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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
As long as Jews in this country continue to tattoo people with the “anti-semitism” tag for criticizing our near-blind support of that state, don’t think much will change here locally.
Not gonna happen. At least it won’t as long as idiots keep firing rockets at civilian targets in Israel.
The Palis have a PR problem not a military one. If they wanted the pre-war borders restored & BILLIONS of dollars in restitution they could have it overnight.
Since that is not their real aim, they don’t have it..
If you look at every war Israel has been involved in since it was first annexed by the UN in 1948 you will see that Israel has never shot first. All of Israels wars have been defensive. I am no apologizing for al of Israels actions but to blindly blame Israel is at least as bad as blindly supporting Israel. Before we call for boycotts on anyone we should all learn the history of the territory.
As long as Islamic Terrorist have their sights on destroying non believers I stand with Israel.
The more I look at this problem, the more bizarre and complex it seems. No wonder it’s a quagmire.
On the one hand, Israel has a stranglehold on the Gaza, West Bank that would seemingly cause Palestinians to react negatively.
On the other hand, the Palestinians themselves elected a near universally acknowledged terror group to be their ‘leader’ – Hamas. WTF? Then, Hamas uses that territory to shell Israeli cities?
Sorry, but I’m in support of Israel on that basis alone. I struggle with the horror of innocent Palestinians suffering but the fault belongs squarely with the Arab nations in the area. ALL OF THEM.
#3, deployment of white phosphorus shells (chemical weapons) in a built up civilian area deserves nothing less than a boycott…..as the major players on this stage will do little else as the death toll rises.
Also, I found it interesting that these shells appear to be American made….
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5470047.ece
Let them fight it out. History is always written by the victors. Except in this one slice of land, where defending its borders and winning everytime they’re borders are challenged, somehow the Palestinians get a free pass.
And if everyone is so worried about Gaza, why hasn’t Egypt opened it’s borders with Gaza to let in the refugees? Unless Egypt doesn’t trust them either maybe.
7,
Both Egypt and the Israel receive billions in support from the US to keep from fighting each other. I have a feeling you’ll find dollars at the bottom of most of it.
2,
You really believe Israel will give up anything? Under what conditions? That Hamas says We love Israel and bang, 60 years of occupation goes away, the settlers pack up and move back to NY and Florida and a ring of people hold hands and sing the praises to God?
Dave said, on January 15th, 2009 at 7:12 am
If you look at every war Israel has been involved in since it was first annexed by the UN in 1948 you will see that Israel has never shot first.
What are you talking about. They attacked Egypt in a ‘suprise’ attack. And they broke the cease fire with Gaza. That is well acknowledged.
Just two examples.
And the blockade of Gaza is a war crime.
#9
Thanks for the well informed intervention., this board appears to be all to quick to side with Americas pals
I’m surprised and glad to find a good number of intelligent posters, (2-5) who have got it right.
In particular “If you look at every war Israel has been involved in since it was first annexed by the UN in 1948 you will see that Israel has never shot first.”
And “the Palestinians themselves elected a near universally acknowledged terror group to be their ‘leader’ – Hamas. WTF?”
I don’t understand why anyone cannot understand the obvious. Hamas and the Gazans started this and the Israelis have the right to finish it.
As #2 Paddy-O said “If they wanted the pre-war borders restored & BILLIONS of dollars in restitution they could have it overnight.”
It’s obvious to anyone with an iota of reasoning that the Gazans are in this to kill and terrorize Israelis.
So what has Israel actually done wrong? Really! It’s a WAR people, waged by the Gazans against Israel! This is what happens in WAR.
Just to show an example on how the whole world, for some reason I cannot understand, blindingly adopt a pro-palistinian stand when they are obviously the aggressors.
A good example of this is Jimbo’s reference above. It’s obvious from the article that Israel is using phosphorus as a smoke screen, not against the civilian population as the article suggest.
They care about how the Gazans have been hurt over the last 3 weeks but I didn’t hear anyone try for a UN resolution against the Gazans for terrorizing Israel for the last 8 years!
So, in a nutshell, I’m going to find something made in Israel and buy it.
Anyone who puts a dent in Muslim Fanaticism is doing a good thing.
11,
Yes. Israel is above reproach…
http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/688-israel-threatens-to-shoot-unarmed-civilians-aboard-mercy-ship
This is the SECOND ship they attacked.
“They care about how the Gazans have been hurt over the last 3 weeks but I didn’t hear anyone try for a UN resolution against the Gazans for terrorizing Israel for the last 8 years!”
