Head of European Humanist Association calls Shimon Peres a 'war criminal', a liar and a hypocrite

Belgian Israel-basher Pierre Galand, a much respected (and this is surreal, also highly regarded by Belgian francophone Jewish leaders) and highly influencial socialist politician and 'humanist', has called for the boycott of Shimon Peres and accused him of being a "war criminal" who behind the façade of a "man of peace" is the representative of a "criminal State".  On a previous occasion Mr Galand said that Israel was a rogue State.  He also suggested that Yithzak Rabin was a war criminal.  

On the occasion of Peres' visit to Belgium, one of the anti-Israel associations he chairs (one of them is BDS) released a statement:  "His dovish image serves to obscure the real face of this Israeli politician.  Since 2007 as President of the State of Israel, he has used his positive image to help tone down the international negative reactions to the policies of the Israeli governments who lean more and more to the right".

Pierre Galand also summoned "criminal" Shimon Peres to the last session of the Belgian kangaroo court he created (Russell Tribunal on Palestine) to be held next week in Brussels and to free Marwan Barghouti, hinting at Israel-apartheid. More on Mr Peres visit to Belgium: Belgian Jewish leaders invite head of anti-Israel university to debate with Shimon Peres.

In French: Un ancien sénateur belge traite Shimon Peres de "criminel de guerre"

Anti Israel voculabury enrichment: sociocide, spaciocide, genocide of links, genocide of consciences

Elder of Ziyon: Newest pseudo-academic anti-Israel buzzword: "Spacio-cide"

If you need an example of how anti-Israel academics use the veneer of scholarship to target Israel, here's a good one by Sari Hanafi at the American University of Beirut: 

"This article argues that the Israeli colonial project is ‘spacio-cidal’ (as opposed to genocidal) in that it targets land for the purpose of rendering inevitable the ‘voluntary’ transfer of the Palestinian population primarily by targeting the space upon which the Palestinian people live. The spacio-cide is a deliberate ideology with unified rational, albeit dynamic process because it is in constant interaction with the emerging context and the actions of the Palestinian resistance. By describing and questioning different aspects of the military-judicial-civil apparatuses, this article examines how the realization of the spacio-cidal project becomes possible through a regime that deploys three principles, namely: the principle of colonization, the principle of separation, and the state of exception that mediates between these two seemingly contradictory principles."

In summary, Israel is evil, and therefore we must find a way to define everything it does as inherently evil and then explain it afterwards. The author has to admit that Israel isn't engaging in genocide - even academics can only stretch the truth so much - so he has to come up with a new, similarly-evil sounding construct. [...]

In Brussels, the Russell kangaroo tribunal for Palestine will examine the Israel crime of "sociocide".  A Belgian psychiatrist Francis Martens devised a few years ago two new expressions to qualify Israel's supposed crimes: "the genocide of consciences" and the "genocide of links" (sociocide?).  

Is Belgium endorsing the 'Israel Apartheid State' concept?

"To attack Israel by using the word "apartheid" is therefore to deracialise a racist concept, and it runs the risk of inviting anyone who visits, or truly understands, Israel to say that if this is apartheid, apartheid must have been a perfectly reasonable system. Hendrik Verwoerd will laugh from the depths of hell. To be fair, some of the more cunning operators inside the Israeli-apartheid brigade are aware of this." (Robin Shepherd)

It looks as though Belgium endorsing the 'Israel Apartheid State' concept. A press conference is being held tomorrow to present the findings of the third session of Russell Tribunal for Palestine held in Cape Town.  See NGO Monitor report: HERE and more HERE. The findings: "The Tribunal finds that Israel subjects the Palestinian people to an institutionalised regime of domination amounting to apartheid as defined under international law. [...] the Tribunal concludes that Israel’s rule over the Palestinian people, wherever they reside, collectively amounts to a single integrated regime of apartheid."

The kangaroo court was created by a Belgian Pierre Galand.  The press conference will take place at the De Markten Theatre "the cultural centre in the heart of Brussels" - run by the Flemish authorities.  An anti-Israel and anti-US exhibition ("project") "Cast Lead #2" is alsoo being shown now at De Markten.

