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It’s time. Long past time. The best strategy to end the increasingly bloody occupation is for Israel to become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to apartheid in South Africa. In July 2005 a huge coalition of Palestinian groups laid out plans to do just that. They called on “people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era”. The campaign Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions was born.
Every day that Israel pounds Gaza brings more converts to the BDS cause – even among Israeli Jews. In the midst of the assault roughly 500 Israelis, dozens of them well-known artists and scholars, sent a letter to foreign ambassadors in Israel. It calls for “the adoption of immediate restrictive measures and sanctions” and draws a clear parallel with the anti-apartheid struggle. “The boycott on South Africa was effective, but Israel is handled with kid gloves … This international backing must stop.”
Yet even in the face of these clear calls, many of us still can’t go there. The reasons are complex, emotional and understandable. But they simply aren’t good enough. Economic sanctions are the most effective tool in the non-violent arsenal: surrendering them verges on active complicity…
Just about now, many a proud Zionist is gearing up for major point-scoring: don’t I know that many of these very hi-tech toys come from Israeli research parks, world leaders in infotech? True enough, but not all of them. Several days into Israel’s Gaza assault, Richard Ramsey, managing director of a British telecom specialising in voice-over-internet services, sent an email to the Israeli tech firm MobileMax: “As a result of the Israeli government action in the last few days we will no longer be in a position to consider doing business with yourself or any other Israeli company.”
Ramsey says his decision wasn’t political; he just didn’t want to lose customers. “We can’t afford to lose any of our clients,” he explains, “so it was purely commercially defensive.”
It was this kind of cold business calculation that led many companies to pull out of South Africa two decades ago. And it’s precisely the kind of calculation that is our most realistic hope of bringing justice, so long denied, to Palestine.
RTFA. The four points Ms. Klein suggests for consideration – and rebuttal – are the major offerings most folks come up with. What’s your opinion? What’s your decision?
Thanks, Mr. Justin
84
I dare say that Palestinians, no matter their religion, are more Semitic than the Jewish Israelis.
Doesn’t “World Opinion” (a nice conceit there) also want the Kyoto Treaty, Carbon Cap and Trade, Direct wealth transfer from Rich Nations to Poor, and open borders?
World Opinion: opinion not based on the real World.
I wouldn’t consider wikipedia a reliable source with regard to Israel.
They’re trying to kill themselves with explosives, and now Israel is helping them.
>for every Gaza resident they kill, they will create half a dozen more terrorists from their remaining family members.
They were probably leaning that way already given that they are the family of a terrorist.
What really helps reduce the number of terrorists is killing them and showing others that it is pointless. Seeing no consequences only encourages people.
Yes, we should stop providing offensive weapons as long as Israel continues to use them against civilians.
#91–Fusion==what did the Jews ever do to you that justifies your death warrant against them? I don’t care one way or the other, I just think there may be an interesting story.
Why quit our own to stand on foreign ground?
Think about it.
#94–Publius==whether we quit or stay, we stand on foreign ground.
I think what you say makes little sense.
Dead women and children are exactly what Hamas wants. The photos of dead women and children are what tricks the foolish into into siding with the Islamic extremists. This is why they deliberately put women and children in harms way.
These tactics are just part of a sick marketing scheme.
I stand with Israel.
>for every Gaza resident they kill, they will create half a dozen more terrorists from their remaining family members.
They were probably leaning that way already given that they are the family of a terrorist.
What really helps reduce the number of terrorists is killing them and showing others that it is pointless. Seeing no consequences only encourages people.
And Israel has been trying this tactic for how many decades? And has it worked yet?
#91–Fusion==what did the Jews ever do to you that justifies your death warrant against them? I don’t care one way or the other, I just think there may be an interesting story.
Hey bobbo: live by the sword, die by the sword. The Zionists managed to conquer by force the land they call Israel. If someone manages to conquer it back by force, then hey, that’s life. There is no moral high ground here, it’s an exercise in sheer power. Whoever wins, wins.
But I’m like you, I don’t really care one way or the other. If Israel ceases to exist, it won’t mean that the Jewish religion ceases to exist. It existed before the state of Israel existed, it’ll exist after.
I’m just pissed that a dedicated lobbying group (AIPAC and the lot) have managed to hijack our government into blindly supporting the government of Israel no matter what they do, regardless of the will of the US citizens. It’s kind of like how the Cuban expatriates have hijacked our foreign policy regarding Cuba.
