Latest news with #DivestmentandSanctions
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Security guard takes out anti-Israel protestor at Tour de France in wild scene
When a man began running down the course at the Tour de France in protest of an Israeli team's participation Wednesday, a security guard pulled no punches. The guard wrapped up the protester and shoved him against the wall separating the track from the viewing area, eventually tossing him over the wall, onto the ground and into a jam-packed crowd of fans. The shocking scene took place just 25 meters from the finish line as Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen edged out Switzerland's Mauro Schmid for victory in the 11th stage of the three-week race. Advertisement The protester was wearing a shirt that said 'Israel out of the Tour,' and he held a keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered headdress that has become a symbol of solidarity for the Palestinian cause. After the protester had been thrust onto the ground, the security guard yelled and pointed at him as the shocked crowd of fans looked on. Advertisement 4 A protester is corralled by a security guard at the finish line of the 11th stage of the Tour de France. A Tour de France security guard throws a protestor off the course. 4 A Tour de France security guard throws a protestor off the course. @visegrad24/X The protest was presumably directed at the Israel Premier-Tech team, which is registered in Israel, although it does not feature any Israeli bikers at this year's event. In April, pro-Palestinian movement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions dubbed Israel Premier-Tech 'Team Genocide,' and called for 'peaceful protests.' Advertisement 4 A protester wears a t-shirt that reads 'Israel out of the tour' by the finish line of the Stage 11 of the Tour de France. REUTERS 'We call for more peaceful protests than ever along the routes of cycling races where Team Genocide is participating, including the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España,' the organization wrote. 'Let's make sure the road is closed to genocide perpetrators.' Members of the team also faced protests at the 2025 Amstel Gold Race in April and at the Giro d'Italia in May. 4 A sign at a protest against the presence of the Israel Premier-Tech on July 12. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Stage 11 of the Tour de France, which stretched 156.8 kilometers, took place in and around the Southern French city of Toulouse. The prestigious race consists of 21 stages, with the event wrapping up at the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 27.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
PSNA To Target Sodastream In Noel Leeming Outlets For ‘Complicity With Israeli Genocide, Apartheid And Land Grabbing'
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is launching a nationwide campaign against stockists of carbonated drink machines produced by the Israeli company Sodastream. PSNA says its action is part of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to isolate apartheid Israel while it commits genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal won't reveal when the 'active campaign' might start, but he does say that the Noel Leeming retail chain is to be the first target. 'We wrote to Noel Leeming's parent company, the Warehouse, on 25 March, reminding them of their Ethical Sourcing Policy, which states; 'Like our customers,wecare about doing the right thing – not only here in New Zealand but everywhere we operate. Our aim is to ensure our customers have confidencethatour products have been ethically sourced.' 'We didn't get a reply. It seems their ethical policy is just a public relations whitewash.' Nazzal says Sodastream previously manufactured its machines near Ma'ale Adumim, one of the most notorious illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which was built over destroyed Palestinian villages. 'Sodastream denied it at the time, but the pressure from international customers forced Sodastream to relocate its factory to near Rahat in the Nagab desert in Southern Israel.' Nazzal says the Sodastream stain remains. 'Sodastream built its new factory on traditional Bedouin land. In 1948, the Israeli army expelled most of the nomadic Bedouin from Palestine. Ever since then, Israel has attempted to drive the remaining Bedouin into Bantustan shanty towns so Israelis can occupy the rest of their land.' 'Some Bedouin have had their villages destroyed by the Israeli army dozens of times.' 'The Israeli government subsidises industrial plants and towns in the Nagab, to 'improve the demographic balance' in favour of Jewish immigrants. It's just the same apartheid as in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,' Nazzal says. 'Israeli companies can exploit local Palestinian labour, just as easily as they can if they were operating in the West Bank.' 'Sodastream boasts that it is also exploiting local prison labour. I think that is a great thing to publicise.' Nazzal says the PSNA action against SodaStream shouldn't be necessary. 'Our government should be sanctioning Israel for its genocide and apartheid. It has obligations set by the International Court of Justice, which it completely ignores.' Nazzal says civic boycotts work. 'The best example in this country was the campaign against apartheid South Africa, especially against the Springbok Tour in 1981.' 'Much more recently, only last year, the Israeli parent company of Obela food dips sold its brand. It reluctantly admitted that part of the reason was the consumer boycott of Obella as an Israeli product.' 'Though Obela sales in countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand didn't fall that much, it was enough to cause an Israeli identity brand crisis. Obela is still on sale here, but is no longer an Israeli company and isn't sending profits back to Israel anymore.' Nazzal says the initial target is Noel Leeming, but the campaign will also be moving to other retail chains which stock Sodastream, such as Briscoes and New World. 'We hope they will see ethical reason and realise why it's not in the long-term interests of their respective brands to continue to stock Sodastream."
