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Thanks to your activism, the campaign against Oxfam's Belgian affiliate's call for an EU boycott of Israeli produce is having an important impact.
After receiving tens of thousands of email petitions, the Chair of Oxfam International Ian Anderson responded stating in part that, "Our Belgium affiliate, Oxfam-Solidarite, has amended the campaign page of its website, removed the link to the poster image and introduced a new front-page that vies a more measured explanation of its won involvement in the Belgian campaign. Oxfam in Belgium has also apologized for any offense given."
But the link to the inflammatory anti-Israel boycott poster remains, and the apology rings hollow: Here is Oxfam Belgium's current position in part:
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"Together with 15 Belgian NGO's, Oxfam-Solidarity calls on supermarkets and grocers not to stock products from the Occupied Territories and on consumers also not to buy these goods. We want consumers to exert pressure for the application of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel.
Recent Oxfam poster:
"Stop the Occupation of
Palestine" |
Recently, the campaign has caused some complaints from the public about the nature and the tone of the campaign message. We apologise for any offense that may have followed.
Our action is by no means aimed at the Jewish communities, either in Belgium or in Israel. Our aim is to express our opposition to the policy of the Israeli Government towards the Palestinians which upholds occupation of their territory and includes acts of grave violence, which we believe is the main cause for the continuing conflict."
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While they may ultimately remove the offensive poster, OXFAM continues to embrace an unfair and dangerous one-sided position. By singling out Israel as the main cause of the conflict, this otherwise respected NGO, in effect provides a moral blank check to terrorists and further weakens the foundations of the road map for peace.
Please contact the Oxfam affiliate in your country to help undo this injustice. If you haven't already signed the SWC Oxfam petition, please click here...
If you've already joined us, please use the pop-up windows when you click on the petition link to forward this important message to friends and family.
Check for breaking developments at www.wiesenthal.com
TOGETHER, WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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