Once again Argentina has voiced its allegiance to Palestine. Argentinian Congresswoman, Dr. Maria Elena Chieno, who heads the group of Argentinean MPs on Palestine and participated as one of the testimonies in the Ethical Tribunal on Palestine arranged in Argentina submitted a new draft legislation last September. The bill, which reflects Argentinas official stand towards Palestine, if approved, will ban government agencies from accepting participation of Israeli companies rooted in the OPT in tendering and public bidding as well as direct purchases of products and services from Israeli- based companies operating from the Palestinian occupied territories.
With this measure, Congresswoman Chieno, a staunch spokesperson and advocate of Palestine, seeks first, to impugn Israel for the enduring injustices committed against the Palestinians. And second, to put forth pressure on Israel to respect and comply with International law.
Consequently, Chieno explains that maintaining the current economic relations with Israel will not only undermine the economic sovereignty of the Palestinian state, but will be "de facto legitimizing" and normalizing Israeli illegal occupation of Palestine, burying even more the possibility of negotiations for a just and long lasting peace in the area. Chieno's law proposition aims, thus, to help dismantle Israel's colonial and apartheid policies that deny Palestinians their basic inalienable rights to live with dignity and freedom in their ancestral land.
Policy initiatives, like Chieno's, are crucial: We have to seize the moment and intensify our call for struggle for justice for Palestine. We have to relentlessly continue exerting pressure on institutions and governments around the world to multiply such initiatives and force Israel to stop and take down the wall, end its occupation of Palestine and dismantle its apartheid regime once and for all.