Why our boycott campaign against Israel makes sense #BDS

[Mozilla]

Why boycott Israel ? Random serial killing...

Israel pounded Gaza with 60 air strikes on Saturday, killing 10 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and bringing down a 12-storey apartment block

 

Israel bombed Al-Zafer tower: a 13-story building that housed over 44 families. At least 16 children injured. 45 apartments,350 people,22 wounded

 

https://twitter.com/A380VIPS/status/503280681934667777

 

Residential tower before & after it got completely leveled by #Israel #F16!

https://twitter.com/Omar_Gaza/status/503261795004317696/photo/1

Edited August 23, 2014 by Mozilla

[firemanbob]

Israel pounded Gaza with 60 air strikes on Saturday, killing 10 Palestinians,

 

 

And this is very clear evidence that Israel isn't trying to kill civilians.

 

Does it make you angry that Israel are trying to destroy Hamas?

 

---------- Post added 24-08-2014 at 09:42 ----------

 

BDS is destructive.

 

by Dahlia Schweitzer.

 

I never intended to write about politics, let alone about religion and politics. I usually write about art, sexuality, dating, identity – the issues that generally preoccupy my brain. But when the war broke out in Gaza, it was impossible for me to stay detached.

 

I will be the first to admit that Israel is not blameless. That Netanyahu could have done far more to push a mission of peace and compromise. That a two-state solution is necessary and inevitable. That the current situation is miserably complicated and that both parties hold a certain amount of guilt.

 

But that said, I also fully embrace the right of Israel to protect herself, and I also feel that the poor citizens of Gaza need to be protected from Hamas. I’m not declaring Israel as liberators, and I am refusing to condemn all Palestinians as evil because of the actions of a few.

 

First of all, the BDS movement will not bring any kind of real peace or resolution. It is a propaganda tool, a vehicle of ideological hostility, meant to shut down communication rather than foster it. It will not effectively improve anything for Israelis or Palestinians. It contradicts what I see as the fundamental purpose of academia, which is to encourage dialogue and education and to promote specifically the kind of foundation that will enable people to have articulate and informed opinions.

 

By banning Israeli academics from conferences, by telling artists and musicians to boycott Israel, we are slamming the door on empathy, and most importantly, conversation. We are punishing the innocent as well as the guilty. Israel is a progressive country in many ways. There is increased support for a Palestinian state among the growing moderates, there have been many High Court decisions expanding rights not only for Arabs, but for women and the LGBT community. Israel has a better record on environmental rights than most countries in the world. Israel’s record of avoiding civilian casualties is remarkable. This is a society that appreciates and recognizes dialogue. That encourages debate. That is not afraid of progress and change. Jews, Muslims, and Christians can criticize Israeli politics freely. And yet, somehow they have become the villains, the only country academic institutions are actively boycotting.

 

Israel is not South Africa. Israel is not an apartheid country, contrary to the ignorant accusations. It is a country where thousands protest in the street in support of Palestinians. It is a country with Arabic Theater Festivals. It is a country where Arabs serve in the Knesset, in the Judiciary, in the Foreign Service, in the academy, and in business.

 

And yet it is the only country being threatened with BDS.

 

Regardless of those who insist that the BDS movement is not anti-Israel or anti-Semitic, I would like to say, REALLY? Either you are in denial or just naïve. Many supporters of the BDS movements call explicitly for the end of Israel as a sovereign state. The BDS movement does nothing to acknowledge the frequent terrorist intentions propagated against Israel, and it does not respond to the complexity of the current situation (which cannot be dealt with via harsh ultimatums or divisive campaigns). Merely condemning Israel does not address actual Palestinian problems or move us closer to peace.

 

The BDS movement is merely a continuation of the boycott called for by the Arab League against Israel since 1945, which picked up after the Nazi boycott against the Jews ended. Jews were also excluded from European universities until the 19th century and then again after Hitler’s rise to power. Is this really a legacy we want to perpetuate? By targeting Israeli businesses, academics, cultural activities, this merely supports the Arabic movement to refuse to recognize the state of Israel. Artists and academics are often the most vocal advocates for peace. Why silence them?

 

The BDS movement is hypocritical because there is no comparable boycott called for against other non-democratic countries with significantly worse records of human rights abuses. It is based on a complete double-standard. Many Jews (myself included) are hurt by the continued hostility to the idea of the Jewish homeland, while countries with far worse violations, like Darfur, Iraq, Syria, China, etc. are not discussed. In China, there are no free trade unions and independent trade union activists are often jailed, with strikes and demonstrations violently broken up, and documented horrible working conditions. But yet where is the movement calling for the boycott of Chinese goods?