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Ireland's proposed boycott of Israeli businesses creates dangerous legal trap for American investors
Print Close By Anat Alon-Beck, Mark Goldfeder, Erielle Davidson Published July 16, 2025 Ireland has announced plans to pass a first-of-its-kind European law banning imports from Israeli businesses operating in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Like most Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) efforts, the bill is unlikely to inflict measurable economic harm on Israel. However, it poses a very real — and potentially devastating — threat to American businesses and investors. Under U.S. law, it is illegal for American companies to participate in or support foreign-government-backed boycotts of Israel. The Export Administration Regulations (enforced by the Department of Commerce's Office of Antiboycott Compliance) and Internal Revenue Code § 999 (administered by the IRS) prohibit exactly the kind of conduct Ireland's legislation seeks to compel. These statutes were enacted in response to the Arab League boycott and are grounded not only in economic self-interest but also in civil rights law: The boycotts of the Jewish State have always been about who Jews are—not what Israel does. More recent legislation, like the 2016 Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, reaffirmed America's bipartisan commitment to combating BDS. TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS UK, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND OTHERS WHO SANCTIONED ISRAELI OFFICIALS The penalties for violating U.S. anti-boycott laws can be steep, including civil fines, criminal prosecution, possible imprisonment, and the loss of export privileges. Any decision to alter operations in response to Ireland's law — particularly if it involves termination of Israeli partnerships or divestment — may constitute a material event triggering these laws and requiring disclosure to both shareholders and the SEC under existing risk factor or geopolitical reporting guidelines. Public companies should be especially mindful of how such changes are characterized in their filings to avoid accusations of misrepresentation or politically motivated discrimination. Aside from federal restrictions, the majority of U.S. states have adopted anti-BDS laws that bar companies from receiving state contracts if they boycott Israel. That means firms that comply with Ireland's law also risk contract termination, state debarment and possible enforcement actions from these states' attorneys general. The backlash faced by Unilever in 2021, after its subsidiary Ben & Jerry's sought to boycott parts of Israel, provides a concrete warning: multiple states divested pension funds, the company suffered reputational harm, and they ultimately had to walk back the decision under immense pressure from shareholders and lawsuits. If Ireland were seeking to chase American capital out of the country, it could not have devised a better way to do so. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION What U.S. Companies Should Do Now American businesses with operations in Ireland — or even transactions that touch Irish jurisdiction — must now take proactive steps to protect themselves. First, as a threshold matter, any American company operating in Ireland should conduct a foreign law compliance audit to identify any decisions or actions that might be tied explicitly or implicitly to foreign legal pressure. Second, companies should educate stakeholders that anti-Israel divestment generates unwanted legal exposure, not safety, and ensure that internal directives do not imply or implement foreign boycott goals. SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER Third, companies should implement a boycott response policy that would require all foreign law compliance actions to be reviewed by legal counsel. General counsel offices should track and report any foreign government requests to the Department of Commerce, as required. Fourth, American companies operating in Ireland ought to review their state contract exposure. If a company does business with certain states, particularly those with anti-BDS laws on the books, the company ought to ensure its compliance with anti-BDS contract clauses. Finally, if legal exposure cannot be mitigated, businesses may have to consider corporate restructuring, including reducing or ending operations in Ireland altogether; if the cost of doing business in Ireland now includes federal investigations, SEC scrutiny, and shareholder lawsuits, among other risks, companies may need to rethink their presence in the country. The bottom line is that American companies are not at risk because they do business with Israel. They're at risk if they stop doing business because a foreign government pressured them to do so. Anti-boycott law is not just about trade—it's about protecting American sovereignty, American investors, and American civil rights. And when it comes to obeying the law American companies must remember: America first. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Rep. Elise Stefanik skewers CUNY chancellor, calls for his ouster over ‘failed' leadership on NYC campus antisemitism
