COUNTER- BDS OP-ED
VICTOR GORDON
Clearly, while the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel movement known as BDS is on a hiding to nothing, the only ones unable to recognise this are its own followers.
The most pertinent failing of this most hypocritical of bodies is their inability (like the uninvited guest who gatecrashes a party) to realise when they are not only intrusive but plainly unwelcome, having degenerated to nothing less than an excruciating pain in an unmentionable part of the human anatomy.
This happens when activists are so swept away with self-righteous self- belief and so intent on shoving it down everyone’s throats that their thick skins prevent them from seeing the truth; namely that they are no more than irritating, misguided idiots.
Ironically, an examination of the official BDS SA website displays under their logo the words, “Freedom, Justice, Equality”, the very cornerstones of the democracy that exists in the Jewish State of Israel where every Israeli, including the 1.5 million Israeli Arabs who co-exist with their Jewish counterparts, enjoy exactly the same benefits and freedoms – freedom to vote, freedom of the press, freedom of association, plus much more.
The independent, internationally recognised monitor of democracy, “Freedom House” (est. 1941) rates Israel as the only true democracy in the Middle East.
BDS SA go on to claim that “the Palestinian led international BDS campaign is a practical, non-violent, goal-orientated and strategic campaign to hold the State of Israel accountable to international law and human rights … also increasingly supported by (progressive) Israelis. The international isolation of Israel it is hoped will lead to the necessary conditions for a just peace to be negotiated – similar to what occurred in South Africa and brought about a democratic country for all our people.”
What BDS fail to address is exactly how Israel is in violation of international law (a claim continually bandied about but never substantiated); the context of Israel’s alleged abuses of human rights in the face of it having to continually defend itself and engage in 7 wars since 1948, all aimed at its annihilation; the abuse of human rights practised by its enemies Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the PLO and others, against not only Israeli citizens, who have had to endure decades of all forms of terrorism, but against their fellow Palestinians who are continually persecuted, tortured and murdered for a variety of reasons, both religious and political.
In the face of this perverted logic, we challenge BDS to explain how by weakening Israel a positive climate would be established within which Israel could confidently engage with enemies hell bent on its destruction.
However, the cookie on the cake is BDS claiming that, “ The international isolation of Israel it is hoped will lead to the necessary conditions for a just peace to be negotiated …” while it has openly chanted “Kill the Jew” at a concert by an Israeli jazz group at Wits (in the presence of none other than their sanctimonious co-ordinator, Muhammed Desai) coupled with threats to expel Jews from SA outside a conference of the SA Zionist Federation, and the blatantly anti-Semitic act of placing a pig’s head amongst the kosher food at a branch of Woolworths.
Quite obviously, all this has little to do with establishing the necessary conditions for “a just peace to be negotiated” between Israelis and Palestinians. What they are aimed at is identifying, targeting and harming Jewish institutions, Jewish businesses and Jewish individuals, equivalent to Nazi policies in 1936.
Their opprobrium directed against Woolworths is prompted by the latter’s minuscule (0.1% of overall purchases) business dealing with Israel, despite other major outlets like PnP, Shoprite, Spa and Checkers also offering Israeli products. The fact that Woolworths has Jewish connections in its boardroom is no mere coincidence.
The genie out of the bottle is that the BDS campaign is based on nothing less than anti-Semitism (Jew-hatred). To deny it is futile as this accusation is supported by far too much undeniable evidence.
What is also clear is that the public, once bemused by the actions of BDS have become thoroughly disenchanted with its intrusiveness campaign and take scant, if any, notice of its futile demonstrations and calls to action. Not only has Woolworths taken little notice of BDS’s demands that they cut all dealings with Israel, but it has posted record profits, particularly in its food section, the very thorn in the side of BDS. In fact one could hypothesise that the attention of BDS appears to be a major business stimulant.
Clearly, the average housewife wishes only to do her shopping as quickly and efficiently as possible and go about her business without having to be bothered by some obscure organization with an unrelated mission. We have enough problems of our own without having to contend with one on another continent.
BDS claim victories in the cancellation of visits to Israel by certain musicians and entertainers like Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, Lauren Hill, Sinead O’Connor and others, as though Israel cares two hoots about such trivia. For every cancelled act we can name one who has honoured his/her contract including Farrell Williams who met his commitment to both Woolworths and his South African fans by performing at two sell-out concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
After announcing that on Cap Town, their demonstration against Williams would be 50,000 strong this was reduced to 16,000 by the decree of the authorities, only to have a mere 1000 turn up – many being school children bussed in from outside areas. So much for mass support.
Ironically, an organization such as BDS does have the power to make a positive contribution towards the very issues it claims to support were it only to curb its overblown ego and take a hard and honest look at its questionable integrity.
Not only has BDS ignored calls by the President of the PA, Machmud Abbas to desist from boycotting Israel in the true interests of the Palestinians, but has appointed itself arbitrator of what is good for the very people it claims to be assisting. In fact, the Palestinians must simply swallow what BDS has ordained for them, in supposedly their own interests. This resulted in the loss of 600 jobs when the Sodastream factory relocated from the West Bank to the Negev, partially as a result of BDS interference. While only 120 of these Arab workers have been re-employed under far more adverse conditions, this hardly effects the food on Mohammed Desai’s table. Neither is it likely to afford him any loss of sleep.
While BDS try to convince the public that its noble cause is directed purely against Israeli pretzels and pomegranates, it is difficult to understand why it has never demonstrated outside the Embassy of Syria whose government has slaughtered well over 200,000 of its citizens, causing the tragic upheaval now witnessed in Europe.
In our lopsided, hypocritical world, “Israeli tomatoes” (actually grown in Limpopo) are seemingly far more important.
Media Team Israel 