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New York, NY, Aug. 25, 2009 – In another stunning blow to Israeli settlement-builder Lev Leviev, the Israeli business magazine Globes Online has reported that BlackRock Inc., one of the world’s largest investment management firms, has divested from Leviev’s Africa-Israel Investments. The Globes article follows a similar report by the Norwegian news service Norwatch. The move comes after a nearly two-year long global boycott campaign of Leviev’s businesses that developed in response to the billionaire’s construction activities in at least four Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, all of which violate international law, and his abusive labor practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.

In an August 23 article, Globes noted that BlackRock has been under pressure from three Norwegian financial institutions to remove Africa-Israel from its portfolio of funds offered to investors. Globes reports that BlackRock, once the second-largest investor in Africa-Israel, had formerly offered Africa-Israel as an investment in its BlackRock Emerging Europe fund, which the Norwegian banks in turn offered to their clients. The information manager for Skandiabanken, one of the three banks that requested that BlackRock divest from Africa-Israel, is quoted in the Globes article as saying “We have received confirmation that BlackRock that Africa-Israel Investments no longer is part of their portfolio. The confirmation of the divestment was sent to Skandiabanken the day before yesterday on August 18."

Brooklyn, NY, August 8 – Fifteen New York human rights advocates rallied at Fulton Street Mall in Brooklyn Saturday, singing songs that called on Brooklyn shoppers to boycott communications giant Motorola until it stops providing technology that aids Israel’s army and settlement movement. The protest was held outside a Sprint Store where Boost Mobile, a division of Sprint, sells Motorola phones.

Holding signs and a banner saying, “Boycott Motorola, Free Palestine, Goodbye Motorola, Goodbye Apartheid,” the protesters serenaded passersby with versions of classic songs that were rewritten to focus on boycotting Motorola. They gave away 500 flyers to Fulton Street Mall shoppers. After learning of Motorola’s support for Israeli apartheid, one woman said that she would return her newly purchased Motorola phone. Forty-nine people signed a pledge not to buy Motorola products until Motorola ends its support for Israeli apartheid. Nearly 400 people have signed the pledge after five New York City street actions.

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Astoria, NY, July 11 – Twenty New York human rights advocates captivated Astoria, Queens shoppers today with songs and street theater calling for a boycott of communications giant Motorola until it stops selling products that aid Israel’s army and settlement movement. Today’s protest outside a Sprint store selling Motorola cellphones on Steinway Street was the second of five summer actions planned by the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (NYCBI). The protests are part of a growing worldwide boycott movement, which gained momentum with Israel’s attack on Gaza killing 1400 Palestinians.

Holding Palestinian flags and signs saying, “Goodbye Moto, Goodbye Apartheid,” and “Boycott Motorola, Free Palestine,” protestors distributed hundreds of flyers to shoppers. Forty-two people signed pledges not to buy Motorola products. Many passersby who were heading to the Arab-American section of Steinway Street expressed gratitude and support for the campaign.

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New York, NY - New York activists gathered in front of Radio City Music Hall Sunday night during a Leonard Cohen concert to call upon the singer/songwriter to cancel his scheduled September concert in Israel. The protesters sang songs, chanted, handed out leaflets to concert attendees and produced sidewalk art. The call comes in support of earlier calls by Jews, Palestinians, Israeli citizens and residents of the UK, and coincides with the publication of an open letter by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) calling for protests throughout the cities Cohen is touring.

“With the construction of the Apartheid Wall and Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, and on the heels of the brutal Israeli attack on Gaza that killed over 1,400 Palestinians and injured 5,000 more, the Palestinian Catastrophe continues and we demand that artists start taking a courageous and principled stand by refusing to entertain occupiers and oppressors,” said Riham Barghouti, Palestinian-American activist with Adalah-NY. This week Palestinians around the world commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Nakba of 1948, when Israeli forces expelled 800,000 Palestinians and destroyed 531 villages.