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik skewered the head of CUNY — calling on him to resign for 'failing Jewish students' and for flunking his House testimony Tuesday on combating campus antisemitism. The Republican congresswoman zeroed in on Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez over the hiring of a chief diversity officer who previously worked for a pro-Hamas, Israel-bashing group — saying that if the CUNY boss doesn't step down, Gov. Kathy Hochul should bounce him. 'You have failed the people of New York. You have failed Jewish students in New York State, and it is a disgrace,' Stefanik — who is mulling a run for governor against Hochul next year — told the chancellor during the House Education & Workforce Committee hearing. Advertisement 7 Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., questions the panel of witnesses during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing on 'Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology' on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. AP She grilled Matos Rodríguez about CUNY's hiring of Saly Abd Alla, who had previously been employed as a civil rights director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. 'I was not directly responsible for that hire,' Matos Rodríguez, who has overseen CUNY's 26 degree-granting institutions since 2019, insisted when asked if he was aware of Abd Alla's previous employer. Advertisement CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case involving the funneling over $12 million to Hamas, Stefanik noted. 'You hired Abd Alla as CUNY's chief diversity officer, and this role includes overseeing antisemitism complaints and initiatives. Were you aware at that time that this senior administrator that you hired was previously employed by CAIR?' Stefanik asked. Matos Rodríguez said Abd Alla was hired to be the chief diversity officer 'at the central office with no responsibility over cases that have to deal with students or faculty.' 7 Pro-Palestine demonstrators wave the Palestinian flag and hold a banner outside of the office of the City University of New York. Jimin Kim/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Advertisement 'Let me remind you, CAIR was a co-conspirator in the terrorist financing case and has ties to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,' Stefanik continued, adding, 'Is she currently still employed by CUNY?' 'She is,' Matos Rodríguez replied. 'So, no action, just words here today,' Stefanik said. Stefanik also asked Matos Rodríguez if he knew that law professor Ramzi Kassem, the head of CUNY Law School's legal clinic, Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility or CLEAR, was representing Mahmoud Khalil, the anti-Israel Columbia University protester who was detained by the Trump administration. Advertisement 'CUNY CLEAR. I'm not familiar with them,' Matos Rodríguez said. 7 Stefanik also asked Matos Rodríguez if he knew that law professor Ramzi Kassem, the head of CUNY Law School's legal clinic. AP 'This is the chief pro-Hamas agitator that led to the antisemitic encampments at Columbia, the rioting and violent takeover of Hamilton Hall, the harassment and physical assault of Jewish students,' Stefanik said of Khalil. 'You allow the head of the clinical legal organization and a professor to be the chief legal aid to Mahmoud Khalil and do his legal defense fund?' Matos Rodríguez responded, 'Those decisions are made in the clinics and are made in the individual campuses.' In another case, Stefanik asked about delays in removing a swastika from the main building of CUNY's Hunter College campus on Manhattan's Upper East Side in the fall of 2023. 7 Protestors gather outside Brooklyn College during a âCUNY Wide Student Walkout for Palestineâ on Thursday, November 9, 2023 in Brooklyn, N.Y. James Keivom She displayed a Nov. 13, 2023 email apparently by Hunter's Interim Vice President for Administration Gustavo Ordonez telling Leah Garrett, the school's chair of Jewish Studies: 'Apologies, but it's not that simple.' Advertisement Garrett has since filed a federal workplace discrimination suit against CUNY. CUNY typically removes hateful symbols right away but there was a delay in doing so in this case because officials 'were working with the New York City Police Department' on a potential hate crime case, Matos Rodríguez told the panel. In a joint press conference after the hearing with Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov in DC, Stefanik said Matos Rodríguez had to go, and claimed Hochul was part of the problem. 7 Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., questions the panel of witnesses during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing on 'Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology' on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. @RepStefanik/X Advertisement 'The scourge of antisemitism has skyrocketed on her watch,' Stefanik said of Hochul. 'She needs to call on this chancellor to resign. She needs to fire him today.' Vernikov agreed, telling reporters: 'With one phone call, she can make sure the chancellor gets removed.' 