 

The BDS movement will not help Palestinians, and, in fact, may worsen their situation, as it will directly affect their jobs if economic sanctions are directed at companies that employ them. As a rule, boycotts are organized in conjunction with the unions. But Israeli unions very clearly argue that the BDS movement merely strengthens the Israeli right, rather than the moderates, who are our best hope for peace.

 

If you really want to help, why not invest rather than divest? There are hundreds of organizations working actively to build civil society in Israel and in the territories. Why do we not support them? Give them a louder voice?

 

The BDS movement does not foster any kind of healthy debate on the issue. My mother works actively with international theater companies precisely in order to foster a sense of collaboration and unity – and as a result of the BDS movement, many theaters now refuse to return her messages. What good will that accomplish?

 

The BDS movement does not acknowledge that three times the state of Israel has tried to reach peace. In 1967, there was a UN resolution for ending the occupation in exchange for Israel’s right to exist. Israel accepted it. The Palestinians, along with other Arab nations, rejected it, saying no peace, no negotiation, no recognition. No one advocated a boycott of these Arab countries. In 2000-2001, Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Barak, along with President Clinton, proposed Palestinian statehood and the end of the occupation. Yasser Arafat rejected the offer. No one called for any kind of boycott then. In 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered an even better deal to the Palestinians. They rejected it. No one called for any kind of boycott then.

 

So why call for a boycott now without acknowledging Israel’s repeated attempts at peace? Why call for an overly simplistic ultimatum without acknowledging the complexity of the issue? The way to peace is not paved with ultimatums but with negotiation, compromise, and dialogue – and isn’t that what academics are supposed to promote?

 

“No longer to listen is no longer to engage in the dialogue of thought,” argues Howard Jacobson. “Which disqualifies you as a scholar and a teacher, for what sort of example to his pupils is a teacher who covers truth’s ears and buries it under stone. A university that will not listen does far more intellectual damage to itself than to the university it has stopped listening to.”

 

Academic freedom is not something to be rejected under times of duress. That is, instead, when it is all the more essential. When our dialogue needs to intensify, not be silenced.

 

http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/bds_is_destructive

[Mecky]

More from the religion of peace http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28916417

[ukdobby]

The middle east is on fire and where is the middle east peace representative,he's in Italy enjoying himself with his multi millionaire human rights missus.

[SevenRivers]

I wonder if all the anti-Israel protests going off everywhere and the BDS movement are actually prolonging the war and directly contributing to the suffering of the Palestinians.

 

The main problem is they never condemn Hamas, and whilst they're vocal at condemning Israel and silent about Hamas, Hamas must be emboldened by this as worldwide popular endorsement, and whilst Hamas feel they have worldwide popular support due to the Palestinian body count, they're not going to care how high that pile of bodies get, because they can rely on useful idiots giving their implied support.

[firemanbob]

I wonder if all the anti-Israel protests going off everywhere and the BDS movement are actually prolonging the war and directly contributing to the suffering of the Palestinians.

 

The main problem is they never condemn Hamas, and whilst they're vocal at condemning Israel and silent about Hamas, Hamas must be emboldened by this as worldwide popular endorsement, and whilst Hamas feel they have worldwide popular support due to the Palestinian body count, they're not going to care how high that pile of bodies get, because they can rely on useful idiots giving their implied support.

 

I have no doubt that they are prolonging the war and directly contributing to the suffering of the Palestinians, its also unlikely to achieve anything because if Israel give an inch it sends the massage to Hamas that violence gets results, and you should never give in to terrorism, blackmail or ransom demands, because it encourages more terrorism, blackmail and kidnappings.

[Mozilla]

Israelis in the US write an open letter to US Jewish community about Gaza. Here's what they say

 

We are a group of Israelis currently living in the U.S. We are reaching out to you because we oppose the actions of the Israeli government in operation ‘Protective Edge.’ This does not mean we don’t recognize the threat presented by Hamas to the Israeli people.

 

We oppose firing of weapons into civilian population and the sacrifice of civilians by the regimes of both Hamas and the Israeli government. Calling to stop the bombing of Gaza does not mean we don’t realize the impossible conditions imposed on the residents of southern Israel. Nor does it mean we don’t demand security for them. But we also recognize that their plight is consistently ignored by the Israeli government until it becomes convenient for exploitation.

 

We have seen three major military operations in less than six years. They repeat themselves because they don’t work. Yes, Hamas reserves are temporary depleted and the group is temporarily hindered. But this is not a moral price worth paying. Even if it were, killing thousands of civilians and displacing of hundreds of thousands doesn’t weaken Hamas in the long run. This bloodshed only feeds the one resource it can’t go without: hate.

