Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions ( #BDS) Movement : We welcome the news that the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) has removed a bid to host its next world conference in apartheid #TelAviv and suspended the membership of complicit Israeli organization Aguda.
The Board of ILGA, a federation of 1,900 #LGBTQIA+ organizations in 160 countries and territories, voted unanimously to remove the bid by Aguda from the vote at its 2024 World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, November 11-15.
The announcement of Aguda’s bid to host the ILGA World Conference in Tel Aviv as Israel commits genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, escalates its violent apartheid rule over all Palestinians and conducts massacres in Lebanon, provoked widescale condemnation among ILGA member organizations and board members.
Former ILGA Secretary General Phumi Mtetwa withdrew as a keynote speaker from this year’s conference over the bid, saying, “Apartheid is Apartheid, and there's no room for negotiation or tolerance, especially not from within the LGBTQI+ movement.” ILGA board members have been vocal in their opposition, condemning the proposal as “trying to blatantly #pinkwash war crimes which does not represent our movement that stands in strong solidarity against any oppression.”
ILGA further voted to suspend Aguda as it reviews its compliance with the ILGA constitution. ILGA’s review process can come to no other conclusion than to expel Aguda and all organizations complicit in Israel’s crimes.
Aguda has a history of pinkwashing Israel’s crimes, even defining the Israeli #military as “one of the more progressive organizations in Israel” in terms of LGBTQIA+ acceptance during Israel’s genocide, and promotes activities in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian #WestBank.
ILGA apologized for the anger and harm done to its communities, recognizing “the historical experience with #apartheid and #colonialism in #SouthAfrica: even the possibility of voting on such a bid in their home country would have been at odds with the unequivocal solidarity for the Palestinian people.”
We thank the many South African organizations and all #ILGA members who immediately recognized the Aguda bid for what it was, an attempt to pinkwash Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and pushed ILGA to do better.
#Israel #Palestine #Occupation #SanctionIsrael #StopGenicide #SavePalestine