UPDATE -- Here is something you can do, wherever you are
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Reactie: Jaap Hamburger, chairman A Different Jewish Voice, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Aan: 'louise_herbert@mastercard.com'
CC: 'Joanne_trout@mastercard.com'
Onderwerp: Dear Mrs. Herbert and Trout,
As you are aware of, Isracard Company Israel has recently made use of the Mastercard name and logo for promotional ends. People could make use of a reduced tariff to visit a settler project in disguise of an archeological excavation, a site run by the Elad settlers (City of David National Park project).
In the case concerned people making use of the offer might be unaware about the context of multiple violations of international law that is implied in the City of David National Park project, part of the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. The project is also used by these settlers as a forward base to dispossess the Palestinian population of neighboring Silwan. It is a clear case where disputed archeology is abused to Judaize what is left for the Palestinians.
Customers can’t make an informed choice when all this is hidden from them and the whole thing is presented as an innocent family tour.
I have been at the place myself, and I have seen it all, including the old noble olive trees at the entrance gate. Guess where those trees come from.
Mastercard Company should stay out of the realm of violations of international law, and if anything, it should promote its standards instead.
Please correct Isracard company and take measures to prevent this type of promotion by them in the future.
In our view Mastercard company could and should play a role in promoting standards of international law and practices by giving access to the Palestinian economy and Palestinians to modern means of payment. If that could be done making use of an enduring promotional tariff, that would be fine and praiseworthy.
Jaap Hamburger, chairman A Different Jewish Voice, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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The Isracard Company threatens to sue Gush Shalom
Gush Shalom
to press
12-6-2009
Company directors: Gush Shalom activities cause us great damage
Gush Shalom: Isracard violated basic norms by promoting extreme right settlers
"Isracard" also implicated "Mastercard" in International Law violations
The credit card company "Isracard" reacted sharply to the public protest initiated by Gush Shalom. Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller got this morning an angry fax from Ayala Tidhar and Orit Hangali of the Isracard Marketing & Foreign Relations Section, including the complaint that "The activities of Gush Shalom is causing us great damage". Rani Rahav, the Isracard public relations director, phoned Keller and threatened to sue Gush Shalom. All this followed upon the public protest, in Israel and abroad, against Isracard sending to its customers a gift coupon for 'a family outing' at the 'City of David National Park' which is run by extreme right settlers in East Jerusalem.
"It is a bit surprising to hear that we are supposedly 'causing great damage' to the Isracard Company " said Adam Keller. "How come one email message to our list of supporters would cause so much damage to one of the biggest companies in the Israeli economy? It would be good for them to consider if the damage was caused by us, or perhaps by the truth about them which we have uncovered".
In its answer to the Isracard Company, Gush Shalom stated: "Indeed, the site known as 'The City of David National Park', just outside the Old City of Jerusalem, officially belongs to the National Reserves and Parks Authority, a supposedly neutral body. But this is in no way enough to whitewash Isracard's involvement with the place. It is well known that the administration of the place in practice has been transferred to the settler association Elad – a body which has a clear political and ideological identity on the extreme right side of the spectrum. The Elad people are openly and explicitly promoting the aim of "Judaizing (East)Jerusalem" – not simply by talking but also by constant and intensive activity, creating 'facts on the ground', dispossessing Palestinian inhabitants and violating International Law.
Isracard cannot wash its hands off the nefarious settler activity by claiming that this is 'a governmental site'. In Israel, as in many other countries, a company must tell consumers what is the nature of the product or service which it is offering for sale. Isracard is not at liberty to offer its customers 'entertainment for the entire family' at a park run by extreme right people, without disclosing that, once arriving there, the customers would be exposed to extreme right propaganda.
If Isracard goes through with the threat of judicial proceedings against us we won’t be afraid. We have available plenty of testimonies and witnesses regarding the 'City of David National Park' – what it is, who runs it and how, what kind of 'guidance' is given to visitors and what is the political slant of that 'guidance'.
The gift coupon sent by Isracard to its customers includes the name and logo of MasterCard, an international company conducting world-wide business. Despite their extensive and long-standing business relationship, Isracard did not bother to let MasterCard know of the use made of its name and reputation in promoting extremist settlers who violate International Law. We in Gush Shalom decided to fill the vacancy and inform the MasterCard directors, with the help of our friends abroad.
Dit is de bedoeling (JH):
Meanwhile, there is a continuing wave of protest messages sent by Israeli peace activists to the Isracard offices and by Americans and Europeans to MasterCard.
Contact:
Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson, +972-506-709603
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The holders of an Isracard and/or Mastercard credit cards in Israel have received in the past weeks an offer for a "City of David tour" with "attractions for the entire family" - an innocuous sounding offer, making no mention of the fact that this tour is to be conducted by the Elad settlers - the ones who are, for more than a decade, making life for Palestinians in Silwan into hell.
Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc, has written to the Directors of the MasterCard Company
(A similar letter in Hebrew was sent to the Israeli provider of Mastercard "Isracard".)
You are requested to send your own protest, using our letter or making your own.
You could also phone to the Mastercard company. Contact data is provided in the end, as well as links to background material about the activity of the Elad settlers in Silwan.
The letter.
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Dear Sir or Madam
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Isracard Company, entrusted with issuing MasterCard credit cards in Israel, is at present involved in supporting extreme-right Israeli settlers who are actively dispossessing the Palestinian inhabitants of East Jerusalem's Silwan Neighbourhood. Moreover, Isracard has been using the MasterCard name and logo in this campaign of support for the settlers.
Two weeks ago, Isracard sent to its customers a gift coupon providing a large reduction in entry fees to the so-called "City of David National Park", managed by the highly controversial Elad settler association. The reduction is dependant upon the customer paying with a MasterCardPlus card.
In providing such coupons to its customers, Isracard has taken a clear position in support of the extreme right in Israeli politics – and has implicated MasterCard in the same. "The City of David National Park" is administered by the settler association "Elad" whose members have established themselves since 1991 in East Jerusalem's Silwan Neighbourhood, since which time they are constantly extending their foothold by means of entering Palestinian homes and expelling their inhabitants. The proclaimed aim of the Elad settlers is to "Judaise" the village of Silwan, which they call "The City of David" and where they assert the Biblical King David had his palace 3000 years ago (a claim strongly disputed among historians and archaeologists). The tens of thousands of Palestinians who live for generations in this location are for the Elad settlers no more than "a nuisance" to be expelled. Among other things, it was the Elad settlers who initiated – and got the Jerusalem Municipality to adopt – the plan of demolishing 88 Palestinian homes in Silwan in order to establish in their place "The King's Garden", where according to the settlers King David had his garden. As you may recall, this plan was strongly condemned by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on her visit to Jerusalem in March this year.
Visitors to the "City of David National Park" are not only directly contributing to the Elad setters' coffers, but are also exposed to an intensive dose of extreme-right nationalistic propaganda and a highly biased and one-sided description of Jerusalem's history, almost completely ignoring the part of non-Jews – especially, the part of Arabs and Muslims – in the city's history. Such a distorted depiction of history also appears on the settler website to which the Isracard coupon, emblazoned with the MasterCard logo, refers the company's customers: http://www.cityofdavid.org.il
Isracard's issuing this coupon and promoting the Elad settlers clearly cannot be considered a legitimate commercial activity. Rather, it is a political act with far-reaching implications. As the MasterCard name and logo were directly used, implicating your company with its world-wide business network, I feel it is incumbent upon your company to take up the matter with your "Isracard" business partners and firmly ask them to sever immediately and completely all connections with the Elad settlers.
As you have taken care to make widely known, your company has taken the initiative to create "The MasterCard Foundation" whose proclaimed aim is to help and empower poor, isolated and disadvantaged people in such countries as Tajikistan and Rwanda, and whose leadership includes such distinguished people as Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, known for her great devotion to the promotion of Human Rights . Obviously, this is the polar opposite of what the Elad settlers are doing in the Palestinian parts of Jerusalem, and I am sure you will take quick steps to remedy this discrepancy.
Adam Keller
Gush Shalom spokesperson
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Appendix:
The following Isracard / Mastercard gift coupon was received in the past week by Israeli holders of such cards
Translation of the coupon's Hebrew text:
City of David - Attractions for the entire family!
130 Shekels for a Segway tour and entry into the City of David National Park (instead of 185 Shekels)
To coordinate your visit, contact: www.cityofdavid.org.il/ [or phone] *6033
Offer in force until 30.06.09
Isracard, MasterCard Plus
Offer valid for those paying by MasterCard Plus cards* Additional 5% reduction upon debiting * With prior coordination* Segway trip will be conducted at Ya'ar HaShalom and the Armon Hanatziv Walkway * For 18 year olds and older * Entry into City of David upon presentation of payment for the Segway tour * Photo for illustration *
MasterCard Incorporated contacts:
Joanne Trout, 914-249-6644, Joanne_trout@mastercard.com (Media contact)
Nancy Tully +1-636-722-7782, nancy_tully@mastercard.com (MasterCard Worldwide)
Louise Herbert, Tel. +32 498 585 647, louise_herbert@mastercard.com (MasterCard Europe)
Jennifer Reed, Jennifer_reed@mastercard.com (416) 365-6664 (MasterCard Canada)
