Summary

Bus Campaign

Text on bus advertisement: “Our conscience is clear! We do not buy products from Israeli settlements or invest in settlement industry.” Website: “No Thanks to Settlement Products.” Source: Facebook

On April 27, 2015, the Dansk Palæstinensisk Venskabsforening (Danish-Palestinian Friendship Association – DVP) started “a large-scale advertising campaign on 35 bus lines in Copenhagen and the surrounding area.” This “No Thanks to Settlement Products” campaign, which calls for the labeling of Israeli products from the West Bank, is part of DVP’s wider anti-Israel demonization agenda, as demonstrated by the misleading maps on the posters.

  • The first map, which claims to show that Palestinians owned almost all of the land before the founding of the State of Israel, does not distinguish between privately owned land and land belonging to the government. This is deceiving since there was no Palestinian state at the time, and therefore the vast majority could not be described as “Palestinian.”
  • The second map likewise does not reflect land ownership.
  • The third map ignores the reality of 1948-1967: Jordan ruled the West Bank, and Egypt administered Gaza.

Political Advocacy

In Denmark, DVP holds “public meetings and other democratic activities to influence the Danish public and the Danish authorities for more efforts for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”  DVP accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing and war crimes.  It also alleges that “the Israeli government combines apartheid, military occupation and colonization in its own way.”

  • DVP published a petition in conjunction with the Palestinian representation in Denmark to push the European Parliament for recognition of a Palestinian state.
  • Held a demonstration in conjunction with ActionAid Denmark (one of the founders of DanWatch) and others to end the blockade on Gaza, calling it “collective punishment.”
  • Held a protest against “Israel’s comprehensive assault on Gaza and the collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population” during the 2014 Gaza War.
  • Held a book talk featuring activist Miko Peled in conjunction with “Jews Against Genocide” (a group that accuses Israel of genocide against Arabs in Gaza).
  • Leads study tours of the West Bank.

DVP publishes inflammatory booklets on topics such as the security barrier, Jerusalem, “theft of Palestinian water,” Palestinian “refugees,” allegations of torture, and Gaza.  The bus campaign and one of the booklets presents a map misleadingly depicting Palestinian loss of land since 1946.

DVP Funding from Danida

The bus campaign encourages further reading on boycotts of Israel, including documents published by:

  • DanWatch
  • The “Made in Illegality” campaign
    • In February 2014, a group of Belgian NGOs launched the “Made in Illegality” campaign that calls to: “Ban the import of settlement products; Exclude colonies from bilateral agreements and cooperation with Israel; Dissuade Belgian companies from investing and conducting business relationships with Israeli settlements.”
    • There are currently 25 signatory organizations, including the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and branches of Pax Christi. Several of the signatory groups are active in corporate social responsibility campaigns against Israel in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. This campaign assert false factual claims and distort legal narratives to accuse Israel of human rights violations and erroneously argue that conducting business with Israel amounts to furthering these alleged violations.