Why boycotting Israel matters

[Dont be a lemon]

An academic boycott of Israeli universities isn't an attack on freedom of speech. The evidence tells us these institutions are key battlegrounds for breaches of international law towards the Palestinians, argues Antony Loewenstein

New Zealand's $20 billion national pension fund announced this month that it was divesting from three Israeli companies that were complicit in the building of colonies in the West Bank and the annexation wall that runs deep into Palestinian territory.

"Findings by the United Nations that the separation barrier and settlement activities were illegal under international law were central to the fund's decision to exclude the companies," the responsible fund manager for investment, Anne-Maree O'Connor, said in a statement.

The companies targeted were Africa Israel, Danya Cebus and Elbit Systems. The last firm has a deep relationship with the Australian Government and recently scored a large contract with the Australian Defence Force. Canberra has no hesitation in assisting the corporation despite its troubling legal and ethical record of working on occupied, Palestinian land.

Continued: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4433598.html

Good points in there.

 

[Slax]

The Australian government doesn't have the balls to do something like this, we care to much about what the US thinks which is why we are heading into the crapper at a rate of knots.

 

[fishardansin]

The right wing of Australia like America shout down any criticism of Israel as anti Semitic. Never mind the fact that a fair percentage of Israelites and other people who consider themselves Jewish are not semitic but every single Palestinian is!!!

The irony of that makes me giggle!!

Israel is an evil nation of murderous take over that is backed by nations formed on a murderous take over, the USA and its lap dog, Australia. but, but ... the holocaust!!

 

[bombermick]

Okay we'll boycott Israel. But let's also boycott China, Zimbabwe, Russia and probably half the nations on earth.

 

[Upton Sinclair]

Okay we'll boycott Israel. But let's also boycott China, Zimbabwe, Russia and probably half the nations on earth.

There is nothing in the world comparable to the Israeli occupation - where millions of people live in a stateless limbo for decades and decades. It's unparalleled.

 

[Bosun]

There is nothing in the world comparable to the Israeli occupation - where millions of people live in a stateless limbo for decades and decades. It's unparalleled.

Maybe in numbers, not in brutality.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

The Australian government doesn't have the balls to do something like this, we care to much about what the US thinks which is why we are heading into the crapper at a rate of knots.

Correct. The Australian Government wouldn't have the balls.

Good on NZ for taking a stand. Must be a lot easier decision to make along with all their other principled ones over the years, when, if it has an adverse affect on their economy their people just come over here and work.

 

[Upton Sinclair]

Maybe in numbers, not in brutality.

No, I mean in the technical sense. Nothing to do with numbers. There is no comparable situation where an entire nation has been occupied for decades and the occupier refuses to accept the people in the land they've occupied.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

Correct. The Australian Government wouldn't have the balls.

Good on NZ for taking a stand. Must be a lot easier decision to make along with all their other principled ones over the years, when, if it has an adverse affect on their economy their people just come over here and work.

Yeah NZ make a lot of stands on things knowing that they have our protection if the s**t hits the fan.

 

[fishardansin]

There is nothing in the world comparable to the Israeli occupation - where millions of people live in a stateless limbo for decades and decades. It's unparalleled.

I disagree with that. There are a few peoples in China that live like that. Tibetans and Wighan's spring to mind.

 

[bombermick]

No, I mean in the technical sense. Nothing to do with numbers. There is no comparable situation where an entire nation has been occupied for decades and the occupier refuses to accept the people in the land they've occupied.

Beside the example of China that Fishardinan has already provided, it's not that simple. The PLO and Hamas have often rejected peace deals and regularly bomb Israeli targets. Of course Israel is far from innocent, but it's hardly as black-and-white as South Africa during the apartheid.

 

[rayven]

Beside the example of China that Fishardinan has already provided, it's not that simple. The PLO and Hamas have often rejected peace deals and regularly bomb Israeli targets. Of course Israel is far from innocent, but it's hardly as black-and-white as South Africa during the apartheid.

Funny you say that, even though we know where your loyalties lie, as we know with everyone who in any conversation about this issue continues to spread the terror about arabs.

Moving past that, Nelson Mandela was regarded by the west as a terrorist and the only thing that maintained the apartied government was American and Israeli support. Once the cold war ended , America were out of there and Mandela out of Gaol.

 

[Upton Sinclair]

I disagree with that. There are a few peoples in China that live like that. Tibetans and Wighan's spring to mind.

The Chinese consider those people Chinese, the Israeli's don't consider the Palestinian to be Israeli. And therein lies the difference. Apartheid is about the closest parallel to the Israeli situation.

 

[blackcat]

Okay we'll boycott Israel. But let's also boycott China, Zimbabwe, Russia and probably half the nations on earth.

this. how do we boycott ourselves. boycott the US and you are a banana republic.

 

[mark73]

The Australian government doesn't have the balls to do something like this, we care to much about what the US thinks which is why we are heading into the crapper at a rate of knots.

Money aside, in what way?

 

[blackcat]

I disagree with that. There are a few peoples in China that live like that. Tibetans and Wighan's spring to mind.

