Omar Barghouti wins Visa after activist campaign to let him speak!

Following an International Pressure Campaign, Palestinian Author Omar Barghouti Granted Visa to Tour U.S. for Release of New Book

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS): The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights

"A lucid and morally compelling book... perfecting timed to make a major contribution
to this urgently needed global campaign for justice, freedom and peace.”
--Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"No one has done more to build the intellectual, legal and moral case for BDS than Omar Barghouti.
The global Palestinian solidarity movement has been transformed and is on the cusp of major new breakthroughs.”
--Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine

Barghouti to Visit Northeastern U.S. April 9-15 | Full Tour Details Below

Chicago, IL, March 29—After months of extended delays and an international public pressure campaign, the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem has granted Omar Barghouti a visa to visit the United States. A founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and outspoken critic of Israeli policy, Barghouti was told repeatedly over the course of 4 months that his visa was subject to ongoing "administrative process," without further explanation. Barghouti was previously granted U.S. visas without incident and has traveled throughout the country extensively.

As a result of the delays, Barghouti's tour in support of his new book Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions was placed on hold. In the wake of a successful campaign to pressure the granting of Barghouti's visa, however, supporters have redoubled their efforts in order to host events as planned. Between April 9-15th, Barghouti will visit New York University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Brown University, Brandeis Univeristy, Harvard University, Hampshire College, and Washington, DC.

Haymarket Books Editor Anthony Arnove stated, "It is regrettable that Haymarket Books and various free speech advocates and human rights groups had to mount a campaign to allow Omar Barghouti to enter the United States to speak and discuss his work, but it is proof that protest works and that solidarity matters. We are very thankful to all of the supporters whose emails, calls, and organizing efforts ensured that Barghouti could be heard in the U.S. We are thrilled he is coming."

The campaign to pressure authorities to grant Barghouti's visa was a multi-pronged one. Organizers in many states lobbied their representatives in Congress to inquire on behalf of Barghouti, and calls and emails from around the world were directed to both the State Department and the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem.

Tour Details

Follow the links for full details or visit www.haymarketbooks.org/events
Rsvp and invite friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BDSBookTour

Saturday, April 9, New York, NY--12 pm, United National Antiwar Committee demonstration
Saturday, April 9, New York, NY--6:30 pm, NYU
Monday, April 11, New York, NY--7:30 pm, Columbia
Tuesday, April 12, Princeton, NJ--4:30 pm Princeton
Tuesday, April 12, New Brunswick, NJ--8:00 pm, Rutgers
Wednesday, April 13, Waltham, MA--4:30 pm, Brandeis
Wednesday, April 13, Cambridge, MA--7:30 pm, Harvard
Thursday, April 14, Providence, RI--12:00 pm, Brown
Thursday, April 14, Amherst, MA--6:00 pm, Hampshire College
Friday, April 15, Washington, DC--6:00 pm, Busboys and Poets

Additional Praise for Omar Barghouti and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions

Once again Omar Barghouti delivers a conceptually lucid argument for the BDS movement that is difficult to refute. He offers a principled position accompanied by nuanced and thorough analyses, and though one may not agree with all of his claims, one is fully persuaded by the passionate clarity of his appeal. Barghouti reminds us what public responsibility entails, and we are lucky to have his relentless and intelligent analysis and argument. There is no more comprehensive and persuasive case than his for boycott, divestment, and sanctions to end the Israeli occupation and establish the ethical claim of Palestinian rights.”
--Judith Butler, Co-director of the Program of Critical Theory at the University of California at Berkeley

“This is a book about the political actions necessary to hinder and finally to stop the Israeli state machine which is operating every day to eliminate the Palestinian people. It is like an engineer's report, not a sermon. Read it, decide and then act.”
--John Berger

Essential reading for all who care about justice and the plight of an oppressed people.”
--Ken Loach

Interview requests
Sarah Macaraeg, sarah@haymarketbooks.org, 312-315-8476