'We need competent leadership. The chancellor is unwilling and unable to address antisemitism and protect his Jewish students,' she said. Advertisement 7 Protestors gather outside Brooklyn College during a CUNY Wide Student Walkout for Palestine on Thursday, November 9, 2023 in Brooklyn, N.Y. James Keivom Hochul created a task force headed by former New York state chief judge Jonathan Lippman that issued recommendations last year to weed out campus antisemitism at CUNY. Matos Rodríguez is likely not going anywhere. He has strong support among CUNY's trustees, appointed by the governor and mayor. Overall, he defended CUNY's performance in tamping down antisemitism and said officials have learned from past mistakes. Advertisement 'Antisemitism has no place at CUNY,' he testified. 7 Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor, The City University of New York, testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing. AP 'And although our response has not always been perfect, our commitment to this important work has never wavered. Our commitment to the safety of the members of our Jewish community, and to our entire community, is non-negotiable.' He noted the $3 million in vandalism caused by anti-Israel protestors who created an encampment at CUNY's City College last year. 'We learned from that experience. We now have a zero-tolerance policy against encampments,' Matos Rodríguez said, adding CUNY hired more than 150 full-time security employees and contracted with an additional 250 security personnel. 'Our approach has shown results,' he said.
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
The UFT's Mamdani endorsement: Letters to the Editor — July 10, 2025
The Issue: The city's United Federation of Teachers endorses Zohran Mamdani for mayor. In choosing Zohran Mamdani, the UFT has shown it accepts the whole package of what he stands for — including Jew hatred and government seizure of private property ('Lefty UFT endorses radical Mamdani,' July 9). If anything, this action calls for school choice: To give parents the option of placing their children in schools that actually teach the basics, rather than political indoctrination. Bill Isler Floral Park In the past, any communist or fascist would have to seize power by force of arms. In today's New York City, it turns out all a communist has to do is offer the United Federation of Teachers a raise. Christopher O'Keefe Manhattan I am ashamed of my union for doing this. This endorsement came from a meeting of the union's Delegate Assembly, apparently made up of leftist, antisemitic communists. How could the UFT endorse a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions advocate who refuses to acknowledge Holocaust Remembrance and is rumored to make Jamaal Bowman, an anti-Israel poor imitation of a human being, the next chancellor of New York City schools? To protest this outrage, I am asking my fellow UFT colleagues to withdraw from giving to COPE, a financial political action group of the UFT. Ed Greenspan Brooklyn Mass insanity at New York City's teachers union overcomes intelligence. The UFT is blind to Mamdani's threat to our fragile democracy. Thomas Birnbaum Manhattan I was taken aback when I read in The Post that the United Federation of Teachers voted to endorse antisemite Mamdani for New York City mayor. How support of Mamdani helps the city's public schools is lost on me, or any thinking person for that matter. However, on reflection, I remembered that this was the teachers union that denounced the attempts by parents to control what was taught to their children. This rabble organization of teachers cares not for the betterment of students, but only for paychecks and pensions. Frank Olivieri Ft. Myers, Fla. So, the UFT has endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor. As teachers, how stupid can they possibly be for backing a snake-oil salesman? I'll bet a boatload of chalk that these teachers will tell their students to tell their parents to vote for Mamdani. The election is less than four months away; there's still time to pack up and leave New York for good. Harve Kaye Brooklyn The Issue: Elon Musk's threat to launch a third national party amid his disapproval of President Trump. In theory, the new political party proposed by Elon Musk as a third alternative could be a great divider with just a few wins in the House and Senate ('Get Real, Elon,' Glenn Harlan Reynolds, July 8). The problem, however, is that the basis of this party seems to be both spite and an attempt to gain power over President Trump. A rival party is not a positive idea, and thus it might be better for Musk to step away and spend his time and money on solving one of the world's many problems. Dennis Fitzgerald Melbourne, Australia It appears Elon Musk wants to create a new national political party as revenge due to President Trump and the Republican Party no longer being his puppets and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill. Musk should go back to the country where he was born — which is not the United States — to create his new political party. Cecelia Clark St. Petersburg, Fla. Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
