[Craic] PayPal's discrimination

Greg Gillis greg.j.gillis at gmail.com
Mon Apr 26 16:37:44 PDT 2021 

Thank you Allan for this. I signed the petition.  Hopefully, they feel the
heat.

Greg


On Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 7:29 PM Allan Baker via craic <
craic at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:

> Friends;
>
> I just discovered that PayPal refuses to do business with Palestinians.
> The United Church of Canada, offering support to the Palestinian people,
> is asking PayPal to change their policy - and more information on this is
> below.
>
> Stay hopeful;
> Allan
>
> Support The United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ’s
> efforts to end PayPal’s discrimination against Palestinians.
> [image: Close-up of women in discussion in front of a computer screen.]
> Women in a computer and secretarial skills class in the Vocational
> Training Center in Gaza City. The center is sponsored by the Department of
> Service for Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches;
> DSPR is a member of the ACT Alliance.
> Credit: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
>
> The only remaining hope is in the churches’ prophetic voice and action.
> Today, gathered here in Palestine, in the city of the Prince of Peace, we
> tell you: Do not be afraid. Do not fall in the "fear" of the world
> political powers. Do not abdicate. Do not silence in yourselves the voice
> of God, who is a God of love, not a God of war. (Patriarch Emeritus Michel
> Sabbah, Latin Patriarchate, Holy Land)
>
> A harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who make peace. (James
> 3:18)
>
> Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be
> filled. (Matthew 5:6)
>
> As consumers buy more and more online, PayPal has seen a rise in its
> market share. Its invitation to use its services states, “From everyday
> purchases to running a business, people around the world rely on us to pay
> and get paid.” PayPal is popular, well-known, and convenient, and is used
> by entrepreneurs, businesses, and non-profits in over two hundred countries
> around the world.
> But PayPal has refused, so far, to contract with Palestinian businesses
> and banks in the West Bank or Gaza. Settlers, banks, and merchants in the
> illegal settlements, however, can freely access PayPal individual and
> merchant services in the same territory, using Israeli bank accounts.
> Palestinians are unable to establish bank accounts in Israeli banks, and
> are therefore excluded, which may demonstrate complicity in a
> discriminatory status quo in a region still struggling to resolve deep
> conflict. This hurts PayPal, hurts Palestinians, and supports the Israeli
> occupation because
>
>    - it is an obstacle to Palestinian tech sector growth
>    - it prevents Palestinian entrepreneurs and non-profits from receiving
>    payments and contributions
>    - it forgoes an opportunity for PayPal’s expansion into a profitable
>    Palestinian market, which could be easier to enter than some other
>    countries PayPal has already entered
>    - it provides services to illegal settlements that sustain the
>    occupation
>
> Take Action
>
>    1. Join The United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ(opens
>    in a new tab)
>    <http://www.globalministries.org/action_alert_help_urge_paypal_to_open_up_to_palestinians> in
>    requesting PayPal to
>       - extend services to West Bank and Gaza Palestinians; and
>       - cease extending services to the illegal settlements.
>    There is a sample letter for you to use and adapt under Downloads
>    <https://united-church.ca/social-action/act-now/urge-paypal-extend-its-services-palestinians#downloads>,
>    below.
>    2. E-mail us to let us know if you are acting on this Take Action. Let
>    Christie Neufeldt ( cneufeldt at united-church.ca ) or Patti Talbot (
>    ptalbot at united-church.ca ) know if you are avoiding using PayPal, are
>    writing to PayPal, or have signed the Petition to PayPal.
>    3. Get more informed about PayPal and Palestine by reading the fact
>    sheet, under Downloads
>    <https://united-church.ca/social-action/act-now/urge-paypal-extend-its-services-palestinians#downloads>,
>    below.
>
> Background
> The United Church of Canada has a long history of working with others
> seeking peace with justice in Israel and Palestine. This work is rooted in
> the gospel mandate to be peacemakers and in response to the calls of
> Palestinian and Israeli partners. Violent acts such as the killing of both
> Palestinian and Israeli civilians, use of excessive force by Israeli police
> and army against protesters, extrajudicial killings, and collective
> punishment are obstacles to a just and lasting peace.
> The 41st General Council in August 2012 called on United Church people to
> take concrete actions to support the end of the Israeli occupation of
> Palestinian territories. Unsettling Goods invites congregations and
> individuals to “Pray, Choose, Speak for Peace in Palestine and Israel” by
> engaging in a range of actions that support a just peace.
> International law prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own
> civilians into occupied territory, and the International Criminal Court and
> the International Court of Justice have ruled that Israeli settlements in
> Palestinian territories are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention(opens
> in a new tab)
> <https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/faq/occupation-faq-051010.htm>.
> Both the United Nations (“Settlement plans threaten renewed hopes for
> Israeli-Palestinian peace, UN envoy warns(opens in a new tab)
> <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46485&Kw1=israel&Kw2=&Kw3=#.WVU4doTyvct>”)
> and the Canadian government (“Canada and the Middle East Peace Process”(opens
> in a new tab)
> <http://www.international.gc.ca/name-anmo/peace_process-processus_paix/index.aspx?lang=eng&_ga=2.88062928.915008584.1498756837-1628003206.1498756837>)
> state that the settlements are a serious obstacle to peace in the region.
> The United Church of Canada has identified the occupation as a major
> contributor to the injustice that underlies the violence in the region, and
> is encouraging its members to take a range of actions to support the end of
> the occupation, including avoiding products produced in or related to the
> settlements. Companies that operate in settlements provide economic support
> for the government of Israel’s practice of establishing settlements in
> Palestinian territory. That’s why the United Church is joining other
> churches and non-governmental organizations around the world to support
> peace in Israel and Palestine by taking economic action against products
> made in or related to Israeli settlements.
> For more information about current activities, see Unsettling Goods:
> Choose Peace in Palestine and Israel <https://united-church.ca/node/10486>
> .
> For more information, please contact:
> Patti Talbot
> Team Lead Global Partnership
> ptalbot at united-church.ca
> 416-231-7680 x4018
> 1-800-268-3781 x4018
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