Report on a Canadian initiated boycott against Chapters and Indigo Bookstores - their President/CEO/Major shareholder is funding the Israeli military.
All the material here has been taken from the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (caiaweb.org) leaflets[1] on the subject - slightly modified to include the launch by "Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign" of a picket outside Chapters Bookstore in Vancouver on 12 May 2007.[2]
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid 7 February 2007
Picket outside Indigo, Toronto 17 Feb 2007
The majority shareholders of Chapters and Indigo Bookstores, Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, established a fund called Heseg – Foundation for Lone Soldiers – a program of financial support for former “lone soldiers’ in the Israeli military. The Israeli military is responsible for war crimes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Lebanon.
Do not buy any products from Indigo, Chapters, World’s Biggest Bookstore, SmithBooks, Coles, The Book Company or Indigospirit until their controlling owners publicly announce that they will cut all financial ties to Heseg – the Foundation for Lone Soliders.
Cutting the Ties to Israeli Apartheid Indigo/Chapters Boycott Launch - 23 Dec 2006
Picket outside Indigo, Toronto 17 Feb 2007
This report was conducted and produced by Mostafa Henaway of ckut 903 fm in montreal, and CKLN 881FM in Toronto.
Many members of the Heseg Board are high-ranking Israeli military personnel. This includes Doron Almog, who avoided arrest in London last year by refusing to disembark from his plane because of a warrant issued for his arrest on suspicion of war crimes..
Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz own or control over 68 percent of the shares in Indigo Books and Music Inc. which owns and operates bookstores under the names Indigo, Chapters, World’s Biggest Bookstore, SmithBooks, Coles, The Book Company or Indigospirit. Reisman is chair and CEO of Indigo Books and Music Inc.
Picket outside Indigo, Toronto 17 Feb 2007
What is the Foundation for Lone Soldiers?
These are individuals who have no family in Israel but decide to join the Israeli military. As Israeli soldiers, they participate in a military that operates checkpoints that restrict Palestinian freedom of movement, enforces the occupation of Palestinian land, and has a documented history of human rights violations.
At any time there might be 5,000 ‘Lone Soldiers’ in the Israeli military in all capacities including in combat units.
“…lone soldiers come from around the world, including North America, Brazil, Argentina, Uzbekistan, Switzerland and even Chechnya.”
Picket outside Indigo, Toronto 17 Feb 2007
What is the Purpose of the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers?
According to their website: “Canadian couple Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman established HESEG to express gratitude and provide support to the thousands of Former Lone Soldiers who serve annually in the Israel Defense Forces.”
By rewarding and supporting Lone Soldiers who have served in the Israeli military, Reisman and Schwartz provide support for Israel’s military effort:
In explaining how Reisman and Schwartz support the IDF through the HESEG foundation Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said at the first Heseg Foundation Grants Awards Ceremony in 2005 that “Encouraging and supporting young individuals from abroad” who have become lone soldiers “directly supports the morale of the IDF”.
CJN December 15 2005.
Through the Heseg Foundation for Lone Soldiers, Reisman and Schwartz have participated in ceremonies celebrating Israeli’s military:
In a recent ceremony honoring a Lone Soldier killed during Israel’s attacks on Lebanon “Levine’s platoon commander handed Levine’s firearm to Canadian business duo and philanthropists Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman, the financial backers of the Heseg project.”
Jerusalem Post November 22 2006
“Heseg was launched at a ceremony at the Sde Dov air base that was attended by 170 lone soldiers as well as by the IDF Chief of Staff, the Chief of the Air Force, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz, and many other dignitaries”
Partners in Apartheid: Chapters - Indigo - IDF
Who is on the Board of HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers?
Israeli General Major Doron Almog - War Criminal
The HESG Lone Soldier Foundation Board is stacked with active and retired high level Israeli military personnel:
Maj. General Doron Almog:
avoided arrest in London in 2005 on suspicion of war crimes. “The former head of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip said Monday he was warned by diplomats not to leave an aircraft that had landed in London after a tip-off that British police were waiting to arrest him on war crimes charges”. Almog was in charge of the Israeli military southern command when a one-ton bomb was dropped on a house in Gaza killing 14 civilians nine of them children.
General (Res.) Yitzhak Eitan,
Currently the International Chairman of the “Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers” (AWIS). Chief Commander of the Israeli military in Gaza Strip and West Bank, and Head (GOC) of the IDF Central Command during the years 2000-2003.
General Elazar Stern:
Served as Deputy Commander Of the Central Brigade in the central sector of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Commander (res.) of paratroopers brigade. Commander of the Officers’ School
Shabtai Shavit
Head of Mossad (the Israeli foreign intelligence) 1989 – 96
Lt. Colonel Mike Hartman
Head of the marksmanship and sharpshooters section of the IDF.
Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman, centre at the back, with some IDF soldiers in Heseg at the Sde Dov air base in Israel
Canadians on the HESEG Board:
Heather Reisman: President and CEO of Indigo Books and Music Inc.
Gerry Schwartz: President and CEO of ONEX and a director of Indigo Books and Music
Robert Pritchard: President and CEO of Torstar Productions (Toronto Star)
Irving Abella: Faculty at York University
Moshe Ronen: Attorney; Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, and Chairman of the Board of Canadian Jewish Congress; Co-Chair of the Canada-Israel Committee
Indigo Chapters: Cut the ties with Israeli Apartheid!
What You Can Do
Tell friends and relatives not to shop at Chapters/Indigo. Encourage them to support independent book retailers.
Write/fax/phone a protest to the board of Indigos/Chapters demanding a public renunciation of Reisman’s and Schwartz’s financial support of the Heseg Foundation for Lone Soldiers.
Indigo Board of Directors,
500-468 King St W Toronto ON, MSV 1L8
Tel: (416) 364-4499; Fax: (416) 364-0355
Join the pickets organised outside Indigo & Chapters Bookstores:
Toronto:
Join the Weekly Picket, organised by the Jewish Women’s Committee to End the Occupation, every Friday between 5 and 6 pm outside the Indigo Bookstore at Bay and Bloor
During the holy month of Ramadan, as we move towards the Eid, I was going around Muslim shops in Tower Hamlets and elsewhere telling them that although they had collection boxes for the Mosque, although they had religious imagery in their shops, although they were selling dates to the faithful people to break their fast - the dates were made in Israel! They were stained with the blood of the Palestinian people! And Muslim shop keepers were selling them!
MP3
London Protest Demands Microsoft Divest From AnyVision, Respect Palestinian Human Rights