Occupied for 60 years by force. Learn the truth.
http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/index.html
Dunno about Israel, but I was in South Africa towards the end of the Apartheid years, before moving back to the UK in 1991. From what I saw in both countries, I thought that pressure from the rest of the world had less of an influence than it gets credit for. I don’t think it was all “spin” to say that it was a generational thing: the old guard were dying off, and the younger generations didn’t have memories of the Boer War or the “scare tactics” used to legislate Apartheid in 1948. There was a growing internal realisation that the situation was just Wrong, and the question was how to reverse it without it turning in to war or genocide. (I think they all did a pretty good job… so far.)
Back in the UK, I could only laugh at loony lefties who took credit for “defeating Apartheid”, yet could not properly spell or pronounce “Apartheid”.
Its too bad that bleeding heart liberals in the US and around the world can’t live every day under the threat of death by random rocket attacks on their families, homes and towns. It’d give’em a REAL taste for “living” under Islamic Terror.
And they’d be the first to call loud and long for hammering the terrorists into smithereens.
This boycott she proposing is only comparable if you believe the South Africans in response to a boycott would have dropped apartheid and handed them and the other whites over to be slaughtered.
#11
I get you,and i’m not playing the worlds smallest violin for Gaza, but it’s hard to believe that the IDF can use WP shells for a smokesscreen when the shells explode in the air and create clouds of caustic gas…..which although is quite useful as a smokescreen, also chokes anyone in the area and melts skin…..
if you are referring to a metaphorical smokescreen then dismiss this, but if in a literal sense, why not use some other type of non lethal smoke grenade?
Excuse the wreckless writing but i’m halfways asleep.
PS. that fanaticism slows the wests rate of control over us and makes others wake up and stop smoking that big fat democratic(the western powers) c*ck which will be the end of us all.
Yup, time to boycott Israel – I mean, how dare they defend themselves from constant missile attacks and suicide bombers. Don’t they know that the world wishes them to be as silent as the world is when Israel is attacked? Because you know, it’s perfectly okay for Hamas and every other Terrorist group to attack the civilians and people of Israel any time they want but you know, Israel is supposed to take it and just die. Yup, you’re right. How dare Israel defend itself. You know of course, if the people who demand the extermination of Israel and who actively pursue that goal would adopt nonviolence – there would be a State of Palestine. But that’s not the goal is it? The goal is to kill and exterminate the Jewish People and the Jewish State. How do you negotiate with that? You don’t. You kill those guys before they kill you. Hard for stupid Liberal Pie in the Sky useful idiots to believe but then those folks don’t live in reality, they don’t live where people kill them for who they are and they don’t even live in places where people will kill you for your car. Such blind stupidity – awesome.
# 6 jimbo said, “#3, deployment of white phosphorus shells (chemical weapons)”
Except they aren’t “chemical weapons”. You would of course know this if you bothered to learn something rather than repeat propaganda. Look it up.
# 8 Named said, “2, You really believe Israel will give up anything? Under what conditions?”
You mean like Gaza? They did. You can look up the conditions yourself. Have you lived in a news blackout for the last several years? Please, at least learn the basics before posting.
I’m sensing some HASBARA action going on…
#15, you give them too much credit. They would be making the same calls.
So Hamas and Hezbollah use civilians as human shields, but the world doesn’t seem to have a problem with that? Really??? How come the world isn’t screaming at Egypt for keeping their part of the border closed with Gaza? Didn’t Israel withdraw completely from Gaza in 2005, yet they aren’t satisfied because they won’t be until Israel is wiped off the map? Would you be okay with that situation?
I’m from N Ireland,., so you can leave me out of that last part #17
@#8: Counterexample: Israel have forcefully removed all settlers from the Gaza quite a while ago,… So settlers from there are gone for good already… Where are rockets coming from? Gaza…
18,
Yes. They walked away from Gaza. And then they blockaded it completely by air, land and sea. Complete blockade. Which, BTW, is a de facto act of war. But, that goes against your beliefs. Hope the facts don’t bother you TOO much…
Let me know how it goes after all the Hispanics in the southwest declare themselves independent and install a theocratic government to rule.
The problem with Arabs is they apparently don’t let things go easily.
Ok, who’s been strapping bombs to people? And you wonder WHY they’re bombing em? When you start using suicide bombers, a lot of things go right out the window.
# 24 Named said, “And then they blockaded it completely by air, land and sea. ”
Yes, and do you know what precipitated the blockade? Come on, you’re half way there… Keep going…
Hey Eideard,
Look at the comments being posted here…. oooooh, this must hurt eh?! So people are not as blind to reality as you and this guardian reporter may think…
LOL
😀
As much as you hate my country, you will eventually have to accept the simple fact that Hamas = Al Qaeda = Muslim fascism = Nazi Germany.
Shabat Shalom.
Jopa
26,
Collective punishment is illegal. So is an illegal occupation.
Did I get it yet?