Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the "Cairo Declaration" to end Israeli Apartheid (Cairo) Gaza Freedom Marchers approved today a declaration aimed at accelerating the global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli Apartheid. Roughly 1400 activists from 43 countries converged in Cairo on their way to Gaza to join with Palestinians marching to break Israel's illegal siege. They were prevented from entering Gaza by the Egyptian authorities. As a result, the Freedom Marchers remained in Cairo. They staged a series of nonviolent actions aimed at pressuring the international community to end the siege as one step in the larger struggle to secure justice for Palestinians throughout historic Palestine. This declaration arose from those actions:   End Israeli Apartheid Cairo Declaration January 1, 2010     We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective response to an initiative from the South African delegation, state:   In view of:   o     Israel's ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza; o     the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements; o     the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza; o     the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006; o     the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza one year ago; o     the continuing discrimination and repression faced by Palestinians within Israel; o     and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees; o     all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel; o     in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with impunity; o     and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)   We reaffirm our commitment to:   Palestinian Self-Determination Ending the Occupation Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugees   We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with international law.   To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.   Mindful of the many strong similarities between apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:   1)     An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider public internationally;   2)     Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;   3)     A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;   4)     Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;   5)     Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;   6)     Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli government war criminals; coordination of Citizen's Arrest Bureaux to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals; support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its recommendations;   7)     Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).   We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality.   Please e-mail us at cairodec@gmail.com   Signed by:   (* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)   1.         Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA 2.         Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa 3.         Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa 4.         Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa 5.         George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa 6.         Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa 7.         Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*, South Africa 8.         Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa 9.         Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa 10.         Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa 11.         Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa 12.         Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa 13.         Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA 14.         Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*, Ireland 15.         Anthony Loewenstein, Australia 16.         Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom 17.         Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA 18.         Ulf Fogelström, Sweden 19.         Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA 20.         Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA 21.         Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany 22.         Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA 23.         Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*, USA 24.         Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria 25.         Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain 26.         Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA 27.         Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA 28.         David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, USA 29.         Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA 30.         Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*, USA 31.         Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA 32.         Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France 33.         Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*, USA 34.         Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA 35.         Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA 36.         Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England 37.         Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA 38.         Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia 39.         Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA 40.         Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, England 41.         Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria 42.         Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA 43.         Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland 44.         Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland 45.         Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada 46.         Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada 47.         Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada 48.         Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada 49.         Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada 50.         Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada 51.         Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada 52.         Cleopatra McGovern, USA 53.         Miranda Collet, Spain 54.         Alison Phillips, Scotland 55.         Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*, USA 56.         Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA 57.         Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA 58.         Hope Mariposa, USA 59.         Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*, Germany 60.         Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA 61.         Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA 62.         Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA 63.         Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA 64.         Anna Keuchen, Germany 65.         Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA 66.         Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*, USA 67.         Ina Kelleher, USA 68.         Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA 69.         Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA 70.         Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*, Canada 71.         Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Scotland 72.         Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland 73.         Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA 74.         Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands 75.         Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands 76.         Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands 77.         Sandra Tamari, USA 78.         Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA 79.         J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA 80.         Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA 81.         Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada* 82.         Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France 83.         Sylvia Schwarz, USA 84.         Alexandra Safi, Germany 85.         Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey 86.         Ted Auerbach, USA 87.         Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA 88.         Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA 89.         Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA 90.         Emma Grigore, CodePink*, USA 91.         Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*, USA 92.         Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA 93.         Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA 94.         Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA 95.         Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA 96.         Hanan Tabbara, USA 97.         Marina Barakatt, CodePink*, USA 98.         Keren Bariyov, USA 99.         Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria 100.         Ann Cunningham, Australia 101.         Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA 102.         Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA 103.         Athena Viscusi, USA 104.         Marco Viscusi, USA 105.         Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA 106.         Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA 107.         Ellen Graves, USA 108.         Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Ireland 109.         Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain 110.         Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain 111.         Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada 112.         David Heap, London Anti-War*, Canada 113.         Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England 114.         Aimee Shalan, UK 115.         Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain 116.         Priscilla Lynch, USA 117.         Jenna Bitar, USA 118.         Deborah Mardon, USA 119.         Becky Thompson, USA 120.         Diane Hereford, USA 121.         David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada 122.         Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*, Canada 123.         Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada 124.         Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada 125.         Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada 126.         Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France 127.         Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India 128.         John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA 129.         Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal 130.         Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW) 131.          Labor For Palestine