{"id":557,"date":"2014-04-04T11:27:35","date_gmt":"2014-04-04T11:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gphrc.org\/?p=557"},"modified":"2014-04-04T11:30:53","modified_gmt":"2014-04-04T11:30:53","slug":"bill-gates-slammed-links-israel-prison-torture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/bill-gates-slammed-links-israel-prison-torture\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill Gates slammed over links to Israel prison torture"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"header\">\n<div id=\"masthead\">\n<div id=\"admin-nav\">\n<ul>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2304\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div id=\"container\">\n<div id=\"content\" role=\"main\">\n<div id=\"post-11944\"><small><\/small><\/p>\n<div>Posted on\u00a0<a title=\"18:00\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944\" rel=\"bookmark\">April 3, 2014<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Addameer and Palestinian BDS National Committee<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><a title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\">Share on facebook<\/a><a title=\"Tweet\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\">Share on twitter<\/a><a title=\"Email\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\" target=\"_blank\">Share on email<\/a><a title=\"Pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\" target=\"_blank\">Share on pinterest_share<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\">More Sharing Services<\/a><a title=\"View more services\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#\" target=\"_blank\">4<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"G4S: Securing War Crimes\" width=\"711\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V8u7yBhaUMI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest\">Sign the petition:\u00a0www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Palestinian human rights organisations have criticised Bill Gates after it emerged that his charitable foundation is heavily invested in G4S, a private security company that helps Israel run prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners are held without trial and subjected to torture.<\/p>\n<p>In an\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/addameer.org\/etemplate.php?id=668\" target=\"_blank\">open letter<\/a>\u00a0to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation published today, Palestinian human rights groups argued that the foundation was undermining international law and its stated commitment to human rights with its $170m investment in the company that makes it one of the company\u2019s biggest shareholders.<\/p>\n<p>British security company G4S has a contract with the Israeli Prison Service to run and install security and management systems at six prisons Palestinian political prisoners, including children, are routinely\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/stopadcampaign.com\/?p=271\" target=\"_blank\">subjected to torture<\/a>, according to human rights organisations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is completely unacceptable for a charitable foundation to be investing in a company that participates in gross human rights violations against Palestinian political prisoners. The Gates Foundation talks about every life having equal value, but what about the political prisoners, are their lives not of equal value?\u201d said Sahar Francis, director of Palestinian prisoner and advocacy organisation Addameer.<\/p>\n<p>More than 500 children are \u2018are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military detention system each year\u2019,\u00a0according to Defence for Children International \u2013 Palestine.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dci-palestine.org\/documents\/palestinian-children-israeli-military-custody-face-physical-violence\" target=\"_blank\">Three out of every four<\/a>\u00a0of child detainees face physical violence during detention and interrogation, much of which takes place in facilities G4S helps to operate.<\/p>\n<p>Palestinian student and father-of-two Arafat Jaradat\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.addameer.org\/etemplate.php?id=578\" target=\"_blank\">died<\/a>\u00a0in custody last year after being tortured in Megiddo Prison, a facility that G4S helps to operate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBill Gates is the richest man in the world, why does his charity have to fund itself by profiting from the torture of children and the use of detention without trial?\u201d Francis added.<\/p>\n<p>Israel illegally transfers prisoners from the occupied Palestinian territories to inside Israel despite this being prohibited by Article 76 of the Geneva Convention. Campaigners argue that G4S is complicit in this violation of international law.<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest\" target=\"_blank\">petition<\/a>\u00a0that has been\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/addameer.org\/etemplate.php?id=670\" target=\"_blank\">backed<\/a>\u00a0by 20 Palestinian organisations and more than 100 organisations from across the world has also been launched today.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest\">Sign the petition:\u00a0www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest<\/a><\/p>\n<p>G4S has already\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/g4s-timeline\" target=\"_blank\">lost contracts<\/a>\u00a0worth millions of dollars as trade unions and universities and other public bodies in Europe and South Africa cancel their contracts over concerns about the firm\u2019s role in Israel\u2019s prison system.<\/p>\n<p>Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson was embroiled in controversy and was eventually forced into resigning her role as an Oxfam ambassador earlier this year after she endorsed SodaStream, an Israeli company that manufactures drinks machines in an illegal Israeli settlement. Celebrities including Pink Flyod\u2019s Roger Waters, Massive Attack\u2019s Robert del Naja and Maxi Jazz from Faithless have backed a cultural boycott of Israel.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"gates3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/files\/2014\/04\/gates3-300x282.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"282\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In April 2012, more than 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners went on hunger strike to protest conditions in Israel\u2019s jails and the use of administrative detention, a form of detention without trial. There are currently three prisoners who remain on hunger strike, two of whom have gone without food for almost 80 days.<\/p>\n<p>Palestinian human rights groups say that Israel uses mass incarceration to dissuade Palestinians from protesting against Israel\u2019s occupation and apartheid policies. Israeli military orders make a whole range of activities illegal, including joining a political party or organising a demonstration.<\/p>\n<p>There are more than 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, including 183 children and 175 held under\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/stopadcampaign.com\/?p=266\" target=\"_blank\">administrative detention<\/a>, a form of detention without trial that Israel uses to hold Palestinians on secret information indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest\">Sign the petition:\u00a0www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8211; See more at: http:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/2014\/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bdsmovement+%28Palestinian+BDS+National+Committee%29#sthash.MQyYI6CW.dpuf<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 Posted on\u00a0April 3, 2014\u00a0by\u00a0Addameer and Palestinian BDS National Committee Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services4 Sign the petition:\u00a0www.addameer.org\/gatesdivest Palestinian human rights organisations have criticised Bill Gates after it emerged that his charitable foundation is heavily invested in G4S, a private security company that helps Israel run prisons at which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bds","category-human-right-violations","category-illegal-settlements"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":571,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions\/571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gphrc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}