Hi everyone. This message comes at the end of what would have been TES Summer Fest 2025. It's not running this year because of the boycott against Microsoft (which owns Bethesda) due to its complicity in the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people.
Why Microsoft?
The boycott has been called by the BDS movement because Microsoft "knowingly provides Israel with technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), that is deployed to facilitate grave human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity (including apartheid), as well as genocide. In light of the International Court of Justice’s legally-binding rulings to prevent Israel’s plausible genocide in Gaza, as well as its July 19 Advisory Opinion affirming Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system, Microsoft has failed its corporate obligation to prevent genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity." (bdsmovement.net/microsoft).
Why boycott?
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a movement to place international economic pressure on Israel for its oppression of Palestinians - inspired by the similarly effective anti-apartheid strategy in South Africa. The mod team at TES Summer Fest believe that we have a responsibility to take whatever action we can to oppose the many and varied human rights violations of Israel however we can, and by taking our business, our passion, and our interest elsewhere, we can support the Palestinian people. We also encourage you to donate to Palestinian organisations, pressure your officials, engage in community organising, and educate yourself on Palestine and its history. The people united will never be defeated.
Educational websites and resources:
The Palestine Academy - Learn about Palestinian history and decolonisation. (https://www.thepalestineacademy.com/palestine-101).
DecolonizePalestine - Very accessible educational library. (https://decolonizepalestine.com)
Palestine is. - Educational resource. (https://www.palestineis.org/learn)
Visualising Palestine - Collection of free info graphics about Palestine. (https://visualisingpalestine.org/visuals/)
Protect Palestine - Tips on talking to friends and family about Palestine (https://www.protectpalestine.org/conversation-guide) and guide for answering tough questions about Palestine (https://www.protectpalestine.org/tough-questions).
"The Hundred Years War on Palestine" by Rashid Khalidi
"Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine" by Noura Erakat
"The Question of Palestine" by Edward W. Said
"The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" by Ilan Pappe
"Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics" by Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick.
Free Palestine! 🇵🇸
