The Norwegian Electrician and IT workers’ union has adopted a resolution calling for a comprehensive boycott of Apartheid Israel.
The resolution, which was passed on November 13th, calls for boycott and sanctions on Israel until the country complies with all UN resolutions relating Palestinian rights, and demands that the Norwegian government call off its economic embargo on the Palestinian government.
The union represents 37,000 energy, electrical engineering, telecommunications and IT workers.
The move comes after intensive solidarity activities in Norway aimed at promoting the call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).
On December two hundred people gathered in front of the Parliament building in Oslo to protest about the Israeli Occupation’s assault on and blockade of the Gaza strip, and the continuing negligence of the Norwegian government and wider international community.
On the November 29 the Palestine Committee in Oslo organized a seminar on academic and cultural boycott of Apartheid Israel. Speakers included activists who had previously worked on the boycott of Apartheid South Africa, distinguished professors and working artists. The seminar was very well attended and part of the continuous effort of the Palestine Committee to raise the BDS call in Norway.
The Union’s decision to boycott Israel is particularly significant given the importance of Apartheid Israel’s telecommunications industry and its ties to Norway.
Norway’s main telecommunication provider, Telenor, has significant links with Israeli industry, including a three-year service agreement with Apartheid Israel’s Spacecom Satellite Communications Services, allowing the Israeli company to enter the North American market. The agreement is due to expire, and is up for negotiations in March 2007.
Under the agreement, Telenor-USA has erected a 9-meter antenna at its teleport facility in Southbury, Connecticut, to support the operation of Apartheid Israel’s Amos2 satellite in the United States and Canada, with Telenor-USA providing the marketing services.
The Amos satellites and their ground control centre were designed and manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) of Lod. IAI is Apartheid Israel’s main producer of military aircraft and weaponry. Among its broad range of deadly products are the upgrades to the US made F-16, upgrades to the D9 Caterpillar bulldozers, the vicious drones that kill the population in Gaza and a series of other weapons tested on and produced for the killing and expulsion of the Palestinian people.
Telenor has also joined forces with IBM Haifa and New York in a research project code-named PASTA “Presence Advanced Services for Telco Applications”. The new system should allow mobile devices and networks to automatically learn about their users whereabouts and preferences as they commute, work and travel and will be first tested on the Norwegian telecommunications network.
The Occupation’s telecommunication industry is a key part of Occupation’s economy, and discrimates against non-Jewish job applicants citing “security reasons”. Bringing IT and Telecommunications trade unions on board is a crucial part of the global movement to isolate Apartheid Israel.