In a full two year period since this charade has been going on Jewish leaders have not raised a single protest and ignored it.  The South African Jewish community has to be commended for having ensured that the charade was a failure.  The cartoon below is by Carlos Latuff.

Five Belgian universities debate 'apartheid' Israel academic boycott

"The academic boycott of Israel is "a call upon intellectuals and academics worldwide to comprehensively and consistently boycott all Israeli academic and cultural in situations as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation, colonization and system of apartheid" ... Belgium is not an exception ... A number of individuals of conscience have decided to invite Samia Botmeh to hold a speaking tour of Belgian Universities."

After, Belgian Christian unions support "Boycott Israel" conference with Ilan Pappé and Samia Botmeh, it is the universities' turn to debate the issue.

Source: Academic Boycott of Israel: Opening the Discussion

In April 2004, in light of Israel’s persistent violations of international law and given that all forms of intervention and peace-making had failed to convince or force Israel to comply with humanitarian law, a call was issued in occupied Palestine for a boycott of all Israeli academic and cultural institutions until it complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights. A year later, following the initiative of the Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), another call was issued by nearly two hundred organizations from the Palestinian Civil Society for a broader policy of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.[1]

The academic boycott of Israel is "a call upon intellectuals and academics worldwide to comprehensively and consistently boycott all Israeli academic and cultural in situations as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation, colonization and system of apartheid."[2] Yet the very idea of an academic boycott might seem audacious and sensitive, and rightly so, for many scholars and universities that struggle precisely for the right of freedom of expression and exchange of knowledge. The academic boycott of Israel thus raises a number of questions such as why is there a need to Boycott Israel? What is the nature of the proposed boycott? Why Israel? Or what are the conditions of academic freedom in occupied Palestine as oppose to Israel?

Today the Academic and Cultural Boycott, and the broader Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign, has gathered a remarkable international support that and it has achieved numerous and significant victories all over the world. Belgium is not an exception and several cultural institutions, organizations, and individuals openly advocate for the BDS in its various forms, and are working hard to raise awareness and support for the call made by the Palestinian civil society. Yet the rationale and the terms of the call for Academic boycott of Israel remain often unclear. This brings about tremendous confusion and triggers heatedly discussions around its motivation, legitimacy, and-or effectiveness.

In order to address the misinformation and uncertainties surrounding the Academic Boycott of Israel and the rising interest among University staff and students, a number of individuals of conscience have decided to invite Samia Botmeh to hold a speaking tour of Belgian Universities. Samia Botmeh is director of Birzeit University’s Center for Development Studies and lecturer in economics and gender studies. She is also a member of the steering committee of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).

Tuesday 20th October
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Moderator: Prof. Sarah Bracke

Wednesday 21st October
- Universiteit Gent
Moderator: Prof. Ruddy Doom

- Vrije Unversiteit Brussel
Moderator: Patrick Deboosere

Thursday 22nd October
- Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve
Moderator : Prof. Jean Bricmont
(See: Jean Bricmont and The De-Zionization of the American Mind - The anti-US ravings of an arrogant man and Israel on trial in Brussels: Iranian and Syrian Ambassadors give standing ovation to judges)

Friday 23rd October
- Université Libre de Bruxelles
Moderator : Prof. Eric David
(Eric David is the spiritual father of the calamitous and now defunct Belgian Universal Jurisdiction Law, a.k.a. "a law against justice"... (see below).) A previous debate was held at the ULB in May this year.

[1] Palestinian United Call for BDS against Israel
[2] Call for Academic And Cultural Boycott of Israel
________
On the Belgian Universal Jurisdiction Law, see :
The Suit Against Sharon in Belgium: A Case Analysis, Manfred Gerstenfeld's interview of Irit Kohn (JCPA)
and
NGO Monitor's report by Anne Herzberg:
NGO "LAWFARE" - Exploitation of Courts in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Resort to National Courts: Criminal Prosecutions
Belgium: Ariel Sharon and the Limits of Universal Jurisdiction, p.p. 23-27