 

Only meaningful peace talks and an end to the ongoing occupation in the West Bank and in Gaza (a blockade is still occupation) will prevent both the next round of rockets into Israel and the next round of indiscriminate killings in Gaza.

 

We are reaching out to you because we want to re-examine what it means to be pro-Israel or pro-Palestine. We argue that these terms might be one and the same. We believe that supporting equal rights for both peoples is the only way to build a better Israel and a better Palestine and we want the American Jewish community to stand behind that message.

 

The belief that being ‘pro-Israel’ means uncritically supporting the actions of the Israeli government and military does not help the Israeli people. The Israeli people do not benefit from being oppressors. Israeli society does not benefit from ruling over 4 million Palestinians. The Israeli soldier does not benefit from risking his or her life in wars that could have been avoided. The Israeli people gain nothing from perpetuating the occupation. Israeli children learn nothing from being taught everybody wants to kill them. And the Israeli population does not grow stronger from rising aggression within it, from a loss of tolerance and from a surge of violent racism against the Palestinian citizens of Israel.

 

But maintaining the occupation is what this war is all about. Unfortunately, the regimes in Israel are becoming increasingly cynical, willing to sacrifice as many people as necessary to maintain their position of power and their control over the Palestinian people. We believe this war could have been avoided. We don’t believe all Palestinians want to kill us. And we are happy to explain where we are coming from. We believe that a biased media attempts to draw symmetry that does not exist. Just look at the numbers.

 

Look at the pictures. Throwing blame at international criticism isn’t making Israel look any better. Taking action to stop human rights violation would. We obviously do not condone any form of anti-Semitism in this discourse, but we also feel that dismissing the entire discourse as anti-Semitism is not helpful to anyone. Most of all, we believe that blood is blood, all equal and all worth the same. And we are well aware of what happens when the lives of one people are deemed to be worth less than those of others.

 

Israel needs your support to break out of the cycle of violence: We encourage you to tell your community leaders to critically examine the Israeli government policies they rally behind.

 

We urge you to support the moderate voices in Israel, forces that find themselves increasingly under attack by their own government and the Israeli media, and even physically assaulted by right winged vigilantes. We ask you to write to your congressional representatives to share your conviction that Israel can only be safe and prosperous if it stops the killing of civilians, ends the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and guarantees freedom and equality to all of its citizens. We invite you to start a fruitful dialogue with us. Thank you,

 

IFSF | Israelis For a Sustainable Future

 

---------- Post added 24-08-2014 at 19:54 ----------

 

Chicago (JVP-Chicago) disrupt a Jewish United Fund Stand with Israel fundraiser at the Chicago Hilton on 21 August 2014. Among the speakers are Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by Mozilla

[firemanbob]

 

Only meaningful peace talks and an end to the ongoing occupation in the West Bank and in Gaza (a blockade is still occupation) will prevent both the next round of rockets into Israel

 

No it won't, the only thing that will end Hamas rockets is the end of either Israel or Hamas, lifting the blockade will just make it easier for Hamas to build better rockets.

[rossyrooney]

I apologise if the above video was meant as proof that Jews are against Israels action but it comes across as a noisy rabble and makes no effort to arrive at a solution.

[SevenRivers]

Israelis in the US write an open letter to US Jewish community about Gaza. Here's what they say

 

We are a group of Israelis currently living in the U.S. We are reaching out to you because we oppose the actions of the Israeli government in operation ‘Protective Edge.’ This does not mean we don’t recognize the threat presented by Hamas to the Israeli people.

 

We oppose firing of weapons into civilian population and the sacrifice of civilians by the regimes of both Hamas and the Israeli government. Calling to stop the bombing of Gaza does not mean we don’t realize the impossible conditions imposed on the residents of southern Israel. Nor does it mean we don’t demand security for them. But we also recognize that their plight is consistently ignored by the Israeli government until it becomes convenient for exploitation.

 

Would that be consistenly ignored other than the millions of dollars spent on Iron Dome

 

---------- Post added 24-08-2014 at 21:56 ----------

 

The survival of Israel as a state is much more than a Jewish concern.

 

A Proud Israeli Arab Muslim Zionist:

 

True Muslims Support Israel:

 

Arabs for Israel - Muslims for Israel - Hamas leader's son:

(If this guy really is the son of a Hamas leader he is possibly of of the bravest people on earth speaking out. I hope he has a will.)

 

Arab Leaders, Viewing Hamas as Worse Than Israel, Stay Silent:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/world/middleeast/fighting-political-islam-arab-states-find-themselves-allied-with-israel.html?_r=0

 

Israel's war on Gaza is backed by Arab regimes:

http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/israels-war-gaza-backed-arab-regimes-1641015127

 

Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas:

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4401/egypt-israel-hamas#

Edited August 24, 2014 by SevenRivers