# 102 Phydeau said, “And Israel has been trying this tactic for how many decades? And has it worked yet?”
Well, giving up land (Gaza) for peace didn’t work so the alternative is to wipe them (terrorists) off the face of the Earth.
# 102 Phydeau said, “And Israel has been trying this tactic for how many decades? And has it worked yet?”
Well, giving up land (Gaza) for peace didn’t work so the alternative is to wipe them (terrorists) off the face of the Earth.
Well, since each attack Israel makes on the Palestinians just creates more terrorists, you’re talking about wiping out all the Palestinians.
Like I said before, Israel’s Final Solution for the Palestinian Problem: Genocide.
It’s good to see one of the blind supporters of Israel just come out and say it. Kill all the Palestinians, that will solve the problem.
How sad.
It is easy to be distracted by the events and tragedies of a moment, at the expense of larger truths.
In my opinion, the real question, that nobody wants to address, is: How can there ever be a lasting peace when one party to a dispute has, as its foundational principle, the destruction of the other party? As you know, Hamas openly admits to that principle and has never changed it.
Until that question is widely addressed, all efforts at lasting peace are doomed to failure. What will continue to happen is what has happened in the past.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler presented his ideas long before coming to power. After he came to power, those ideas were written off as “just rhetoric” – so horrible that he couldn’t be serious. How much better the world would have been had he simply been taken at his word.
What calamities will finally force the world to accept that the founding principles of Hamas are their true intent?
Israel will fight to exist, as would any country, even at the expense of peroiodic conflicts and international criticism.
The current battle is: same arguments – different date.
The US could
1. Threaten financial and military sanction.
2. Support UN security council resolution for a halt in fighting.
3. Ask Israel not to use weapons bought with American taxpayers’ money to commit genocide on a people who have been surrounded, starved, and held hostage.
In my opinion, the real question, that nobody wants to address, is: How can there ever be a lasting peace when one party to a dispute has, as its foundational principle, the destruction of the other party? As you know, Hamas openly admits to that principle and has never changed it.
Hey GetReal — get real. The Zionists started it. Their God told them to take the land from the Palestinians. The Palestinians disagreed. The Zionists won. Now the Palestinians are pissed. They want the land back. Why should the Palestinians accept it? If someone stole the house and land your family lived in for generations, and told you that their God said they could have your land, now beat it, would you just accept it? Go live in a shack on your neighbor’s property?
Get real. The Zionists took it by force, and the Palestinians want it back. Who will win? Who knows? Looks to me like it’ll be an endless battle. Too bad.
But the Palestinians have no moral obligation to accept the existence of Israel (i.e. give up the battle). They fought, and lost, and it looks like they’re continuing to fight. And who could blame them?
Sinn Fein, I wonder what would happen if a foreign group of people came and took over the northern part of Ireland? What would be your response? Would you do to get your land back, your way of life? At what cost?
#82, great video. Apparently the only difference between genocide and holocaust is the fact that the Jews are the ones doing the killing en masse.
I doubt a boycott of Israeli goods would work. They’ll just Transship them thru Canada, and have them relabeled as that country’s origin. Just as South Africa tried with some of their produce (Bananas from Canada?). And as China does with its tainted Honey. But another boycott of a kind might work. Ban access of any lobbyists to the US Congress and Executive branch, representing directly or indirectly, interests concerning the nation of Israel, until a cease fire is enforced.
Ya know, the world did nothing and said very little, when the Chinese invaded and took over Tibet. And should the Tibetan ever decide they want their country back, and use violence to do it. You can bet the US will be mostly on the Chinese’s side of the conflict. Mainly because of the commercial ties. But the history is just about the same as the Turks having took over Jordan, centuries ago. There was just more sympathy for the Israelis taking back their lands in the 1940s, via heavy government lobbying, than the Tibetans would likely get in the near future. But by continuing to take Israel’s side in every new militant action they take, only invites the US becoming entrenched in their messes. And incurs the wrath of the rest of the world. The US isn’t hated for what it is, as much as for who it sticks up for, so blindly. And always giving Israel the benefit of all doubts, no matter what it does. Is only going to make it appear as Israel’s well trained bow and fetch servant. And as long as they can count on this, they’ll continue to do more militant acts, until they’re dragged us all into an Armageddon war.
Based on the Palis behvaior in the past I don’t see any bleeping way to get peace and prosperity because they want revenge and support Hamas.
They could have had peace and prosperity. It just wasn’t at the front of the list of things they wanted to do.
Even if they kill the Jews and end that fight they will fight among themselves.
The Ancient Romans knew how to create peace in a situation like this but killing everybody is no longer regarded as cool.
