Boycott Israel
Remembering how the South African Boycott united (and clarified) the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Left for a generation, new focus for Palestine is becoming essential. I think one of the keys for this would be strong leadership from the secular, radical Jewish community. This from Naomi Klein: "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." More here.
Meanwhile its interesting to see another angle developing - anti-military protests in Israel itself, see Real News Bulletin here:
In pther tittle-tattle, Manic has a scoop lifting the lid on The Scum. See: 'Glen Jenvey has some explaining to do'
Leave a comment