solidaria Contra la Ocupación de Palestina) and its members: – Spain

Al’Madafa
Anticapitalistas
Asociación Al-Quds de Solidaridad con los Pueblos del Mundo Árabe (Málaga)
Asociación de Amistad Palestina-Granada «Turab»
Asociación Andaluza por la Solidaridad y la Paz – ASPA
Asociación Hispano Palestina Jerusalén (Madrid)
Asociación Palestina Biladi
Asociación Pau Ara y Sempre
Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos de Andalucía
Asociación ProPalestina del Campo de Gibraltar
Asociación Unadikum
BDS Alacant
BDS Catalunya
BDS Granada
BDS Madrid
BDS País Valencià
Castelló per Palestina
Centro de Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura Internacional (CERAI)
Coalició Prou Complicitat amb Israel
Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe (Madrid, Asturias)
Comité de Solidaridad con los Pueblos – Interpueblos (Cantabria)
Comunidad Palestina en Canarias
Comunitat Palestina de Catalunya
Comunitat Palestina de València
Coordinadora de apoyo a Palestina (La Rioja)
Ecologistas en Acción (Confederal)
Fundación IEPALA
Fundación Mundubat
Grupo de Cooperación Sevilla Palestina
Hilombé Solidaridad
Izquierda Anticapitalista Revolucionaria (IZAR)
Komite Internazionalistak (Euskal Herria)
MEWANDO (Euskadi)
Movimiento de Jóvenes Palestinos
Mujeres en Zona de Conflicto – M.Z.C.
Mujeres por la Paz – Acción Solidaria con Palestina (Canarias)
Pallasos en Rebeldía

Paz Ahora
Paz con Dignidad
Plataforma de Solidaridad con Palestina (Sevilla)
Plataforma Palestina Ibiza
Plataforma Solidaria con Palestina de Valladolid
Palestina Toma la Calle
Red Judía Antisionista Internacional (IJAN)
Sodepau
Sodepaz
Sodepaz Balamil
Taula per Palestina (Illes Balears)
Unión de Juventudes Comunistas de España (UJCE)

 

CIG (Confederación Intersindical Galega), Galicia

BDS Zürich, Switzerland

Le Collectif urgence Palestine-Vaud soutient et signe cet appel., Switzerland

 

Cambridge Palestine Solidarity Campaign, United Kingdom

Chester Friends of Palestine, United Kingdom

Friends of Sabeel UK, United Kingdom

Hackney Green Party, United Kingdom

Jews for Justice for Palestinians, United Kingdom

Kairos Britain, United Kingdom

Palestine Solidarity Campaign, United Kingdom

The Big Ride, United Kingdom

 

Bay Area Women in Black, United States

Corvallis Palestine Solidarity, United States

Jewish Voice for Peace, United States

Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land, United States

Tennessee Campaign for Palestinian Rights, United States

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, United States