Uyghur people? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_people

or the futbol players?

 

[Cap]

I'll keep buying Israel products, just as soon as I can afford all those cool weapons.

we have a bunch of arse lickets who sit in the mall handing out anti-Israel crap, I ask them which products not to buy....they aren't very clear on the whole issue so I'm not sure what I can start buying to help.

 

[blackcat]

I'll keep buying Israel products, just as soon as I can afford all those cool weapons.

we have a bunch of arse lickets who sit in the mall handing out anti-Israel crap, I ask them which products not to buy....they aren't very clear on the whole issue so I'm not sure what I can start buying to help.

socialist left alliance got their head up the sea shepherd's clacker

 

[Cap]

socialist left alliance got their head up the sea shepherd's clacker

 

[rayven]

Correct. The Australian Government wouldn't have the balls.

Good on NZ for taking a stand. Must be a lot easier decision to make along with all their other principled ones over the years, when, if it has an adverse affect on their economy their people just come over here and work.

What about Tony Abbott? what do you think he'd do, if in power?


Would his attack dog the self confessed bible loving kisstopherassofabbott Pyne's stance be any hint?

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53052

he Sydney University (USYD) Resistance club condemns the attack by the Australian on the university’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies for its decision to uphold a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
The head of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Jake Lynch, declined a request from Israeli academic Dan Avnon to include him as a contact on his application for an academic exchange. His refusal upheld the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign which refuses academic, cultural and sporting institutions in protest against Israeli apartheid.
Christopher Pyne, federal MP for Sturt, alleged the decision would open the university up to "ridicule".

it wasn't taken very kindly.

“Mr Pyne’s allegation that the decision has anything to do with Dan Avnon's Jewish religion or Israeli nationality is absurd. His implicit allegation that the University department’s decision is anti-Semitic is also offensive. The Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies hosted prominent Israeli historian Ilan Pappe in September.”

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53052
Slipped threw the keeper this one...

Along with Abbotts highly offensive remarks in Afghanistan..

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

What about Tony Abbott? what do you think he'd do, if in power?

Nothing. No different. I was talking about the Australian Government in general regardless of their political persuasion. You've probably been frothing at the mouth waiting to attack someone about something on this.

 

[Pie eyed]

I'll keep buying Israel products, just as soon as I can afford all those cool weapons.

we have a bunch of arse lickets who sit in the mall handing out anti-Israel crap, I ask them which products not to buy....they aren't very clear on the whole issue so I'm not sure what I can start buying to help.

I refuse to buy a new milah until Israel submits.

 

[Mani]

Beside the example of China that Fishardinan has already provided, it's not that simple. The PLO and Hamas have often rejected peace deals and regularly bomb Israeli targets. Of course Israel is far from innocent, but it's hardly as black-and-white as South Africa during the apartheid.

All cease fires except for one in the 1980s have been broken by Israeli actions - including the last one.

The peace process as you call it, is a farce - its not even a negotiation between two equal parties. There is the USA who stands in the middle and blocks everything and favours Israel.

Didn't you see the recent vote at the UN? Which countries sided with Israel to say NO to a non-observer state status for Palestine?

The USA has NEVER voted against Israel at the UN. In fact the USA has vetoed numerous UN security council resolutions in relation to Israel acts of aggression

And as we just saw last week, the USA was alone in refusing to condemn the recent expansion of settlements into Eastern Jerusalem - an occupied palestinian territory. Rather than repeated media spin and Israeli-US propaganda why not examine the expansionist policies of the Israeli theocratic regime in the region since its inception in 1948?

How did this happen I wonder? Is it due to Palestinians refusing to accept the peace process?

 

[Mani]

Correct. The Australian Government wouldn't have the balls.

Good on NZ for taking a stand. Must be a lot easier decision to make along with all their other principled ones over the years, when, if it has an adverse affect on their economy their people just come over here and work.

....are you saying that Israel or its puppet lap dog the USA punishes, blackmails and threatens nations economically if they decide to behave as responsible global citizens and vote against Israeli interests, or indeed condemn Israeli actions in the occupied territories?

If so how is this done?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

....are you saying that Israel or its puppet lap dog the USA punishes, blackmails and threatens nations economically if they decide to behave as responsible global citizens and vote against Israeli interests, or indeed condemn Israeli actions in the occupied territories?

If so how is this done?

I'll give you a very simple example of what I was referring to in my original post.

New Zealand takes a stand and bans nuclear powered or nuclear armed ships from entering its ports and territorial waters in the '80s. Since the US isn't in the habit of declaring what's onboard their ships, in effect all US ships were banned.

Result, loss of millions upon millions of dollars from the economy due to American military personnel no longer having R&R there.

In the end it may have been a very brave move by the Kiwis that has long term ramifications for the whole world with regards nuclear weapons and power, but in the interim, her citizens are flocking here in their thousands because their economy is stuffed.

Of course I'm not saying by simply banning ships that it's killed their economy, I was simply saying in my original post that it must be easier to be principled when he citizens can come here and work.

In that sense they're a bit like Tasmania, all the natural beauty in the world but stuff all else.