[Gush Shalom] British Airways billboards in West Bank settlement

[Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)]

GUSH SHALOM  pob 3322, Tel-Aviv  61033 www.gush-shalom.org

Following is the text of a letter sent today by Gush Shalom, to the British 
Airways company. In the end follow address details which you can use for 
adding your voice. 

What it is about: Huge billboards carrying ads of British Airwaves put up 
in the Ariel settlement. See for yourself at http://gush-shalom.org/ariel

---
To
The Management
British Airways
London, UK

A few days ago, an Israeli peace activist monitoring the situation on the 
West Bank noticed two large billboards placed at the entrance to the West 
Bank settlement of Ariel, with a conspicuous British Airways logo. 
The ads bear mock London road signs with such place names as 
"Buckingham Palace", "Hyde Park" etc. and underneath them an ad 
offering cheap flights to London.

I would like to point out the following:

1) Ariel is – according to international law - an illegal settlement, created 
on occupied Palestinian territory in contravention if the Fourth Geneva 
Convention (of which both Israel and your country are signatories) and 
which forbid an occupying power to settle its citizens in occupied 
territory. 

2) The creation of Ariel and other West Bank settlements and their 
continued maintenance and extension is about the most hotly debated and 
controversial political subject in Israel. The majority wants to give up the 
settlements which take to high a price and endanger the country's chance 
of ever reaching peace with its Palestinian and Arab neighbors. 

3) The settlement of Ariel, where the BA billboards have been placed, is 
mentioned as the reason for an especially deep penetration of the 
“Separation Wall” into Palestinian territory - a matter which was taken up 
both by the US Government and by your country's own Prime Minister 
Tony Blair. And it  has even become more acute since it became part of the 
agenda of the World Court in the Hague. 

Given the above, the placing of very conspicuous British Airways 
billboards at Ariel could be taken - even if that was not the original 
intention - as an endorsement by your company of a phenomenon which, 
to say the least, does not deserve endorsement. The placing of billboards 
at that particular location may alienate a large number of potential 
customers worldwide. It might, therefore, be advisable for your company  
to order the removal of said billboards. (Photos of them can be seen at 
http://gush-shalom.org/ariel).

Sincerely yours

Adam Keller
Spokesperson, Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)
Pob 2542, Holon 58125, Israel
Phone & Fax 972-3-5565804
email info at gush-shalom.org

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If you want to take up the matter yourself  with British Airways:

British Airwaves press office  
phone  +44 (0)208 738 5100 
fax        +44 (0)208 738 9838; 

British Airwaves customer Service
phone +44 191 490 7901
fax +44 (0)20 8759 4314

and/or emaul to:
British Airwaves Corporate Responsibilty Department 
community.branch at britishairways.com 

Please, send copies of emails and faxes to: info at gush-shalom.org



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