#109
“the northern part of Ireland”…..ha!
The brits did it 400 years ago and still cling on!
“http://www.mystudydate.com/pg/blog/Martini/read/1462/message-from-israeli-children-to-arabs-die”
Named–good link. I kinda really forgot about how completely “the same” all people are and how it applies to the common wisdom floating around: “Israel should be concerned about the fact that 10 terrorists are born for each Palestinian that is killed.” /// That could be true. If so, the same applies the other way around==for each missile that Hamas launches, and for each Palestinian that says they want to wipe Israel from the face of the map–10 more Israeli’s decide against the two state solution.
As the deep seated hatred of both sides grow, eventually the war to end all wars will be launched. One side will wipe out the other.
Peace will hold thereafter for a thousand years.
It’s misleading and rhetorically dishonest to compare Israel to South Africa. On what basis would Israel be punished by sanctions – to force all the Jews to pick up and “go back to where they came from”?
114,
“Peace will hold thereafter for a thousand years.”
I’ll take that bet and double it.
115,
Well, did the White South Africans have to leave? Nope. In fact, the White South Africans remained in economic control of the country while these ended the racist government. And rhetorically dishonest? Uh, it’s not rhetoric Naomi Klein is talking about. Did you even read the article?
Gaza is a concentration camp created by the world’s foremost experts. Israelis don’t seem to want peace, they want well-behaved prisoners.
#117–Rob==EVERYBODY wants prisoners to be well behaved–they are in prison after all.
So what is your plan for long lasting peace?
#118, bobbo,
#117–Rob==EVERYBODY wants prisoners to be well behaved–they are in prison after all.
So what is your plan for long lasting peace?
You will never understand what it takes to make peace because you are too firmly set against Palestine and pro Israel.
Israel’s tactics for many years has been to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure every few years. As a people the Palestinians will never grow if their roads are destroyed, they don’t have running water, their bureaucrats are in Israeli jails, their community buildings (police stations, city halls, hospitals, etc) are all in rubble.
You, and so many other retarded people, don’t care that if an Israeli shoots a Palestinian, nothing happens, but if a Palestinian kills an Arab than it is all the Palestinians fault for the hostilities.
You don’t care that if a Palestinian opens up an auto repair shot it is bombed by the Israelis because they might use it to make bombs.
You don’t care that the Palestinians were coaxed into fair elections and Hamas won. Hamas is a large organization that does a lot of humanitarian work. Yet even that is grounds for arrest and being bombed with 1000 lb bombs from American supplied airplanes.
You point to Palestinians who children become suicide bombers. But you don’t care that when you ain’t got nothing, sometimes being a martyr is better than the slow pangs of starvation.
You forget what not only drove the Israelis to want a homeland of their own, but what has driven every revolution since the beginning of social order. The desire to be the masters of your own house and not a slave in someone else’s house.
*** The Historical Future ***
• The industrial Empire has taken over the world after the industrial revolution.
• Replacing UK, USA is the current leader of this Empire and CIA is its major tool.
• This Empire is consists now of the known 7 industrial countries.
• In anytime the main enemy of this Empire is the one who may share resources or markets with it.
• CCCP was its previous enemy but Islam is the current one.
• Middle East is the main resources/markets area to this Empire.
• Zionism has been invented and Israel has been planted, collected and armed as the bodyguard of USA in this area, to prevent Arabs and Islam from rebuilding their civilization using their own resources.
• The victim of Israel is mainly the US boor who is paying the Israeli bill from their taxes, and Arabs who should die or life miserably.
• While Arabs are a week third world people with no powerful army or strong media. American poor is surrounded by the Jews finance system, focus media and FBI.
• The shown tricky cards of US and CIA are:
UN, Hollywood, Islamic terrorism, Anti-Semitism, human rights and democracy.
• The hidden poisonous cards are:
The nuclear weapons, Masonic committee, internet, sophisticated army and spying satellites.
• In the coming 10 years, the 7’s will shrunken and China will be the next enemy.
• Then US will be replaced by Israel, and the enemy will be the whale Europe.
• Europe will dominate and Jesses will come back with the holy big surprise.
#119–Fusion==boy, you do go on about what I don’t know. Here is what I do know:
You don’t “make peace” with people who define themselves as wanting to kill you. You kill them or be killed yourself. How does that lead to peace? It doesn’t. It leads to killing. Show me two parties wanting peace, and then and only then we can talk about how to get there.
I am neither pro or con Israel or Palestinian. I rather just recognize facts for what they are.